"Conflicts of the heart and family abound in this thrilling YA romance centred on the “will-they-won’t-they?” intrigue between young adults from very different worlds."
While “Do opposites ever really attract?” is at the heart of Anam Iqbal’s The Exes, this thrilling YA romance explores so much more besides — from the cut-throat world of rich influencers and gossip sites, to true friendship and cultural conflict in families.
It’s fair to say that while Zara and Karim are both Londoners, their lives in the city are very different. Thanks to being one of The Exes — a clique of super-wealthy, super- attractive west-enders — Karim is a mega online celebrity. Meanwhile, east-ender Zara keeps her head down, and aspires to be a dentist. That said, she’s also deeply brave when it comes to standing her ground, and strong when it comes to handling family conflict.
Through their alternating narratives, we see how sparks fly between the couple from their first frisson-charged encounters, which leads them to show each other around their version of London. As their relationship hots up, Zara finds her heart torn between two love interests, with her home life torn asunder when she’s compelled to make a stand against her strict parents. At the same time, Karim and his elite clique are being blackmailed by a hugely influential, anonymous celebrity gossip writer.
Ablaze with the passion and turmoil of first love(s), The Exes also shines a light on how the outward appearance of perfection is often at odds with the truth, and radiates the joy of true friendship and being true to yourself.
| Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
| Other Genres: |
Can opposites ever really attract?
When star-crossed lovers Karim and Zara's worlds collide, they have to work out just how far they’re willing to go to give their love a chance.
When Karim and Zara meet, sparks shouldn’t fly.
They’ve got nothing in common: Karim - with his on- and offline clique, The Exes - is a globally renowned influencer. Zara is just a normal teen, trying to get into uni, and not bring shame to the family by getting distracted by silly boys.
Sparks do fly though.
With Zara, Karim can finally let his guard down, while his glamorous world offers Zara an escape from her parent’s control.
But someone has their eye on them – a secret gossip who’s been spilling truths about The Exes for years.
While Karim and Zara’s dates get swoonier, the blogger’s posts get more personal – and more threatening.
Can Karim and Zara unmask their tormentor in time to get their happily ever after? Or does fate have other plans in store for them?
The Exes features in the following genres: Young Adult Fiction, Romance / Relationship Stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Diversity, equality and inclusion, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Fiction, Children’s / Teenage: Personal and social topics
The Exes is available in Paperback
The Exes was written by Anam Iqbal and published by Penguin Books Ltd an imprint of Penguin Random House Children's UK
The Exes has 393 pages
£8.09
