Forty Words for Love by Aisha Saeed
⭐⭐⭐/5

**Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback!**

Moonlight Bay is known for their magical pink and lavender waters. The town gets by on the close knit community and the tourism. But one day, a tragic death turns the waters dark. A lot of the townsfolk blames the Golub, a group of people who mysteriously arrived from a giant tree and are now refugees living in the town's forest. Raf, a Golub, and Yas, a member of Moonlight Bay, have been friends since the day Raf arrived in the forest. The two teens struggle with the new town and the angry people who inhabit it. As they both try and figure out what they want from life, the people Moonlight Bay grow more and more discontented.

This books had the premise to be amazing, but unfortunately fell flat. It seemed like there were so many objectives, that none of them could reach their full potential. The Golub were confusing to figure out and I would have loved to learn more about their background. Then it was supposed to be an allusion to the prejudice people feel in the real world, but it seemed to be barely touched on. People gave Raf dirty looks, but that was about as far as it went. The magical properties of the water were touched on, but not really. It all just felt like it wasn't enough. I wanted more. I liked Raf and Yas and enjoyed their characters as well as their stories, but I felt like I needed more. The cover was stunning, which is why I originally wanted to read this book. Sadly, I was a little disappointed. I liked the book, but I didn't love it.

Thank you to Kokila at Penguin and NetGalley for the free review copy! I really enjoyed this wildly imaginative, moving and poignant book about two teens in a town that has lost its magic a year after an unthinkable tragedy. I love a dual POV book where both voices are so rich and distinct, and highlight different aspects of the world. Aisha Saeed is a gifted writer when it comes to voice, atmosphere and tension. I really loved Yasmine's arc about deciding whether she wants to stay in Moonlight Bay and Raf's arc about being torn between one's dreams and the expectations and traditions of their communities. I really enjoy magical realism books and enjoyed this one, but I did find the logistics of the magic to be a little bit muddled and the pacing to be a little bit slow throughout.

This book was fine. I got it as an ARC and it just wasn’t that great to me. I read it, I finished it, I maybe should have DNFed it but oh well. I just didn’t enjoy it was much but it also wasn’t what I was expecting. This has magic in it which you wouldn’t know from reading the description. This was a friend to lovers story along with a town healing from grief. I honestly think that’s the part I disliked the most was the town. I know everyone deals with grief differently but reading this just kinda bugged me cause I’m like “y’all are adults act like it!” Also the stuff about the water changing color and all of that was also odd. Idk I just overall didn’t really enjoy this book.

I first stumbled upon this book and was intrigued just from the gorgeous cover, and then even more intrigued by the premise: Yas and Raf live in Moonlight Bay, where the ocean waters are pink and purple, and the town is imbued with wonder and magic. They've been best friends since Raf and his family came through the portal enormous tree in the forest a decade ago, away from their volatile home to the safety of the Bay. But a year ago, just as Raf was beginning to realize his feelings for Yas were maybe more than friendship, a tragic accident turned the waters a murky gray, seemingly taking the cozy comfort of Moonlight Bay with it, and Yas and Raf and the rest of the town are struggling to keep afloat.

There's a lot happening here, and I felt like the book never really figured out exactly what it wanted to be because of it. There's light fantasy, a sense of dystopia, a refugee crisis, a friends-to-lovers romance... and yet, nothing much happens. Despite the fact that the characters (and the entire town) are devastated by the inciting tragedy, the reader doesn't really get to feel it, and is left kind of wading around in the trauma without really understanding it. On a character level, I really loved Yas and Raf's friendship, and the authenticity of all those feelings you feel when you start to realize there's more to it than friendship. I think the author was spot on with that. But I left the story with more questions than answers. There was so much potential here that just wasn't quite realized. 3.5 stars

I haven't read many magical realism books, but the ones I have read I adored. Saeed's writing is quite transformative, in that the world she created jumped off the pages for me and I loved every second of it. I should've known because the cover of the book instantly caught my eye. It's stunning. Also, Raf and Yasmine were so sweet and their relationship wasn't too heavy. I found that refreshing for a teenage romance.

I'll admit that during parts of the book it lagged and was a bit too slow for me. I also was left with questions I never got answers to while reading, which I find is one of the most frustrating things when reading.

Thank you NetGalley & Kokila/Penguin Teen for sending me this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚-𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡, 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣.

I totally grabbed this book off NetGalley because I thought the cover was beautiful. I didn’t know what to expect going into it, other than it was a YA romance with a magical element aspect.

The romance is super sweet and lighthearted. It’s definitely one of those feel-good reads. However, I did think the story was slow at times and dragged.

I liked the idea behind this magical town, but I don’t think it was executed to the best of its ability. I liked the atmosphere and this author’s way of writing this magical town. I also liked the way it deals with sensitive topics, but in a way where it’s not super difficult to read.

I felt like I had so many unanswered toward the end of the book. I didn’t mind Raf and Yasmine, but I felt like their interest in one another was too `insta love’ in a way.

While I do think other readers will enjoy the beautiful imagery in this book, I do wish I would’ve enjoyed it more. I loved the idea behind the story, but I don’t think I was ever attached to the magical town of Moonlight Bay.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the review eARC and PRH Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me a copy of Forty Words for Love.

I just wanted to share that this book should be on your radar, if it's not already. And before I inevitably forget what I read.

Would it be really odd to say I wish this book was part of my high school English/Literature curriculum way back when? As I was reading this yesterday, I wished that could do a deep dive of this book with friends. There are so many themes that I picked up on, and it's woven into the story so well. I'm sure there's an allegory I'm not picking up on, likely about the state of the current politics of the United States.

The book maybe has a kiss of magic, I wouldn't say it was magical realism. It's more about a belief system, and what those beliefs lead to.

On the surface, it's about two long time friends finally admitting their feelings to each other. However, once you start reading, it's so much more. It touches upon climate change, refugees, racism, NIMBYism, and YIMBYism, grief, and beliefs/religion. So many good themes and messages are incorporated. And about how society reacts based on their beliefs.

Aisha Saeed published a handful of books across genres and this is my first time reading a YA novel from the author.

Forty Words for Love is an enchanted coming-of-age novel following childhood bestfriends Yasmine and Raf as they navigate their changing lives in Moonlight Bay after a tragic event transformed their magical community to a divided faction.

There's a lot of things to enjoy in this YA novel - one it really is magical since Moonlight Bay holds the Golub tree - a mystical tree that also acts as a portal to the Golub, a place where Raf and his family came from.

I love how the author chose to incorporate this fantastical element as it mirrors the reality about refugees and immigrants. The existence of the Golubs in Moonlight bay proved that communities can thrive if the members are acknowledging of each other's contribution and strength.

Another thing I liked is the development of Yas and Raf's story as bestfriends from childhood up until now that they're planning to leave for college. There are genuine moments that made me look back on how I was when I am at that point of adolescence - it's really heartwarming to see Yas and Raf as they remain in each other's side amidst all of the hardships they encounter.

What I didn't enjoy is how crowded the storyline went in the middle of the story - there's so many things happening all at once. I almost stopped reading because I can feel a budding slump.

I think the reason why I almost had a slump is because I can only reas during break/rest hours and when I pick this book up after a day or two, I can't remember what happened because of all the acts that happened before.

I like the idea that the author strived to achieve - the commentary about migration vs current sociopolitical climate, gentrification, and how money works - but in my opinion, the execution can still be improved so that each of the above elements were given its respective chapter or part to be highlighted.

Overall, this is still a solid read that you can start if you want a YA read that is also magical.

RATING: 3.5stars

This is a lovely YA novel with a refreshing and imaginative setting. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes unique world building, metaphors to real life social situations, and a sweet and tentative friends-to-lovers romance.

The story alternates POVs between Rafay and Yasmine, two young people in a small, charming town (Stars Hollow style). Or at least the town, Moonlight Bay, used to be dreamy and magical with shimmering pink and lavender waters and an eclectic community. Now, a tragedy has struck the town and the waters are grey, the businesses are shuttered, and the people are burdened with loss.

Raf is an immigrant to Moonlight Bay but has spent most of his life there. As the tension in the crumbling town mounts, local sentiment towards immigrants turns unkind. Raf and Yas are torn between leaving their town behind and the desire to stay and protect the place they share. All the while, their friendship blossoms to something new and tentative.

I really liked both Raf and Yas, they are both thoughtful and kind characters who want the best for the people they care about. I also really enjoyed delving into the imaginative setting that Aisha Saeed created in Moonlight Bay. It was beautiful!

Reading this book can be a bit confusing though since you don’t really know what the rules of the world are - what’s magic, what’s possible, how similar things are to our world, the social structure. While this is super fun, it also required me to suspend my questions to keep reading despite not understanding.

There are also a lot of metaphors happening throughout the story. We get a glimpse into the experience of immigrants through the metaphor of Raf and the people who live in the forest. While I absolutely love this aspect of the book, I ended up spending a lot of time trying to understand the metaphors, to search for similarities in our society, and to question whether certain plot points were also metaphors or not. It definitely doesn’t take away from the book but it’s the challenge of reading an extended metaphor with insight into family dynamics.

Definitely enjoyed this world and I’ll be thinking about Moonlight Bay for a long time! Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Kokila for this arc!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

I was actually at the ocean when I read Forty Words for Love and found myself looking for swirls of color. I see the ocean differently now and I thank you for making my world more vibrant. The reader will find themselves seeing the world in new colors. This book represented the divisiveness in our world today and how we categorize people, lifestyles, etc. I found the book hopeful and helped me realize, via a fantasy tale, that I am right here and right now this is enough. Thanks to the author for that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Penguin Group for the Advanced Review copy.

This was a beautifully written YA friends to lovers genre-bending paranormal/fantasy that tackles some heavy topics including colonialism and immigration set in a magical universe that divides a unique land from the 'real world' and where its citizens can only cross over for short periods of time.

Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and Avatar and good on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 3/5 stars

Forty Words for Love is a Young Adult magical realism novel about two teens exploring their feelings for each other against the backdrop of a once-magical town that lost its spark. After I’d finished the first chapter, I was convinced I had a my hands on a 5-star-read. With beautiful writing, a setting that lives up to the vividity of its stunning cover, and the set-up for a slightly melancholic mystery: I was hooked. Unfortunately, I never reached that same excitement of the first 50 pages within the rest of the story, and despite its great ideas and set-up, Forty Words for Love didn’t live up to its full potential.

The story:
Welcome to Moonlight Bay; a place where energy pulses through the air and its people, the bay-waters run lavender in colour and the trees provide a protective roof over the heads of its refugee people. It’s inhabitants are divided in two groups: the townsfolk: who’ve built an industry of tourism off the lands mystical properties, and the Golub; refugees who’ve made their home in the Moonlight Bay forest, after their home was destroyed.
When an unexplained tragedy in town strips the land of its magic, it’s energy burns out, its waters run gray, tourists stop coming in, and the townsfolk and Golub begin to fight amongst each other. Prejudice, blame and mistrusts splits the community in half. Nearly ten years later, we follow Yasmine and Rafay, two teens from opposing communities on their search for answers as their forbidden friendship develops into something more.

What I loved:
I have a soft-spot for magical realism small-town stories. I think that love was born from The The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, and fostered by the works of Anna-Marie McLemore, Katrina Leno’s Summer of Salt and Emmie Ruth Lang’s Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance. Forty Words for Love hit many of the same vibes with its descriptions of Moonlight Bays lavender coloured seas, magical forests and electric energy pulsing through its atmosphere. I could more than picture it: I was transported there. The authors lyrical tone matches the almost dreamlike vibe that lays over the town like a blanket.
That first chapter sets up an ambitious, multilayered story with plenty of real-world themes to explore. Themes of immigration, refugee-ship and mistrust for “outsiders” within a tight-knit community are strongly present throughout, as well as the generational conflicts that often come with them as our protagonist teens try to break this separation. I was also interested in the dynamic of this town formerly running off tourism and its natural beauty, now desolate and struggling after this sudden loss of their core attraction. All of this, as the background to a wholesome tale of friendship that slowly grows into more (rather than insta-love!) had the potential for a favourite. If only brilliant set-up had be equally brilliantly developed.

What I didn’t love:
Unfortunately, it’s not. Much of what is set-up remains underdeveloped, including some of the central mysteries and questions. I don’t mind when a novel leaves you the breadcrumbs and has you interpret the answers for yourself, but in this case, some of the major questions just don’t have an answer, despite the story setting us up as if there is one.
The more you think about it, the more the worldbuilding starts to fray at the edges too. Moonlight Bay makes sense within its own internal logic, but not within the larger world that’s hinted at. How are they so isolated, despite living off tourism? How is the Golub-rule of never leaving the area viable for generations upon generations? Why are there high-schools and candy-factories in a town with seemingly no more than 100 inhabitants? All those questions individually don’t matter, but combined they break down the illusion and immersion.
I wish the book had kept the pacing and consistency of the first chapter, in order to deliver on all its incredible promises. I would’ve happily read a longer novel set within Moonlight Bay, had it meant more depth to its development.

Many thanks to Penguin for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

luminous young adult novel by New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed, two teen protagonists grow from friends to something more in the aftermath of a tragedy in their magical town.. Filled with Aisha Saeed's dazzling writing and profound insight into the human heart. Forty words for love is a dual POV young adult book with elements of romance & fantasy.

When forbidden love mixes with disappearing magic, the consequences are disastrous for those involved.

Raf knows three things: He's needed at home, not at college. He loves his best friend, but he can never tell her, or something bad will happen. He's building a temporary home, waiting to travel back to Golub. Raf and his family are refugees from Golub who fell out of the tree into our world, while Yas has deep roots in the community and its magic.

But as the magic fails after a tragedy, tourism drops down to nothing and the town struggles. Tension ignites between townspeople and the Golub. Yas and Raf find themselves at the center of it.

Raf is a total sweetheart and a giver. He's constantly giving of himself to others, even to his own detriment. His love of his community and his passion for the truth make him a character to fall in love with.

Yas is great as the jaded girl who no longer believes in the family magic. In a timeless coming of age story, she wants to strike out on her own and make her own way. She wants to bring Raf along with her.

I found this one a little harder to get into. The magical system confused me a little, and the pacing started strong but dragged a little as the book went on. It still had a lot of strong elements, especially the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

FORTY WORDS FOR LOVE is not like anything I've read before.
Even though it's fantasy, I went into it through the lens of previous Aisha Saeed favourites, AMAL UNBOUND and WRITTEN IN THE STARS. It's nothing like those - but I was far from disappointed.

If I had to label it with a subgenre, I'd probably stick with magical realism. Even though the story is set in a completely different world that obviously works differently from our own (people immigrate through trees, the sea is pink and purple, certain ethnic/nation groups have tattoo-like leaf marks that glow), it's not a book that's all about the world-building. In fact, if that's your jam, I wouldn't recommend this one; you have to pick up on a lot without a ton of exposition. For me, that was perfect. I loved how the focus was on the characters, their perspectives and dilemmas.

The story is told in alternating perspectives between Raf, an immigrant teen who carries the burden of providing for his family in the wake of his father's death a decade ago, and Yasmine, his longtime best friend who's deliberating how to find her own way as her family crumbles. Both are facing the pressures of their town's downfall after a tragic event one year prior, for which Raf secretly carries tremendous guilt. In a way, it's about xenophobia, and climate change, and grief/trauma, and moving into adulthood... but it's also a classic will-they-won't-they romance of the most delightful variety. I think it's a fantastic example of the power of YA to disrupt genre and hit many zeitgeist nerves, without being too overt. Most of all, though, I loved the language. Aisha Saeed knows how to write a jaw-dropping sentence, but she doesn't let her prose get in the way of the plot - perfection. I've already flagged some passages to use as mentor texts in my classroom this fall.

I loved this book! The writing was very beautiful and fit the atmosphere of the book very well. The characters were likable and compelling. The pacing was a little slow but that didn’t hurt my reading experience at all. I really enjoyed the romance; Raf and Yas’s relationship was so sweet!

This YA magical realism book by a Muslim author contains no Islam, and while it is a love story of sorts, and there is a kiss, it remains clean for the demographic.  It is a snapshot of daily life for a few characters in a small magical town.  There is no real understanding of the premise, or the magic, nor resolution to what happens or why any of it matters, there aren't even forty words for love provided, yet the author is good at writing, so I kept reading, even when the plot holes and rationale for the "point" of the book clearly were not coming.  The ethereal lilting tone was lovely and lyrical at times, but honestly, I was left with more confusion about the leaves, the tree, the pastel waters and the cause of blame and bigotry at the end, than when I started.  It is an easy read, I don't regret it, but it is hard to suggest others invest in a 304 page book that doesn't really leave you feeling satisfied.  I wouldn't object to it on a shelf, and others might absolutely love the infusion of other worlds into a grounded reality to tell a story of industry leaving a town, and two kids moving from friendship to romance, but I just wanted more: more world building, more tension, more resolution, more backstory, more detail, more magic, more understanding, more character development and connection. 

SYNOPSIS:

In the vey first chapter, a small child drowns.  The child had wandered off from his nanny and died in the ocean.  That is the day that the pink and purple waters of Moonlight Bay turned angry and black.  Eighteen year old Raf, a Golub, blames himself because he was about to tell his childhood friend Yasmine that he was in love with her.  A rule that he has been told for the last decade will mean that his leaf on his arm will fade and he will have to leave his community.  When he is about to approach Yas he sees that she is cozying up with Moses, and he stops.  When the body is then found, a scream breaks loose and  everyone runs to the little boy. Later that night the Golub tree opens and two kids, a brother and sister emerge, and the tourist rich city is no longer beautiful.  The candy factory that relies on the healing waters closes up shop and most of the townsfolk move away.  Many of those that remain blame the Golub for the town's misfortune.  The Golub arrived by tree a decade before when their own homeland froze over.  They live in the forest and eagerly await the tree to thaw signaling that it is safe for them to return home. 

Yas and Raf carry on, Raf working in the diner, and Yas gathering shells for her mother to shape into stars that heal.  Both dream of leaving the confining town, pursuing their passions: Yas art and Raf architecture, but rules, family, and obligation keep them from leaving and keep them from being more than just friends.

WHY I LIKE IT: (SPOILERS):

I like the tone of the book.  It is like a dreamy lullaby that floats around, but I really needed answers.  If certain threads were unresolved, I could take it as being left up to interpretation, but this was more than a literary devices, this reads underdeveloped.  So much happens in the first chapter, and the rest of the book really doesn't keep up.  The reader never learns why the leaves fade or pulse or why Uncle came to the conclusions he did even if safety was his motivation, we don't know how Kot and Nara got through the tree or survived for 10 more years in Golub.  It is hard to believe that in a decade so few Golub tested out their leaves? And what purpose do they even have? They allow them to return, that is it? That is their rumored, untested magical ability? Were the waters healing before the Golub came, the confusion of what Yas and her mom do and the arrival of the tree seem a bit inconsistent. Yas feels electricity when Raf is around it is mentioned a few times, but never explored.  We are told that Jake hates Golub, but does anyone else really?  How can a city that reads like 10 people have its own high school? It doesn't feel fleshed out, it reads like there are a few families is all, and doesn't contrast it to when the town was thriving, it is rather stagnant.  I get that bigotry and hate are illogical and the story is perhaps a bit of an allegory for that, but the town has pink and purple waters with healing properties that changed overnight and a group of people arrived through a tree with leaves tattooed on their arms, I don't see how the magic or the leaf on their inner arm is what is being blamed for Sammy's death or the water changing.  It is a weak premise.  Even when we learn that Uncle lied, no one seems to get any truth out of him or be determined to figure stuff out. It is a bit hard to believe no one ever looked at the beach at night, and what exactly are the Weepers doing?  Some history or back story about Moonlight would be great to explore. Are Golub and humans different in any way? What was the cause of death of Raf's dad? Absolutely nothing set out by the book is resolved, nothing is learned, no characters grow, the only closure is that Raf and Yas have told each other how they feel, and the Golub have learned that they can travel further than 40 miles from their tree, that is it.

I do like the mix of names of the characters coming from different cultures all existing without othering or explanation. I like that the slow burn angst is clean, it is nothing a 14 and up couldn't handle, even if it is a bit obvious.

FLAGS:

Magic, a gay couple own the movie theater, there is some angst, a couple of kisses between Yas and Raf, bullying, premonitions, family fighting, lying, sneaking, romantic hetero affection.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

There is no Islam and the plot is centered around two teens' feelings for one another so I would not host this as a book club, nor would I really want to do so.  But, if I knew there was a a group of people gathering to discuss this book, I would totally join in to see if any insight to all the unanswered threads could be resolved.

This books cover is what drew me in and also the premise. Raf & Nas have a lovely friendship that blossoms into more.
I liked the culturally dense look into traditions and the complexities of love.
Some parts were slow but the whole book is beautifully written.
Teens will love this look at different cultures and love.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

It was such a good slow-burn YA romance-fantasy. Don't need to hurry for a good romance. Moreover it's love which began from a good friendship, there are more things to verify before choosing to fall in love (in this case for Yas and Raf). But, to be honest I didn't feel the fantasy in the story. Just curious about the trees that Gollub People needs to travel. A tree that had a door for transport to other place.