Story: Woven
Status: Completed. Available on Wattpad until October 1st, 2021
Author: smwritesalot
Review by: -ScatteredPearlz-
☼
First off, this is probably one of the greatest pieces of Islamic Fiction on Wattpad which represents Islam correctly; is cleanly written and with good grammar (because, heavens, is it hard to get those on Wattpad); and has amazing, realistic characters and plotlines exploring mental health issues which many, many young women may relate to.
smwritesalot is a very talented author on Wattpad. I'm so glad for her presence here and for sharing her beautiful masterpieces with us.
Onto Woven itself — if you haven't read it, stop reading this review now and go read it first.
. . .
You're back?
Let's get on with it. Spoiler alert, because duh.
Initial thoughts upon reading –
Wow, there are authors like this on Wattpad?
In all honesty, the fact that it was a story which didn't center around romance despite the main characters already being in a relationship (shocking, I know) was a big plus point for me. Additionally, it explored self-esteem issues, bullying, psychological health, depression, and growing past all that to live a happy, healthy life — which was absolutely, insanely motivating.
Now to break it all down.
Plot – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Only because I found Aashiq's conclusion a bit abrupt.
But apart from that, this is a character-focused story, and spends a lot of time exploring Hareem and Momin. The plots which do happen are coherent and flowing. Momin searching for leads on Aashiq's disappearance also adds a mysterious element to story, very much completing it (and I am sincerely asking dear author to write a crime fiction).
The pacing does slow down a little in the middle, but the overall pacing of the story is very good. It didn't feel rushed, and the conclusion was reached nicely.
Characters – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Perhaps the most memorable, highlighting, and best part of the story.
All the characters, including the side characters like Ahmad, Elena, Aima, and Momin/Hareem's parents, are portrayed very realistically. They almost appear like real people you can interact with. All of them had distinctive personas and were lovable in their own way.
Even the "villains" were created realistically. They were a little bit flat, but that's to be expected since it is a one-sided perspective from Momin and Hareem.
There was character development throughout the story. One that stuck out to me was Ahmed – I didn't like him at first — but he wormed his way into my heart by the end.
Obviously, the biggest character development was Hareem's. From a meek little girl who was ashamed of her body, bullied, and unwilling to speak up into a confident young woman who knows her self-worth and value, knows that she is loved and wanted, and is assured in her looks and body. Absolutely worth it.
One of the moments that really highlights her growth is when she confronts Aima. Having already been betrayed by a friend once — which destroyed her — to fall into the same cycle again, come out stronger, and actually manage to forgive both is queen behavior.
She may not be assertive and dominant, but she really grows mentally and psychologically.
We can't leave Momin out. If Hareem was the broken girl, then Momin was Mr. Perfect. Or so it seemed until cracks appeared in his visage. The unfinished saga called the little brother in his life wraps up nicely. His acceptance and assurance in himself at the end of it is refreshing. His character development is more subtle than Hareem's, and that is makes it unique.
Grammar – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hands down 5/5. A few typos here and there, but paragraphing, sentence structure, and punctuation are all on point.
These types of books are just another type of satisfaction.
Morals and Lessons – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Aside from the exploration of themes such as bullying, body shaming, self-esteem issues – smwritesalot also brings the Islamic perspective and the way to deal with these sorts of issue through that lens, not just dhikr and dua', but also tackling it practically. It's incredibly empowering and enlightening to read the journey of improving one's mental health.
At the same time, she dismantles the cultural bigotry and general ignorance surrounding the mental health issues and explores the better way to handle it and treat someone who may be ailing. There's also some exploration into how family members may be affected if not handled correctly (read, Ahmed). And honestly, things could have really gone badly for Hareem.
And things like that do happen nowadays. Woven does a great job in educating us in mental health, the importance of it, and the proper way to handle it — all the while removing the cultural veil cast upon it.
She also often takes ahadith and ayaats from the Qur'an, and it really does add a touch of spirituality to the story.
Overall –
smwritesalot's ability to weave words, explore different themes and ideas, present ideas which can seem so profound and relatable sometimes is fantastic. Woven is a piece of work I would recommend everyone on Wattpad to read.
You only have access to it till October 1st (I believe) as she will be taking it down after that.
A sincere gratitude to Sush for sharing such a beautiful piece of her hard work with us. I pray that Allah (SWT) allows her to wield her pen like a sword which cuts down ignorance and protects and empowers true Islam. Ameen.
