Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating, by Adiba Jaigirdar, is about a romance between two queer Bengali girls who live in Dublin. They get into a fake relationship in order to navigate their high school problems. Ishita struggles with her relationship with her parents, who put pressure on her to focus only on studies, and has a rocky relationship with her sister. Hani faces peer pressure and at times, racist and homophobic microaggressions from her childhood friends. Strong language sprinkled throughout includes "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "ass," and others, but one of the main characters makes a conscious decision not to swear. There's some kissing. Side characters drink, and try to pressure one of the main characters to drink as well, though she doesn’t give into them. Characters use Instagram to convince everyone that their relationship is real. There's a reference to director Woody Allen as the "pedophile director."
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What's the Story?
In HANI AND ISHU’S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING, Hani and Ishu realize that they need each other. Hani, or Humaira, is a well-liked, peace-making Muslim, Irish, and Bengali girl, who just came out to her best friends… and they didn’t believe her. Ishu, or Ishita, is at the top of her class, and didn’t think she needed (or wanted) any friends to graduate and go to the best university and become a doctor. When Hani blurts out to her friends that she’s dating Ishu, a lie, in an attempt to prove that her bisexuality isn’t a trendy phase, these two girls who have always avoided each other are brought together. Ishu realizes that Hani is her only ticket to becoming more popular, becoming Head Girl, and getting into a top university like her sister. They write "Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating": the rules that will get them both what they need. Together, they navigate cultural differences, mean girls at school, Instagram, and so much more.
Is It Any Good?
This heartwarming book has a lot of positive messages about exploring identity, standing up for what’s right, and being queer and South Asian in a predominantly White community. Fans of romance will like the sweet buildup of their feelings, and how they bring out the best in each other. The characters are both flawed and likable, and readers will find themselves rooting for their romance from the beginning. Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating is a good introduction into more complex topics such as personal relationships with religion, as well as racism and homophobia, and the book makes these topics accessible rather than overwhelming. However, sometimes it can feel like they touch on more difficult topics without fully explaining the context of these concepts. This novel is best for readers who have some exposure to social justice topics and are interested in learning more, but enjoy lighter romance reads.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Hani and Ishu have very different relationships to being queer in Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating. How might people have different experiences with coming out? How can you support your friends who are part of the LGBTQ+ community?
Hani often has to stand up to Aisling and Dee, even though they've been friends since they were kids. How have your friendships changed? How do you stay friends with someone, even while going through different things?
Hani and Ishu both are very integrated into the Bengali community, and have a lot of cultural traditions that are very important to them. What traditions are important to you?
Book Details
- Author: Adiba Jaigirdar
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Activism, Brothers and Sisters, Great Girl Role Models, High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Page Street Kids
- Publication date: May 25, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 17
- Number of pages: 353
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 28, 2021
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