I stumbled upon this on Goodreads a couple of months ago, while searching for books to read, and the fake dating trope, plus a Bangladeshi heroine instantly caught my eye. I guess you could say I was counting down the days for it to release. (wink, wink)
When Karina Ahmed's parents visit her mother's family in Bangladesh for 28 days, she's relieved. She can finally breathe, without her parent's constant pressure and the worries of having to study pre-med on her neck. But what she doesn't expect is to start dating- I mean, fake dating the school's resident "bad boy" Ace Clyde.
While the summary seems simple, the book is anything but. Filled with beautiful prose, Tahsie Bhuiyan wrote a great story about the common struggle I think most Brown kids face- the conflict between wanting to keep our parents happy and chasing our own happiness.
I am not Atlas, born to carry the weight of the world
I am Icarus, wanting and wanting and wanting at the risk of exploding when I fly too close to the sun
The constant pressure Karina faces, to be the "good" elder daughter with straight A's, on track to become a successful doctor, and the subtle differences between how boys and girls are treated in most Brown families; it all felt super familiar.
What I really liked was how all the different types of relationships, friendships, romance, sibling, and parental were portrayed: I loved the witty banter between Ace and Karina, and the relationship itself felt very healthy, with Ace respecting both her culture and boundaries. Karina's friends were goals, being so supportive and understanding. The brother-sister was very sweet too and was developed really nicely. Also, my favorite, Karina's grandmother, Dadu, was so cute and reminded me of my own grandmother. Their relationship was very wholesome and I loved reading their parts.
Overall, Counting Down With You was a great read, and it's definitely one of my new favorites.
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