A Rift that Lies Between Us

Farisa and Caiden meet in a college art class where they are assigned a project together. Farisa is of Bangladesh decent and follows the Muslim religion, whereas Caiden is an American who follows the Christian faith. By working on the project together, they become wary friends and eventually close friends, overcoming the differences in their cultures and religions. A misunderstanding occurs that separates them for five years. They eventually reconcile, but a rift remains between them and their friendship.

The author does a wonderful job of portraying Farisa’s traditional Muslim family life. The reader will understand and sympathize with Farisa’s desire to honor her family, faith, and traditions, but also her desire to branch out and become what she wants to be. The friendship between Farisa and Caiden is innocent and fun, proving that differences can be overcome to form a loving friendship.

The author strives to include characters with different sexual orientations, varying ethnicities, and religions. Unfortunately, these characters are only mentioned briefly and then never heard of again. They do not contribute to the plot and feel more like an afterthought than actual characters. Readers may find the misunderstanding between Caiden and Farisa a little far-fetched, since Caiden’s character blows the situation completely out of proportion without any real evidence or support. While the end of the book may leave the reader unsatisfied or feeling cheated, the author still manages to successfully portray how maturity, patience, and true caring can overcome differences and make a strong friendship even stronger

Carly Fulmer