Qala Academy

By Tanaz Bhathena

Book Overview

A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of 2018
A Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Book of 2018
An Ontario Library Association White Pine Award Shortlist Pick
A Globe and Mail Top 100 Book
A Quill & Quire Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book for Teens
A New York Public Library Notable Best Book for Teens
A Times of India Best Fiction Title of 2018

A timeless exploration of high-stakes romance, self-discovery, and the lengths we go to love and be loved.

"Fascinating and disturbing." --Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Small Great Things and Leaving Time

Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She's also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.

This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers; tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion; and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374305447
• ISBN13: 9780374305444
• Release Date: February 2018
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.9" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 14 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 9 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Okay

For some reason I wasn’t hooked. It’s like a teen drama but set in saudia Arabia. Not bad, just not for me.

A stunning and dramatic read!!

The beginning of the novel was off to a rocky start for me. Once I kept reading, the Zarin character was too interesting for me to put the book away. In many ways, I felt bad for her and other times, I wondered why she was making it harder for herself. The novel is also told in five POVs, which I enjoyed. I really wished Mishal and Zarin could have been friends. I actually grew to like the Mishal character...after awhile. I will definitely be on the lookout for this author's next novel!