I was extremely disappointed in this book! I typically love and seek out own voices books, but had a hard time finding anything redeeming in this story. I abandoned it at the 50% mark, when nothing changed, nothing improved.

This is the story of an 11th grade Bangladeshi Muslim girl named Karina (or Myra to her family). Her parents travel to Bangladesh on vacation, leaving her and her brother in the care of their lenient grandmother. Normally, her family is very strict to the point of smothering her and not allowing her any freedom whatsoever. This has caused her to become excessively anxiety riddled. She is thrilled that they have gone off on vacation and looks forward to 28 days of living her life and hanging out with her friends.

Her English teacher asked her to tutor a young man, and although she is at first baffled by the request, she does so. A romance blooms and Karina is terrified because she knows that there is no way that her family will approve of this relationship. Her grandmother covers for her. I didn't get farther than this, but it is totally predictable.

The plot of this book is a common one -- I have seen it in many other stories. There is no plot development, no character development and nothing unique about it --- it doesn't draw the reader in. I wish that there were something i could say about the book that might redeem it in some way or other, but there isn't.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes so when I heard that this involved a straight-A, Bangladeshi-Muslim American teenager who ends up faking dating the ring-and-leather-jacket-wearing bad boy I was IN. Karina suffers from anxiety and is buckling down the weight of her parent's expectations, so when they leave for a month to visit Bangladesh, Karina sees this as an opportunity to find a little freedom. Enter Ace, the rich bad boy who needs tutoring and pushes Karina beyond what she can see for herself. This was a great #ownvoices contemporary YA romance that highlights what can happens when you start figuring out what YOU want your life to look like, instead of what your parents want for you.

I absolutely cannot wait for COUNTING DOWN WITH YOU to be released so I can share it with everyone I know. Tashie Bhuiyan has created something truly special here, taking a familiar story and tried-and-true tropes and spinning them into something completely, entirely original.

While I absolutely adored Karina and Ace's relationship—the sort of high school romance that sneaks up on you and sweeps you off your feet no matter how hard you try keeping them on the ground, the sort that makes you feel giddy—the heart of this book is Karina, and her personal journey. The anxiety representation is absolutely authentic and I know so many people (myself included) who are going to see themselves within the pages of COUNTING DOWN WITH YOU. I also loved the sibling dynamics, and Karina's relationship with her Dadu was literally everything. I appreciated and could absolutely relate to the other, more complicated parts of Karina's relationships with her parents, and felt it was handled with care. One of my favourite themes in books, especially Young Adult, is that of found families; the people you CHOOSE to have in your life, and how the relationships that matter most aren't always the ones defined by shared genetics (because those relationships can absolutely be toxic and abusive and reach a point where NO, you don't have to forgive someone just because you're related to them). From Ace to Karina's close-knit group of friends, that concept of finding good people to surround yourself with absolutely shines.

And oh, Karina's friends! Nandini and Cora are an absolute riot, chaotic and hilarious and so, so supportive. Bhuiyan has a definite edge writing YA that feels truly authentic to today's teenagers, and the tone of the conversations her characters have are absolutely spot-on.

Basically, COUNTING DOWN WITH YOU is a book that I already know is going to mean so much to so many readers. Plus, it will make you laugh. It will make you cry. It will fill your heart with so much hope. And really, what more could you ask for from a story?

I liked Karina's character although she did frustrate me sometimes but I liked her strength and how her anxiety was dealt with, I loved her friend group and I wish they were included more like I feel I didn't see enough of them.

I really liked Ace and his character in general but he did feel a little underdeveloped, his relationship with Karina was cute but not anything special. I think what stood out most was Karina's relationship with her grandma which I really loved.

The pacing was a little off to be honest some parts felt very dragged and just unnecessary, I got really bored in the middle and the ending felt a little rushed. I liked the muslim rep in the book but I do have some things that felt off to me and just annoyed me in general. Overall a good debut.

Karina Ahmed has a plan. Keep her head down, get through high school without a fuss, and follow her parents' rules--even if it means sacrificing her dreams. When her parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, Karina expects some peace and quiet. Instead, one simple lie unravels everything.

This book was so freaking adorable! Karina and Ace were such easy characters to root for. They formed a really fun and sweet dynamic from the start. Karina struggles with breaking the mold of who her parents want her to be and Ace really teaches her to step outside of that bubble. Truly this book was so wonderful to read.

Stayed up way too late last night reading this one and reading the anxiety attack scenes was very triggering, but this was a very good and realistic portrayal of what it can be like. It is over 400 pages, not a quick read. The author is a Bangladeshi American which is the same as the protagonist, so it is another #ownvoices. Lots of diversity, lots of cultural references, also lots of mentions of books, movies, music, and food. It reminded me of YA RomCom movies from the late 90s, but way more respectful and also a little bittersweet. Comes out May 2021, but I recommend you add it to your lists.