It All Comes Back to You

Book Info:

Title: It All Comes Back to You by Farah Naz Rishi

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publishing Date: September 14, 2021

Synopsis

Content Warnings: References to death of a parent, references to drug use, emotional abuse, anxiety, guilt

After Kiran Noorani’s mom died, Kiran vowed to keep her dad and sister, Amira, close. Then out of the blue, Amira announces that she’s dating someone and might move cross-country with him. Kiran is thrown.

Deen Malik is thrilled that his older brother, Faisal, has found a great girlfriend, even if it’s getting serious quickly. Maybe now their parents’ focus will shift off Deen, who feels intense pressure to be the perfect son.

When Deen and Kiran come fact to face, they silently agree to keep their past a secret. Four years ago–before Amira and Faisal met–Kiran and Deen dated. But Deen ghosted Kiran with no explanation. Kiran will stop at nothing to find out what happened, and Deen will do anything, even if it means sabotaging his brother’s relationship, to keep her from reaching the truth. Though the chemistry between Kiran and Deen is undeniable, can either of them take down their walls?

Review

When introduced to the characters of Kiran and Dean, I couldn’t help but like them. They are two people on different paths, yet their online personas are deeply connected. When I read that they had a secret IRL past, I couldn’t help but laugh at how ironic they are.

The characters are hilarious. From Kiran and Deen, to Faisal, Amira, and Haris, I couldn’t help laughing at some of their interactions with each other. Farah has created characters with agency and it helps to understand the complexities involved. I found the influsion of addiction (mentioned), anxiety, and the trauma of loss (parent died off page) to be real and authentic. How the characters deal with these range from avoidance to fear of being found out, thus chaos ensues when the characters could have just spoken their truth.

I recommend you read this I can’t wait to read what is next from @farahnazrishi!

Favorite Quotes

About the Author: Farah Naz Rishi

Farah Naz Rishi is a Pakistani-American Muslim writer and voice actor, but in another life, she’s worked stints as a lawyer, a video game journalist, and an editorial assistant. She received her B.A. in English from Bryn Mawr College, her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, and her love of weaving stories from the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s probably hanging out with video game characters. You can find her at home in Philadelphia, or on Twitter at @farahnazrishi.