Tag: Character Growth

Ayisha Malik – The Other Half of Happiness | Review

Title: The Other Half of Happiness

Author: Ayisha Malik

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 442

Rating: 4*/5

 

Ayisha Malik - The Other Half of Happiness

Ayisha Malik – The Other Half of Happiness

 

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

I’m already somewhat familiar with Malik’s work, because I’ve already read and reviewed her first book, Sofia Khan is Not Obliged. It was described as the Muslim Bridget Jones, but I’ve never read the Helen Fielding book or watched the Reece Witherspoon movie, so I like to think that I have a relatively clean palette for this.

The accompanying information with this, the sequel, described it variously as a book that “will resonate with any woman who’s looking for love” and “the feminist romantic comedy you’ve been waiting for”. Now, I don’t know about that – for the record, I’m pretty sure I’m basically a post-feminist – but I do know a good story when I read it, and I couldn’t give a damn about the genre or whatever labels you want to put on it. Yes, it has elements of romance. But it also has plenty of drama. Name a good book that doesn’t.

I think it’s easy to classify books like this as belonging to one genre or another, but I also think that the very best authors manage to merge a few of them together. Stephen King, for example, is thought of primarily as a horror writer, but that’s not all he is. Likewise, Malik is a romance writer, but not really. She just writes about life, and let’s face it – what is life without a little romance?

 

Ayisha Malik

Ayisha Malik

 

Now, you might have noticed that I’ve avoided going into detail when it comes to the plot. That’s largely because a lot of it relies upon what happened in the first book. What I will say, though, is that the plot flowed smoothly between the two instalments, and that there’s plenty of character growth still happening, which is always a worry when writers get to their second book. For example, Sofia’s mother always drove me up the wall, which is pretty much the point of her. That continued throughout the first book, but in the second, I started to come round. I wouldn’t exactly say that I like her, but I do have a lot of respect for her.

Overall, then, I think this is a good sequel to a good book, and I get the feeling that Malik isn’t finished yet. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but I think that if you’re a free-thinking sort of reader with no real preference when it comes to genres, there’s plenty to enjoy.

 

Ayisha Malik

Ayisha Malik

 

Click here to buy The Other Half of Happiness.


Alice Walker – The Color Purple | Review

Title: The Color Purple

Author: Alice Walker

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 250

Rating: 9/10

 

Alice Walker - The Color Purple

Alice Walker – The Color Purple

 

I’m surprised that it took me so long to read this book, but I’m glad that I eventually did. It takes on race and equality and is considered to be a ‘feminist‘ book; now, I don’t know about that, but it is an interesting take on identity and a great example of a book in which the character growth tells the story.

Taking the form of a series of letters – mostly between the protagonist and god – allows the author to chart a lifetime, and to show a series of incidents in a woman’s life in which she discovers (and eventually asserts) herself. It also means that it’s a pretty quick read, and a lot of fun to flick through, and it’s given an extra sense of authenticity by the spelling and grammar, which is written in a sort of patois which helps to accentuate the characters by reflecting the way that they talk.

Overall, I was a big fan of this, because I always enjoy books that make you think. This certainly does make you think, and even though it might feel like it’s no longer relevant, it really is. Some books help to change a mindset, and they shouldn’t be forgotten; this is one of them, and it belongs on everybody’s bookcase. It’s the sort of thing that’s probably taught in schools, and it should be. Read it!

 

Alice Walker

Alice Walker

 

Click here to buy The Color Purple.