"Bhathena makes an impressive debut with this eye-opening novel . Should spur heated discussions about sexist double standards and the ways societies restrict, control, and punish women and girls." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review "Bhathena's lithe prose effortlessly wends between past and present . A powerful debut." -- School Library Journal, starred review "Featuring a diverse cast of Arab and South Asian characters of various classes and faiths, the story is a gripping and nuanced portrait of how teens, both boys and girls, react to patriarchy.a fast-paced, fascinating read about a community rarely seen in young adult novels in the West. A refreshingly nuanced narrative about gender in the Middle East." -- Kirkus Reviews "Shines a light on a girl caught between global modernity and traditional mores.
" -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books " With her debut novel, written in a chorus of voices, Bhathena enters the YA scene with a bang, writing complicated characters with mastery and nuance . Bhathena writes her elegant, lyrical sentences with command, and though there's certainly tragedy in Zarin's haunting story, there's plenty of hope, too." -- Booklist " A Girl Like That is unlike any YA book I've ever read: a fascinating and disturbing glance into the gender discrimination and double-standards as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl in Saudi Arabia. It raised awareness for me, and is certain to inspire discussion and raise questions about equality, justice, and basic human rights." --Jodi Picoult, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of Small Great Things and Leaving Time "Tanaz Bhathena has a rare ability to take a setting that would be unfamiliar to many and make it so instantly and profoundly relatable. This is a shimmering, glowing, radiant novel." --Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King "Vivid, intricately woven, and wholly immersive, A Girl Like That is a debut that will leave you both haunted and hopeful. Tanaz Bhathena is masterful at writing complicated girls and the people in their orbits.
" --Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of Firsts "Masterfully constructed and gorgeously written, A Girl Like Tha t is both a page-turner about a ferocious girl fighting the twisted expectations of both family and culture, and a thoughtful meditation on the pain that weighs us down, and the love that lifts us up." --Laura Ruby, Printz Award-winning author of Bone Gap.