This book was a huge surprise. The protagonist Ronnie has left the clutches of her hateful aunt who has terrorized her for years. She leaves New York for a new life in Sedona. After she arrives dead bodies and flocks of ravens keep appearing. The writing is really fun and observant. I both laughed and winced at the clueless racist comments from people now obsessed with South Asian culture. I also really enjoyed her take on toxic relationships and the keen observations of the “wellness community”. I flew threw the book and was really invested in Ronnie and was rooting for her. Lots of fun and I am definitely seeking out this author’s previous novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amina Akhtar for an Advanced Reader Copy.

After reading the first few chapters of Kismet I knew two things with absolute cosmic certainty; the muscles in my face responsible for cringing were going to be tested to their limits and that I was going to love every second of it.

Ronnie Khan needed something in her life to change. What she didn’t expect was to find that the catalyst would end up being a wellness guru by the name of Marley Dewhurst. With a newly founded confidence, buoyed by a budding friendship with the blond socialite, Ronnie has decided to leave her tired existence in Queen and start fresh with Marley in the mountains of Sedona, Arizona.

Upon entering her new life, Ronnie was expecting things like the endless hikes, tasteless health shakes, or tortuous beauty routines to be the death of her, but when she begins having prophetic dreams and actual bodies start appearing in the picturesque landscapes… the banality of the wellness culture will be the least of her worries.

Anyone who follows my reviews knows that a novel based around the wellness industry and rich white ladies in the desert is not really something to be considered as part of my “usual” reads… and they would be absolutely right. The fact that Kismet is pretty far afield from my normal reading habits makes my love for this book that much stronger.

Only a handful of pages in, Amina Akhtar had me chuckling out loud as a person burying a body uttered the most relatable phrase I've ever read in a book. That takes skill. The biting criticisms, hilarious dialogue, and ridiculous events in the story gave me a serious case of fremdschämen in almost every chapter.

Another phenomenal attribute of this book is that I often found myself so caught up in the personal and emotional drama that I almost forgot about the mutilated bodies popping up around town. The interpersonal dynamics, socio economic critiques, and plot twists are just brilliant. You can’t help but root for this New Yorker in a new land. Ronnie may be a fish out of water, but we’re all right there with her.

As someone who mainly reads espionage, military, and violent crime books, this was an absolutely perfect changeup in my reading habits and I cannot wait to read more from Amina. Much like the protagonist in this story, sometimes you have to get outside of your comfort zone to find something truly remarkable.

On a personal note… having grown up around kids from all over the world, being married to an immigrant, and having lived abroad, I have experienced similar scenarios as those described in Kismet. I like to think the hilarity of those memories enhanced my reading experience. And if you read this book, which you absolutely should, and you don’t feel some form of embarrassment on behalf of the ladies running around looking for energy vortexes in the hills, you might be part of the problem.

A new life? Sunny Sedona, AZ. Where the red rocks run redder with the blood of the phonies. Cheeky, I know. Enjoyable.

Something is afoot. New transplant Ronnie (main character), a type of soothsayer, has visions of their demise. Old life like new life is Kismet. In an effort to escape the past, Ronnie must rise like the phoenix from her ashes. She is reborn into her best self for the life she necessitates.

Spoiler?
Nearly halfway through, the book reminded me of "Fight Club" sans the underground fighting scene.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Amina Akhtar for the copy of Kismet. This book was so good it made me rethink my whole book rating system! Five stars just isn’t enough. When I finished the book in the wee hours of the morning and was able to pick my jaw up off the floor, I started wondering how I was going to write a review that didn't sound like it was written by a love-struck teenager.
The characters were a revelation. I couldn’t help loving Ronnie who followed her friend Marley to Sedona, Arizona in a bid for independence and a new life.I loved how Ronnie dealt with the other townsfolk and their casual racism and prejudices with grace and hidden anger. Seeing how Ronnie grows and discovers herself was a joy.
Marley becomes consumed with her desire to become an ‘influencer’ that includes an alliance with Caroline, who offers to help her. Will Caroline change the dynamic between the two friends?
The other people in the town are a mix of tourists, retirees and young people all looking for the path to wellness - crystals, tarot, health foods, healing and the like.
This might be my first book where birds are characters, but I can’t imagine this book without the ravens. I’m going to step up my attempts at befriending the ones that like to hang out in my tree!
The writing was so good I was immediately wrapped up in the story and Ronnie’s life. The words and the plot flowed together seamlessly and before I knew it I had been reading nonstop for hours. I was a little worried about the description saying this was “viciously funny” and to be honest my funny bone might be in hibernation, but I found nothing funny in the book at all.
I loved this book and will recommend it to anyone who asks, and to some that don’t ask too!