It’s an #OwnVoices novel told from the perspective of an American-born Muslim teen, and for any YA reader picking up more and more diverse books, this one is pretty special. In terms of writing style, it uses the first person and the present tense, which can put anyone right in the moments and straight into Maya’s head. The story itself has many layers that, when peeled one by one, can both be eye-opening and relevant even to those not from an Asian cultural background, an Islamic upbringing, or an nth-generation immigrant family. I loved how Maya’s coming-of-age, including her pursuit for passion and for romance (there’s a love triangle, if you’re into that; also, the swoon between Maya and Phil can get real)—two things that anybody in the world can relate to, was embedded in timely issues such as Islamophobia, terrorism and racism—three things everybody in the world should learn more about.

This was a quick light read and I would say more romance focused than focused on the topic of Islamaphobia. That part was perhaps brief and then sorted out swiftly, although it did show racism and prejudice, from just one character though.

I was glad to read a book, however, that is written by a Muslim woman and whose main character is Muslim. (Being a Muslim myself it's definitely something I get behind). Although it's true that it won't be relateable to all Muslims which is understandable. Maya Aziz is an Indian Muslim so her family follow along with that culture, their speech, food, values all reflect that. Myself, for example, am a half Arab and my upbringing was something although not entirely different but that just teaches you to not put all Muslims in the same box. Don't expect to read about a character like yourself.

Maya is a cute character and I can understand her reasons for disobeying her parents especially when your dream is stamped upon and they won't stand by you in it. I get that. I also get falling for a non-Muslim boy rather than a seemingly devout Muslim boy. I had plenty of non-Muslim crushes myself and Maya is still young, she's still learning, to find herself and her place in the world among other things especially when your parents are traditional and the old generation sort. Some things they just don't understand believe me.

I felt sorry for Maya following the terrorist attack supposedly and assumed to be committed by a Muslim, having to deal with how people view you after that is hard and can be scary. There's a lot you can glean from this actually in terms of what a Muslim (particularly girls) can go through and the expectations that are required of them. It's hard not to rebel sometimes. You just have to do that's right for you and that's what Maya does.

I also loved her aunt Hina, a single, childless, unmarried woman in her forties, and how supportive she was of Maya. Women like Hina should not be made to feel ashamed because they haven't "achieved" those expected things of them in life.

Overall, a good decent read.

Here is the review I will be posting to my blog on Tuesday 16th January 2108. I will also be posting it to goodreads and amazon on this date.:

Love, Hate and Other Filters follows Maya as she deals with cute boys, her future and then a terrorist attack happens and the main suspect shares Maya's last name. This causes Islamophobia to be directed towards Maya and her family. 

I enjoyed this book. It was a cute, quick read with swoon-worthy characters, gorgeous scenery and an important message. Throughout the book it tackles what it is like to be a Muslim in today's america. I loved how the author took Maya's hobby of film-making and used the theme of filters and cinematography to express how Maya was feeling.

Maya begins her story with the phrase 'destiny sucks' and this is a theme throughout the book. This theme is also shown through a mantra one of the characters continuously uses, 'carpe diem'. Maya uses this phrase in times when her future seems destined and out of her control to try and make things go how she wants them to go. I enjoyed how the author used the first sentence of the story to be a theme that follows throughout the book. 

This book is also told from two points of view. Maya's and the bombers. Maya's is told in first person which connects you to her. It makes you more invested in her story and who she is. The bombers point of view, it told in third person, which makes you feel more distanced from this character. This was done very cleverly on the authors part, as it influenced how you related to the protagonists of the two stories. 

Another great thing about this book is how it introduced me to Indian culture. I don't think I've ever read a book with an Indian main character before so this one really was an eye opener on what it is like to grow up in an Indian family and I loved it.

One thing that dissapointed me about this book is that I felt it concentrated more on the romance and less on the Islamophobia and although this book was impactful I wanted more of it. I have also read that people felt like the protagonists religion was only brought up when someone else brought it up through things like a hate crime. I am not Muslim and I know this book is own voices so I'm not going to judge this aspect too much as I know it is coming from personal experience. However, I will link an own voices review that discusses this.

Another negative about this book is that Maya's friends, Justin, Monica and Mike, seemed to pop up randomly towards the end of the book. Violet was an amazing companion who I loved all the way through this book, however, I would have liked more from these other friends and their relationship with Maya. 

Overall, this book was a great read. I was continuously wishing things to go the right way for our main characters and when they didn't I was left heartbroken. It holds an important message about 'love not hate' and sticking together as one through times of hardship and that is why I gave this book four out of five stars.

Trigger Warning: Terrorist attack and Islamophobia.

I've wanted to read Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed ever since taking part in the Ramadan Readathon last year, where it was highlighted as a book featuring a Muslim character yet to be released, and I was ecstatic when I discovered it was also being published in the UK. I expected it to be hard-hitting and horrible, and while it is at times, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was also cute and funny at times, too.

You could almost split the book into two parts, before the suicide bomber changes everything, and after. The first half was just brilliant. It felt a lot like Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik meets Jenny Han's YA novels; a sweet, Summery romance, but where our main character is a Muslim, who has parents who have certain expectations for the life of their Indian-American Muslim daughter. The only difference between the parents expectations in this book and in Sofia Khan is Not Obliged is that Sofia's parents behaviour and reactions are met with affectionate exasperation, and provide a fair amount of the comedy, but Maya's parents are deadly serious. They don't seem to understand why Maya would not want the life they expect her to lead; to marry a suitable Muslim boy, and become a lawyer or doctor, when she would rather make her own choices over who she dates, seeing as she is really into the white football captain at school, Phil, and go to NYU to study filmmaking, which is her passion. Their relationship becomes more strained as the story goes on, after the terrorist attack, but the first half of the book is actually really lovely, such a cute romance, and you're rooting for Maya and Phil. Even so, though, there is a sense of foreboding; as the reader, we know there's going to be a suicide attack, and every chapter ends with a few paragraphs from the terrorist's point of view,or a memory of his, as he's preparing to do the unthinkable. So all the while, while you're reading about Maya's everyday life, her arguments with her parents about which college she goes to, and the will-they-won't-they during Maya's swimming lessons with Phil, you know something terrible is coming that is going to shatter Maya's world.

And then it's here. And, my god. Whenever I hear about a terrorist attack on the news, no matter where in the world it's happened, I am engulfed by a wave of fear and sorrow. 2017 saw quite a few take place in the UK, and that fear would trigger my anxiety. Only last month there was a false alarm of a terror attack taking place ten minutes from where I work, while I was at work, and it was absolutely terrifying. The world we live in now, that fear is hard to escape. And Ahmed captured that feeling so brilliantly as Maya and the other students at school are in lockdown just after the attack happens. When they're locked in and they don't know why. When the texts come piling in, when various news outlets are saying different things about what happened, yet all in agreement on terrorist attack. The fear Maya feels - the fear they all feel - in that moment is palpable. And even though this is a book, and even though I knew it was coming, I was right there with them all, engulfed in that fear. I don't write fiction, but I can imagine how difficult it is to write a feeling that is almost beyond words, but Ahmed writes it perfectly.

But Maya's fear is different from mine, because her fear isn't just in reaction to the news of a terrorist attack, her fear is also very specific fear of what this will mean for her and other Muslims.

'I'm scared. I'm not just scared that somehow I'll be next; it's a quieter fear, and more insidious. I'm scared of the next Muslim ban. I'm scared of my dad getting pulled into Secondary Security Screening at the airport for "random" questioning. I'm scared for the hijabi girls I know getting their scarves pulled off while they're walking down the sidewalk--or worse. I'm scared of being the object of fear and loathing and suspicion again. Always.' (p140)*

Reading it, it was... shocking. And I was ashamed that it was eye-opening. I think it's part privilege and part being a decent human being who doesn't automatically think that all Muslims are to blame for all terrorist attacks, where the terrorist is - supposedly - a Muslim. I wasn't shocked by the things Maya was scared of happening, I watch the news, I go on Twitter, I carry a spare scarf in my bag, I know what happens. I was shocked that this fear, fear of what the backlash from the terrorist attack would mean for Muslims, is automatic. Of course it would be, when we have scumbags in the world who make the lives of Muslims hell when atrocities like this happen, committing atrocities of their own.

And we get to see some of those atrocities as Maya and her parents experience Islamophobia in the days and weeks following the terrorist attack, verbal and physical. It's disgusting, it's upsetting, it's scary. Maya may be Muslim, but really, she's no different from me, and it's so very easy to put myself in her shoes - especially as a woman - when she is being attacked, when her family is being attacked. It made me feel sick, it made me feel scared, and it made me dread what was to come. And again, I was smacked in the face with the awareness of my privilege, because I don't have to fear what might happen to me when I step outside my house every day in the wake of a terrorist attack, not because of my faith or my skin colour. It's really harrowing to read.

I have to say I loved the conversation Maya had with her parents about the terrorist attack, and how it's nothing to do with Muslim. It's the kind of thing you hear on the news, when someone high up in the Muslim community is interviewed for the news after a terrorist attack, condemning what happened. But it's also a teachable moment for those who maybe don't watch the news, or don't pay any attention.

'My father picks up where my mother leaves off. "These terrorists are the antithesis of Islam. They're not Muslim. Violence has no place in religion, and the terrorists are responsible for their own crimes, not the religion and not us.""Then why is there so much fighting in the Middle East, and why are so many suicide bombers Muslim?""Terrorism has no religion. Think of Dylann Roof and that church in Charleston or the attack on the Sikh gurdwara in Wisconsin. Terrorists have their own ideaology. Who knows what hatred compels them? They're desperate and unthinking and followers--"I interrupt my mother. "Too bad none of that matters. We all get painted like we're un-American, and terrorist sympathizers, no matter how loudly we condemn terrorism and say it's un-Islamic. It's guilt by association."' (p148)*

I have to say I also really loved the sections at the end of every chapter, leading up to and after the terrorist attack, first from the terrorist's point of view, and then from the media, as they discover more about the attack and the terrorist himself. It was so very, very clever. And it was interesting getting to find out about the terrorist's background, from interviews with people who knew him, and from memories of his, even though he's now dead. Terrorists do such horrific things, I think we tend to forget that they're human, too. That they're people. And while what we read is absolutely no excuse for what he did, because it's unforgivable, it does give an insight into what may have led him down this road. It's actually quite sad, and I found myself feeling sorry for him. Which just seems appalling. But I do think it was very clever of Ahmed to give us this guy's background, to show us his humanity. I also think it's pretty wonderful, too, that Ahmed would do this, for this fictional terrorist, when real terrorists commit such unspeakable crimes, to make us think that they are people too, that we don't know what they've been through. It's not forgiveness, it's not, but it's something other than hatred for this person. And I think it's really telling that Ahmed can think about the terrorists' humanity when they've done such terrible things, when bigots jump straight to hatred of those who have done absolutely nothing wrong, who are, as Maya puts it, guilty by association. And I really, really admire Ahmed for giving this terrorist his humanity, and his story.

I do have a few quibbles with Love, Hate and Other Filters, though. It's so, so short, and the terrorist attack doesn't happen until the half-way point. Which works well, it's an even balance between the normal, the everyday, the cute, sweet romance, and the horrific things that follow. But, as it's short at 272 pages as a physical book, there isn't really a huge amount of either. That sounds like I want more Islamophobia,and I really don't; what they Azizs experience is too much as it is. However, a lot of time goes by in this book, though, to be honest, I only really knew that because Maya would think something like she hasn't smiled properly like this in months, and then I know quite a bit of time has gone by, when I thought it was only a few days, so the passing of time isn't made very clear. But months go by after the terrorist attack, the longer lasting affects of Islamophobia aren't shown, exactly. There are specific affects that are specific to Maya and her parents' disagreements about her future, but there's not really anything about the affects to her parents' dental practice over time, for example. There is an attack on the practice, so how does that affect their business? Do patients stop coming, for fear of being hurt during another possible attack, or because they themselves are scumbags who no longer want to be around Muslims? Do they lose money? Do they start to struggle financially? I don't know, because it's not covered. And that's what I mean about there not being a huge amount of before and, more specifically after the attack. I do wish the book was longer, and we got more of the sweet side of things, and more of the affects of Islamophobia.

But all in all, Love, Hate & Other Filters is such an incredible book - and not only incredible, but so very important. It's powerful, and it's needed. I absolutely loved it, and I look forward to reading what Ahmed writes in the future - whether sweet, cute stories, or hard-hitting, powerful stories, or more of both.

*All quotes have been checked against a final copy of the book.

Thank you to Hot Key Books via NetGalley for the eProof.

An interesting read, I enjoyed the focus on her conflicting identity as Maya deals with family, education and her future. There’s important dialogue within the story but the romance and plot didn’t grip me as much as I thought it would.

In Love, Hate & Other Filters we meet a young Muslim girl, seventeen year-old Maya Aziz. She is planning for her future, for college, for potential romance, for life. But her parents are also planning and their ideas are subtly different: a nice Indian boy, a safe career choice and staying close to home and family. They will certainly need some persuading to accept Maya's dream to study film in New York. And when there is a bombing which seems to have involved a young man with the same surname as Maya's family her parents are even more keen to keep her close at hand.

This was an interesting story, which helped to explain the issues faced by young Muslim women wanting to fit in with the Western way of life without sacrificing their religious principles (or those of their families). Although, to be fair, Maya doesn't really mention religion other than to be shocked when her potential love-interest Kaleem drinks wine. Any girl feeling a bit over-protected could sympathise with Maya's position but it is also vital to understand how everyday events can affect various groups. I appreciated the fact that this was a family with no connections to extremism but who were targeted simply for sharing a surname with a suspected terrorist. My only issues really are that this book was more about her families Indian culture than their Muslim faith - and, of course, that it is USA based. I'm still waiting for the YA novels about young people with a Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage set in the UK (and preferably Yorkshire) - these are the girls I meet every day and whose stories I'd like to hear.

In Samira Ahmed's debut Love, Hate & Other Filters we follow Maya Aziz, a girl torn between doing what her parents expect her to do and what she wants to do in a world where a suicide bomber hundreds of miles away can destroy everything she has and holds dear by simply sharing Maya's family's last name. 

It's actually been quite a few months since I read this book because there was just simply no way I would wait until it was closer to the release to read this book because I had been looking forward to it for such a long time and I couldn't wait any longer. 

Love, Hate & Other Filters is described as perfect for fans of both Angie Thomas' debut The Hate U Give and Sandyha Menon's debut When Dimple Met Rishi and I completely agree with that statement. Samira Ahmed dealt with the topic of Islamaphobia so, so well in this book (in my opinion) while also introducing us into Maya's world and what she holds dear the way Sandyha did in WDMR. 

The way this book is written, we follow Maya in her everyday life as she deals with her parents' expectations and her own wishes for herself which is then contrasted by quick single page 'chapters' that follow the second storyline in this book and every single time I came across those quick chapters, I could feel my heart rate go up and I grew more and more worried as the story progressed - you just can't help but feel this way. 

I also felt like the way Samira Ahmed portrayed the community's reaction to the news of the suicide bomber (and this isn't a spoiler in any kind of way) was so close to what we have seen on the news in the past decade and a half. Which makes you so angry as a reader and you can't help it because it's unfair the way people are being treated. The actions of a single person should never defy an entire group. 

Obviously, I can't speak on behalf of any Muslim and the experiences they have had with Islamaphobia or growing up as a Muslim child so I won't do that. But what I will do is link to Ilsa's review for this book as she is a Muslim teen herself and can speak to it more. 

And while this book deals with some really tough topics, Samira also managed to keep it light-hearted when possible. I really liked following Maya's story and while it's compared to When Dimple Met Rishi, I often found myself reminded of the movie Bend It Like Beckham which I absolutely adored in high school. If you enjoyed the movie and would like a similar story that deals with racism more, this is exactly the book for you! 

I honestly never quite know how to talk about and review books where the characters experience life quite differently from me due to their religion, nationality or any other aspects that are going to define them as a minority as it's not something I am familiar with. But I still hope I was able to convince some of you guys to pick this book up because I really enjoyed it and I definitely think it's a book people should read! 

Overall, I gave this book a 4-star rating and would definitely recommend you check it out and show your support for Samira Ahmed in any way you can!

Maya tries to be a good Indian daughter, and mostly she succeeds, but she wants to live her own life at the same time. She goes along with her parents wishes as much as possible but has her own dreams that she wants to fulfill, things that she wants to experience.
Along with the main narrative are hints of a much darker story going on in the background. The events leading up to a terrorist attack and the thoughts of the perpetrator contrast sharply with the daily life of a teenager.
This book is very easy to get into. There are both carefree and serious elements but everything is dealt with wonderfully.
I read quite a lot of fantasy and I found that the way Maya narrates her life and talks about filming is a little bit like magic.

A story about boy-girl relationships where different cultures clash. Maya comes from an Indian Muslim family, where marriages are still arranged but she has other ideas, having grown up in a small American town. Maya also has different ideas about her future career. About half the book focuses solely on these issues and to be honest I was on the point of giving it up as just another romance but then suddenly, as in real life, an incident in a neighbouring town has severe consequences for Maya and her family and I was interested in the way this would resolve to the end.
I'm not sure if I will buy this for my library as it's a different situation for most of our students so I'm not sure they will identify with Maya so easily.

Maya Aziz wants to be a filmmaker. She doesn’t go anywhere without her camera, it acts as a shield and it is her passion. However, her family doesn’t understand it and they have already planned her future out for her. They want her to be dutiful, to be married, and to be a doctor. But that is far from what Maya wants. Fighting against parental expectations and fighting her feelings for the guy she likes, but who she shouldn’t like. However, Maya’s life is rocked when a suicide bomber apparently shares her last name, and she comes face to face with racism and Islamophobia.

“And for those who bear the brunt of hate because of the color of your skin or the sound of your name, for those who are spat upon, for those who are told to ‘go home,’ when you are home: you are known. You are loved. You are enough. Let your light shine. I wrote this book for you. – Samira Ahmed.”

Love, Hate & Other Filters is an important book that I highly recommend. Maya is an Indian-American, Muslim teenage girl and Love, Hate, and Other Filters deals with things like parental expectation and romance to more serious and nuanced discussions including racism and Islamophobia.

Love, Hate, & Other Filters is mostly a romance, full of culture and heritage, but then takes a drastic turn after a suicide bomb. It managed to balance being fun and cute while also being serious and nuanced. It showed how a teenage girl’s life can be thrown into chaos due to racism and Islamophobia.

I really liked Maya. I loved her passion for film, but I also love how she used it as a shield sometimes and can escape a situation using it. I like how determined she was to turn her passion into a career. She didn’t want to be a doctor like her family wanted her to. She wanted to decide what to do with her life, leaning on her aunt for support.

Love, Hate & Other Filters also deals with parental expectations. You can, to an extent, see where her parents were coming from. They understood how the world would view Maya, and they wished to protect her. They came from a good place, despite how they went about it wrong. I did love Maya and how she stood up for herself and was determined to follow her dreams.

Overall, Love, Hate & Other Filters is an important and powerful book that I highly recommend.

Torn between the life her parents want for her, a job as a successful lawyer and a 'suitable' husband and her dreams to attend NYU to pursue a career in filmmaking, Maya thinks these are her biggest problems. That is until a terrorist attack completely shatters her world, sharing the same last name as the suspect is enough for her to face anger, hatred and violence all because of her religion. 

This is Ahmed's debut novel and if this is just the start, I can't wait to see what comes next. An own voices novel, Ahmed makes 17-year-old Maya come alive within a few pages, presenting the struggle and expectations of a first-generation American. From the very first chapter, we see Maya fed up with the idea of a 'perfect Indian daughter', instead, she captures the world through a camera lens with hopes and dreams of making this a career. 

This wasn't a typical rebellious teenager character. You can see and feel the frustrations of trying to balance the two worlds. While she loves her parents and her Indian heritage, she was brought up as an American and struggles to balance the two. Particularly when her parents arrange for her to meet 'suitable' Kareem, a potential match, while she's finally getting her crush to notice her at the same time. What's a girl to do? 

While a large chunk of the novel is taken up by love interests, there are serious undertones even before the disruption of the terrorist attack on Maya's life. Luckily, Maya has people around her who can and will support her dreams of working behind the camera. I loved the relationship between Maya and her Aunt Hinda because it showed another perspective, it didn't make Maya's parents the only Indian characters and therefore a stereotype. The relationship between the two was incredibly special and moving. 

I feel the need to point out that I am not Muslim, I am a white woman, so I feel that my experience of this book may be different to those who have lived it. That said, Ahmed tackles Islamaphobia head-on in this novel and I can only applaud her. It is something that so many will shy away from and pretend it doesn't happen in today's society. In that, the novel makes you think, it made me upset and angry that this is happening to innocent people, that Maya and her family face cruelty and hate because of another person's actions.  

As I was reading, I was worried about what the ending would be. I didn't want this to be a formulaic ending and I'm pleased by what Ahmed did with the character. That is all I can say without spoiling the ending or rest of the plot, but it was worth mentioning. 

Overall I gave this 5 stars. I really enjoyed the novel and can definitely see it becoming a bestseller. This should be handed out in schools as a tool to talk about Islamophobia and the impact it has on young people as well as discussions about culture. The only thing I would change is I'd like to have heard more about Maya's filming and passion but that's all! 

Thank you to Netgalley, Hot Key Books and Samira Ahmed for this in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say? I loved this book from start to finish. Full of interesting characters, I was hooked from the very first line. I read the book basically in one sitting, stopping only to get a cup of coffee. I didn't want to put it down.
I loved the balance in this book between the romance and the more serious plotline, and the way the main character Maya handled situations both at home and at school. This book shows her growing into herself in an uncertain, often scary world and I loved that.
This book felt honest, heartfelt and it was written so well.
There wasn't a single part that I didn't like and I would highly recommend it.

Wowza. This book was much more than I expected. The first half of Love, Hate and Other Filters reads like a fluffy contemporary, a coming-of-age story of young Maya, who is torn between pleasing her Indian parents or following her dreams of going to NYU to study film.
The second half takes a more sinister turn, after a man who shares Maya's last name is suspected of being a suicide bomber. Following that tragic event, this novel addresses islamophobia, hate crimes, and shows how some events lead to humans behaving at their worst - banding together and generalizing because of the actions of one individual by jumping to conclusions; pointing fingers before checking their sources. But it also shows humanity at its best, coming together to protect Maya, safeguarding the innocents and helping them speak their truth.
In a way, I feel like this book shows the strength of YA: to approach hard-hitting, difficult topics in an approachable setting that makes kids want to read about topics they might otherwise shy away from.
Evidently, I cannot speak for the rep in this book, but I do realize that the narrative was following the usual clichés one hears about Indian parents: 'guiding' their daughters into the right kind of lifestyle - meaning that they want their children to go to university and study law or medicine and marry a good boy from an Indian family who respects his parents - and setting strict rules such as early curfews and deciding everything themselves.
I also can't speak for the Muslim rep, but from the reviews I've read so far and the fact that it is an #ownvoices novel, it appears to be authentic.
All in all, this was a captivating YA contemporary with an enthralling spin on hard-hitting topics, perhaps for fans of When Dimple Met Rishi or The Hate U Give.

Maya wants to be a film-maker but her Indian-born parents have other ideas for her. They'd also love for her to find a nice Indian boy, and Kareem seems the perfect choice. Maya is slightly annoyed that she doesn't hate him on sight, but she faces up to the fact that she'd much rather be with her childhood crush, football star Phil. Who isn't exactly available right now.

Maya sees her life through a lens, sometimes literally. She's the go-to person to film her extended family's weddings and dreads the day she'll be in front of the camera. She's just not ready for that yet, no matter what her pushy parents want. There are plenty of references to romance films, as she compares her life to those. But basically, she is really into film.

This was pitched as a girl facing Islamophobia following a terrorist attack and to be honest I was disappointed in this aspect of the book. One person in her town has a problem with her (blurb suggests everyone turns on her, this is not the case). No one should have to deal with harassment or assault of course, but it only occasionally touched on the insidious fear of day-to-day prejudice, often flamed by the media after such attacks. She worries about her dad being stopped at the airport but soon goes back to thinking about college and boys. Her family are treated with respect and dignity by the local police when their property is targeted (as they should be, but we all know this is often not the case).

There are passages running up to the terrorist that are from a different perspective, that of the terrorist himself. I found Samira Ahmed was generous towards her fictional terrorist, recognising that he was a product of his life experiences, that things could have gone differently for him had someone stepped in earlier. These parts added a real edge to the book, along side the romance.

Maya generally seems more upset about not being able to follow her dream. Her parents reaction to the wider Islamophobia (I'm assuming a lot went on off-page, it's told from Maya's perspective after all) is to try and protect her by keeping her close. They seem quite traditional Indian parents whilst Maya is a modern American girl (and not a devout Muslim).

Overall it's quite a sweet romance, which I can't really call fluffy because of the other content. It's kind of a mish-mash of things, and I'm not sure it all worked for me, but I still enjoyed it. I also felt her parents were a bit harsh on her at the end, they seemed kinder people than their actions.

Maya Aziz aspires to break the mould. Rejecting her parents' plans for her to study medicine and marry a 'suitable' Muslim boy, she dreams of making films in New York. Just when she thinks she has convinced them to let her go further afield, a suspected suicide bomber, who happens to share their last name, strikes and it changes everything...

This book is perfect for fans of When Dimple Met Rishi who want a grittier look at the realities of being a Muslim teenager in America. Samira Ahmed skilfully blends a cute romance with a harrowing exploration of Islamophobia and bigotry. The book begins with a focus on the two love interests (Kareem, the result of parental matchmaking, and Phil, who Maya has had a crush on for years) but becomes much darker in the second half.

As I see it, the filters in the title refer to the filters the characters put on themselves before presenting themselves to the outside world. Maya puts a filter on who she is and who she wants to be in an attempt to fulfil her parents' expectations and live by their rules. Phil, similarly, filters perceptions of who he is at school and in the community in order to get by; it is easier for him to be seen as just a footballer, dating Lisa and working for his Dad. Alongside this though, the titular filters are also the source of prejudice and we see how our view of things can easily become clouded by the opinions of those around us and the media's portrayal of events.

Samira Ahmed's foreword to this book moved me before I'd even started reading and some of the events in the book itself will stay with me for a long time. The ability to blend a warm, romantic storyline with some weighty issues shouldn't be under-appreciated. It is through this approach that more readers will be eager to read about a wider, more challenging, range of topics and it should be celebrated.

[This review will be available at the link below on Tuesday 9th January.]

Love, Hate & Other Filters is the story of Maya, an Indian/American girl who dreams of becoming a film maker but has to face her parents' different plans for her future, and also the aftermath of a terroristic attack which causes threats and attacks on her family.

Samira Ahmed's debut is being compared to The Hate U Give and I can see why, but they are two very different stories. Samira Ahmed's book is more light-hearted and fluffy, but the more serious topics are addressed in a powerful way. It is less impactful than Angie Thomas's novel, but it's still an eye-opening and important read. However, the topic of Islamophobia was not as central as I would have liked. This is more a coming of age story about a girl struggling with different problems than the average white american teen and less a story about racism. The fact that Maya was Muslim was also barely addressed: the religion really wasn't a big part of the story and I was a little disappointed because I was interested in that aspect.

However, I really enjoyed this book, and Maya, our main character, was one of my favourite parts of the story. She was extremely likeable and it was easy to sympathize with her struggles. I loved to see her growth through the story: her bad experiences hurt and scared her a lot, obviously, but in the end they made her stronger and more determined to follow her dreams. Her determination and her passion for film making were truly inspiring. I sobbed a little while reading the epilogue, I was so proud of her!

The secondary characters were great too. I loved Violet, Maya's bestfriend, who was so supportive and outspoken, and Hina, Maya's aunt, was awesome. Both of them helped Maya so much and it was heartwarming. But I also liked Kareem, not as a love interest but as a friend/older brother. He was a genuinely nice guy.

Unfortunately, I didn't much like Phil, Maya's crush. The romance is a pretty big part of the novel but I couldn't get on board with it.

All in all, I would definitely recommend Love, Hate & Other Filters. It is not the phenomenon that The Hate U Give was, but it's a good novel which balances serious and fluffy topics well.

I really enjoyed this book! I couldn't put it down, as soon as I'd finished one chapter, I had to read the next and find out what happens! It was an almost typical ya romance, without being a typical ya book, as it focuses on racism and a difficult family home, which many readers will be able to relate to. Which makes it a well timed book to be released with everything that has been happening in the past few years. I really enjoyed the writing style, the book flowed really well.

A searing #OwnVoices coming-of-age debut in which an Indian-American Muslim teen confronts Islamophobia and a reality she can neither explain nor escape--perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Jacqueline Woodson, and Adam Silvera.

American-born seventeen-year-old Maya Aziz is torn between worlds. There’s the proper one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter: attending a college close to their suburban Chicago home, and being paired off with an older Muslim boy her mom deems “suitable.” And then there is the world of her dreams: going to film school and living in New York City—and maybe (just maybe) pursuing a boy she’s known from afar since grade school, a boy who’s finally falling into her orbit at school.

There’s also the real world, beyond Maya’s control. In the aftermath of a horrific crime perpetrated hundreds of miles away, her life is turned upside down. The community she’s known since birth becomes unrecognizable; neighbors and classmates alike are consumed with fear, bigotry, and hatred. Ultimately, Maya must find the strength within to determine where she truly belongs.



From the very first moment I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. It sounded similar enough to books I've read and loved, like The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas  or Dear Martin, by Nic Stone - even Marchetta's Tell the truth, shame the devil- but at the same time unique enough, in the sense that it dealt with Islamophobia, from the perspective of an Indian protagonist, while also being an #ownvoices book. And I am glad to say, it did not disappoint.

The book's best asset was its protagonist. Maya was someone I could relate to, someone I could see myself being friends with. Her sense of humour and her personality fascinated me, and even if I disagreed with some of her decisions I could understand them - or, at least, see the reasoning behind them. Another thing that ultimately drew me into the book was the fact that Maya had a hobby, something she was passionate about, a dream she wanted to pursue. So often, YA female characters lack 'hobbies' or interests and their entire storyline revolves around the ongoing romance. In Maya's case, her love for film-making was a driving force throughout the novel, something that shaped and moved her character forward. Even the narrative was related to this, as she so often made movie references, or described the events as if she were in a movie.

The character dynamics were another important asset of the novel. There is a quickly resolved love triangle, where all parties involved are so much more than their perspective roles in the romance, each with their own dreams, personalities, and story arcs. Also, the friendship depicted between Maya and her best friend, Violet was a magnificent one. It was so refreshing to see two girls unconditionally love and support each other, and I wish we could have seen a bit more of their bond.

Now, if I'm being honest, I do think that the terrorist arc was a bit unnecessary. In my opinion, it was handled better by Marchetta, but I'm always a bit biased when it comes to her. I feel like Ahmed already had enough to say even through a "simple" coming-of-age story, and that this bit was well incorporated into the story, yet still unnecessary. This, however, is just a personal opinion, and not a flaw in an otherwise brilliant book.

Trigger warnings for violence throughout the book.



**An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review**

This book is utterly fantastic, heartwarming, emotional and just brilliant in every way. The topic in hand in dealt with in a very informative yet emotional way. I was blown away by this book and would recommend to anyone.

Dipped in Indian culture albeit in the US, this book seems like a rom-com at the beginning, except for the intervals of unknowns you expect to be joined by some event. Maya and her caught between the correct boy & the one she always wanted antics are so readable. The intervals are intriguing, some foreboding.

Maya dealing with the expectations of her culture & parents, is done very well. We get to understand the guilt that might be induced by them. Also I enjoy her cinematic way of thinking.

The event changes the narrative and fear is dominant with all its social consequences. It is good to see them from the POV of those who get ushered without fault into the blame. Seeing a different side of the aftermath, as prejudice rears its ugly head.

Emphasizing the importance of everyone's right to live in the peace of respect. So relevant in today's world with so many hateful acts. This read is powerful, thought provoking, painful at times, glorious and emitting hope.