Book Review — Aisha Muharrar

From the rave reviews I’d seen online I expected something that would hit harder. It didn’t, at least not immediately.

The first half of this book went over my head — which, lately, seems to be a trend.

I’ve been sitting with why, and I think I landed on an answer: I’ve never lost anyone that close before. Grief on that level isn’t something I can access from experience. Though I did lose a guy friend I was very close to — not to death, but in a way that permanently ended the friendship. That kind of loss showed up in this book in ways I wasn’t expecting.

The rockstar element felt unrealistic and, honestly, unnecessary. It didn’t add much to the story and pulled me out of the parts that were actually working. Neither Julia nor Elizabeth felt fully redeeming — which kept me at a distance from both of them for most of the book.

And yet.

I promise I liked this book. Because underneath everything that didn’t land for me, it felt deeply human. Grief. Lack of closure. The particular loneliness of loving someone who also loved someone else. Julia and Elizabeth’s jealousy of each other made complete sense — I understood it immediately and without judgment. Of course they eventually bond. Of course they come to understand why Gabe loved both of them. Of course they became good friends. That ending felt earned in a way I didn’t see coming.

This is a book that works on you quietly. It won’t wreck everyone the same way. But if you’ve ever loved someone who left a gap when they were gone — in whatever form that takes — it’ll find you somewhere.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 4/5 stars

Loved One by Aisha Muharrar. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.