One of TIME's 100 Best YA Books of All Time
“This is a book that will speak to teens who are navigating their own tightrope of identities and assure them that it's okay to be messy, as long as you own up to your mistakes and try to be better moving forward.” —NPR
“[The Henna Wars] will give you a deeper understanding of social justice and friendship. And, how to ALWAYS be the best version of yourself, even if you’re a baller.” —Teen Vogue
“If lesbian enemies-to-lovers between rival Henna business-owning teen girls set in Ireland can't sell you on a book, nothing will.” —Buzzfeed
* "Authentic and inspiring, this debut is one to seek out." —Shelf Awareness, starred review
* “Debut author Jaigirdar seamlessly weaves issues of racism and homophobia into a fast-moving plot peopled with richly drawn characters…Impossible to put down.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"a wholly uncontrived story with lesbians who aren't just brown but diverse in a multitude of ways."
—Booklist
"Deeply satisfying... Highly recommended for fans of school stories that celebrate intersectional experiences."
—SLJ
04/01/2020
Gr 7–10—When Nishat, 16, comes out to her Bengali Muslim parents, the silence is overwhelming. Their tacit agreement to give her time to "change her mind" and their refusal to understand her sexuality adds to her general feelings of alienation as one of the only immigrants and people of color in her secondary school in Ireland. By starting a henna business for a school assignment, Nishat is excited to highlight an aspect of her heritage that she thinks her peers will actually understand. But when her crush, Flávia, a Brazilian-Irish artist, opens a competing henna stand, Nishat feels deeply violated and channels her anger into bringing Flávia's business down. Jaigirdar captures Nishat's pain as her friends deny the racism and homophobia in their school, and, ignoring Flávia's moves as cultural appropriation, dismiss her as jealous. The novel's Dublin setting, with its tight-knit Bengali community, informs all the characters' interactions, creating a nuanced and specific world. However, it is Nishat's heartbreaking clarity about who she is and what she experiences that drives this story forward to its deeply satisfying conclusion. VERDICT Highly recommended for fans of school stories that celebrate intersectional experiences like Erin Entrada Kelly's Blackbird Fly and Hena Khan's Amina's Voice.—Molly Saunders, Manatee County Public Libraries, Bradenton, FL
Priya Ayyar’s narration brims over with all the conflicting emotions of first love in this heartwarming YA romance. Nishat is an Irish-Bangladeshi teenager who has just come out to her parents. When a school competition pits her henna business against her new crush’s, she suddenly finds herself dealing with the aftermath of coming out, her school’s homophobia and racism, and all the messy realities of falling in love for the first time. While Ayyar’s adult voices are distinct, she uses the same tone for the many teenage girls, making their dialogue confusing at times. Even so, the genuine feelings she brings to Nishat’s first-person narration make this novel about self-discovery, love, and sisterhood an engaging listen. L.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Priya Ayyar’s narration brims over with all the conflicting emotions of first love in this heartwarming YA romance. Nishat is an Irish-Bangladeshi teenager who has just come out to her parents. When a school competition pits her henna business against her new crush’s, she suddenly finds herself dealing with the aftermath of coming out, her school’s homophobia and racism, and all the messy realities of falling in love for the first time. While Ayyar’s adult voices are distinct, she uses the same tone for the many teenage girls, making their dialogue confusing at times. Even so, the genuine feelings she brings to Nishat’s first-person narration make this novel about self-discovery, love, and sisterhood an engaging listen. L.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
★ 2020-02-09
Bangladeshi Irish teen Nishat is obsessed with winning her school’s business competition—which entails outperforming the girl she has a crush on.
Nishat is tired of hiding the fact that she is lesbian. But when she comes out to her parents, they respond with cold silence. Devastated, Nishat struggles to cope by focusing on winning the entrepreneurial challenge and by trying to ignore her romantic feelings for Flávia, a biracial (black Brazilian/white Irish) girl Nishat hasn’t seen since primary school. Nishat enters with a proposal for a business offering mehndi, or henna tattoos, a traditional Bangladeshi art form Nishat learned from her grandmother. Nishat is thrilled about showcasing her beloved Bengali culture—until Flávia decides to do a henna business as well, a choice that Nishat feels smacks of cultural appropriation. Worse, now Nishat isn’t sure if Flávia’s overtures are signs of genuine romantic interest or a tactic to sabotage Nishat’s business. With her ultrasupportive sister by her side, Nishat fights to be her truest, most visible self. Debut author Jaigirdar seamlessly weaves issues of racism and homophobia into a fast-moving plot peopled with richly drawn characters. Each conflict is resolved authentically and naturally, moving the story along at the perfect speed. The scenes between Flávia and Nishat simmer, and their mesmerizing relationship unfolds with just the right amount of complexity. Most satisfyingly, each character gets the ending she deserves.
Impossible to put down. (Romance. 13-18)
