Against the Loveless World

After reading The Blue Between Sky and Water, I started this book fully expecting to have my heart utterly obliterated and that's maybe why I wasn't as crushed by this one. Nahr was everything and she could have easily been turned in a caricature but the way Abulhawa dealt with her was nothing short of masterful (she really doesn't miss). While there is heartbreak a plenty in there there's also sweetness and hope.

4.5 stars!

Fun fact: I knew absolutely nothing about this book when I checked it out from the library. I was placing a hold on Loveless by Alice Oseman, and this one popped up in the search results. The cover was absolutely stunning and caught my attention immediately. I clicked over to Goodreads to read a summary but stopped myself when I remembered one of my challenges for 2022 is to read a book I know nothing about.

So I checked it out and proceeded to be positively floored. It was masterfully written, heartbreaking, beautiful, engaging, and honestly one of my favorite reads of the year so far. I could not have lucked out more with my random mystery book!