About the book
What if you met the boy of your dreams but loving him was forbidden? Aisha Rashid is used to being invisible or bullied and overshadowed by best friend Isabelle. So no one is more surprised than her when Darren Brady, the hot new boy in school, takes an interest in her and not Isabelle. But Aisha is a devout hijab-wearing Muslim and Darren is off limits. Does she follow her heart even if it means losing her own identity? And is Darren really all that he seems? If only there was a way she could keep the boy and her faith. Maybe there is a way? All it takes are ten steps…
My review
This was a read-in-one-sitting book for me. A wonderful balance of YA escapism, conflict, and a thoughtful, nuanced portrayal of Aisha’s thoughts, feelings, and struggles as a teenage Muslim girl. It’s hard to watch Aisha’s struggle between her beliefs and her feelings, particularly because it’s painfully evident how torn she is. It’s clear how important her faith is to her – but how can she ignore the very natural feelings she’s experiencing? Told by Attiya Khan with sensitivity, lots of humour (and some mouth-watering descriptions of food), Ten Steps to Us is a rounded exploration of faith, love, and self-discovery.
I was surprised at how abruptly it ended – I would have loved to carry on delving into Aisha’s life and discover the path she chooses for herself. The ending was perfectly set up for a sequel, so fingers crossed…
Many thanks to Literally PR and Hashtag Press for having me on this blog tour!
Mila's Bookshelf 