Review: Love from A to Z by S. K. Ali

Goodreads rating: 4.12/5

My rating: 4.5/5

Adam decides to drop of out college so he can start "living" after he is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while Zayneb is busy trying to get her racist teacher fired and finding a way to deal with the injustices that she and many other Muslims deal with on a daily basis. Living in two different countries, they are fated to meet in Doha, where they discover something they both have in common - a "Marvels and Oddities journal". In it, they record marvels - something amazing or simply positive, and oddities, something bothersome. With this being their love story, the most significant 'marvel and oddity' is them meeting.

Zayneb and Adam's love story is narrated from both their perspective in the form of their 'marvels and oddities' journal. I find it quite similar to the writing format of 'Sofia Khan is Not Obliged' by Ayisha Malik with the difference being that both Adam and Zayneb write in their journal as if it were another being by referring to it. It's something I can relate to because I speak to my diary too. For instance, if I didn't have my diary on hand, I'd write in another paper saying, "Dear diary, what I'm writing on isn't really you but I'll be sticking this in you later...". I'm sure you get the picture.

Another thing in common with Malik's story is an insight into the Islamic dating scheme. What I appreciate about the way Sajidah Ali portrayed it, was that it was closer to what is permissible or expected of single Muslims and it was refreshing to read about people that did their best to keep things halal. Being a Muslim revert that has dated before embracing Islam, the dating scheme became so confusing and complicated for me after and reading this kind of gave me an idea about what I can and cannot do as a single Muslimah. It was truly eye-opening and although the characters of the book are fictional, it still managed to give me some hope that there is a pious man out there who doesn't smoke or drink and is willing to be with me the halal way. Anyhow, enough about me.

It is safe to say that this story is relatable to me in more than one way. Another instance is in the way Ali was able to depict the troubles of being a Muslim in an Islamophobic nation. Fortunately for me, I never really experienced the things that Zayneb described because I live in a Muslim country. The one time I did feel prejudiced against was when I visited America and a U.S. military veteran assumed I had cut the line and proceeded to walk in front of me while saying, "How dare you walk in front of me? Who do you think you are?". I'm just glad he didn't call me a terrorist, but he might as well had. I've also been stared at a lot while in public in the Philippines but it's still not as bad as how Zayneb had it, with being kicked out of a swimming pool for wearing a burqini and being called a bitch by a complete stranger, amongst other horrible things. I never really knew how I felt about the way we are seen just for our religion until Zayneb talks in depth about how it makes her feel. I felt her pain and the pain of many Muslims out there whose reality was possibly worse and shed a tear. Zayneb's personality is fierce and it's admirable to read about a person who is not afraid to stand up for her beliefs and fights for what she believes is right in her own way, to the point that it sometimes becomes detrimental; something she acknowledges and works on improving.

Amongst the two, Adam is the one that records more marvels than oddities that he reflects back on to change his perspective whenever going through tough times. Other than portraying an ideal Muslim's life, I appreciate how Ali made me aware of the importance of reflecting on everyday's positives, no matter how big or small. She personified this focus on positivity when she created Adam as he lost his mom to MS and even after being diagnosed with it himself, he didn't throw his life away or get depressed. He chose to look at the brighter side and basked in it. If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is.

Another point that Ali shed some light on was the importance of proper communication. The reason Zayneb ends up in Doha for some time is because she gets in trouble at school. Naturally, her parents were concerned but Zayneb was unable to communicate her problems with them properly which caused a bigger rift in her relationship with them than there would have been if she had opened up. Zayneb eventually decided to confront her mother in an appropriate manner regarding her issues after being guided by her aunt and with some convincing from Adam which resulted in an understanding that Zayneb didn't believe was possible.

This story was real and it was simple. It didn't have any major plot twists which I can understand may be boring to some but to me, it was quite pleasant, like smooth sailing. At the end of the book, Ali mentions that the characters were based on real life people and the incidents were based on real life events which makes sense as to why it felt so authentic. I have to admit, I did not expect to get as emotional as I did toward the end of the book. I quite like how it ended. When I first began reading this book, I thought this would maybe end like 'A Walk to Remember' by Nicholas Sparks or 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green, but it didn't. I hope that's not a spoiler. I like that Ali didn't leave me hanging or guessing about what happened to the main characters after they had reached a certain age. The only negative I can think of is the way Zayneb and Adam decided that they're not right for each other at one point, I feel like there could've been a better way to shake the boat. It did have me wondering though as to what would happen, I found myself saying, "I thought this was a love story?". Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this love story and would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a simple and not too cheesy Islamic romance story that is lucid, inspiring and sweet.