House of Yesterday

A beautiful book on the ghosts of the past and how they can affect the future.

Genre: Speculative/Contemporary Fiction

Ages: YA (15 +)

Author: @deebazargarpur

Publisher: @macmillanusa

Available: preorder before the November 29 2022 release date!!

Screening: a few minor cuss words, but I would consider it clean!

Sara Khan is a teenager of Uzbek-Afghan heritage living in America. When her grandmother Bibi starts to forget those around her due to dementia, Sara starts to mourn the relationship she once had with her. Add onto it her parents divorce and Sara’s own role in it, Sara feels like her life is unraveling. She shuts out her best friend Sam, her cousins, her parents, and even her own emotions. But during a visit to a house her mother is flipping, Sara comes upon the ghost of her grandmother, and in trying to figure out the stories of the past, Sara might get so sucked in that she will forget the present and future.

I was really sucked in the story and wanted to finish the book in one sitting!

This book is written from the heart, and I could feel the emotions as I read. As a child of immigrants myself, I understood the character’s struggles of fitting in, of trying to remember her heritage and find her way in the world.

I am really intrigued to read a story with a Muslim main character of Afghan-Uzbek heritage, and I always appreciate seeing more diversity in Muslim stories!

I loved the little touches of culture and Islam in the book and they all shaped the characters life, and were a part of her identity. I loved the wholesome family feel and the loving nature of everyone in Sara’s life and how they were supportive of her healing process.

I think it is also super important to read stories on divorce and how it can affect children and teens, and I was glad Sara found her way through it and was able to reach a place of healing.

I enjoyed the eerie ghost parts (reminded me of coraline a bit), and honestly I love when books blur that line between contemporary and fantasy!

By the end, readers feel that preserving the stories of the past is important but it is also important to be able to move on to improve the future❤️

ALSO THIS COVER🔥😍😍

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