No Sex in the City by Randa Abdel-Fattah

No Sex in the City Reviews

• 
  Mary

  Quite an easy read and mostly stays true to the chick-lit formula. Young woman trying to find mister right amidst troubles with work and friends. But it was one of the most refreshing books I've read in a while. I enjoyed the cultural context of the book as it explores the lives of rather socially conservative young professional women. With the arranged dating scene creating a different scene to most chick-lit books. There was less jumping into bed with random men and more women knowing what they want out of life and not settling for less. Not everyone ends up with a typical happily ever after but you don't feel that anyone made a bad decision. I enjoyed journeying with this group of women. If it ever became a series, I'd happily read more.
• 
  Bree T

  Esma is 28, has a master’s in human resource management and works as a pharmacy recruitment consultant in Sydney. She’s of Turkish origin, has traveled widely, still lives with her parents, has a great group of friends and is looking for Mr Right. She has some criteria though, which does narrow down the search just a little:
  
  He has to be Muslim who speaks good English (Turkish background a bonus)
  A Muslim who isn’t fanatical, but not totally clueless either
  He has to be educated, employed and care about social justice
  Doesn’t have to be super-good looking, but attractive to Esma
  Has to exist outside her fantasies
  Tired of her failures in family introductions, matchmaking and online dating, Esma forms a ‘No Sex in the City’ club with her three best friends where they meet up regularly to discuss the humour and frustrations in their failure to find their Mr Rights. No Sex in the City, because none of them are having any – two of them in the group are committed virgins and Esma hasn’t even been kissed, preferring to keep all of that until she is married. The other two have had relationships, but only been with one person each. They come from different backgrounds (Turkish, Greek, Indian and Jewish) but have much in common and their friendship, formed at university, has tightened over the years.
  
  Esma isn’t just having trouble finding The One – although there has been not one, but two very interesting developments in that area recently. She is having trouble with her boss, who continues to cross lines and make Esma feel uncomfortable, despite her repeatedly voiced pleas that he not. She’s also worried about a family situation that she feels as though she cannot escape. There isn’t much she wouldn’t endure to guarantee the safety and security of her family but she can see that something is going to have to give, and soon.
  
  I recently won a copy of this novel on a Get Reading! Australia giveaway on twitter. They gave away one copy of each of the 50 Books You Can’t Put Down, asking a question about each. The first to answer the question on a particular book, got that book. I was quite pleased to have won this, I’d seen it a few times beforehand and had seriously considered purchasing it but hadn’t gotten around to it. It arrived in late October and I put it onto my November reading pile
  
  It’s kind of a conservative, ethnic version of Sex And The City. The characters are all very socially aware, have good jobs (could almost be considered overachievers) and bar hop around inner-city Sydney, meeting up for lunches, dinners and drinks to discuss their dating woes – except dating doesn’t really seem to happen in this world. All four women are extremely conservative for this day and age with two committed virgins and the other two girls in the foursome also having a very conservative attitude towards dating and relationships. Esma, our main character and narrator has tried meeting men through the complicated Turkish community network and nothing has worked. She’s ready to branch out, try a few more methods as she’s 28 and she’s ready to really settle down. Her younger sister is married already and she knows that her mother is really keen to see her just as settled and happy. The thing is that even if she finds someone who could be The One, Esma has a secret hanging over her head that she is sworn to never tell, lest it bring shame upon her family. Her morals make it very hard for her to grasp going into relationship without being up front and honest.
  
  Which is kind of interesting, given in this book she actually begins seeing two men. That’s not as seedy as it sounds – they don’t even touch really. Esma doesn’t even like being asked questions about kissing, let alone actually doing any kissing. She’s waiting until she’s married, which is fair enough. That’s her belief system and she sticks to it, no matter what but I did find it a little off putting that she didn’t actually tell the two men that she was seeing the other one. I’m sure she would not have liked to find out that one of them was seeing another girl with intention to move forward so I didn’t really like that. I felt she should’ve been up front and honest about that from the very beginning.
  
  The trouble with her boss I found to be the weakest part of the story. I’m not sure what her boss was trying to achieve, I don’t think it was made clear enough. He was acting like a complete tosser but I can’t quite figure out if he was just seeking to humiliate her or try and ingratiate himself with her in regards to perhaps relieving her of her conservative ways? I don’t know, a lot of the stuff wouldn’t bother me personally as an employee (clearly some were crossing the line) but I couldn’t tell from the way it was written what his real intentions were. At times he was overly familiar with her, at times he was the joking larrikin Aussie pub bloke who said inappropriate and hurtful things (such as embarrassing her about being a virgin) and other times he attempted to be alone with her. It might’ve just all been intimidation tactics but it left me confused.
  
  This one was a quick, fun summer type read that sticks pretty close to a tried and true chick lit style formula although a much more conservative version of. Is there Muslim popular fiction? This might be a breakout novel.
• 
  Fahri Rasihan

  Melihat blurb yang ada dalam novel ini, bisa dibilang cukup menarik perhatian saya. Sang penulis yang beragama Islam mencoba untuk memberikan pandangannya terhadap kehidupan Muslim di negara non Muslim yang menghadapi berbagai macam tantangan. Saya sangat menyukai cara bercerita Randa Abdel-Fattah yang tidak terlalu menekankan ceritanya terhadap agama, tapi lebih kepada tradisi, toleransi, dan rintangan yang harus dihadapi oleh Esma. Saya juga cukup menyukai cover novel versi terjemahannya karena terlihat sederhana dengan adanya gambar Opera House yang sangat menggambarkan Australia sebagai latar tempat dari cerita No Sex In The City.
  
  Tema yang diangkat sebenarnya sangat biasa dan klise, yaitu tentang pencarian cinta dan persahabatan. Salah satu faktor yang membuat ceritanya berbeda adalah tokoh Esma yang mencari cinta sejatinya dengan prinsip-prinsip agama Islam yang terkadang dianggap kuno dan aneh oleh sebagian besar orang yang tinggal di Australia. Selain itu Esma juga sering dianggap culun dan kuper karena selalu tidak menghadiri pesta-pesta yang diadakan oleh kantornya agar terhindar dari minuman keras.
  
  Selain tokoh Esma yang digambarkan sebagai seorang wanita yang kuat dan mandiri, terdapat juga tokoh-tokoh sahabat Esma yang juga ikut diceritakan kisah cintanya. Lisa digambarkan sebagai wanita yang tangguh dan pekerja keras karena ia lebih memilih melajang agar bisa lebih fokus pada pekerjaannya. Nirvana digambarkan sebagai sosok wanita yang kurang lebih sama seperti Esma karena selalu dijodohkan oleh keluarganya. Sedangkan Ruby digambarkan sebagai wanita yang cerdas dan pintar mengendalikan emosi mengingat latar belakang keluarganya.
  
  Alur ceritanya juga cukup cepat karena menggunakan alur maju yang membuat saya cepat menangkap akan konflik yang dihadapi oleh Esma. Sudut pandang yang digunakan adalah sudut pandang orang pertama melalui tokoh Esma. Dengan menggunakan sudut pandang orang pertama, sang penulis mencoba untuk menggambarkan perasaan Esma secara lebih mendalam.
  
  Gaya bahasa yang digunakan juga sangat simpel dan tidak bertele-tele sehingga membuat saya lebih mudah untuk memahami isi cerita. Akan tetapi saya tidak terlalu nyaman dengan hasil terjemahannya karena ada beberapa kesalahan penulisan yang membuat saya sedikit bingung akan beberapa bagian pada inti cerita.
  
  Randa Abdel-Fattah juga tidak hanya memberikan satu konflik, tapi terdapat beberapa konflik yang dialami oleh Esma dan sahabat-sahabatnya. Selain dipusingkan oleh urusan jodoh, Esma juga harus menanggung beban utang ayahnya dan Esma juga selalu dilecehkan oleh bosnya, Danny setiap kali ia bekerja. Konflik sahabat-sahabat Esma juga tidak kalah menarik, yaitu mengenai kisah cinta mereka yang bermasalah dan penuh dengan lika-liku.
  
  Setting tempat yang dipakai juga tidak terlalu banyak, yaitu hanya di sekitar daerah kota Sydney, yang kebanyakan meliputi rumah orang tua Esma, kantor, restoran, dan tempat penampungan imigran korban perang.
  
  Keseluruhan cerita dari novel ini cukup menarik di mana Randa Abdel-Fattah mencoba untuk menceritakan kehidupan wanita Muslim modern yang harus menghadapi berbagai macam tantangan di negara non Muslim. Meskipun cerita yang disajikan bisa dibilang sangat klise dan biasa, tapi bagi para pembaca yang menyukai cerita amore akan menyukai novel ini karena ceritanya yang sederhana dan menghibur. Ditambah lagi, Randa Abdel-Fattah juga memberikan pesan meskipun dalam setiap tokohnya memiliki perbedaan tapi mereka semua bisa bertoleransi yang menunjukan bahwa perbedaan ada bukan untuk memisahkan tapi untuk saling menyatukan.
  
  Selengkapnya :
  https://www.facebook.com/notes/fahri-...
• 
  PageTurner

  No Sex in the City is like a 21st Century Austen tale, complete with a 28-year-old virgin protagonist looking for a suitable husband. ‘Hang on,’ I hear you ask, ‘in this day and age? Surely it must be about some sad young woman, oppressed by her parents and cultural background? Tsk, tsk.’
  
  The fantastic thing about this book is that it could have gone down that path but it doesn’t. The protagonist, Esma, is an independent and outgoing young woman who is happy to keep her hands to herself before she puts a ring on it and doesn’t mind giving her parents’ suggestion of guys a go. And despite the title, her group of friends are not necessarily a chaste version of Carrie Bradshaw and co meaning Esma doesn’t need to impose her lifestyle choices on other people in order to connect with them. All this makes the book easy to get into and even if you can’t relate to the protagonist’s circumstances, you might just stay because of her satirical take on things!
  
  There are some contrived moments and I didn't always agree with the protagonist. But for my first go at reading a book about finding The One I must say, I was pleased with the unpredictability of that quest.
  
  Most importantly though, Esma represents a group of present day young Aussies that is rarely portrayed in fiction and does so with enough wit and honesty. The book not only shines a light on a new face of arranged marriages that is free of an archaic, claustrophobic stereotype but also shows life isn’t straightforward no matter what your beliefs are.
  
• 
  Gulen

  Avustralya’da nasıl bir “eligible bachelor with Turkish origin” bolluğu varmış da haberimiz yokmuş, inanın Türkiye’de bu kadarı yoktur. Kitabı Müslüman Türkiye kökenli bir kızın “the one” arayışı olarak özetleyebiliriz, buna benzer bir kitap daha önce de okumuştum. O kitapta baş kadın karakter Pakistan kökenliydi. Ancak iki kitap arasında aileler ve kültürel topluluklar o kadar benzerdi (ve hatta aynıydı) ki, bu kitabın yazarının Avustralya’da genel bir “Müslüman” profili oluşturup farklı ülkeleri de aynı profile entegre ettiğini düşündüm.
  İslami romance olarak düşünürsek (ki var mı öyle bişey bilemedim, sonuçta christian romance var) bu türe özelliğini getiren tek şeyin kadın karakterin “evlenmeden önce cinsel ilişkiye girmemesi” ve “alkol kullanmaması” olduğu sonucunu çıkarıyorum ben. Benzer kitaplarda da görünen olgu bu çünkü. Bunda karşı olduğum bir şey yok insanın vücudu kendisinin, karar da kendisinin.
  Ancak bu maddi koşulların yanı sıra, İslamiyet’in manevi özelliklerini de taşıyan karakterler beklemek de okuyucunun hakkı. Yani içki içmediğimiz ve evlenmeden önce cinsel ilişkiye girmediğimiz sürece onu bunu arkasından çekiştirebiliriz, kendimizi eğitim/yaşadığımız yer vb. konularında başkasından üstün görebiliriz, alçakgönüllü olmamamıza gerek yok, tevazuya gerek yok…Böyle olunca da kitap batıyor insana, zorlama geliyor. Buna mı takıldın diyeceksiniz ama evet takıldım tüm kitap boyunca “evlenmeden olmaz” ve “ ben alkol kullanmam” diyen kızımız onca yerde yemek yedi, onca barbekü partisine gitti de bir “helal yemekten” bahsetmedi ya
  Bir de bundan bahsetmeden geçemeyeceğim, kitapta bir karakter var Antalya’lı evlenip Avustralya’ya yerleşmiş bir adam. Avustralya’nın çalışma saatlerinin çok fazla olduğundan ve insanların çalışmak için yaşadıklarından dem vuruyor. Antalya’da durum nasıl bilemeyeceğim ama ülke genelinde haftada 45 saat çalışma süresi olduğu göz önüne alınırsa, haftada 38 saat maksimum çalışma süresi olan Avustralya’nın çalışma saatleri neden bu kadar vahşi göründü anlayamadım.
  Pek sevemedim, o yüzden de içimi döktüm.
  
• 
  Sena Khateeb

  Ahhhh!
  Growing up, Randa Abdel-Fattah was my favorite author. I read each one of her books (
  Does My Head Look Big in This and
  Ten Things I Hate About Me) over 5 times (I am not even joking- I can recite those books from memory!)
  Randa did not disappoint me in No Sex in the City. I enjoyed this book so much, I could not put it down. (I can't help it, I love chick-lits.)
  The characters were funny and witty. This is definitely my favorite Randa Abdel-Fattah book, and I hope she writes more similar ones. (I wish she'd write a sequel to this one- blah)
  
• 
  katayoun Masoodi

  why, oh why i do this to myself!! am maybe going to finish it though with a lot of skipping, and maybe it is cute and fun, though i can't really see it with all these cartoon characters.
  i think for a while i am not going to read any chicklit, either i am getting old or i should choose a book that friends have reviewed!!!
  and ooh it's so good that i've written this review cause made me think about the book (and life and cosmos and ....!) and i am not going to finish this! hurrah!
  
• 
  Midya Rahman

  Randa, i really loved your novel, you make laugh a lot and feel it as well, so realistic and social, i recommend all the ladies around to go through it. keep going.
• 
  Steve lovell

  No Sex in the City – Randa Abdel-Fattah
  
  Sam de Brito writes regularly as a columnist for The Sunday Age, and writes well. Recently, though, it seems to me that some of his ruminations have taken on a more jaded tone that usual. I know from his jottings that he is a single dad of a young daughter, and it would seem that, rightly so, much of his world revolves around her. How he writes it it would seem he is a devoted, responsible parent – but it is patently clear it was a more than bitter Sam who wrote recently about the institution that presumably produced his beloved offspring. He scribed of the necessity of dumping monogamy altogether! He wrote of his observation that everywhere he goes he espies couples out of step with each other. Methinks that he himself may have been put through the relationship wringer and burnt – burnt badly.
  
  De Brito argues that if humankind is to move forward and cope with a world of greater expectations and ever improving digital stimulation, then the need for such an outdated notion as attachment to one, and only one, partner for the duration is made redundant.
  
  Gee, it would seem he has it bad, doesn’t he? He has truly been hurt by love. I think it wouldn’t take much to change his tune. He just has to meet the one.
  
  On one level I do agree with him. If a relationship doesn’t ‘do it’, why stick in there? Why consign oneself to a life of quiet – or not so quiet – desperation and frustration. Why persevere? Of course there is the inbuilt need to multiply and continue the species, and the production of cherished little ones throws a curve ball into a desire to move on. Offspring can survive relatively unscathed the parting of the ways of two parents, provided the presence of the qualities our columnist obviously brings to the life of his little tot are abundant. A split can free up the disgruntled to resume the search for the one, and when he/she is found at the first, second or however many attempts, then life may be happier for all concerned. Out of the door, at this stage, goes pessimism re monogamy. Ah, if it was only so simple!!!
  
  There is none of the de Brito-ish jadedness with the heroine of ‘No Sex in the City’ – she has no doubts about the plus factors in monogamy – her problem is finding the one, anyone, to commence the process. She is looking, looking – but her parameters are far narrower than for most. For Esma, pushing thirty, straddles two worlds. The first is marvellous, multicultural big city Australia where she and her polyglot of female companions live busy lives working in demanding jobs and doing worthy deeds for the downtrodden. These ladies are almost too virtuous. Esma’s boss is such a slime, but apart from that it is her other world that presents the barrier to finding someone to eternally share her life and produce her children. For in this world she must remain ‘virgo intacta’ till her wedding day, and many in her sphere only find a partner via the interference of relatives – i.e. arranged marriages. The Muslim community is more patriarchal than most, a place where family honour reigns supreme – but Esma and her ilk are quietly breaking down the barriers. Our heroine, though, has plenty of assistance in helping her find a suitable beau before her quickly approaching used by date arrives.
  
  So this is ‘chick lit’ with a twist. From memory it is my first read of this genre – or are Nicholas Sparks and Helen Fielding cast in this orb? I had met the author, Randa Abdul-Fattah, at her book launch for this title, and was enchanted. I duly had the tome courteously signed by her for my writerly daughter, a fan of her YA novels – and it boomeranged back to me after her perusal. Initially I found the ‘goodness’ of its female protagonists most off-putting and wished for a modicum of imperfection or a dastardly deed or two – but they were not forthcoming. I struggled on till about half way through when two possible suitors came into the picture to vie for Esma’s heart. The novel picked up substantially at this point and I found it difficult to put down. One gentleman was so plainly ill-advised I began fervently barracking for the other, by which time I was hooked and just had to get to the end to see if my candidate won the prize. The book therefore progressed from semi-turgid to enthralling in a few pages, but am I won over to chick lit? More to the point, should a sixty plus male be even reading it at all? Despite the bipolar nature of her publication, and even if I would prefer a little more ying-yang in its characters, I just may be. I do not want ‘Fifty Shades..’, just perhaps a little more spice – or is that just the male coming out in me? A counter balance to Esma may have added some fire. Given that, I would not be adverse to other recommendations from my discerning daughter. I am keen to examine the Anita Heiss take in the same domain.
  
  In all this I must not forget that males, particularly males of my dotage, are not the target audience and I suspect that twenty to thirty somethings would adore Esma’s travails. Now I’ll just go and have a looksee on my shelves for some suitable ‘grey lit’!
  
  
• 
  Fran Macilvey

  No Sex in the City by Randa Abdel-Fattah
  
  There is no sense in these book scores. Three stars doesn't really reflect how good this book is, in an easy-chic-lit-happy-ending kind of way. There were plenty of genuine laughs too, which I do so appreciate when I'm reading. If my husband also guffaws at the right moments, I know what I am reading is good.
  
  It is also confidently well written and well paced.
  
  Being an older, rather stolid mum, I did feel, at times, as if I was eves-dropping on other people's lives. I can hardly remember a time when being aged 28 felt "over the hill" and frankly, I don't want to. As anyone who has read my book will know, my life has got better as I've got older, and I don't believe all this claptrap about having to find Mr Right before it gets too late, so maybe these concerns alienated me ever so slightly. That's my feminist leanings coming out, I suspect. I also found the characters' perfection unbelievable. To find one perfect woman in a book is a miracle; to find four, all beautiful, talented, high achievers and feisty, just stretches my credulity too far.
  
  I felt that the writing was just a bit too juvenile. The author biog touts this offering as her first adult novel, but I do not feel it needs to be classed as such, or that it is entirely successful in crossing the supposed divide between YA and adult fiction.
  
  Nevertheless, this is a well written, genuinely entertaining book which taught me something and made me feel optimistic about life. Thank you.
• 
  Michelle

  The beginning was hard work - 4 characters in search of a plot. But half way through the pace picked up, I started to figure out who was who (there's a lot of secondary characters) and it had a nice ending. It was a bit " told, not shown" when it came to the characters and their personalities, and there were an enormous amount of issues in the book - sexual harrassment, unhappy marriages, refugees, finding Mr Right, being an ethnic minoritt...but despite the flaws, it's quite a good read. It's chick lit, despite the Jane Austen quote, and there's a place for a girly, family/friends/romance read :)
• 
  Jennifer

  This was a bit slow to start with but by the middle, I was hooked!! I've never read a chick-lit book where the main character was a muslim looking for her soulmate!! The whole no sex, or even kissing or touching before marriage is hard for me to take - I was quite the run-around when I was young and single so I couldn't relate to Esma's plight at all but still, it was interesting.
  Anyway, there's a lot of layers to this book. It's well written (though I found a few things confusing and even one instance where the wrong name was mentioned!!) but a good story always trumps everything else.
  
• 
  Muberra

  'I've never gone all the way,' he whispers.
  'Oh,' I say, too stunned to offer more.
  'So are you relived? Disappointed? What are you thinking?' he asks.
  What am I thinking? I'm thinking this guy has character. I'm thinking that I don't care what the movies or magazines or society says, sex is a big deal and being with someone who 'saved' himself for me is exciting and terrifying and thrilling all at once.
  
  Loveed the message of this book. It was a little boring at times and I found myself skipping a lot of the pages, but it had a cute romance.
• 
  Utha

  My very first time read Randa Abdel-Fattah's writing. No Sex in The Cityis an easy-chic-lit-happy-ending. Oh, with "another" atmosphere. You can't compare NSiTC with Kinsella's novels. :))
  
  There were chuckles when I read it.
  
  Between it's okay and liked it.
  
  At least, it taught me something.
• 
  Iffat

  Boring chick flick. Or maybe read too many like these before. The comforting thing to read was about how some men are universal jerks and every girl comes across one such whether she is from Turkey or Pakistan to Sydney or L.A.
• 
  Nicki

  Fun read about an Australian Muslim girls search for Mr Right.
  It's interesting to read about different cultures and this is nice and light despite some serious issues being touched upon too.
  It's always funny to read about people's bad dates as well.
• 
  Faiza Mallick

  The book was average, but it resonated so well with my life at the time!
• 
  Llaama

  This was a junk-food type of book. You know, the type you can read quickly, unchallenged and enjoy in a guilty-pleasure-kind-of-way but it leaves no typebof impression. No impact except the time you've spent reading it.
  
  I got into the book thinking I'd get to read about a somewhat practicing muslim who really values her faith and attempts to, along her friends, find halal romance. But no. I'd describe this book more as a book about a turkish first-generation child(?) in an english-speaking country who tries to find someone that could align with her somewhat conservative, muslim-inspired, turkish values.
  
  So that was a bit disappointing. It was a light read and enjoyable otherwise but I really expected some more faith and islam incorporated in the storyline ㅠ.ㅠ Too bad.
• 
  Charlotte

  Originally posted at
  Gypsy Reviews
  
  I received a review copy via TBD Affiliates. Thanks!
  
  No Sex in the City was just as I expected it to be – quick, sharp and witty. It takes on the perspective of women who haven’t gotten their happily ever afters yet and are still in the midst of finding someone but yet also have trouble because they have their own standards for example, religious reasons. It also embraced diversity and different cultures and religion and Esma is a MC I can imagine having dinner over, laughing and joking.
  
  Esma is sharp, witty, funny and is frustrated. She’s looking for someone to spend the rest of her life with but she doesn’t want a boyfriend – she wants a husband and he has to be Muslim and not drink alcohol too for religious reasons. It isn’t easy finding the right match and especially with her father’s debt on her shoulders and her boss sexually harassing her. But she has her 3 fantastic friends who provide the support she needs. I really liked Esma, she’s straightforward, to the point, follows her principles, is a feminist and refuses to let anyone tell her how to live her life. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for Esma when people like her boss, Danny, tell her that her standards are too high and she needs to lower them even when she repeatedly tells him not to interfere with her love life and to keep his personal life away from her.
  
  Esma shoulders a huge responsibility from her father’s debt and she has to keep it from the rest of her family. I could relate to her on this front with having such a big responsibility, it is not easy and very easy to get crushed by this emotional baggage. It was so frustrating for me to read about how Danny was treating her, he was threatening her and taking advantage of his position as her boss. I wanted to hit him on the head with a pile of feminist essays.
  
  I always appreciate books with diversity because there are not enough books that feature characters of various ethnicities and cultures but No Sex in the City provided a variety of them and it was very informative too. We got to see how culture plays a large part in some people’s lives and how precious that is to them but yet refusing to let that overcome and cloud your own decisions and overall happiness. I liked the different perspective this book provided to us, it’s not everyday you see a book with a POC character who won’t marry just anyone due to religious reasons and who was conservative.
  
  I enjoyed this book so much, it was a breeze to read through and so funny. Also you think it might be humourous throughout but it can get serious when it’s time to. The thing about adult books is that I find they’re handled with much more clarity and maturity. It’s not wish-washy with all feelings involved and everything and gets so messy. It’s straight to the point. I also absolutely loved that the woman in here were all huge advocates for women’s rights and feminists.
  
  This definitely isn’t a book I would have picked up from the bookstore if I saw it but I’m so glad I gave this book a chance when I could select it for review. It was everything I expected and more and just such a fun read.
  
  Verdict: You might want to add this to your wishlist for when you’re looking for something funny.
  
  --------------------
  
  A funny, honest book that talks about the difficulties of finding the right person. It was wonderful to get an MC who was conservative in a sense and wanted to find someone who was Muslim and was okay with going straight into a marriage and not drinking. So diverse, we have many cultures integrated into this book. I could really relate to Esma, for being so filial to her parents and keeping that secret for her family. It was a very feminist book too which is always good. Really enjoyed reading this!
  
  -- Full review to come!
• 
  Jocelyn (foxonbooks)

  Esma wants to find The One. Who doesn’t, right? And as a twenty-eight year old, intelligent, funny, attractive woman with integrity and standards, this shouldn’t be too hard. Sure, she has a few more criteria for a partner to fulfil if they’re The One – they must be Muslim, able to hold up their end of a conversation, educated, interested in social justice, employed, and spiritual without being too overbearing. But Esma refuses to settle for less in her settling down – why should she? It’s just a matter of waiting it out. Boys and Besties and Fun: Boys and Besties and Fun:
  
  Lisa, Ruby, Nirvana and Esma have been each others’ rocks for as long as they can remember. Lisa’s not interested in dating or marriage. Well, maybe one day – but it’d take a pretty special person to compete with her passion for her work with refugees. Ruby’s just as passionate about her Greek heritage. Her personality and drive are forces to be reckoned with, and any suitable suitor will need to be able to keep up. Nirvana has a similarly conservative background to Esma. She’s ready to settle down, but is having trouble finding someone both traditional and modern. Living with the in-laws after marriage may be how things used to be done, but over Nirvana’s single body! Together, these four amazing girls make up the No Sex in the City club.
  
  The Club’s more an excuse to catch up and celebrate their latest triumphs/commiserate on the latest setbacks (professional or romantic) than enything else, but it is a wonderful vehicle of support for the women, as well as a great way for the reader to check in. The path to true love never did run smoothly, after all, and who can help if not your best friends?
  
  I really enjoyed these characters. We spend the most time getting to know Esma, and I found myself worrying with her about her problems, and getting excited for her when things (finally) seemed to be going right. The other girls were lovely, too, and Abdel-Fattah did a great job with the different voices, making them distinct and relatable in their separate ways. I particularly loved Ruby, she’s feisty and opinionated, enthusiastic and a little too quick to jump into things – I found her really endearing and perhaps a little familiar! Like real friends, they were at times frustrating, at times overly sensitive, at times sad, at times powerful, and above all, always beloved.
  
  The plot twists appropriately and is well-paced. The highs and lows are sometimes serious, life-altering obstacles, at other times are minor setbacks that are treated way more seriously than they needed to be. These all felt true to most young women’s experiences. In a lot of ways, the story echoed YA fiction, feeling like a coming-of-age story told from a different point of view. Here, the women already know who they are, and have firm ideas about what they want. Learning how to achieve their goals while staying true to themselves is another sort of growth, and another sort of tale.
• 
  Juwi

  i have to say i really enjoyed this book
  it was HILARIOUS at times and shocking too.
  
  i like the characters and the plot lines and it explored a lot of themes.
  issues like sexual harassment, mother-in-laws, crazy families but the biggest thing was about love, friendship and trust.
  
  it was really annoying about the whole debt thing but FINALLy i am so glad she told her sister and it worked out because DAMN WHAT A BURDEN man but i totally understand why she kept it quiet.
  
  and the sexual harassment thing was so PAINFUL to read!!!
  
  nirvana- i like her and she deserves to be happy but omg anil nope and his family are insane no thank you. it is very true with certain cultures you marry INTO a family.
  
  esma- i like her. she's strong willed an dopinionated and she's cool. i like that yes she does volunteer but she also loves shopping lol. and i am so glad she made the right decision witht he guy. but woah what a journey.
  
  lisa- i really like her. though we know the least about her probs coz her work is her life but she's a good friend.
  
  ruby- she's lovely and i felt really bad for her but yay...i think when it comes to love sometimes you can't help WHO it's gonna be and no they might not be from the same socioeconomic background as you but it CAN work out if you TRY and make the effort etc.
  
  i like esma's family and felt bad for her dad and for misjudging her mum.
  the whole trying to find a husband thing...oh how painful the online dating stories were so funny though. but matchmaking too...how awkward.
  
  but good for esma for standing her ground and yay for her parents for giving her space and letting her make her own choices.
  
  i love the group of kids she worked with they were wonderful.
  
  all in all it was a good story and had me laughing a lot and i almost teared up at one point.
  
  IT WAS ALSO SO CUTE BECAUSE UKRGDJS`DFKJGBDFNASDFGHJKL;
  i am a hopeless romantic and reading about two people falling in love is beyond adorable and just oh MY HEART
  
  the ending. was perfect.
  
  so yes. READ THIS book is you want a good laugh, a story about friendship and love, of family and sacrifice and of finding love and of TRUST.
  
  basically...this book tells you RELATIONSHIPS ARE ALL ABOUT TRUST. and yes that is true. they are. whether it's family, friends or romantic relationship YOU HAVE TO BE HONEST AND HAVE TRUST.
  no it isnt easy but if you really care about the person they deserve the truth.
  
  
  anyways Happy Reading!
  
  btw it's an adult book but any1 over 15 can read it. it's not really explicit or anything. maybe just the topics or themes and because the characters are adults.
  
• 
  Paula Phillips

  Randa has achieved what many try to do and fail at , she has successfully completed the transisition of writing for children and young persons to writing her first adults novel. I had tried to read her Teen books but found them quite hard to get into , but with No Sex in the City I was hooked from the first page whether it be due to the Jane Austen opener where Randa had used the Pride and Prejudice famous quote to help shape her story or the fact that I could relate and for me , in a way I was a Ruby or a Lisa . No Sex in the City follows four best friends since college , together they are a melting pot of cultures but they all have one thing in common - they are all single and definitely not getting any sex on. The main character of the story is Esme - a Muslim who works for a sleazy boss in an Employment agency and due to family constraints and situations she must endure her job. For me, I was able to connect on the second half with family constraints as I am in a similar boat, not as extreme as Esme but still there nonetheless. All Esme wants in life is a Muslim husband and one that will treat her as an equal and is intelligent enough to have a decent conversation with - Will Esme find her Muslim Prince ? Nirvana - the Indian of the group hopes to find herself an Indian prince and when she does and Anil asks her hand in marriage will she accept or will she realise that her family and friends are more important than wealth and fortune ? Ruby- the Greek orthodox is looking for a husband from the Greek community , the other thing though is Ruby is obsessed with Astrology so he has to be compatible with her Gemini. When she sets her sights on Alex the Greek Personal Trainer who is an Aries, will he be compatible or will he be another dud ? Lisa is just looking for Mr. Perfect and at this point in life , she is starting to consider that maybe she is too old for Marriage and it may never happen . Halfway through the novel , I thought Lisa was a lesbian , but she didn't "officially come out" but who knows.
  No Sex in the City is an awesome story for all those women in their mid-to-late twenties who believe that maybe they won't get their happily ever after as all their friends are having children and married. But for those women as I sometimes feel myself in that boat - we will get our happily ever after one day.
  
• 
  Arlinda Naçi Lame

  QYTETI PA SEKS – RANDA ABDEL - FATTAH
  
  Pavarësisht se kam vite me xhemën ❤, prapë ky libër ishte yll për k'to ditë të nxehta 😉
  
  Kur ma ka dh��në Maniela, përkthyesja e vetë librit, në fillim hezitova sepse kam hequr dorë nga librat të tipit "Princesha", ku mbizotëron injoranca, lufta idiote, dhuna e pakuptimtë, nënshtrimi gruas që është si buka me djath, por Maniela më siguroi që është krejt e kundërta dhe vërtetë këtu kemi të bëjmë me një vajzë, Esman, e cila është e shkolluar, e punësuar më së miri, ka udhëtuar, ka shoqëri, etj.
  
  Ka pjesë që mu duk si filmi "Sex and the city", nga ajo që kemi të bëjmë me 4 shoqe të ngushta, ku secila prej tyre ka probleme dashurie dhe për k'të arsye gocat formojnë grupin "Qyteti pa seks". Shumë mund të thonë seç kërkoj unë me një libër, i cili është dedikuar beqerave se si ato të bëjnë zgjedhje të mira në jetë....
  
  E para nuk jam kundra asnjë lloj leximi, deri sa mua nuk më mërzit dhe e dyta ky libër kishte plot gallatë, ndaj dhe e thashë që në fillim që ishte yll për k'to ditë të nxehta.
  Esmaja, përveçse ishte tip, ajo na bën që të shohim edhe përtej mblesërive të panumërta për tu martuar. Kishte goxha leksione të mira për ato që ende nuk e kanë zgjedhur njeriun e jetës 😉
  
  Autorja i përcillte situatat me shumë gallatë, por ama kishte trajtuar dhe shumë probleme si ajo e luftës dhe e refugjatëve që sa vjen dhe më bëhet më e vështirë çështja e tyre; borxhet se si ato e prishin një marrëdhënie, një familje; kumari se sa shkatërrues dhe sa i frikshëm po bëhet ai për shoqërinë e sotme; abuzimet seksuale në punë se si ato po shtohen dhe shumë nuk kanë guxim të flasin; se si xhelozia kur është e tepruar nuk pritet të ketë një marrëdhënie të shëndoshë; der aty shkon sa na flet dhe për palestrën e fallxhoret 😀
  
  Kush dhuron një libër, ka gjithmonë falenderime dhe mirënjohje të madhe nga unë, ndaj Maniela shpirt do të lexoj gjithmonë ça del nga dora jote se e di se sa fortë punon! ❤❤ • #Booklover
• 
  Miss Susan

  aww yeah, this is the kinda chick lit i like
  
  so esma's a turkish muslim woman on the search for The One. she's got a crew of ride or die girls -- ruby, lisa, and nirvana, each from different backgrounds and p much all some variety of feminist. they start their 'no sex in the city' club as an excuse to hang out more and vent about romantic woes
  
  there's a lot that i liked about this book -- muslim representation, what up! -- but something that stood out to me was the minimal presence of consumerism. it was really refreshing! i like chick lit, i like that there's an entire genre of literature which is basically like 'women having zany adventures and coming out on top' but so much of it seems to run on the assumption that all women care A LOT about shopping and brand names? and it's like okay bud, i get that there's a wish fulfillment aspect to this and i like clothes well enough but i'm going to be real with you here, looking amongst myself and my entire extended friend group i have literally one friend who cares enough about brand names to notice them? and even she does not care on the level that chick lit heroines care, like i have to train myself out of automatically boggling at how much money these women drop casually every time i read a book
  
  wow, went on about that more than i expected to. overall: pretty standard chick lit fare though elevated by being a bit more grounded than most. i'd recommend it if you like the genre! 3.5 stars
• 
  Nurul Ardlian

  "Memilih pasangan hidup memang harus sepaham. Imagine jika kau bermain dengan aturan sepak bola, sementara dia bermain dengan aturan rugby, akan ada banyak kekacauan bahkan sebelum kalian memutuskan akan bermain di tim yg sama atau tidak."
  
  Well done, Randa! Yessss, I like your story here! *a lot of screaming*. Okay, maybe it's too hyperbolic. But how you manage the story of sociality, religion, culture, lifestyle, is so cute-mixed. Saya sudah baca buku pertama Randa yang berjudul "Does My Head Looks Big in This?" jaman2 saya high school. And yeah, it's cute enough. Itu adalah teenlit pertama yg saya baca dengan setting luar negeri non negara Muslim, tapi well mannered! Bukan sekadar cerita menye2 yang ringan. Tapi Randa berhasil mengemban tugas sebagai pemberi pesan kedamaian tentang islamophobia dalam bukunya. Well, buku ini memang cerita social life kehidupan wanita lajang Australia yang sedang mencari pasangan hidup, tetapi pesan tersiratnya dalem banget: tentang persahabatan antar agama. (okey, udahan bahas hal beratnya, hehehe, saya mau share beberapa quotes bagus di dalamnya).
  
  "Kau akan menikahi sebuah keluarga. Bukan hanya dirinya." *dan langsung lemesss mbayangin ini, ha-ha*
  
  "Pada dasarnya, semua perjodohan dan kencan yg gagal terjadi karena satu alasan. Karena di ujung semua kegagalan, telah menanti sosok itu. The One. Mr Right. Sang Belahan Jiwa." ~page 412.
• 
  Diah R

  I am torn between giving this 2 and 2.8 stars, then I decided that under other circumstance, I might appreciate this book more so I'm rounding it up to 3 stars.
  
  Esma, Lisa, Ruby, and Nirvana were friends from different backgrounds and they bonded over one rally they were in in the past. All four wanted (Lisa slightly not in favor) to meet with The One and this book told us their findings.
  
  I read the Bahasa Indonesia version and the translate got lost on me. I don't think we need to literally translate 'skeleton in the closet' with 'kerangka dalam lemari', why didn't the translator use 'rahasia terpendam' or something similar because I don't remember having 'kerangka dalam lemari' as an well-known colloquial in Bahasa.
  
  Moving on, one chapter that irked me was when Ruby and Nirvana visited a fortune teller and all Esma did was trying not to laugh at her friends (and the fortune teller). Get off of your high horse, Esma!
  
  Overall, enjoyment was 6/10, it wasn't that bad.
• 
  Khairun Atika

  This book was a riot right from the first page. As a single Muslim girl myself, I truly related to Esma's character - of being conservative and observing the prayers and fasting while living in a modern world where dating and drinking are basically a lifestyle. Esma, however, is not meek nor submissive - she is open-minded, headstrong, intelligent and well-educated. She speaks her mind, volunteers, does well in her job and helps her family. It is also great to see how she mixes with her other friends from the No Sex in the City club, how they are all best friends of different faiths and races yet they share and confide in each other regularly. Although the story does get a little draggy at time, I still enjoyed reading the story. It addresses social issues such as workplace harrassment, refugees, double standards and gambling addiction, on top of the typical pangs of love, which makes it a good read indeed.
• 
  Sharon

  I liked this book. It was a light easy read but a little disappointing. I love Randa's young adult fiction and was excited to see she had made a foray into the adult novel. These girls do remind you of 'The sex in the city' girls but the characters are not revealed through their thoughts and actions as much as we are just told who they are and what they believe in. I felt as if some of the characters were not as we'll developed as characters in Randa's young adult fiction. The characters work best when we see their reactions to events and emotion. I will still recommend it to girls in search of that girl meets boy novel, female friendship novel - it is a good cross over novel between young adult and adult fiction. The multicultural themes and exploration of growing up Muslim in Australia will appeal to many of my students.
• 
  Meredith Walker

  I’ve read but not been a huge fan of Randa’s young adult readers. “No Sex in the City” is a move in the right direction. The story follows four best friends since college, together they are a melting pot of cultures but they all have one thing in common - they are all single and looking. The main character of the story is Esme - a Muslim who works for a sleazy boss. All intelligent, educated Esme wants in life is a Muslim husband who will treat her as an equal. Nirvana hopes to land herself an Indian prince and Ruby is seeking for a husband from the Greek Orthodox community. Meanwhile, Lisa is starting to think that maybe she is just too old for marriage. Their separate and combined tales are identifiable, despite their varied ethnicities, which makes for a great, easy summer chick-litesque read.