FATIMA TATE TAKES THE CAKE by Khadijah VanBrakle
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I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in order to write this review.
High school senior Fatima Tate doesn’t think much of her mother’s plans for her future, which mostly revolve around finding a good steady job like nursing and settling down with a good Muslim husband, ideally as soon as possible. Fatima’s dream is to become a pastry chef, and while she might want to get married someday, for now marriage is the furthest thing from her mind.
But then she Raheem a charming, wealthy future lawyer and member of her masjid. Since Fatima and most members of her masjid don’t date, she’s surprised (but not disappointed) when he asks to kiss her. She’s even more surprised when he starts texting her the next morning. She’s shocked, however, when Raheem approaches her parents to express interest in marrying her–without mentioning it to her first. Everything seems to be moving so fast, but Raheem is actually supportive of Fatima’s dreams in a way her parents aren’t. After he promises to pay for her culinary school once they’re married, Fatima declines her college acceptance and forges her parents’ signature on an entry form for a big baking competition that could lead to a spot in the Culinary Institute of America. Unfortunately, as they grow closer, Raheem starts to surprise her in less positive ways, and Fatima must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice for her career and who she wants standing beside her in her future.
Although the premise emphasizes Fatima’s baking dreams, the competition plot line takes a back seat to the more central conflict of Fatima struggling to figure out what she wants from Raheem, love, and life in general. Her loving parents and devoted friendship with her queer BFF anchor the story, which honors the diversity of beliefs, practices, and identities within VanBrakle’s Muslim faith tradition. VanBrakle taps into the universal adolescent experiences of straining against family rules and struggling to find an individual identities while remaining grounded in Fatima’s specific and authentic experiences as a Black Muslim teen in Albuquerque, NM. This strong YA Contemporary will delight fans of the genre and allow readers of the (wildly underrepresented) Black Muslim community to see themselves reflected in one or more of the well-developed characters.
Susan the Librarian 