More Than Just a Pretty Face

by Syed M. Masood

• ISBN10: 0316492353
• ISBN13: 9780316492355
• Publish Date: 4 August 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joséphine]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Initial thoughts: I’ve barely read any YA fiction this year but I’m glad that More Than Just a Pretty Face turned out to be one of them. ‘Twas a happy discovery that this is an “own voices” book by a Pakistani Muslim author. Always makes my heart sing to come across diverse books by diverse authors. And of course, I was all the happier to discover that Danyal had culinary school aspirations. While I chose to lay those dreams to rest when I had the choice, I still enjoy revisiting those dreams in characters of the books I read.

Overall, I thought the romance was pretty cute. On the religious rep front, I would’ve liked to see a greater range of views between not being too fussed about Islam (Danyal) and being super strict about it (his best friend). I also enjoyed the exploration of Churchill, colonialism, and historiography. History, after all, is written by the victors; but what of the conquered? Instead of simply taking on the colonialist’s narrative, Danyal learns more about what it meant for the colonised. I liked his process of discovery especially because he wasn’t academically inclined but found himself very invested in the subject.

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Danyal's lack of scholastic prowess was always a source of disappointment for many people in his life. Therefore, when he was selected for the annual Renaissance Man competition, it was his opportunity to show he was more than just a pretty face. He was determined to dazzle both his father and his crush, but as he began his thesis he started to question who and what really mattered to him.

This book was a mixed bag for me, but overall, I enjoyed it.

I genuinely liked Danyal and found myself easily empathizing with him. People were constantly underestimating his intelligence because he wasn't "book smart", and I was afraid to see he bought into this narrative. After spending time with him, it was easy to see that he was intelligent. He just used his intelligence in different ways. How could a person not be impressed by his talent with food? He had a lot of skill in that realm, and I thought it was rather beautiful the way he used food to express himself and his feelings, as well as a way to connect with other people. He was also a very compassionate person, who showed a lot of grace when it came to others, especially Bisma.

Bisma made a decision which made her an undesirable match in her community, but Danyal saw past that. He saw an intelligent and interesting woman, and I guess one reason their friendship really worked was because they accepted each other, as-is. Their friendship formed quickly, but the romance was more of a slow burn. I loved watching that relationship grow, and was absolutely cheering them on.

Though I appreciated the author incorporating social issues into the story, it sometimes seemed forced. This sort of disrupted the flow of the story for me at times. However, I do think the Masood made an effort to address the issues thoughtfully and from multiple perspectives as well.

Overall: I am happy I had a chance to root for Danyal as he attempted to prove that he was more than just a pretty face.


*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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