Naila comes from an immigrant Pakistani family where she isn’t allowed to enjoy many of the privileges her friends are lucky enough to have, including a boyfriend. But right before she graduates high school, her parents discover that she has a secret boyfriend and decide to take a family vacation to Pakistan to reeducate Naila. Naila even starts to enjoy herself a little, but her new life takes a turn for the worse when her parents decide that they want her to get married, and have already found her a husband in Pakistan for her arranged marriage. If she stays, Naila will never see the U.S. or her old life again, but how can she possibly escape this nightmare when she’s in a place so unfamiliar to her she can barely call it home?
Written in the Stars is such a well-written book! I finished it within a day of checking it out, and it was paced well with just the right amount of detail! I also learned so much about Pakistani culture, so it was an insightful and educational read as well; Saeed does a fantastic job of weaving the culture into the text in a way that just fits perfectly. Although I didn’t previously know a whole lot about arranged marriages and parents as strict as Naila’s, I found that I could really empathize with her, and I definitely felt frustrated at the times where she was treated unfairly and joyful when her plans succeeded. Written in the Stars was such an eye-opening novel that taught me how lucky I am, and you will not regret reading it!