Sway With Me

SWAY WITH ME is a lovely YA contemporary read about a young man named Arsalan. Arsalan lives with Nana, his great-grandfather, who has shaped his view of the world, religion, and even the clothes he wears. His life is about to change when he asks Beenish (Beans) for help with finding a match, as she is the stepdaughter of a prominent matchmaker. In return, she asks him to help her win a dance contest as a dancing partner. He considers and accepts the bargain.

As they spend time together with a makeover and plenty of dance practice, they will both get more from the bargain than they ever could have expected.

What I loved: A major theme of the book is around family. Both Beenish and Arsalan are struggling with their family dynamics and domestic abuse (different manifestations). Though they seem like opposites, they compliment each other in unexpected ways. Arsalan feels like an old soul, in part due to the influence of his Nana, who is another engaging character. Through the course of his training with Beans and his interactions with her family and friends, Arsalan continues to grow and develop. He is a character that is easy to connect with and love, and his story was really beautiful.

Other themes in the book are the romance, trust, loyalty, gravity and the pull some people have, forgiveness, courage, religion, and prejudice. They are all really poignant and thought-provoking. Arsalan's story is one that speaks to the heart, and I was captivated from the beginning and all the way through. This was a really touching and emotional read in all the best ways.

Final verdict: A beautiful read about family, forgiveness, and friendship, SWAY WITH ME is a YA contemporary that speaks to the heart. Highly recommend picking this one up!

SWAY WITH ME by Syed M. Masood is a YA contemporary novel about Arsalan, a studious teenager being raised by his great-grandfather. Arsalan doesn’t have much time for friends, especially with his grandfather’s rigorous reading requirements, but then Beenish storms through Arsalan’s life and convinces him to join a dance contest with her. The only problem is Arsalan isn’t much of a dancer, and Beenish has her work cut out for her. She also isn’t being entirely truthful about her intentions.

This book is a breath of fresh air. Thanks to Arsalan’s great-grandfather who is staunchly against technology, Arsalan doesn’t have a cell phone, nor does he understand most pop culture references. That means, in many ways, Arsalan is a character of old, and the author didn’t have to navigate text messaging, social media, and other realities of modern teenagers.

That being said, Arsalan is still an entirely relatable character. He’s been through a lot— he lost his mother, his father is an abusive alcoholic, and the responsibility for taking care of his grandfather is on him, including cooking the daily meals. Arsalan often feels as though he’s on the outside of his community since he wasn’t raised very religious, yet he still has to go to school every day, where he mostly keeps to himself.

Aside from Arsalan, who’s an excellent protagonist, I love all of the characters in this story. Each one is distinctly different with their own goals. My favorite, however, is Nana, Arsalan’s grandfather. To start, he’s incredibly funny and full of wisdom. It’s clear there’s a lot to learn from him and I quite appreciate his no-nonsense approach to life. One of my favorite scenes in the story is when he unexpectedly joins in on the dance party. Masood did a great job at really capturing the generation gaps, but also illustrating what he thinks should be timeless.

The themes of true friendship and redemption are really what drive this story forward and are what provide the most compelling and heartwarming moments. Overall, SWAY WITH ME is an excellent read that will appeal to anyone who’s ever had the courage or fear to try something new, and those who wouldn’t mind falling in love with their dance partner.