Review: Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

Wowza. This book was much more than I expected. The first half of Love, Hate and Other Filters reads like a fluffy contemporary, a coming-of-age story of young Maya, who is torn between pleasing her Indian parents and following her dreams of going to NYU to study film.

The second half takes a more sinister turn, after a man who shares Maya's last name is suspected of being a suicide bomber. Following that tragic event, this novel addresses islamophobia, hate crimes, and shows how some events lead to humans behaving at their worst - banding together and generalizing because of the actions of one individual by jumping to conclusions; pointing fingers before checking their sources. But it also shows humanity at its best, coming together to protect Maya, safeguarding the innocents and helping them speak their truth.

In a way, I feel like this book shows the strength of YA: to approach hard-hitting, difficult topics in an acessible setting that makes kids want to read about topics they might otherwise shy away from.

Evidently, I cannot speak for the rep in this book, but I do realize that the narrative was following the usual clichés one hears about Indian parents: 'guiding' their daughters into the right kind of lifestyle - meaning that they want their children to go to university and study law or medicine and marry a good boy from an Indian family who respects his parents - and setting strict rules such as early curfews and deciding everything themselves.
I also can't speak for the Muslim rep, but from the reviews I've read so far and the fact that it is an #ownvoices novel, it appears to be authentic.

All in all, this was a captivating YA contemporary with an enthralling spin on hard-hitting topics, perhaps for fans of When Dimple Met Rishi or The Hate U Give.

3.5 Stars for Love, Hate and Other Filters