Really enjoyed this one! Mia Almas is a great lead character, her double life is fun plot point but it gets even more interesting when Zeina's love story from 1947 Palestine is added in. Just like Mia, I couldn't stop reading.

I didn’t expect What Will People Think? to be my kind of book. I picked it up because I’d been getting requests for more romance reads, but sometimes you stumble upon a gem when you least expect it.

While this novel definitely has romance, it’s so much more than that—it’s about learning to be yourself. The main character, Mia, is caught between her serious work life and her secret passion for comedy, all while struggling with the fear of disappointing her family. It’s a story that makes you think, makes you laugh, and leaves you feeling touched.

In the end, I enjoyed this book far more than I anticipated. If you're looking for a heartfelt read with humor, self-discovery, and a bit of romance, this one’s worth picking up!

Thank you to Henry Holt for both a gifted physical copy and a NetGalley ebook copy in exchange for my honest opinion. While the book doesn't publish for a few more months, I'm so happy that I had a chance to read and review it early. This book is a great mix of genres - it’s a family drama including the FMC coming of age (new adult) with a sprinkle of epistolary historical fiction. I wasn't sure what to expect from the blurb and even once I started it, but I really loved this book!
What Will People Think?, the author's debut novel, is set in NYC, where recent Columbia graduate and Palestinian-American Mia lives with the grandparents who raised her, after her father's death. Mia works as a fact checker alongside one of her college classmates. She is quite reserved, although her coworker bestie knows about Mia's massive crush on their boss. However, Mia also has a secret side-gig performing stand-up comedy, and the book includes some excerpts from her sets which I found to be HILARIOUS. These separate portions of her life and personality crash into each other to instigate some of the book's present-day drama. In addition, Mia's grandmother has some untold secrets which she is finally ready to reveal, and the book features chapters from a journal that Mia has to translate, set in the 1940s prior to coming to the US. Mia is uncertain which of the characters is her grandmother, and her anticipation of finding out comes across clearly to the reader.
I loved reading about Mia learning to balance the seemingly disparate parts of her life (home vs. work vs. comedy) together as she grew into her own person, especially as she learned more about her family's history. Once I started this book, I had trouble putting it down - I just couldn't get enough, especially the last 50+ pages! The historical portions from the journal hit the sweet spot of giving just enough background information without taking away from the plot of the current timeline. I hope others will also connect with this book and love witnessing Mia's character growth as much as I did! Add this to your TBR if it sounds up your alley - I truly cannot recommend it enough!

This was a sweet story centered on Mia, a fact checker by day and stand up comedian by night. Mia is likeable and funny; she’s an easy character to root for. A secondary storyline that follows a family member’s experiences in 1940s Palestine adds depth and complexity to the story and provides additional context on how Mia’s family got to where they are in the story’s present day. Mia’s romance is perhaps the least developed element of the story, but the focus of the story is more on Mia’s growth as a person: her coming to terms with the different pieces of her life so she can live more authentically and learning more about her family history. Mia’s growth is the most satisfying part of the story, and the ending feels both sweet and earned.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

Ahhh the age old question. What Will People Think?" by Sara Hamdan is a heartfelt and engaging story that beautifully captures the complexities of identity and family secrets.The book does an amazing job of exploring the challenges of being an Arab woman in post-9/11 America, offering a glimpse into a world that many might not fully understand or empathize with. I saw a lot of myself in this character and her need to get closer with her history and her community as a result.

An enjoyable read - centered on randomness of the heart. The layers - a love journey told across generations, and the ripple effect of generational decisions - added depth to what was, in the end, a rush to a Cinderella happy ending.

Sara Hamdan's novel, What Will People Think?, is a heartfelt and humorous exploration of identity, cultural expectations, and self-discovery.

I was hooked instantly when the novel opens to her performaning standup that I laughed out loud to!

Set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City, the story follows Mia Almas, a woman leading a double life: by day, a diligent fact-checker at a media company; by night, a budding stand-up comedian performing in secret.

Hamdan masterfully intertwines Mia's contemporary struggles with her grandparents' past in Palestine, offering readers a rich narrative that spans generations and continents. There are parts that were a bit slow, but overall I enjoyed it!

What Will People Think? by Sara Hamdan is a heartfelt and humorous coming-of-age story about Mia Almas, a Palestinian-American woman balancing her secret comedy career with her conservative family's expectations. As Mia pursues her dreams and a forbidden romance, she uncovers family secrets that challenge her newfound confidence. Hamdan's debut novel is both funny and touching, exploring themes of identity, love, and self-discovery.

I really enjoy books that make me laugh. What Will People Think by Sara Hamdan was one that fit the bill.

Great, funny, page turner of a story threaded with historical fiction. I read this one quickly and loved the characters.

Mia is a twenty-something college graduate paying her dues as an online news fact checker. Both of Mia's parents died young. She lives with her protective, undocumented Palestinian American grandparents in a tiny New York city apartment. In her busy life, she feels the most free when she is on stage performing as a stand-up comic, something she could never tell her grandparents. One day her grandmother shares an old notebook with her with a captivating love story that took place in Palestine and written in Arabic. Translating it bit by bit while also finding her way as a young adult in the big city, Mia makes a discovery that stuns her to her core.

I loved the author's exploration of the conflicting forces of familial and societal expectations, post-9/11 prejudice, humor, and finding oneself in one's early 20s. Mia built authentic connections in a city that can sometimes be lonely, and that felt good to me as a reader. The story contains a historical fiction arc that skillfully weaves together the various cultural events that shaped Palestine in the later part of the 20th century. My one criticism of the book is that at times, the conflicts in the story wrap up too neatly. Still, with good pacing and an interesting mix of characters, this was an enjoyable read.

What WIll People Think is a story that crosses several times periods and continents. It is Mia's becoming herself, while also realizing who her grandparents are.

Really wholesome and sweet! Incredibly happy to see publishers release books representing the stories of people from this diaspora. Stories like these were non existent when I was growing up! A younger me would have been so excited to read a cute love story set in NYC that also delved into Palestinian history covering the displacement and adversities Palestinians endured immediately after their displacement and then generations later during the 9/11 war on terror era when Islamophobia/anti-Arab sentiment was at it’s peak.

I usually avoid the romance genre in my regular reads but I'm very glad I branched out and got to read this one.

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC!

I liked this book. The first pages hooked me because they seemed to deliver strongly on the premise--a Palestinian American twenty-something raised by conservative grandparents has a secret Ms. Maisel-esque comedy career. Sign me up! But the pace really dropped after that. For a lot of the book the comedy element is gone, which was confusing. On the other hand, we spend a lot of time in her grandmother's journal, and I really loved those elements. I loved that entire narrative, I loved the mystery of the sisters, the forbidden soldier, etc.
To me it just felt like two different books, kind of. I wish the two narratives had been blended together a little more seamlessly. Because they were both interesting, but it didn't really feel like Mia's story completely.
I did like this book, and I really loved the acknowledgements. They were probably the longest acknowledgements I have EVER READ! But they really helped tell the story behind the book and that made me appreciate it more, if that makes sense.

I would recommend this to a friend!

What a fantastic read! A beautiful story of a young woman trying to find her place in the world in the setting of her culture and issues with immigration/undocumented family members. It was done so nicely, in a way that was approachable and relatable as opposed to whiny or irritating. I enjoyed the cast of characters, interwoven love story, peek behind the curtain of comedy clubs and discussion of food. The author paints a lovely setting and the time shifts were very well done. I will definitely look for more books from this author! 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 :)

Sara Hamdan’s What Will People Think? is a beautifully written novel about identity, love, and self-discovery. Mia, a media professional, secretly performs stand-up comedy in New York City, a passion that clashes with her family’s traditional Muslim values. As she risks everything—especially after uncovering a long-held family secret—the story alternates between her struggles and her Palestinian grandparents’ origins, weaving a powerful narrative about being a third-generation immigrant.

The humor is sharp, the emotional depth is profound, and the characters feel incredibly real. While the romantic subplot didn’t fully land for me, Mia’s journey of balancing cultural expectations and personal dreams kept me hooked. This is a thoughtful, heartfelt story that explores love, connection, and what it means to be truly seen. A fantastic pick for book clubs, and a triumph in modern fiction. Highly recommended!

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company.

"What Will People Think?" by Sara Hamdan is a heartfelt and engaging story that beautifully captures the complexities of identity and family secrets. Mia Almas, a Palestinian American, navigates her dual life as a media professional by day and a stand-up comedian by night, all while keeping her passions hidden from her traditional grandparents. The book does a fantastic job of exploring the challenges of being an Arab woman in post-9/11 America, offering a glimpse into a world that many might not fully understand. The diary from Mia's grandmother adds depth to the story, revealing family secrets that help Mia find her place in the world. The mix of humor and emotion kept me hooked, and I found myself laughing and crying along with the characters. This novel is perfect for anyone looking for a story about self-discovery, love, and the ties that bind us. Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC!

Mia Almas is a Palestinian American who has a secret life she hides from her grandparents who raised her. Her mom died at birth and her dad died in the 9-11 attacks. He encouraged her to do stand up comedy to get her emotions out
She hides a lot of things: her attraction to her boss, her stand up comedy act in clubs and her grandparents' status in the US
Her grandparents are also hiding secrets that are finally revealed
You will laugh then cry while reading this book and come away with a heart full of love for these characters

This one took me a while to get through, but that's more because I think I've finally hit a reading brick wall and nothing was tripping my trigger. I really enjoyed the backstory in the diary given to Mia from her grandmother and how it helped Mia in her struggles to find her place in the world and become comfortable with owning and living within her own life. While I will never be able to truly understand what it must have been like (and I'm sure continues to be) to be an Arab woman living in the US during and after 9-11, I find it fascinating to get a glimpse into that world.

“What Will People Think?” by Sara Hamdan is an extraordinary and beautifully written book that touched my soul. The novel deals with some very current and difficult issues around immigration, having undocumented family members while trying to find one’s own identity as an American Muslim woman.

Mia is a respectable young woman with a career in media but she also has a secret. At night she takes to the stage and performs in New York City comedy clubs. The risk she takes performing along with a forbidden romance could mean huge consequences for her family. With the disclosure of a long held family secret and a story full of heart, self discovery and humor the author takes us on an unforgettable journey. I did not want the book to end and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mia is a meek office worker with strong power friendships, also has a hobby of stand up comedy that goes against her family’s values. It’s a story that rationalizes who we are and how others know us. Mia’s immigrant grandparents know her a dutiful Muslim young woman, her coworkers know her as a competent fact-checker, her audiences know her as an entertainer. This story is about how these identities combine and intersect. The off chapters are about her grandparents origin story in Palestine. What does it mean to be a third generation immigrant, what does it mean to be a minority, what does it mean to be a single entertainer and a woman?

This is a compelling story that jumps back and worth with good narratives. The comedic parts are more
Clever than laugh out loud funny, the arc of the overall story goes in a direction with leading anticipation. I liked Mia and was rooting for her. The romantic storyline seemed superfluous and uninspired, but most of the characters were well written. A good strong voice in women’s fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co for the ARC. Book to be published May 20, 2025.

#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #booktok #netgalley #bookrecommendations #WhatWillPeopleThink