@samisbookshelf recommended this one and I knew i just had to read this!!! IT IS SO CUTE OMG. I LOVE DESI WURTHERING HEIGHTS!!!

An enjoyable take on a well-known classic. This remix was creative and as Tasha Suri's usual, the prose was beautiful; masterful storytelling. I didn't particularly like this classic but What Souls Are Made Of I did enjoy!

Full review to come and rating may change.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have been so excited for What Souls Are Made Of ever since Tasha Suri announced that she was writing a YA South Asian remix of Wuthering Heights. This book surpassed all my expectations. It was everything I wanted out of a desi gothic historical novel and I loved how refreshing the story felt even while being taken from a well-known (and noticeably white) classic. Seeing words like nazar, samudra, and more right next to the names of some of the most famous characters in English literature was quite an experience, honestly, and only Tasha Suri could master such storytelling.

One of the reasons why Wuthering Heights on its own isn’t a classic I particularly like is because of how depressing and sad the story generally is. However, Tasha Suri decided to go for a more hopeful approach while still keeping the same heart-wrenching themes of the original story. Reading Catherine and Heathcliff’s individual chapters in which they talk to one another (without knowing if the other still cares for them) destroyed me. I also really loved how this story focused on Heathcliff and Catherine’s voices instead of the story being told in Nelly's POV.

Speaking of Catherine and Heathcliff, I loved following their individual journeys throughout the novel. Seeing Heathcliff’s growth from being a scrappy “nobody” mad at everyone and everything in the world to fighting for what he believes in and finding a family among John, Jamie, Annie, and Hetty. I also loved seeing Catherine’s growth from being a snooty daughter of a nobleman to having compassion for everyone around her, even those of lower social standing. Their individual journeys in which they explored and discovered their Indian heritage was the highlight of their character arcs, especially at a time when Indians were exploited and mistreated horribly by the British. British colonialism is no secret in history of course, but even as an Indian-American myself, it wasn’t until college until I properly learned of the atrocities committed by the British against Indians. It was honestly so cathartic to see Heathcliff and Catherine come to terms with their British-Indian identity in a society that doesn’t care for people like them (which indirectly forced them to not care for people like them as well) and accept their birth parents’ decisions. I highly recommend this book for any South Asian diaspora readers out there when it releases in June!

5/5 stars. To be released July 2022.

What Souls Are Made Of is a must read. Tasha Suri's writing and prose are phenomenal and is the perfect addition to the Wuthering Heights story.

I'm probably one of the few that actually enjoying reading Wuthering Heights in high school. It's a sad tale where truly no one ends up happy. What Souls Are Made Of picks up right after Heathcliff leaves the Heights after hearing Cathy say she could never marry him. This book is told from both Heathcliff and Cathy's point of views as we learn more about the strength of their relationship and the past they have both endured. Suri blends history with fiction perfectly as we learn more about the influence of the British and the East India Trading Company in both India and in Britain.

When you have already read the OG work, you begin with the huge amount of expectations to read a new interpretation/remix; and that being said, it really didn’t disappoint!! It was rather quite riveting to see how the things would unfold and certain actions would take place. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book was such a great read! I really enjoyed it and flew through it in one afternoon. The characters were unique and relatable which is something I really enjoy in a book. The author did an amazing job and I can't wait to read more.

I finished this book in a single sitting, it was really that good. I really enjoyed this novel. I liked how easily and early I connected with the characters and got hooked on to the story. The writing was also exceptionally good. Overall, it’s a 4.5 star read for me.

Tasha Suri's What Souls Are Made Of presents an alternate view of the story of Wuthering Heights, one in which Heathcliff and Catherine grow through their pain and loss to find their true selves. In Suri's re-imagining, Heathcliff runs away from the moors to Liverpool, and there, he struggles to make his way, relying on his strength, tolerance of pain, and intellect. When offered the chance to make his fortune through brutality, however, he refuses, and chooses to help others like his dead father, lascars who have been unfairly treated by a society who down on them. Meanwhile, Catherine intends to follow Heathcliff, but when her brother Hindley refuses to allow it, she agrees to marry wealthy Edgar Linton and become the mistress of the Grange. As time passes, however, she cannot bury the love she feels for Heathcliff or the connection between them. When she learns that her mother was also Indian, and that she and Heathcliff are more the same than different, she leaves to find him. She knows she hurt him enough to drive him away. Even if she can find him, she doubts whether he will accept her, but she has to try.

My favorite part of retold classics is the potential they carry to draw students back into the originals novels. Suri's version alters the outcome dramatically, turning the story into a triumph of spirit and love and individuality, but readers will find it very different from the original, both in tone and theme. The characters are believable, cohesive, and authentic. Readers come to know them and find their actions honest and real. The pacing of the story is quick, moving readers from setting to setting without lagging or bogging down in one part of the story. I appreciate the encouraging, uplifting theme Suri accomplished, and I think many young adult readers will see elements of themselves in Catherine's stubbornness, Heathcliff's search for identity, and the friendships Heathcliff forges with his Liverpool friends. I recommend this book for young adult readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories and gentle romances with happy endings.

*Thank you so much to MacMillan, Tasha Suri and Netgalley for providing me with a E-ARC of "What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix" in exchange for an honest Review*

So I'm going to be honest, I've never read the original "Wuthering Heights". I know the quotes, and what is generally known about it, but I personally have never read it. So going into "What Souls Are Made of" never having read the source material, I liked Tasha's interpretation. I felt like her characters were fleshed out .