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Tashie Bhuiyan

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Counting Down with You Kindle Edition

by Tashie Bhuiyan (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 630 ratings

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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"A witty, romantic, deeply insightful debut." —Emma Lord, author of Tweet Cute

In this sparkling and romantic YA debut, a reserved Bangladeshi-American teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.

How do you make one month last a lifetime?

Karina Ahmed has a plan. Keep her head down, get through high school without a fuss, and follow her parents’ rules—even if it means sacrificing her dreams. When her parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, Karina expects some peace and quiet. Instead, one simple lie unravels everything.

Karina is my girlfriend.

Tutoring the school’s resident bad boy was already crossing a line. Pretending to date him? Out of the question. But Ace Clyde does everything right—he brings her coffee in the mornings, impresses her friends without trying, and even promises to buy her a dozen books (a week) if she goes along with his fake-dating facade. Though Karina agrees, she can’t help but start counting down the days until her parents come back.

T-minus twenty-eight days until everything returns to normal—but what if Karina no longer wants it to?

"I. Love. This. Book." —Mark Oshiro, award-winning author of Anger Is a Gift and Each of Us a Desert
"A must-have addition to any YA bookshelf." —Sabina Khan, author of Zara Hossain Is Here and The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali
"Hand to fans of Netflix hit Never Have I Ever." —Booklist

From the Publisher

Rom-com featuring fake-dating, resident bad boy, and book hauls.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-High school junior Karina Ahmed always puts others' needs before her own. She attends Pre-Med Society to please her traditional Bangladeshi Muslim parents, even though she'd rather study English at Columbia than become a doctor. When her parents leave for a month to visit family, Karina gets a much-needed break from their strict expectations. Then her English teacher asks her to tutor mysterious bad boy Ace Clyde. After a rough start, they begin to open up to each other-first as friends, and then as something more. As sparks fly, Karina realizes she might not be the only one hiding her true self under the surface. But as the days tick closer to her parents' return, Karina's newfound freedom feels too good to last. With support from Ace, her two best friends, and her grandmother, Karina must decide if she has the courage to face her parents and fight for the future she chooses. Despite its familiar premise, this #OwnVoices novel shines with its strong focus on family and its depiction of a healthy teen relationship. Karina's gradual understanding of her parents and their decisions is thoroughly explored. Karina struggles with anxiety but keeps it from her family; Ace is white and affluent; side characters are diverse in race and sexuality. VERDICT Filled with tender moments and subtle humor, this well-paced gem will have readers rooting for Karina and Ace as they stand up for themselves and for each other. A must-purchase for all teen collections.-Erica Ruscio, Ventress Memorial Lib., Marshfield, MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“I’m completely heart-eyed over this book. With a voice that blends pitch-perfect humor and tremendous compassion, Counting Down With You is an ode to anyone who’s dreamed of a path different from the one carved out for them. A lovely, romantic debut that shimmers with hope.” —Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Today Tonight Tomorrow

"A witty, romantic, deeply insightful debut that steals your heart from start to finish. Only read this in public if you're prepared to laugh out loud, blush, and occasionally cry in front of strangers." —Emma Lord, author of Tweet Cute

"I. Love. This. Book. I adore the emotional depth that Bhuiyan gives to Karina, and I am reminded of the power of contemporary fiction to both shine a light and uplift those of us who have been largely ignored." —Mark Oshiro, award-winning author of Anger Is a Gift and Each of Us a Desert

"Tashie Bhuiyan has done an excellent job of portraying the conflicts faced by many South Asian diaspora kids in this debut. Counting Down with You is a must-have addition to any YA bookshelf." —Sabina Khan, author of Zara Hossain Is Here and The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali

"A brisk and buoyant YA romance anchored by well-drawn family dynamics and anxiety issues. I loved it!" —Jenn Bennett, author of Alex, Approximately

"This 'love letter to young brown girls; explores a topic that can be taboo in desi culture: anxiety. Bhuiyan guides Karina through it with care… Hand to fans of Netflix hit Never Have I Ever." —Booklist

“With sarcastic, witty humor and a heartfelt exploration of familial relationships, Bhuiyan masterfully sucks you into Karina's world." —Buzzfeed, New Young Adult Books Out Spring 2021

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08B1R3MLF
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Inkyard Press; Original edition (May 4, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 4, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2289 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 424 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #238,732 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 630 ratings

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Tashie Bhuiyan

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Tashie Bhuiyan is a Bangladeshi American writer based in New York City. She recently graduated from St. John's University with a bachelor's degree in Public Relations, and hopes to change the world, one book at a time. She loves writing stories about girls with wild hearts, boys who wear rings, and gaining agency through growth. When she's not doing that, she can be found in a Chipotle or bookstore, insisting 2010 is the best year in cinematic history. (Read: Tangled and Inception.)

Visit her online at @tashiebhuiyan or tashiebhuiyan.com.

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4.5 out of 5

630 global ratings

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Veronica Roselea

Counting Down With You was absolute ✨p e r f e c t i o n ✨

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2021

Verified Purchase

Absolutely written splendidly. Tashie Bhuiyan did an amazing job for her debut novel and I can't wait to read A Show For Two.

I loved the relationship between Ace and Karina and their connection and chemistry. They were complete opposites yet had so much similarities that I loved it so much. I can't begin to tell you how much I felt like crying and laughing all at once. And heartbreak as well.

I feel as though there is a theme between these Asian books that I read, for example, the fact that her parents pushed her to be a doctor, so many kids around the world who want to pursue something they cannot, it breaks my heart to see how they are forced to go through one career path. But, I digress. Counting Down With You was the perfect read and I felt like it was just such a cozy romance even with the topics mentioned just now. Perfect for the fall time if you're interested in just sitting back and reading with a sweater and hot chocolate on.

2 people found this helpful

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Laissa

BEAUTIFUL

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2021

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This book was absolutely beautiful. Karina is such a brave main character and her love for books??! YES! Ace is absolutely incredible. I loved all of the characters, especially Dadu, she was so courageous and supportive. The way that Karina deals with her anxiety is so relatable to me, and the problems that she goes through are so real, I feel as if I'm going through the experiences with her and I'm feeling what she's feeling. Ace was beautiful, and his interests like classical music and astronomy (cause SAME) were so perfect for his character! The dates that he takes her on, the things he does with her, and the words that are shared between the two (the poetry is absolutely gorgeous) I LOVE IT ALL. This book is definitely my new favorite romance and it was just amazing.

3 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Cute, diverse, and super emotional

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2021

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Goody two shoes Karina is assigned her teacher to tutor bad boy Ace Clyde. Things escalate when she is invited over his house and Ace suddenly blurts out that they are dating, prompting the two to fake a relationship. With ever increasing expectation put on marina by her parents, she struggles between fighting for happiness and feeling for Ace or let it all crash and burn.

This book has it's fair share of cliches and cheesiness but it was a good book. This book taught me a lot about Bangladesh culture and the damaging effects of heavy expectations from parents. The anxiety rep was great and Ace was the BEST boyfriend. Seriously I want a guy like that when I get into a relationship. He the type of guy you marry.

However despite all the good, I did have some gripes:

•Ace didn't really feel like a bad boy to me. Sure he got detention or whatever but besides not caring about school and hanging out alone, he didn't do anything inherently bad. Besides wear a leather jacket and suck on lollipops like right out a 60s' movie.

•I wasn't really feeling the fake dating part in this one. I think it was mostly because Karina was trying to hide their relationship from her family.

Overall this book was EMOTIONAL. The writing was topnotch. You feel every inch of Karina's anxiety and understand why she hides who she is from her parents.

Definitely recommend for people seeking book featuring heavy anxiety rep, Bangladesh rep, and characters in an actual healthy relationship.

4 people found this helpful

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dakota

wow

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2022

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First I’d like to say that it was really refreshing reading about a culture different from my own. The struggles Katrina faces with her parents are heartbreaking. The power of friendship, first love, and her close relationship with her brother and Dadu are what get her through. This was a really sweet book. I found myself wanting to fight with Katrina’s parents for her. I wish there was a second book coming so we could see where she’s at with her family relationships when she goes off to college.

2 people found this helpful

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porchia

I love the variety of realness in this book!!

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2022

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This book is a must-read. The plot isn't rushed and it flows smoothly. The characters are portrayed in the best most realistic way you can imagine. The main character Karina shows you what a person with anxiety goes through and I feel that most teens can relate to her because I know that I can. Although I do not have anxiety, I can relate to Karina in the way she thinks and/or feels about certain situations. I really felt seen while reading this book because the author understood how to portray Karina in order for her readers to relate to Karina. I have been reading this book for the past week since I've got it and I am already thinking about reading it again!!

3 people found this helpful

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Fernanda S

bom para treinar o inglês

Reviewed in Brazil on July 30, 2023

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esse é o comentário BR pra quem estava procurando: a leitura é leve, os personagens são fáceis de se apegar e enfrentam problemas comuns da adolescência. achei legal conhecer mais da cultura muçulmana, pratos, costumes… consegui ler super rápido mesmo sem ser fluente em inglês. se seu nível for médio, da pra treinar muito bem.

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Vador75000

Ras

Reviewed in France on September 2, 2022

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Ok

Lucy Knott

A wonderful, cute and romantic read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book was super cute. I swooned so much. Karina was incredibly awesome and I was drawn in right away with her narrative. I love the way she spoke, from her nerves to her more confident and bold moments. She was very relatable and just really cool. I loved that she cared about school, loved English and was taking Italian. That bit definitely had me smiling. She made me laugh a lot when it came to getting caught up in the whole tutoring debacle with Ace. I loved that she could be honest with him and often told it like it was, but then her brain would overthink it and she would make me giggle with the thoughts in her head.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Bangladeshi culture in this book. My heart went out to Karina when she felt too scared to face her parents and follow her dreams but it was interesting to learn about where they came from and how certain traditions were passed down to them and how they were just doing what they had been taught. There were elements of understanding this aspect of a different culture to my own and wanting to respect them and how important traditions can be for people, but at the same time I desperately wanted Karina to be able to live her dream and be with the person she wanted to be with. It was eye opening to see her struggles and to be by her side while she was figuring it out. I also think it was important to respect that she couldn't just do everything all at once and throw everything at her parents and she needed a plan when it came to studying what she wanted to study and dating the boy she wanted to date. I'm so glad she had her Dadu by her side. Dadu was so incredibly special and amazing and I absolutely adored her and Karina's relationship throughout this book. It warmed my heart and made me think of my Nanna and I just loved it so much. Going after all the things she wants isn't easy for Karina and I think this was an incredible moment of communication and bonding when Ace had to learn and respect that. I was happy that she had such special and wonderful people around her.

Speaking of Ace, he was just wonderful and him and Karina just gelled in a way that made my heart smile. Their study sessions at the bakery, to bowling, dinner dates and hanging out were just so special, romantic and sweet and I adored their banter with each other. I loved their understanding of each other, the getting to know each other, communicating, being open and honest and being there for each other. For a young relationship, I think Tashie did an absolutely beautiful job of portraying a healthy relationship that had boundaries and where both people shared their needs and feelings. I also greatly appreciated every One Direction and High School Musical reference too!

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