Love, Hate & Other Filters Review

Title: Love, Hate & Other Filters
Author: Samira Ahmed
Series: Not Applicable
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Publication Date: 16 January 2018
Source: Jonathan Ball Publisher
Format: Paperback
Pages: 255
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reading Timeline: 17 April 2018 - 18 April 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

Maya Aziz is torn between futures: the one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter (i.e.; staying nearby in Chicago and being matched with a "suitable" Muslim boy), and the one where she goes to film school in New York City--and maybe, just maybe, kisses a guy she's only known from afar. There's the also the fun stuff, like laughing with her best friend Violet, making on-the-spot documentaries, sneaking away for private swimming lessons at a secret pond in the woods. But her world is shattered when a suicide bomber strikes in the American heartland; by chance, he shares Maya's last name. What happens to the one Muslim family in town when their community is suddenly consumed with hatred and fear?

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

I got this book from the presentation that happened in the beginning of February. This was one of those books that was on my radar because it is an #OwnVoices book. I haven't heard much bout this book. It was one of those that flew under the reader. But what I have heard, or rather read, is that it was just okay. But as always I am excited to see how I will find this book.

Thank you so much to Jonathan Ball Publishers for letting me steal this from your presentation table. Just a small disclaimer for those reading this review. I have received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Please note that this does not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own.

Writing Thoughts:

The writing in this book was okay. The pacing and flow of words was okay some of the time whilst at other times it was slow and made the story drop a little. The dialogue, however, helped to pick up the story. It was what definitely pulled me in. It carried a lot of emotion a majority of the time and sometimes I would catch myself with my throat growing tight or my heart singing with joy.

Plot Thoughts:

This was one of those books that carried an important message. It focused on prejudice and racism but for me, it sometimes got lost behind the romance. The romance was cute and I didn't mind it but I wish there was just a bit more focus on the issue that the author was writing about.

Character Thoughts:

Maya is a complicated character. One minute she would be a bit of a push over and then next she was a rebel. I found her rebellion against her parents to be a bit much sometimes but I loved that she refused to let her parent's fears influence her future to the point where she wasn't able to do what she loved.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this book wasn't too bad. It did fall short in terms of the writing but that was saved by the dialogue. The plot seemed to focus a bit more on the romance than the issues at hand. Despite that, the topics that were brought forward by this book are important. The characters in this book didn't really grab my attention but Maya did some incredible things toward the end. Overall, it was not bad. Thank you so much to Jonathan Ball Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

Yours in Reading,

Melleny