Trigger warnings for racism, homophobia, bullying and a character being outed.

The Henna Wars totally surprised me! It deals with quite a lot of important themes, but it does so in an efficient and caring way. This young adult book is about Nishat, a Bengali girl who lives in Ireland and who enjoys creating henna designs. She has an insta-crush on Flávia, a Brazilian girl who used to go to school with her when they were younger and who now attends Nishat's school. The relationship between the two girls was described with such an honesty that it's hard to find in YA books. I clearly understood both girls' struggles in regard to their relationship and I truly felt for them.

I don't think that their romance was the main part of this book though. The focus was definitely on culture and cultural appropriation. These themes were dealt with in a very honest way and everything that happened felt very realistic. I appreciated Nishat's fight to make people understand the difference between being appreciative of a culture and being someone who takes advantage of it and appropriates it for their own causes.
Family played another important role in this novel and I was the biggest fan of Priti, Nishat's younger sister.

The only thing I would have liked to have seen was some more in-depth apologies from some people and also a bigger conversation with Nishat's parents. Other than that, this book was a very cute, but also very important read that I totally recommend!

Firstly, Thank you to #Netgalley and #PageStreetPublishing for this eARC.

I liked the premise and the cover (not lying at all!) and when I saw it was available for request I went ahead. Also I saw many other reviewers raving about this book and I had to try it. Plus, the South Asian sentiment :P

First, about the characters. I loved them! All the characters were extraordinary. Loved Nishat and her relationship with her younger sister. This sister chemistry/bonding was so beautifully portrayed, it felt true and lively. No matter what, they were always honest, and had each other's back at all time! Flavia was just a character at first, but she really did grew on by the end. So adorable and lovely she was. And then Chyna, I might have hated her, but her presence was so required for the story to build as it did. The perfect villain here! And then Nishat's friends, Jess and Chaewon, and her parents. It all felt very true, honest and quite raw.

Second, the different topics captured here. I find it difficult to categorise this book. It captures and so easily gives off about so many difficult topics that I forgot to annotate at one point and was just reading! It is obviously more than just another LGBTQIA or Teens-YA book. It explains siblings relationship, the varied teenager issues, parental issues, self acceptance and self exploration, the different cultures in such a fantastic way that you just cannot forget it! The author did a commendable job on exploring about the different cultures and portraying about them here so vividly.

Finally, coming to the writing, it was so easy and enjoyable. The flow was superb! The events as they happened and were described by the author, one could exactly feel them, those teenager feels and vibes. Each of the character's development was so beautifully crafted.

Will I recommend? YES
Will I be reading more books by Adiba Jaigirdar? YES
Will I be exploring more LGBTQIA themed books? YES (The last book I read I kind of didn't admired it much, but this was Great!)

**ARC from NetGalley**

Teen lesbian love story that was adorable. The author did their homework with the different languages throughout as well which was nice. It had realistic teen behavior and it was nice seeing them stand up for themselves, their sexuality, and their friends. Very diverse and enjoyable to read. Will definitely recommend.

Content Warnings for racism, homophobia, and a character being outed.

This book was sweet, but lacked real guts for me. I didn't feel an attachment to the characters or their plight. I wanted to know more about Nishat's connection to her family and her culture. I enjoyed Nishat and Priti's sister relationship. The subject of culture appropriation was dealt with well, but the plot of Nishat's henna business felt weak. There just wasn't a huge pull. She seemed to give up too easily to Chyna, because that's the way things have always been.
Overall, The Henna Wars was ok. Sweet, but not much substance.

Firstly I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Page Street Publishing for sending me an E-ARC of this book, I am so grateful for the opportunity. 

The Henna Wars took me by surprise. Please, don't get me wrong, I didn't request a book that I didn't think I would like but I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. It is such a heart-warming yet raw in places read that I did not want to put down. 

I must admit, it takes a lot for me to enjoy a contemporary book as they are not my chosen genre - fantasy is. However, on odd occasions I am taken aback by a book of this genre and it tends to stay with me for a very long time. The Henna Wars had this effect on me. Whilst a Contemporary easy to read book, The Henna Wars focused on some very hard hitting topics including homophobia, racism and religious beliefs. At times I did find parts fairly difficult to read - I was quite uncomfortable however each of these topics were dealt with in a delicate way which gave each one of them the justice that they deserved. 

The characters really stood out to me in this book. I absolutely loved Nishat and her sister, I loved their relationship and the fact that they stood by each other despite everything thrown in their way. I really enjoyed the love and the loyalty between them as well as really seeing their connection grow when times were hard for either one. I must admit I wanted to punch Chyna through most of the books but it pains me to say, she was a good character one which I really feel the author depicted in order to get the desired effect from the reader. Flavia, annoyed me to start with but she did really grow on me in the end. I did enjoy seeing her journey and relationship build with Nishat. Honestly, Adiba Jaigirdar really does know how to write a good character. 

The writing style of the author was one that I enjoyed. I found it very easy to read and when I picked it up I struggled to put it down. Due to the fact i read this on my kindle, I read the vast majority of it whilst I was in bed. Therefore I did find that I went to sleep a lot later as I kept telling myself I would read just one more chapter. Despite the difficult topics that have been explored in The Henna Wars I still found that this was an easy read that I got through a lot quicker than I have with other books of a similar genre. 

The Henna Wars is one that I will be recommending to other people. I will also be looking out for other books from this author in the future.

I loved The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar! This book is about Nishat, a Bagladeshi girl living in Ireland with her family. Nishat is insanely close with her younger sister, Priti, and they attend a nearly all-white high school. After the Bangladeshi wedding of a family friend, Nishat comes out to her parents. Meanwhile, as part of a school project, Nishat starts her own henna design business and also starts to fall for a rival henna designer, Flavia, a biracial classmate whom Nishat knew in grade school. But the racism and blatant cultural appropriation perpetrated by Flavia's cousin soon gets out of hand and Nishat get bullied right and left while continuing always to stand up for herself even if no one else will.

This book is so intersectionally diverse and at it's heart it is a love story between two young women. Nishat is a strong character who knows exactly who she is, even in spite of the racism and cultural appropriation of her fellow students. The Henna Wars deals with a lot of deep topics and the author provides a trigger warning upfront that the book includes "instances of racism, homophobia, bullying, and character being outed." I highly recommend this book and I also enjoyed learning more about Bengali culture!

NetGalley ARC | One of my most anticipated YA books of May 2020, The Henna Wars actually let me down.

I love that The Henna Wars examines deeper topics--racism, cultural appropriation, bullying, and coming out--with an educated and strong multicultural presence.

Unfortunately, the storytelling is non-existent and poorly written. Besides the actual content, The Henna Wars reads more like elementary junior fiction than YA.

You can read my complete review here: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/currently-reading-april-2020/

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

That made me...unbelievably happy. Not sure if it's a 4 or 5 star yet, gotta think on that for a bit, but I loved it. I think maybe I wanted a little more out of Nishat's friendship with Jess and Chaewon, mostly because they all made up so fast and it felt a little superficial to me. I think the part I wish the text addressed was that Chaewon's idea was also cultural, also extremely valuable to her, but Nishat didn't really respect that and was so focused on herself. I grew to love Nishat, but I wish she had acknowledged her own disrespect. But otherwise, I did really love this book. The relationship between Nishat and Flavia made me so happy! I could not stop smiling! And once I really got into this book, I couldn't stop reading! I'm so appreciative for Netgalley approving my request to receive a review copy. It was wonderful, a beautiful discussion of coming out, culture, and cultural appropriation. I only wish it had more pages :)

-Book Hugger

I loved reading this f/f romance set in Ireland between Nishat, a Desi girl, and her long lost best friend, Flavia. But what if you throw a school business competition, conflict with friends, being ignored by your parents after you were forcibly outed...then a lot happens. Nishat isn't perfect, but she struggles to find her way and embrace her culture through a henna business, she vows to win no matter what, how far will she go?

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

It is hard for me to get into the YA genre lately, but I wanted to give this book a try, since it is a diverse read.
Before starting this book, I was really hoping it wouldn"t be a cringy YA story where I’d be rolling my eyes with every turn of the pages. Luckily, it wasn’t!

If you love a diverse contemporary YA story, this is for you.

I enjoyed it and read it in one sitting, but there were things here and there I enjoyed less.
I could relate to Nishat. We might not be from the same culture or religion, but I know how it feels not to be accepted, and or rejected, by family, friends and religion, because of your sexuality.
The feelings she went through hit close to home at times, because I went through more or less the same situation. So I liked that it was a relatable story.

It was a fast read but it was maybe a bit too fast? Events quickly jumped from one moment to another, without having lighter moments here and there. But it is a short read, so it makes sense that you can't always go too much in depth like you can with a bigger book.
Some of the highschool drama wasn't necessary in my eyes. I wasn't too crazy about the almost insta love either. Then again, it is a short book so no time to waste.

All in all, it was a short enjoyable diverse read that put some heavier subjects in the spotlight, but I think it would have been better if the book had a few more chapters to shape the story a bit more in depth.

This is a gorgeous read! Im a huge proponent of love stories over coming out narratives (the latter is ofc necessary, but we need more than that), and while (*spoilers*) there is a horrible outing, the plot is also about rivalry and finding love. I also loved the relationship between Nishat and her sister - totally reminds me of mine and my sister's relationship as teenagers - they might fall out and make mistakes, but ultimately they always love each other.
I enjoyed the nuanced ways in which the novel talked about racism and homophobia - how and why people might not think they're being racist when they ofc are, cultural appropriation and the different ways in which racism can tear its ugly head.
Overall, Henna Wars is a nuanced and intelligent novel wrapped in a sweet love story and compelling writing.

Title - The Henna Wars

Author - Adiba Jaigirdar

Genre - YA LGBT Romance

With the lockdown upon us, it has been quite a productive time for me to get along with my reading schedules. What can be called as a cherry on the cake is when the book hooks you up from start to finish and leaves a smile on your face throughout. Henna Wars is one such book and here is my take on one of my best reads this year.

The story starts with us getting introduced to Nishat whose family has moved from Bangladesh to Dublin and has been living a pretty interesting life. We see Nishat coming out to her family about her sexuality which isn't quite openly accepted by her parents. On one of the wedding ceremonies, Nishat comes across her ex-classmate with whom she starts developing a crush on. What brings the twist here is when Flavia joins the same school and is now pitted against Nishat as they both decide to work on similar projects aka Henna designing.

As I had already mentioned earlier, the book is what one would call a feel-good book. The characters are quite lovable and for someone who has grown up in a South Asian household, a lot of incidents are pretty relatable. The three central characters Nishat, Priti and Flavia are just adorable and one would start rooting for them from the very beginning of the book. Although I'm someone who hardly picks up a book in romance genre, this one did hook me up quite easily.

With a theme that ain't pretty new, a high school rivalry, the book does not get too in depth with the nitty gritty on the school life but rather focused mainly on the relationships of Nishat with Flavia and also her family. Though the book does turn annoying at one point of time, it comes back on top pretty quick letting the readers to say that All's well that Ends well.

So would i recommend this book? If you haven't got hands on it, do get it as soon as possible as this one promises a fun ride for someone who loves to read YA Romance and can pretty much get lost in books and characters.

THE HENNA WARS is so well written!!!! This story brought me so much happiness when reading it. I love seeing other representation in the literary world. The characters... the imagery... plot points.... 5/5!!!!!! You won't regret picking up this novel!!!!!

I wish I had a book like The Henna Wars growing up.

Nishat is a Bangladeshi girl, living in Ireland with her parents and her sister, Priti. While attending a Bangladeshi wedding one day, she realises that she needs to tell her parents the truth about her sexuality so that they don’t continue to expect and plan for a wedding for Nishat, just like the one they’re at.

Nishat has dreams of being accepted by her parents, of everything being okay, but in truth when she does come out to them, nothing is the same. Thankfully, she has Priti on her side, and as it turns out, a burgeoning interest in Flavia, a biracial classmate (her mother is Brazilian) who has returned to Nishat’s school after a couple of years away. Except, she also happens to be the cousin of the girl who has been bullying Nishat for years, Chyna.

When the girls are given a class project to start their own business, Nishat decides to start her own henna business, something Flavia copies because she likes art. There’s a discussion on cultural appropriation that I wish went on further, but really there’s so much goodness in here, it’s a small quibble.

As it turns out, their decisions to run the same henna business set Nishat and Flavia in competition with each other, accompanied by the push-and-pull and fear of two girls realising they like each other.

Their relationship is set also set against the theme of family – predominantly Nishat’s, though I’ll get to Flavia’s as well. ‘Muslim girls are not lesbians’ is something her parents believe, and when they urge her to reconsider her ‘choice’ my heart broke for Nishat who just wants to be herself – for herself, and with her parents. But this is a familiar cultural refrain, in that I’ve heard plenty about what Indian girls should be doing and shouldn’t be doing growing up, and standing up for the choices I made was not an easy thing.

As the book progresses, both Nishat and readers learn more about her parents, and the choices they made, which give their own words and actions perspective in this book. I enjoyed that immensely as these are complex characters, and there’s more to them than being the ‘parents who come around to their daughter’s sexuality’.

Priti, Nishat’s younger sister, is such a joy. She is her greatest supporter and her protector, but at the same time she isn’t afraid to call Nishat on things she’s done in the book to open her eyes. It’s understandable that Nishat is so wrapped up in her business project and dealing with Flavia, but family is important to her and it’s Priti that makes her realise just what she’s missing out on.

The book tells us just enough about Flavia’s family to make me think there’s a whole book in her own relationships. Her mother wants to prove to her father’s side in the family that he made the right choice marrying her, putting undue pressure on Flavia and her sister. But, I can understand that too. Chyna herself is at her core racist, and Flavia realising that about her cousin was as much a relief, as it was sad.

I did think that their relationship moved very quickly into intense like, but that was a minor hiccup in a book I recommend everyone read.

In addition to this, the author explores the complexity of friendships with teenage girls in Nishat’s friendships with Chaewon and Jess. Like with her family, Nishat’s struggles block out that she isn’t being friends to Chaewon and Jess, and it results in a break down of their relationship during the book. I like that it simmered in the background, but it was always there until Nishat was ready to realise what she’d done and repair it, as did Chaewon and Jess for their actions.

Bullying is another part of this book. It’s the insidious kind where rumours are spreading like wildfire, before Nishat comes out, and then again after. Adiba Jaigirdar ties it all together though, making for such a wonderfully compelling read.

Adiba Jaigirdar has created incredibly relatable characters, struggling with who they are in a world in which they will always stand out whether it be because of the colour of their skin, the food they eat, or their sexuality. That’s the beauty of this book as Nishat struggled with the consequences of coming out to her parents, but she’s also struggling with being bullied (long before anyone knew she was a lesbian), with friendships and her relationship with her sister. All of this will appeal to a wealth of readers who just may need to read a book that makes them smile and makes them feel hopeful.

This story was always going to be intensely close to my heart, because it talks about a queer, desi girl. It fulfills and surpasses every expectation in how very genuine it is. It perfectly captures the desi experience and the culture we are brought up in. It is so rare to see this kind of representation of LGBTQ+ characters who are very rooted in and are proud of their culture; which made me enormously happy. Nishat is also Muslim; which is, again, very rarely seen in media. This entire combination seems so niche but immensely accurately represented; which is what you get when you allow POC authors to write their own stories. It is hard for me to explain how amazing I find all of this; because for someone who has been chasing representation in popular media for ages, it all feels like a dream.

There are so many things that I absolutely adored in this book. Nishat’s relationship with her sister, her love for henna and the reason behind it, the quintessential high school experience but from the eyes of a child of immigrants, and the confusion of figuring out your own feelings and deciphering others’. It is an amalgam of extremely relatable things that flow beautifully creating this intricate and, yet, simple story. The way every character acts and reacts is so true to themselves. There is not a moment or interaction that feels forced or has a sliver of pretense.

As much as I love this book, there are moments that I do not fully believe in because they do not seem sincere. One of these is the past that Nishat and Flávia share, which is a precursor for their relationship in this book and it sometimes comes across as a thin plot. I also would have liked to see more of the reasons behind Nishat and Flávia’s attraction to each other. Since, the book only shows us Nishat’s POV it makes sense that we will not get an accurate sense of what other characters are thinking or feeling; but I would have liked some in-depth look into the bevy of characters that surround Nishat.

Along with its painfully, sometimes, accurate portrayal of a South Asian character, I adored this book for its take on cultural appropriation. It shows how agonizing it is for people whose culture is being appropriated because of its history and various connotations. It also talks about the hypocrisy that comes with it. People conveniently pick and choose what parts of a culture they like; and claim it as their own gimmick, while derogating other parts of that same culture.

I found this book riveting and a fresh gust of sweet wind that caressed my face and made me feel at home. I wait eagerly for the next story that the author will bring to us, hoping for it be about another desi queer teen looking for acceptance but not asking for it.

The first thing I'm going to say about The Henna Wars is how beautiful the cover is! This might be my favourite contemporary book cover ever, I honestly can't stop looking at it, there's so much beauty in the details. I'm so glad I loved this novel so I can justify purchasing a copy even after reading it, just to have that cover on display on my shelves.

Now onto the actual novel, this is a brilliant debut that deserves every ounce of hype! I'm quite shocked that this is a debut in all honesty as the author has sensitively discussed some possibly triggering topics in such a smooth manner. The Henna Wars includes a character being publicly outed as LGBTQ+ to their entire school, cultural appropriation as well as homophobia and racism. I thought the cultural appropriation was discussed and explained in a particularly detailed manner which will educate readers of any age.

The positive sisterhood was another aspect I've found missing in my recent reads. It was wonderful to read about two sisters who were determined to be there for each other, no matter what. The unconditional love between Nishat and Priti, especially when Nishat was struggling with her feeling of belonging within their family due to her sexuality, was uplifting and heartening to read about.

I don't think I had read an f/f story that had a competitive edge to it before reading this novel, the Henna war definitely added an interesting dynamic to this slow burn romance! The teens within the story are given the task of creating a business, this brings out the competitiveness in all the students and begins to show the cracks in some relationships too. As well as including the romance between Nishat and Flávia, the novel also explored the friendships between teenagers and how quickly they can break up and rebuild.

The Henna Wars is a very honest and authentic take on teenage life with a beautifully diverse yet at times painful f/f romance. I would highly recommend this debut to all contemporary fans!

There's been a lot of buzz surrounding this debut, and it's so well deserved. This book deals with Nishat, who comes out to her parents and has to deal with them struggling to accept her, as well as cultural appropriation at her school, when she starts a henna design business for a school assignment but one of her classmates does too. It was a fairly heavy book at times, between Nishat's family's homophobia, the racist bullying Nishat deals with at school, and her being outed at school, so please be aware of that. But it also had many cute moments, and I really enjoyed it.

What I especially appreciated about this book, is how realistic the relationships between the teenagers are. I vividly remember being a teenager and not really having friendships extend beyond school, and how easily friendships could change and end.

I also really appreciated the sibling relationship in this book. I always love seeing sisters in books who love each other and have each other's backs.

Rep: Bengali/Bangladeshi lesbian main character, Brazilian-Irish (Afrolatinx) bisexual love interest, Bengali/Bangladeshi side characters, Korean side character

CWs: racism & racist bullying, homophobia & homophobic bullying, public outing, cultural appropriation

This is a diverse queer contemporary story about a Bengali girl living in Dublin, coming out, having a crush, navigating school while bullied by bigoted homophobes and racists. There's a lot about family, her sister is very important to her and to the story. Nishat, the mc, doesn't make the wisest decisions most times, and doesn't speak her mind much since "it wouldn't change anything". The frustration was real. So, while I was angry at her for the miscommunication, I kind of understood why she chose not to say anything, but how can you know if something can make a difference if you don't do anything?

The writing style was easy to get into, and all the info about the Bengali culture and food really made me see everything that makes it beautiful and fascinating. I must be honest, I don't think I really know where is Bangladesh, but now I feel like a know a bit more about the culture. I love learning something new while enjoying a nice book. Mixing both things is perfect!

The love story might sound like the dreaded trope of instalove. It's more of an instacrush and then we have a really slowburn kind of love story. It was a bit frustrating because it's the first crush, all encompassing, and Nishat didn't manage it very well. I admit to have been quite angry at her for most of the book, but the last chapters made up for all the anger and shakes of head. It was pretty cute in the end. The sum of all the parts of the book make it good! It was like a journey inside Nishat's head with all the doubts, the sadness, the anger, the hopelessness.

This is a book I would certainly recommend to everyone.

You know what I love the most? A really good queer love story. This one has it all.

The Henna Wars follows the young Nishat who has to land a business project for High School and decide to commercialize her passion for henna art.

The narrative of the story is told by Nishat’s mind, allowing us to get to know the real issues she is struggling with which are her coming out to her parents, the racism in school, the homophobia, and the cultural appropriation her the henna by her main competitor, Flavia.

More than a love story, The Henna Wars deals with many subjects with wisdom and relevance: the look upon the Bengali community is never judgmental nor critical despite the homophobic contents. Homosexuality is a real issue among the children of immigrant parents: no one will react the same because of their own story, their own history, their social backgrounds, their cultures, their religion. I’m so glad that we can have more and more books about this in YA literature. It reminded me of a book I loved in 2019 which is called ‘The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali’ by Sabina Khan which is also an excellent book about being gay in the Bengali community.

Being gay is complicated, and it’s even more complicated when you are already facing racism on the daily basis. Not only Nishat is struggling to be accepted by her own parents, but she must face her nemesis Chyna, a white racist and homophobic girl. She is extremely brave and courageous, and I loved her for that. She is a true heroine.

The problematic of cultural appropriation is very well shown: it’s never never (…) never a good “homage” or “artistic inspiration” but it simply is a perverse form of racism. The author presents the subject with a critical eye but a pedagogical approach in order to explain that’s is not right, whether you mean well or not.

One of the most refreshing things about this book is the glorious and adorable relationship between Nishat and her younger sister Priti. They are fusional, they support each other no matter what, protect each other, and have each other back in time of need. Family is everything you want it to be. For Nishat, her sister is what makes her whole and it made my heart melt.

Also, thumbs up for that amazing scene in French class, as a French reader I loved it and it made me laugh so damn much!

The Henna Wars is the story of Nishat, a young adolescent girl from Bangladesh who lives in Ireland with her family and goes to school in a Catholic girls' high school. Only Nishat has a secret, a secret that she no longer wishes to keep for herself, and that she wishes to confess to her parents: she is a lesbian, and wants them to accept her for what she is, even if that challenges some of their beliefs and aspirations.
Chance of the calendar, Nishat meets almost that same day Flávia, a young girl half Irish, half Brazilian, and falls for her immediately. However, a competition in school around henna is damaging their relationship, and the question of cultural appropriation becomes central.

I'm not a big fan of contemporaries, I prefer fantasy, but for once, I found this book particularly addictive. I loved the personality of Nisha, and that of her sister Priti. The latter is very present in this book, and she is really an engaging character, who advances history in a good way, while remaining a young girl of 14-15 years old with teenage worries. She was a bit of the sunshine of this book, a true love!

Nishat is the narrator of this book. We will therefore follow the least of her actions, and this narration works particularly well here. Each situation is more intense, and we really understand the impact it has on her. We feel her confused, happy, angry, dejected, determined, and we live these feelings with her.

This book deals with difficult subjects, and difficult for some people to understand. For example, it is still difficult to differentiate between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. I myself still make the distinction between the two difficult, and this book is a perfect reflection of it. The line between the two is really thin, and crossing it is easier than you think.

I have a big soft spot for stories about or dealing with Asian cultures. This is my first book that deals with Bengali culture, and even though I already knew some details, like henna designs for special occasions, I don't know much. It is therefore with great pleasure that I embarked on this henna war, which is an excuse to speak of cultural appropriation, sexuality and racism.

If you like diversity, you will be served! In addition to the Bengali and lesbian heroine, we have Brazilian and bisexual love interest and a Korean secondary character. In addition, the author is Bengali herself, so she is an ownvoice!

A few warnings are still in order: this book deals with racism, homophobia, harassment and a character who is outed.

In conclusion: A touching book, which deals with difficult subjects with tact, and which I recommend 100%. Thanks to Page Street Kids and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in advance.