Tell Me How You Really Feel

Rachel Rosenthal is an overachieving senior focused on getting into NYU film school, while Sana Khan is the head cheerleader and classic rich girl at their Los Angeles prep school. Their paths cross when Rachel must direct her senior film project and reluctantly casts Sana as the lead. The two girls have a complicated history from freshman year that has left them avoiding each other. Now forced to work together, they navigate their past tensions while collaborating on Rachel's film about a Muslim American teen superhero. The story follows both perspectives as Rachel and Sana deal with family expectations, college plans, and their evolving relationship. Their different backgrounds - Rachel's Jewish working-class upbringing and Sana's privileged Muslim Pakistani-American world - create both conflict and connection. This contemporary YA romance explores themes of prejudice, artistic vision, and the challenge of moving past first impressions. Through its dual narrative structure, the novel examines how two people can have completely different interpretations of shared experiences.

Readers note this YA romance takes familiar tropes but subverts expectations through its representation of diverse characters, particularly two strong-willed female leads. Readers appreciated: - Natural progression of the enemies-to-lovers storyline - Authentic portrayal of Jewish and Persian-American characters - Complex family dynamics and relationships - Sharp dialogue and banter between protagonists - References to classic films Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in the first third - Some found the conflicts too drawn out - Character motivations not always clear - Writing style described as choppy by some readers Ratings: Goodreads: 3.83/5 (5,400+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (180+ ratings) BookBrowse: 4/5 One reader noted: "The chemistry between Rachel and Sana jumps off the page." Another mentioned: "The miscommunication trope felt frustrating rather than entertaining." Several reviews highlighted the importance of seeing LGBTQ+ characters of color in leading roles.

I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre A rivalry between a filmmaker and an actress evolves into romance during their high school production, mirroring the enemies-to-lovers dynamic of Safi's novel.

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Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales A bisexual teen who runs an anonymous relationship advice service must confront her own romantic struggles when she falls for the person she's helping.

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon Two academic rivals participate in a senior class scavenger hunt across Seattle during their last day of high school, discovering truths about each other.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson A scholarship-seeking student runs for prom queen against her expectations and develops feelings for her competition.

🎬 The novel puts a modern spin on classic enemies-to-lovers rom-com tropes, particularly drawing inspiration from the dynamic between Paris and Rory in "Gilmore Girls" 📚 Author Aminah Mae Safi wrote this book as part of her mission to create more positive representation of Muslim characters in young adult literature 💕 The book features a Jewish cheerleader and a Lebanese-American aspiring filmmaker as its main characters, bringing intersectional diversity to the YA romance genre 🏆 Safi's debut novel, "Not the Girls You're Looking For," won the We Need Diverse Books Walter Grant in 2017, helping pave the way for "Tell Me How You Really Feel" 🌈 The story was specifically crafted to subvert common LGBTQ+ literary tropes where queer characters face tragedy or rejection, instead focusing on joy and romance