Today I’m joining the blog tour for Someone Like Her. My review is written with thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the tour and to Orenda Books for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

Multan, Pakistan. A conservative city where an unmarried woman over the age of twenty-five is considered a curse by her family.

Ayesha is twenty-seven. Independent and happily single, she has evaded an arranged marriage because of her family’s reduced circumstances. When she catches the eye of powerful, wealthy Raza, it seems like the answer to her parents’ prayers. But Ayesha is in love with someone else, and when she refuses to give up on him, Raza resorts to unthinkable revenge…

Ayesha travels to London to rebuild her life and there she meets Kamil, an emotionally damaged man who has demons of his own. They embark on a friendship that could mean salvation for both of them, but danger stalks Ayesha in London, too. With her life thrown into turmoil, she is forced to make a decision that could change her and everyone she loves forever.

Exquisitely written, populated by unforgettable characters and rich with poignant, powerful themes, Someone Like Her is a story of love and family, of corruption and calamity, of courage and hope … and one woman’s determination to thwart convention and find peace, at whatever cost…

Review:

Someone Like Her is one of those rare books that needs a review that starts with a disclaimer. There is nothing I can write that will fully do justice to this book so the only thing I can truly recommend is that you read it for yourself.

Awais Khan is a phenomenal writer. I was instantly drawn into the lives of the characters and I was completely invested in everything they did. He captures the emotions of the characters so precisely that it was impossible not to care so deeply about what happened to them. The villains in this story are also incredibly well crafted and I often wanted to jump inside the book and deal with them myself. They made me feel so angry and this made reading the novel a very emotional experience. 

I found it really interesting to read a novel set mostly in Pakistan written by a Pakistani author. Awais Khan is clearly familiar with Pakistani culture and this really shines through in his writing, both in terms of the family life of the characters and the more sinister elements of the plot. I felt as though I was living the story alongside the characters. I think it’s really important to learn about the way of life in different countries and I think Awais Khan presents Pakistani culture in a really accessible but engaging way.

Someone Like Her is not an easy novel to read and there are several themes that will be upsetting for many readers. However, I never felt that these scenes were gratuitous and they only increase the impact of the story upon the reader. I will be thinking about Ayesha and Kamil and their families for a long time to come.

Someone Like Her is available from Amazon.

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