Confession: we (like millions of others) are still thinking about the new Netflix film “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” days after it premiered on the streaming service. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Jenny Han, the film follows teen Lara Jean Covey as she is forced to confront her crushes after her secret love letters are mailed out.
The success of “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” also got us thinking about how great it would be if a teen novel with a protagonist of South Asian descent was adapting next.
Here are three upcoming novels that we’re looking forward to (and that we hope we’ll see on our screens one day).
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
his Canadian novel made headlines this week when news broke that rights to this story about a Muslim girl in Toronto have been purchased by Pascal Pictures. “Ayesha at Last” is being billed as a modern day retelling of “Pride and Prejudice.” The book centers on the aspiring poet Ayesha, who is forced to work as a teacher in order to pay off her debts to her uncle. When she crosses paths with the judgmental Khalid, she is equally frustrated by and attracted to him.
“Ayesha At Last” is set to be released in the U.S. next year. Pre-order your copy here.
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
Set to be released in January 2019, Sabina Khan’s debut novel revolves around Rukhsana, a closeted teen who doesn’t feel that she can tell her parents about her attraction to girls. That’s why Rukhsana is keeping her relationship with her girlfriend Ariana a secret from her family. When the young couple is discovered, Rukhsana’s parents are so alarmed that they send their daughter off to live with relatives in Bangladesh for the summer. It is there that she discovers her grandmother’s diary and inspiration from the past.
Pre-order this buzzy new novel here.
Symptoms of a Heartbreak by Sona Charaipotra
As soon as we heard this upcoming novel described as a ‘Doogie Howser’-inspired story about a teen Indian girl who happens to be a doctor, we knew that we wanted to put it on our to-read list. Here’s how author Sona Charaipotra described her main character to Entertainment Weekly in a recent interview: “She can’t stop her brain from going a thousand miles a minute,” she noted. “She corrects people who mispronounce her name. And hopefully, she’s a bit funny, and relatable despite her unusual circumstances.”
Sounds like a perfect film protagonist.
Pre-order your copy of “Symptoms of a Heartbreak,” which comes out in May 2019, here.
