The choosing of her husband is left to up to them, with no input from her. Naila is hiding a secret from her parents: She's in love with a boy named Saif and if her parents were to find out, they'd be furious. I didn't expect the same level of anger and heartbreak as Naila's situation went from not-so-great to down right horrifying. It reminds me of how I felt while reading Little Peach, except I knew going into that one was going to be hard. I'm not sure what I expected from Written in the Stars, but it definitely wasn't what I received. Naila's story of a forced, arranged marriage both shocked and horrified me to the point where I had to put the book down several times. Our lives are lived for the sake of others. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed-her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. And until then, dating-even friendship with a boy-is forbidden. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up-but they will choose her husband.

Has Naila’s fate been written in the stars? Or can she still make her own destiny? This heart-wrenching novel explores what it is like to be thrust into an unwanted marriage.

Written in the stars book aisha saeed