Unmarriageable

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you know the story of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, you know the basic outline of what happens in Unmarriageable. The remarkable thing is how well this 200-year-old story has been adapted to the setting of modern-day Pakistan. Brava, Ms. Kamal!

Details have changed, of course, such as Alys Binat being a decade older than her namesake, Elizabeth Bennet, and employed as a teacher of English literature at a girls' school where the students frequently drop out to get married. However, nearly all of the changes enhanced and enriched the story. Some of my favorites include how Darsee's cousin Annie actually gets to speak and display a real personality, Darsee's other cousin being gay, Sherry actually being happy married to Farhat Khaleen & raising his children, a deeper understanding of Pinkie Binat and her obsession with her daughters marrying well, and all the lush cultural details about food & wedding customs, etc. The story of Wickaam's treatment of Darsee's sister is another example, although sharing about that here would necessitate a spoiler alert.

One change I did NOT like, however, was the inclusion of smoking as Sherry & Alys' secret rebellion. I get that the characters might feel the desire to rebel against the restrictions of their gender and financial circumstances/social class. But smoking is a moronic choice. First of all, it's impractical to the point of impossibility--I don't care how many sticks of gum you chew or air freshener you spray, there is NO way to disguise the pervasive stench of cigarette smoke, even if you light up in a cemetery or out a window of a particular room in a large house. Smokers always stink, no matter how much they may delude themselves otherwise. Second of all, Sherry was so conscious of her impossibly tight budget, it seemed entirely unrealistic that she'd choose an expensive vice that would deprive her family of desperately needed financial resources. True, millions of people do this very thing, but it's not consistent with Sherry's character.

I actually read this a couple of months ago but didn't have a chance to write my review at that time. (Sorry, NetGalley & Random House - Ballantine! Thanks for the free ARC ebook anyway!)

For readers' advisors: character and setting doorways are very strong. Surprisingly for a retelling of such a famous book, story doorway is actually quite strong as well. There are a handful of swear words, some sexual innuendo, and no violence. Setting is, as mentioned above, modern-day Pakistan (early 2000s, I think?).

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Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first time Hazel met Josh, she propositioned him and then threw up on his shoes. The second time, he walked in on her having sex with his roommate. The third time, he was the TA in her anatomy class. It's not an auspicious beginning for a relationship, but despite Hazel's wildly quirky personality, lack of a verbal filter, and propensity for mishaps, she's innately lovable. So when they meet years later at a BBQ at Josh's sister's house, and Hazel decides he's going to be her new best friend (in addition to his sister, who is her current best friend), she's absolutely right.  When Josh breaks up with his girlfriend, she talks him into setting each other up on a series of double blind dates.  Unsurprisingly, these don't go as planned.

I loved that this book was set in Portland, Oregon! Truthfully, it could almost have been set in any large city, but I enjoyed the local references nonetheless.

I laughed out loud so many times while reading, especially in the first half of the book. Once, I even laughed until I cried. Such witty banter and ridiculous chaos follow Hazel wherever she goes! I'm sure I would have a much harder time dealing with her in real life, but as a character, she's hilarious.

I also really appreciated that Josh and Emily were Korean, and I loved how Christina Lauren wove Korean culture into the fabric of the characters' lives. Made me miss my honorary Korean family so much!

One small thing that irked me, though, was that although Hazel has an (hysterically inappropriate) mnemonic device for remembering all eight types of pronouns, the author hasn't yet fully learned the difference between "who" and "whom"...and neither has her copy editor. Still, my issue was with only one scene out of a whole book, so that's a pretty minor complaint.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, story secondary. There is a LOT of swearing and sexual content--from sex jokes and references to a few fairly explicit sex scenes. Also quite a bit of drinking or references to alcohol. No violence, other than Josh getting clobbered in the head a couple of times.

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