When Kiran Noorani’s mother died, she made a vow that what remained of their family would stick together. But then her older sister, Amira, moved to New York, throwing a wrench in Kiran’s plans. Now, Amira’s dropped another bombshell: instead of moving back to Pittsburgh after graduation, she plans to marry Faisal Malik and moving to California. Deen Malik is thrilled that his older brother, Faisal, has finally found some happiness. He had feared that the burden of their family secret meant Faisal would never live a normal life. Deen will do everything possible to make sure Faisal gets the happy ending he deserves, which means playing nice with Kiran – his ex.
As Faisal and Amira’s upcoming wedding brings Kiran and Deen back into each others’ lives, they are both determined to get their way. Kiran doesn’t trust Faisal and will do anything to stop the wedding. Deen will do anything to make sure the wedding is a success. Secrets roil between them, threatening to bubble over and ruin both their families.
Once again, false advertising has done a book a severe disservice. This was one of my most anticipated releases because I loved Farah Naz Rishi’s I Hope You Get This Message, and from the early buzz, I thought this was a lighthearted, desi romantic comedy. It All Comes Back to You is not a romantic comedy, and readers who go into it expecting one will undoubtedly emerge disappointed. So, I have a simple request: publishers, please market books according to what they are, or gems such as this will continue to get lower ratings than they deserve because people expect them to be something they are not.
It All Comes Back to You is primarily a nuanced exploration of family, and what it means to love your siblings without smothering them.
Told from Deen and Kiran’s dual perspectives, Rishi presents a laser-sharp focus on both characters’ complicated families, particularly their relationships with their siblings. A main theme of the novel is that relationships are work, and you need to put in the work to nourish them. And it’s a theme I saw reflected in every relationship this book portrayed.
I loved seeing Kiran and Amira’s closeness, and their respect and admiration for each other. Unlike in many YA books I’ve read, there’s no petty infighting between these sisters. It’s a truly positive relationship with love that leaps from the pages. Even so, Kiran is so desperate to hold onto her sister after her mother’s death that this desperation manifests in some truly toxic ways. Yet, Kiran’s overbearing protectiveness is understandable given the context of this character’s actions. This juxtaposition between a positive sibling dynamic that is threatened due to one sister’s overwhelming love for the other was utterly captivating.
In many respects, Deen’s relationship with Faisal is similar but even more complex. There’s an element of mystery to the book as Deen tries to hide an aspect of the Malik family history, so it won’t ruin Faisal’s life more than it already has. This mystery adds another layer to the brothers’ dynamic. You see Faisal’s soft-spoken, quiet love for Deen as well as Deen’s aggressive, persistent drive to protect his older brother from further harm. Their dynamic adds such heart and dimension to their characters, and it was my favorite part of the book by far, and Deen and Faisal may have been cause for some tears.
“Who you have feelings for – that is not a choice. Feelings happen whether you want them to or not. But love isn’t a feeling: it’s the act of planting a seed and putting in the time and care it needs to grow. It demands hard work and renewal to survive. It demands commitment. By necessity, it cannot be taken lightly.”
And while this book largely emphasizes sibling relationships, there’s interesting exploration of parental dynamics as well, particularly on Deen’s end. His parents are reputation-obsessed, high-achieving Pakistani parents, and seeing Deen and Faisal navigate the minefield that is their home was simultaneously intriguing and heartbreaking. There’s some interesting cultural commentary on the pressure immigrant Asian parents put on their children – which is a story I’ve encountered often before, but rarely from a YA about Pakistani characters, so it was nice to see that unfortunate reality of our culture addressed so fully. I also loved Kiran’s taciturn but doting father, and her observations of how his wife’s death changed him.
Both main characters are exquisitely crafted and multi-dimensional, and lovable despite their flaws.
It should be no surprise to anyone that I am a character-driven reader. If an author gives meticulous care to crafting their characters, it’s a big plus. I am tired of reading flat characters where it is obvious the author is trying so hard to get the reader to like them that they are no longer believable as people. I am tired of reading characters whose lives are narrowed to a plot point so much so that I am no longer invested in them, because it’s obvious the author is using the character to tell the story, rather than making the character an integral part of the story.
Part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much was because Rishi is so adept at building flawed characters with perfectly rational negative traits. And despite their flaws, both Kiran and Deen are so lovable. They are so easy to root for. It’s incredibly satisfying to see characters making bad decisions but being unable to criticize them for their bad decisions, because you understand why they are acting the way that they are. And the cherry on top is that despite being a contemporary, the characters actually suffer the consequences of their actions, which leads the reader to dread what is to come. Not only that but Kiran and Deen had lives beyond the main story: they had friends and interests and hobbies that were developed. I was so invested in these characters because they felt real. They felt like people I could get to know and be friends with.
And finally… the romance.
Quite frankly, I don’t think there is any. Which is why I’m so disappointed with the marketing of this book, because of course people who want to read rom-coms will be peeved when they don’t even get a romance! There are definitely hints. Kiran and Deen have a real connection, and neither of them got closure after their relationship in the past ended the way it did. There’s unresolved, conflicted feelings from both characters. I can’t say much without spoiling, but even if there are hints, I wouldn’t call this book ‘romantic’ by any means. So please, please, adjust your expectations accordingly and go into this beautiful book knowing what you’re getting yourself into. Anything else is not fair to the book, nor is it fair to you.
Content Warnings
Mentions of death of a parent; mentions of substance abuse; mentions of Islamophobic and racial-driven bullying.
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★ ★ ★ ★ ½
