A beautiful and warm YA contemporary about finding love after loss, from a stunning new voice.This is a story about Noori and Aamir. A story about grief, family, and the unexpected turns life can take. A story of first love.Noori has it all sussed out. She may only be sixteen and a Bollywood fanatic with an incredible lack of foresight, but she knows a thing or two about life and its messy heartaches. When she runs into Aamir, a scruffy desi dude with tea-stained eyes, her confused soul turns upside-down. There is something about him she can’t work out.Aamir is trying to escape a misunderstood and painful past. When his world collides with Noori’s, life gets even more complicated. Invisible threads connect them. Will they both realize what's at stake, before they run out of time?
I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via the publishers.
Seven Days is a heartwarming and down to earth YA contemporary fiction story that features many topics that are all handled beautifully in a thought-provoking way. Noori recently lost her best friend (who was also her cousin) unexpectedly and is navigating her path of grief. Her family doesn't seem to get her anymore, and she's not getting on with her dad at all. When Noori meets Aamir by chance on a bench near her home, she comes barrelling into his life. Aamir, too, is navigating grief after the loss of his mum, and he, too, has family problems and is currently homeless. The pair strike up a friendship of sorts, and the book takes us through their journeys to acceptance, finding who they are/identity, familial history, beliefs, and healing. This was so sweet and tender in places, and I thought the author handled each topic sensitively and relatably. The ending gave my heart a squeeze, too.
Seven Days is a tender coming of age YA that perfectly captures the nuances of love, loss, identity and complex family relationships —that is sure to appeal to fans of Holly Bourne or Anika Hussain.
Set in Bristol, we follow the journey of two teens (Noori and Aamir) who, after a chance encounter, find themselves bonding over their shared experiences of grief, identity and belonging. As they (both) struggle to move on from the loss of their loved ones, and the feelings of self doubt and otherness left in the wake of their grief.
With multilayered, endearing characters and prose that’s steeped in emotion—I enjoyed every second of this unconventional, yet utterly compelling romance.
I adored Noori (the first of our POV protagonists) and found her bold and slightly chaotic energy incredibly endearing. Having lost her cousin and best friend, Munazzah, Noori battles with her own sense of identity she seeks to understand her Cousin’s life just before the tragic accident. Leading to tensions with her father, who Nori feels doesn’t understand her need to connect with her Pakistani heritage.
Aamir, is equally as grief stricken after the death of his mother. And, after escaping the fraught tensions of his home life, finds himself sleeping rough on the bench Noori used to share with her Cousin. It’s a Meet Cute for the ages, and may quite possibly be one of the funniest and heartwarming intros I’ve ever encountered in a contemporary romance.
Over the next seven days, the pair continue to cross paths; growing closer as they trade stories and realise their lives, shared love of Rumi and personal problems aren’t all that different.
I can’t really say anything else for fear of spoilers, but I do have to mention Doughnut the dog who was an adorably hilarious, Houdini-esque highlight that I’d love to see more of (along with Noori and Aamir) in a sequel or spinoff of some sort… perhaps even following Noori’s friend Mai?
Overall, a refreshingly heartfelt and impressive debut with a romance that, though a bit of whirlwind, was intensely relatable. Fans of YA that explores serious subject material with compassion, honesty and sensitivity are almost certain to enjoy this.
Also, a huge thank you to Lorraine Keating and Walker Books for the finished copy.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Seven Days is a heart-warming YA novel following Noori and Aamir as they learn more about themselves and each other after a chance encounter (or miracle?).
The discussions surrounding identity and religion (and how closely these can be linked) were handled SO well! Noori, being of mixed Pakistani and British heritage, goes on a journey to accept herself as she is, rather than being forced to pick one or the other. She embraces both sides of her, and through doing so, her relationship with her father improves. I loved how Shaid clearly shows how intrinsically linked identity is to family, how simply accepting yourself means accepting your family and your history also. Aamir, on the other hand, is a non-believer, while his father is a very devout Muslim man. Again, Shaid perfectly highlights the difficulties that can arise from such a dynamic, while still amplifying the importance of love and family.
The writing was easy to follow, and the main characters felt very real and flawed. They read like modern teenagers, with natural dialogue between them, and you simply can't help but root for them both. Noori was so selfless and kind, honestly one of the sweetest girls I've read about.
A strong theme throughout this book is grief. And oh, was it handled beautifully. Noori and Aamir are both grieving, but in different ways. Some of their actions may seem confusing to an outsider, but really they're just trying to survive. How do you move on when the person you love most is gone? Of course you'd try anything to feel closer to them. Whether it's a warm sip of chai, reminding you of how your mum used to make it, or traveling to another country to pay your respects to their final resting place, there are many different ways to feel closer to those you've lost. Through their grief, Noori and Aamir find something special in each other, an understanding, an intimacy, a bond which becomes so precious that neither can let the other go.
I made the mistake of finishing this book at work, which meant I had to fight to hold back my tears in the staff room.
Despite the heaviness of these topics, the book is balanced with a lightness from Noori's sense of humour, cute dogs, and Bollywood movies. A lovely read.
Can you fall in love in a week? The question is posed on the cover of the book. Is it possible? This story attempts to provide an answer through the eyes of Noori and Aamir. There are cute rom-com tropes and humorous moments within their journey, but there is also grief and pain to be found.
Noori believes she knows what she needs next in life and is pretty set on her path. She’s finding comfort with Rumi quotes and her dream to go to school in Pakistan. Before she can actually set her plan in motion though, she and Aamir cross paths.
As you might guess from the title, the book is divided a part for each day with one additional portion at the end. It is further divided between the main characters. It was very helpful to have the dual perspective as we can learn about each character through their own thoughts, but also in the way they are viewed by the other. The author still managed to provide slow reveals of their backstories though.
Both of them are having issues with their families and as they spend time with each other and share, they help each other see things they may not have been considering. The storyline is somewhat predictable, but in a comfortable way for the most part. The ending has a twist and then skips to the future kind of abruptly, but otherwise, it followed a typical rom-com arc.
Recommendation: This is a romance, but is also a book about identity, family, hope, and how to move through the world even when things seem out of control. Readers who have faced loss may connect with the characters and anyone can appreciate the smiles and chuckles along the way.
'Seven Days' by Rebeka Shaid was a book about love, friendship and family combined into one. The concept was beautiful and the way it all flowed over seven days was a masterpiece in showing how chaotic life can be when revealing new history you never knew about. However, I have to give it a 3 as I didn't really like the writing style as much as I expected.
I bought Seven Days on a whim—drawn in by the beautiful cover and an intriguing premise. I had no expectations, which is sometimes the best way to go into a book. And while I’m glad I gave it a chance, and I’m proud of myself for stepping out of my reading comfort zone, I have to admit I didn’t walk away with a new favorite romance novel.
This is the story of Noori and Aamir. A story that weaves together grief, family ties, and the unpredictable, often painful detours life throws our way. It’s also a story of first love, of fleeting connection, and the ache of letting go. There’s something very tender and poetic in its themes, and I truly appreciated the effort the author made in exploring loss and healing.
I gave the book 3 stars. It was sweet and entertaining in moments, and I loved the overall message about coping with grief and cherishing the time we have with loved ones. The ending in particular was the highlight for me—it was emotional, bittersweet, and tied things up in a way that felt honest and meaningful.
However, the story didn’t quite hit the emotional depth I was hoping for. The characters felt a bit one-dimensional, and their relationship, while cute, didn’t feel fully fleshed out. I also had a hard time suspending my disbelief—no amount of fate, coincidence, or magical realism could make me fully buy into the romance or the events that unfolded. Some plot points lacked proper explanation or build-up, which left the story feeling a little rushed and underdeveloped.
In the end, Seven Days had potential. It’s a decent, fast read with a heartfelt message, but for me, it lacked that spark that would have made it truly memorable.
i honestly feel really bad to critique this book since i think it's the author's first book and i don't even want to think about how i would feel if i got a 2 star review, but i made a promise to myself to write a review for every book i read from now on and i can only add 500 characters to my private notes on here, so i guess i have to write my review on here.
i didn't LOVE the book. The ending was beautiful, and there were a few things i really loved about it, but overall i found noori to be unbelievably annoying, which ruined most of the book for me. i know noori is 15, and it's undeniable. i honestly can't deal with teenage girls at that age and this book honestly pissed me off when it came to how noori acted. i know i know, most teenage girls go through that phase and it's very likely that i acted like that too (although i can't quite remember). and i KNOW she's grieving, i know. I feel bad for calling her annoying already, but this is what i felt while reading the book. don't sue me.
a lot of things in this book very kind of unexpected, like aamir getting sick and almost dying and the snake thing. there were also a bunch of lovely passages that i highlighted that were deep and meaningful. the book definitely wasn't an easy-fun read, it was more one of the thoughtful-beautiful kinds, but i didn't particularly enjoy it too much. i also didn't hate it, at all. i have mixed feelings about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
“The world’s a random place and sometimes two random people run into each other and hit it off.”
‘Seven Days’ is a YA novel about two teenagers coping with grief. A chance encounter led Noori to Aamir, a boy who has run away from home. Over the course of seven days, fate keeps bringing them together, and they opened up about their identities, family issues, and losing someone close to them, a literal plot twist, and falling in love.
The last few chapters sent my heart racing, but it was a good ending. They both matured and healed with each other.
It was a cute read, nice references to Rumi and things like that - I'm so confused about the ending! spoilers - did he die or not?? like don't just trick us like that I thought maybe not all books have to have a happy ending? needed closure. also Aamir, his story wasn't resolved the stuff about his family?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was reading this for the children’s book awards and I just thought it was a bit boring - hence why it took me so long to read, though I did find it awkward when Nor kept ‘goggling’ at his teeth’ and the ending wasn’t my favourite I mean the sentiment was nice but it wasn’t my type of book.
highly disliked this book basically no plot noori constantly whining about her dad throughout the whole book even though what he did was not even serious enough for it to be one of the main topics in the book noori in general icked me out constantly not much to say about aamir honestly
A story of loss, of love, of family and above all a story of the unexpected turns life can take, the ones that we should all allow to happen so that we can enjoy the adventures that they bring. Rebeka Shaid, author of Seven Days says that she loves to write around the themes of love, loss, and coming-of-age. None of them are easy to write about, it is so very important to get the tone and atmosphere right for the characters and the reader, so as to make the book honest and believable, relatable too, that is very important with YA novels. She has done it all and more. Her story is incredibly readable, even if you are reading as someone who has not yet struggled with grief, maybe you have not yet fallen in love. It doesn’t matter. The book and its story lure you in and show you what these events can be like, encourage you to live through them with the story and, hopefully, give you some sense of being prepared for when they come into your life too.
This is Noori and Aamir’s story. At sixteen Noori is certain that she has life sussed out and she is content. She is only sixteen yes, she is a Bollywood fanatic, and she has an incredible lack of foresight, but she has everything worked out. After all she has had her share of life and its messy heartaches, what else could there be for her to know? Aamir is trying to escape from a misunderstood and painful past and when he runs into Noori what she sees is a scruffy desi man with tea-stained eyes. For Aamir running into Noori means life is going to get more complicated. There seem to be invisible threads connecting them and he is turning her confused soul upside-down. The problem is that Noori can’t quite work out just what it is about him that is turning her inside out and it is important that they both realise what is at stake before time runs out for them. This is a lyrical, immersive, and beautifully haunting debut which finds us desperately hoping Noori and Aamir can find their connection, believe in it and understand it. We become one with them and we want the best for them.
Merged review:
A story of loss, of love, of family and above all a story of the unexpected turns life can take, the ones that we should all allow to happen so that we can enjoy the adventures that they bring. Rebeka Shaid, author of Seven Days says that she loves to write around the themes of love, loss, and coming-of-age. None of them are easy to write about, it is so very important to get the tone and atmosphere right for the characters and the reader, so as to make the book honest and believable, relatable too, that is very important with YA novels. She has done it all and more. Her story is incredibly readable, even if you are reading as someone who has not yet struggled with grief, maybe you have not yet fallen in love. It doesn’t matter. The book and its story lure you in and show you what these events can be like, encourage you to live through them with the story and, hopefully, give you some sense of being prepared for when they come into your life too.
This is Noori and Aamir’s story. At sixteen Noori is certain that she has life sussed out and she is content. She is only sixteen yes, she is a Bollywood fanatic, and she has an incredible lack of foresight, but she has everything worked out. After all she has had her share of life and its messy heartaches, what else could there be for her to know? Aamir is trying to escape from a misunderstood and painful past and when he runs into Noori what she sees is a scruffy desi man with tea-stained eyes. For Aamir running into Noori means life is going to get more complicated. There seem to be invisible threads connecting them and he is turning her confused soul upside-down. The problem is that Noori can’t quite work out just what it is about him that is turning her inside out and it is important that they both realise what is at stake before time runs out for them. This is a lyrical, immersive, and beautifully haunting debut which finds us desperately hoping Noori and Aamir can find their connection, believe in it and understand it. We become one with them and we want the best for them.