The Henna Wars

Pages: 400
Published: 2020
Language: English

Nishat's world turns upside down when her parents reject her identity as a lesbian. Things get even more complicated when she falls for Flávia, a charming girl who also becomes her rival in a school henna business competition. As their lives intertwine amidst cultural appropriation and sabotage, Nishat must navigate family expectations, fierce competition, and a blossoming crush.

Prose complexity: 4/10

Romantic Funny Lighthearted Thought-Provoking

Rivals Enemies to Lovers Forbidden Love Coming of Age

Contemporary Romance LGBTQ+ Romance Romance Romantic Comedy Young Adult

Adiba Jaigirdar

Adiba Jaigirdar is a Bangladeshi-Irish writer born in Dhaka who moved between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh as a child before her family immigrated to Tullamore, Ireland, when she was ten; she has lived in the Dublin area since. She holds a BA in English and history from University College Dublin and an MA in postcolonial studies from the University of Kent, and is queer and Muslim. Her debut, The Henna Wars, follows a Bangladeshi teenager coming out as a lesbian in Dublin and was named to Time's...