Ice Dance by Vik Azeem – Review by Ayla Phipps

Ice DanceIce Dance by Vik Azeem
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book I have read by Vik Azeem. I originally picked this book because of its unique ethnicity as not many books are based on Pakistani American families. The synopsis intrigued me, so I decided to try something new. The number of relatable details that the author gives to their world pulls you into the world they have created and made you imagine the looks or hear the calls. Thinking of his mother “She glanced at me like a scolding Thanos.” Being a Marvel fan that line was one of my first laughs that lightened up the mood of the book and made you curious what was coming next.
Hassan is currently 24 years old with an older brother named Amir that is 8 years older. His brother is married with a 10-year-old little girl named Kassia, which Hassan enjoys and even offers to babysit now that she is no longer a baby. While his brother’s life seems to be perfect with success and a family Hassan is reaching new lows that he didn’t know where possible. Unemployed for four months already Hassan is running low on savings and is starting to worry about what he is going to do next. His mother wishes he would return home and go to law school like his older brother, but he enjoys living in the city an hour away and having his own life. Christmas eve and Hassan is sitting in his apartment, after receiving one of the most overly annoying telemarketer calls, “your cars extended warranty”, Hassan is acknowledging that the holidays make being single depressing. Accepting that he is beginning to experience loneliness Hassan is determined to break out of his habits and try and pick up his life. Its only when he meets Yasmine a week later that he is no longer sure what is the right way to go.
Could Yasmine be Hassan’s perfect match, that all the dating apps failed to find him? What is Yasmine’s darkest secrets and how will they affect Hassan? The author pulls you in with a relatable character with references to real world culture or situations while also knowing the perfect moments for a pick me up. I found the Ice Dance an interesting read that I couldn’t put down. I look forward to reading more work by Vik Azeem.

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