Roberts has been criticized for drawing a limited picture of Muslim women; she tends to list some characteristics for Muslim women, and only if a woman fits these characteristics is she a “real” Muslim.

Then out of the blue, Amira announces that she's dating someone and might move cross-country with him. Soon, their father’s business got into trouble which made them move from a country in south England to London temporarily, and rent out their house till their father’s business picks up again. In such stories, if a guy and a girl fall in love, they cannot just start seeing each other for dinner or a movie, they cannot move in to live with each other, and most importantly, they cannot have any physical contact of any kind.When Ali first meets Amirah, he notices everything about her--her hijab, her long eyelashes and her red trainers--in the time it takes to have one look, before lowering his gaze. One day Ali sees Amirah, and although she's wearing a hijab, he notices her lovely face, defiant chin and her red trainers, just like his. While the story takes some melodramatic turns, it speaks vividly to conflicts of freedom, temptation, and faith. When Ali first meets Amirah, he notices everything about her—her hijab, her long eyelashes and her red trainers—in the time it takes to have one look, before lowering his gaze.

I think it makes the story a on-dimensional tale, and makes it simpler than it actually is in reality. This inspirational collection of prayers and reminders is the perfect companion for anyone who wishes to connect to the Divine. I have not read a lot of those novels before, because I am not a big fan of romantic stories, but I thought I should give it a try this time. All in all, I love this book and everyone should definitely read it, non-muslims too… it’s eyeopening and beautiful.

At the end of the day, you can read this story, and you can enjoy it, but it will also raise a lot of questions about love, Islam, identity and culture. Apart from Amirah interacting with her arts teacher, there is no other communication between this Muslim community and the diverse group of people living in London.

These teens try to navigate what in their daily lives is halal (permissible) and what is haram (forbidden) in this thoughtful look at contemporary, urban Muslim life.

Why do we see nothing wrong with 13-year-olds having sex — which they do — but have such a problem with the idea of an 18 or 19 year old getting married? A character can’t be an intellectual, reflective, strong female, without also embodying sexual purity and morality.

It was early September, the time of year when the kids start school, get busy with homework, enroll in a soccer team, and so on, so it is the time of year when I have no time to do anything for myself, let alone reading a book! Under federal law, if you knowingly misrepresent that online material is infringing, you may be subject to criminal prosecution for perjury and civil penalties, including monetary damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees. Amirah faces similar problems: her mother's depression has taken hold after her husband abandons the family, leaving Amirah to care for her younger siblings. By observing the daily details of the relationships between Ali and his family, and Amirah and her family, readers are able to dissect their lives and understand how such relationships caused them to take certain decisions. This heartfelt and humorous YA contemporary follows Dua, who spends the month of Ramadan making unexpected discoveries about family, faith, and first love.Alternating between Amirah and Ali's perspectives, Robert (Black Sheep) teases out the subtleties of young romance and the confounding pull of mutual attraction. I believe Roberts was able to build up a love story between Amirah and Ali in a realistic manner, within what the characters consider to be “halal limitations. And, although Ali is still coming to terms with the loss of his mother and exploring his identity as a Muslim, and although Amirah has sworn never to get married, they can’t stop thinking about each other.