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A Girl Like That

By Tanaz Bhathena
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3.66 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 4,544 ratings, 909 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: an Indian girl, bright and vivacious, an orphan, and a school troublemaker famed for her romantic entanglements. Despite warnings, Porus, a Parsi boy, has only eyes for her. However, their story turns tragic when they are found dead together in a car crash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The arrival of the religious police turns everything known about Zarin upside down, revealing hidden truths.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$1899

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel is ideal for young adults interested in contemporary stories exploring cultural and gender issues, particularly those curious about life and challenges faced by youth in the Middle East.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

In this young adult debut set in Saudi Arabia, where the law forbids romantic relationships outside of marriage, two teens fall in love with tragic consequences.

In this young adult debut set in Saudi Arabia, where the law forbids romantic relationships outside of marriage, two teens fall in love with tragic consequences.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: an Indian girl, a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a troublemaker whose romantic entanglements are the subject of endless gossip among the girls in her school.

"You don't want to get involved with a girl like that," they say.

So how is it that Porus, a Parsi boy, has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of the highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia?

When the religious police arrive, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is called into question.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praise for A Girl Like That:
"Bhathena makes an impressive debut with this eye-opening novel about a free-spirited girl in present-day Saudi Arabia. The novel should spur heated discussions about sexist double standards and societal restrictions on women." – Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A powerful debut." – School Library Journal, starred review

"A fast-paced, fascinating read about a community rarely seen in young adult novels in the West. A refreshingly nuanced narrative about gender in the Middle East." – Kirkus Reviews

"A fascinating and disturbing glance into gender discrimination and double standards through the eyes of a teenage girl in Saudi Arabia. It raises awareness and inspires discussion about equality, justice, and human rights." – Jodi Picoult, #1 NYT Bestselling Author

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781250294586

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 February 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: St Martin's Press

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 31.0mm

Width: 141.0mm

Height: 212.0mm

Weight: 338g

Pages: 400

Collections

Children’s, Teenage and Educational Fiction Tanaz Bhathena Young Adult

About the Author

Tanaz Bhathena was born in Mumbai and raised in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Toronto. She is the winner of the 2009 MARTY for Emerging Literary Arts, a semi-finalist for the 2013 Jeffrey Archer Short Story Challenge and the Readers' Choice pick for the 2015 U of T Magazine Short Story Contest. Her short stories have appeared in various journals, including Blackbird, Witness and Room Magazine. A Girl Like That is her first novel. Visit her at tanazbhathena.com.

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