3.5 stars

Much Ado About Nada is my second novel by Uzma Jalaluddin and I saw huge improvement in terms of storytelling and inclusion. I have always enjoyed stories that are peppered with cultural references and this book had tons of it. Set in Toronto, Uzma introduces us to the 29 year old Nada Syed who is forced to attend a matrimonial convention by her parents. Nada isn’t really looking for a relationship, let alone a marriage but at the convention, she spots Baz and her entire past floats back into her mind.

This is the love story of Nada and Baz who share a complicated past which goes back upto seventeen years. They didn’t have an easy friendship but over the years their relationship morphed into a romantic one but time and space never allowed them to come together. The story is split into many timelines, from the time the two met, to the present day where they are strangers. We see Nada contemplating their lives, all the things that could have gone differently while she busies herself during her friend’s wedding. Amidst all the timelines, you keep wondering about what exactly happened between the two who still carry love for each other but aren’t at the liberty to say it.

There’s a lot of pining between the two characters and it lasts until the very end. The South Asian community in Toronto is pretty much the same as what we have in India, so a lot of things were relatable. Uzma cleverly touched upon certain important topics like divorce, disability and sex. For all of these reasons, I did enjoy the novel. But it did have its flaws. The story felt too dragged at certain points and Nada being a difficult character to understand didn’t make it any easier. Baz and Nada’s relationship lacked a certain level of depth, probably because it took too long for their entire past to be revealed.

This book can be a good summer read if you’re into romcom.