A Girl Like ThatΒ is a hard-hitting diverse story about two teenagers who end up dead from a car accident in Saudi Arabia. You start right in the heart of the aftermath of their deaths – watching, from their point of view, as their guardians grieve by their bodies and the police angrily accuse them of letting two adolescents of the opposite sex spend time together alone (which is against the law in Saudi Arabia). The insensitivity of the officers mingles with the grief of the adults at the scene in a grotesque dance that is impossible to look away from. It hooked me in right away, and I was dying to know more about Zarin and Porus, the two teens who died.
Zarin is difficult to like at first – she’s got a lot of anger (for good reason) and is an explosive personality. She breaks rules left and right, rebels against her aunt and uncle (who have raised her since her parents died when she was young), and basically puts on an “I don’t give a ****” persona every single day. But as you delve into her story and you begin to unpack all of the layers, you get to see the truth behind the facade, and you start to realize just why she’s so unhappy.
Porus was my favorite from the get-go. He’s a good guy, just trying to do his best to take care of his mother and Zarin (whom he loves deeply and without reservation). He faces many challenges trying to fit in because he’s an immigrant and he can’t speak or read Arabic when he arrives in Saudi Arabia. But he’s a hard worker and he’s very dedicated to the things he puts his mind towards. Unfortunately, his caring heart just might get the better of him.
There are a few other POVs, minor characters that we get to glimpse for a few moments here and there, and I think that works for the story overall. At first, it felt a bit disjointed hopping between so many people, but once I got the feel of it I really liked getting to see into the other characters lives and understand things from their point of views. It also allowed Tanaz to show us scenes we would never have been able to see otherwise (like things that happen after Porus and Zarin die).
Even though the book starts with their deaths, the story still felt surprising and it took many turns I didn’t see coming. I was riveted by this wonderful book and the whole thing broke my heart (and pieced it *somewhat* back together again).
Rating: 5/5 starsΒ