A determined protagonist, a family that’s willing to change, and characters that evolve through the story–what’s not to like?
Abir Maqsood of The Henna Start-Up by Andaleeb Wajid is an imperfect, gritty character, the kind that never fails to make me smile. She is fuelled by her determination to get justice and to stand up for her mother and for herself. Fragile egos, annoying classmates and an overprotective family are obstacles she must overcome for she knows discrimination when she sees it, and she isn’t one to take it lying down. She scorns the pampered, protected lives that her friend Keerthi and arch-enemy Arsalan lead. She knows they live in their own beautiful bubbles, and she holds her head high in the knowledge that her classmates are clueless about the reality of the world, unlike her … until she is forced to accept that she’s guilty of being more than a little prejudiced herself.
Flawed characters who are forced to step back and introspect, much against their will, are always a pleasure to encounter in fiction! A quick, light read, The Henna Start-Up is perfect for readers looking for relatable, pacy YA fiction. Without giving anything away, I will say I absolutely loved the last line!
| Title | The Henna Start-Up |
| Author | Andaleeb Wajid |
| Tags | Young Adult, Realistic Fiction |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4 |
| Age-group | 13+ |
What I enjoy most about Andaleeb’s books is the easy narrative style that draws you in and keeps you reading. Other stories I’ve read and enjoyed:
- When She Went Away (YA)
- Mirror, Mirror (YA)
- The Birthday Cake (Level 4 Picture Book)
- “The Copy Cat” (a short story in the collection Flipped: Mystery Stories and Sci-Fi Stories)
Andaleeb also did a wonderful Q & A session on demystifying publishing for my writing programme in 2022!
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