The Henna Wars Audiobook By Adiba Jaigirdar cover art

The Henna Wars

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Henna Wars

By: Adiba Jaigirdar
Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.70

Buy for $20.70

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this romantic comedy about two teen girls with rival henna businesses.

Nishat doesn't want to lose her family, but she also doesn't want to hide who she is, and it only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life. Flávia is beautiful and charismatic, and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat decide to showcase their talent as henna artists. In a fight to prove who is the best, their lives become more tangled - but Nishat can't quite get rid of her crush, especially since Flávia seems to like her back.

As the competition heats up, Nishat has a decision to make: stay in the closet for her family, or put aside her differences with Flávia and give their relationship a chance.

©2020 Adiba Jaigirdar (P)2020 Listening Library Clean & Wholesome Islamic Heritage LGBTQ+ Literature & Fiction Romance
Sweet Romance • Authentic Representation • Complex Themes • Unique Storyline • Validating Narrative
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
Very cute YA set in Ireland which address racism and homophobia while having its own unique storyline~

Adorable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
it was really fun to read! Accurate representation of island and desi culture. The discreptions of food got me hungry!!!

Finished it in one day!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I was a little bit let down by this one. been reading alot of these cute lgbt* ya rom-coms in the past year and compared to a handful of others this one felt kinda bland in terms of humor & character. Just not as heartfelt as what I've been looking for. The narration was also a bit robotic for me, lacked emotion & personality. the plot was about what I expected, solid & comfortingly predictable.

Not Bad but Not as Good as Other Similar Stories

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Love the story overall! More development of character relationships would have been great. The reading could have been less monotone at times, but I loved the authenticity of the accents of some characters.

Love the Concept of the Story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love how Adiba weaves such complex themes into her coming of age narratives. I read Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating first and would recommend that one as well

Beautiful and unique story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
this was so so sweet in many ways and it actually had me to involved🙂

adorable YA coming out story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Thank god for this book, honestly. The author manages to authentically and plainly capture the struggles and frustrations of growing up brown and queer in a heteronormative, predominantly white environment. I felt so seen and heard and validated throughout the book. Nishant's anger was my anger. Her pain was my pain. That innocent, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling she experienced around a pretty girl? Yeah, I felt that. And one of the best parts was (*SPOILER*) that her parents eventually accepted her sexuality. It was a breath of fresh air for a brown girl who never even dreamed of coming out to her parents because of the stigma and misinformation surrounding sexuality in many South Asian cultures. But Nishant's parents' gradual understanding and acceptance as the book progressed felt like the opposite of all of those terrifying scenarios I'd always feared. It felt like hope.

I would highly recommend this book to any teenager or young adult looking for a sweet, poignant read about overcoming stereotypes and embracing your identity in a society where being yourself is a radical act.

As a queer, South Asian woman, I felt so validated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved this. Discusses being queer and racism with an honest voice. Please read this.

An important story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Definitely enjoyed this sapphic romance featuring feuding henna shops. The narrator does a fantastic job!

Fantastic sapphic romance!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. An easy captivating read. Not only was it a great story. The narration was impeccable. I love Nishat's character. She was a strong and brave young woman.

Outstanding story!!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews