Fatima Tate wants to be a baker AND enjoy some innocent flirting with her hot friend Raheem—but her strict Muslim parents would never approve of either...
Seventeen-year-old Fatima Tate, aspiring baker (100% against her conservative parents’ wishes), leads a pretty normal life in long drives with BFF Zaynab, weekly services at the mosque, big family parties, soup kitchen volunteering (the best way to perfect her flaky dough recipe!), stressing about college. But everything changes when she meets a charming university student named Raheem. Knowing the 'rents would FREAK, Fatima keeps their burgeoning relationship a secret... and then, one day, her parents and his parents decide to arrange their marriage. Amazing! True serendipity!
Except it's not amazing. As soon as the ring is on Fatima’s finger, Raheem’s charm transforms into control and manipulation. Fatima knows she has to call the whole thing off, but Raheem doesn’t like to lose. He threatens to reveal their premarital sexual history and destroy her and her family’s reputation in their tight-knit Muslim community. Fatima must find the inner strength to blaze her own trail by owning her body, her choices, and her future. Combining the frank authenticity of Elizabeth Acevedo and the complex social dynamics of Ibi Zoboi, FATIMA TATE TAKES THE CAKE is a powerful coming-of-age story that gives a much-needed voice to young Black Muslim women.
In one of those mini coincidences I've noticed since I started blogging seriously, this is the second book I've read recently where the protagonist wants to be a baker. The first one was a lovely teen romcom; while this is still a teen read, it's much more serious, touching on religious obligations, family pressure and coercive behaviour in relationships.
Because we know from the blurb that Raheem is a Bad Guy, it's easy to see how he's manipulating Fatima well before she catches on; but it's also really easy to see how clever and smooth he is and how easy it would be to be taken in in that situation. Familial pressure is also a huge contributor to Fatima's problems. As a decandent Westerner, it's hard for me to understand parents trying to exert that much control, but I can understand their reasoning; Raheem is very charming, and their daughter would want for nothing, and I think most parents want that for their children. I think they went about it the wrong way, but their intentions were right. I don't want to spoil anything, but I was happy with the ending!
This is a topic that we need teens to be talking about and reading about and learning to recognise, as far too many still fall for it, and we need books like this leading the charge. A fantastic read.
Fatimah Tate Takes the Cake publishes on the 13th June, 2023. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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