Firstly, as Sunny realizes, you need to be thankful for what you have got and not assume that going back to a lifestyle you used to follow would be the same as it once was. Following the lives of people within America adjusting to not being in Kabul anymore was not as interesting as I thought it would be. This whole series has been excellent – the way the two main physical settings (Kabul and Twimbly Island) are brought to life, and the incredibly rich array of characters who populate these places and drive the story. I found it really interesting the younger generation and how some are very drawn to their faith whereas others have adapted a more modern approach. You find new things to keep you busy, new friends to help you pass the time, new ways to make yourself feel happy.

Like the first book in this series, I found it difficult at times to follow each character with the names and places, who they are, and what impact they have in the story. I hope Zara come to terms with Omar death and finds somebody who loves her and she gets married and has babies and she's safe from faheem.At first, I found it hard to read the book since the first few pages were boring, but then things started to get interesting. This book was really easy to get into l was hooked on the first few pages it was really hard to put down once l started reading it.

Halajan is not torn between the old ways and the new ways, she is firmly on the side of bringing back the old ways (aka she's a badass feminist). There is emotional engagement with the universal and major themes of the book - love, death and grief.

Having read the first book whilst in secondary school I was so excited to find this in WHSMITH in Birmingham International on my way back to home to Ireland. Like not enough focus was put into planning her full role in the book aside from her role with Kat and friendship with Sky.

It takes the same set of characters as in the first book, but when you begin, you realise that even before the very first chapter, one of the best characters from Book One has been killed off.Unfortunately though, this book did not capture me like the first and I found it really difficult to get through. It definitely helps if you've read the first book in this series - I'm not sure how well it would work as a stand alone volume. Zara and her family had gone in to hiding to get away from faheem her sister's headmaster who wanted to marry Zara. Sunny has her own challenges now trying to rebuild a vineyard that was Jacks' dream, and living in a new place has its' disadvantages for her as she struggles to get used to things despite the apparent freedom she now has.

Even if Rodriguez is using an extreme or old school example seeing that as a piece of culture felt important. I think what really made me continue on with this story is that I found myself connecting with the characters even though we are worlds apart.

To see a woman so in love and with the man of her dreams and encouraging the next generation is such a brilliant thing.