Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Janna Yusuf is so excited for the weekend: her brother Muhammad’s getting married, and she’s reuniting with her mom, whom she’s missed the whole summer.

And Nuah’s arriving for the weekend too.

Sweet, constant Nuah.

The last time she saw him, Janna wasn’t ready to reciprocate his feelings for her. But things are different now. She’s finished high school, ready for college…and ready for Nuah.

It’s time for Janna’s (carefully planned) summer of love to begin—starting right at the wedding.

But it wouldn’t be a wedding if everything went according to plan. Muhammad’s party choices aren’t in line with his fiancée’s taste at all, Janna’s dad is acting strange, and her mom is spending more time with an old friend (and maybe love interest?) than Janna.

And Nuah’s treating her differently.

Just when things couldn’t get more complicated, two newcomers—the dreamy Haytham and brooding Layth—have Janna more confused than ever about what her misfit heart really wants.

Janna’s summer of love is turning out to be super crowded and painfully unpredictable.

Review:

This is the third book I have read from author S.K. Ali, and I'm so happy to say that this not just a sequel to Saints & Misfits, but it also includes characters from Love from A to Z!!!  It's the whole wonderful universe of characters that the author has created, all rolled up in to one gigantic wedding event!  The author shows just some of the various traditions, beliefs and rituals of an Islamic wedding.  She also shows just how much variety there is in that religion.  There are as many ways to practice Islam as there are various cultures that embrace it.  And that creates some of the tension in the story.  I loved learning a little bit more about Janna and her world.  She is a  marvelous character who's religion is a major force in her life.  I love that this book shows how people put their beliefs into daily practice.  This is true of teens who are Christian, and Jewish, as well.  In Janna's world, the religion is Islam.  

But this is definitely a book about teens!  Every teen has to navigate crushes, temptations, rules, and parental expectations.  There are particular rules for Janna to follow regarding boys that are accepted, with many other young adults, and guardians enforcing them along the way.  This is a joyous book about family, love, and teens making the transition from children who are taken care of, to young adults who must make decisions for themselves.  I loved this book so much!

What I Liked:

Characters:

Janna is every nerdy teen girl, full of dreams about the future, but painfully awkward in the present.  Just gathering up the nerve to talk to her crush is so familiar to read.  But Janna is not boy-crazy.  She has a lot of changes going on in her life.  With college starting soon, her brother getting married, and her divorced mom showing signs that she is ready to have romance back in her life, Janna feels like too much is happening all at once.  Her secure world is being ripped away.  

Janna meets several young people in the run up to her brother's wedding, including the very handsome Haythem (the bride's cousin), and Layth, who looks like a brooding Zayn Malik.  I liked that Layth represents those teens who aren't sure about religion yet.  He seems really mean at first.   But as Jeanna gets to know him, Layth shows himself to be caring, and dedicated to working towards a better world.  I really liked how complicated Layth was. 

Religion:

Religion is central to the story, as Janna's practice of Islam affects every aspect of her life.  If you don't know anything about Islam, I urge you to read all the books in the series.  The author patiently explains many parts of Muslim culture and practice that I didn't know about before.  This is all done in a respectful way that honors Janna's culture, while making it clear that she is an American.  

And in case you think this is an idealized picture of Islam, it isn't.  Not every character shares Janna's deep convictions.  There are several characters who are questioning everything, something that many teens do when they start to become adults.  With so many different cultures that participate in Islam (Syrian, Pakistani, Indian, Egyptian, and so on), there is also various tensions between these groups.  These are brought to the forefront as the parents of the bride and groom argue over which traditions, rituals, food, and clothing will be featured in the ceremony.  

Dealing with Racism:

There is also some racism that is dealt with in this novel.  Nauh, Janna's crush, is a Black Muslim.  One of the things Janna starts to realize is that her culture is not immune to prejudice.  But what is she willing to do about it?  Will she make a scene with her family over Nauh's treatment?  Sadly, it's a common experience for teens to realize their elders have some beliefs that are not okay.  How can we point this out, and will they listen?

Story:

Janna begins the book by describing her brother's upcoming nuptials as "My Big, Fat Muslim Wedding", and that's an apt description.  Weddings are often high stress, high drama, and lots of fun.  I think that's a good description of the story, as well.  Janna, who needs lots of structure in her life to feel secure, finds all the chaos of the wedding to be really stressful.  Plus, she is finally ready to let Nauh know that she likes him (a big step that would eventually lead to marriage ).  But Nauh is giving out conflicting signals, and there are several boys that Janna is finding quite distracting. Plus, she can never seem to find time to talk with her mom, her anchor.  

I loved learning about all the different relationships, and all the various conflict that this wedding brings forth.  This, along with highlighting Janna's culture and religion, make this a wonderful book.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  May 25th, 2021

Author:  S.K. Ali

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre:  YA Romance

Page Length:  320 pages

Source:  Publisher and NetGalley

Format: PDF document

Recommendation:  A rollicking, romantic wedding, diverse traditions, and endearing characters make this a highly entertaining book.  But read the author's other books first to get the full picture of this universe.