Deep Within: The Nectar of the Gods Rests the Druze Faith

I’m still sorting out how I feel about Deep Within The Nectar of the Gods Rests the Druze Faith. On the one hand, I liked the characters and the basis of the story. On the other hand, I wanted more. More detail about the people, more time in their lives, more information about the Druze faith. Let me explain….When we first meet Sarah, our heroine, she is a 17-year-old high-schooler starting her senior year. A typical teen, worried about grades, boys and, of course, parent problems, she’s also fairly introspective and wants to learn more about her religion. Sarah is Lebanese by genetics, but currently living in Australia with her father, Marrouf, her mother, Jamal, and her evil big brother, Dan. By and large, although she chafes at the restrictions enforced on her by her old-school parents, they do get along well. (Of course, being a typical teen, there are days when she is just sure she cannot take one more moment of her life or anyone in it.) The Druze religion may see men and women as equal, but Lebanese culture has yet to completely catch up, and she resents her brother’s freedoms.Sarah’s father has been wanting to return to Lebanon where he grew up, and to his family, who he misses. Money has been an obstacle, until he wins a tidy sum at the horse track. Immediately, he and Jamal start making plans to return to Lebanon. Sarah is less than enthralled by the notion of leaving before college to go to a country she has never seen, to be married by arrangement to another Druze, as members cannot marry outside the religion. In addition, this arranged marriage business is putting a serious crimp in her scheming to marry her beloved history teacher, Spencer. (It’s not clear at this point if he reciprocates her feelings or if her imagination is working overtime – more on that later.)This is the first hiccup – the entire last month before the family leaves Australia for the Middle East is not discussed. I understand an author’s urge to get on with it, but readers know there’s something going on and we want in on it. More detail, please!Once in Lebanon, again the story skips, from first meeting with Sarah’s relatives to the abrupt arrival of the fellow she’s going to marry. All we really know of him is he’s a sharp dresser, all romantically polite around her parents and a bit predatory when they’re out of earshot. Still, she agrees to the marriage, both to make her parents happy and because Adel wants to go back to Australia with her. Once engaged, they’re back on a plane to Melbourne. Sarah meets up with some of her old friends from high school and in spite of being married in the eyes of Lebanese law, though not yet through the actual wedding, she asks for help in finding out where Spencer, her former teacher and love of her life, is and how he’s doing (i.e. is he still single.) She finds out he is still single, apparently still waiting for her. Thus ends Chapter twenty-three.Chapter twenty-four starts…five years later! What?! Sarah has yet to call Spencer, but she has had time to get married and have a child! Another spot where I wanted more – what’s a Druze wedding like? Was her husband as much of a lout as it seemed like he might be? And a toddler! How did that go down? Was hubby happy? How did Sarah take it, what was her pregnancy like? That’s about where the book ends, with a poem and a moment of reflection on her part, and plenty of opportunity for a sequel.I truly hope the author, Fadya Alameddine does write a sequel or maybe even a series. The basics of a really good, interesting and thoughtful Young Adult story are there, with real and relatable characters, just flesh it out with more detail about the people and the action. That’s all it needs – just a little more of the good stuff. I recommend the book, and the author.

(Disclaimer: I received a free copy for review.) I’m still sorting out how I feel about Deep Within The Nectar of the Gods Rests the Druze Faith. On the one hand, I liked the characters and the basis of the story. On the other hand, I wanted more. More detail about the people, more time in their lives, more information about the Druze faith. Let me explain…. When we first meet Sarah, our heroine, she is a 17-year-old high-schooler starting her senior year. A typical teen, worried about grades, boys and, of course, parent problems, she’s also fairly introspective and wants to learn more about her religion. Sarah is Lebanese by genetics, but currently living in Australia with her father, Marrouf, her mother, Jamal, and her evil big brother, Dan. By and large, although she chafes at the restrictions enforced on her by her old-school parents, they do get along well. (Of course, being a typical teen, there are days when she is just sure she cannot take one more moment of her life or anyone in it.) The Druze religion may see men and women as equal, but Lebanese culture has yet to completely catch up, and she resents her brother’s freedoms. Sarah’s father has been wanting to return to Lebanon where he grew up, and to his family, who he misses. Money has been an obstacle, until he wins a tidy sum at the horse track. Immediately, he and Jamal start making plans to return to Lebanon. Sarah is less than enthralled by the notion of leaving before college to go to a country she has never seen, to be married by arrangement to another Druze, as members cannot marry outside the religion. In addition, this arranged marriage business is putting a serious crimp in her scheming to marry her beloved history teacher, Spencer. (It’s not clear at this point if he reciprocates her feelings or if her imagination is working overtime – more on that later.) This is the first hiccup – the entire last month before the family leaves Australia for the Middle East is not discussed. I understand an author’s urge to get on with it, but readers know there’s something going on and we want in on it. More detail, please! Once in Lebanon, again the story skips, from first meeting with Sarah’s relatives to the abrupt arrival of the fellow she’s going to marry. All we really know of him is he’s a sharp dresser, all romantically polite around her parents and a bit predatory when they’re out of earshot. Still, she agrees to the marriage, both to make her parents happy and because Adel wants to go back to Australia with her. Once engaged, they’re back on a plane to Melbourne. Sarah meets up with some of her old friends from high school and in spite of being married in the eyes of Lebanese law, though not yet through the actual wedding, she asks for help in finding out where Spencer, her former teacher and love of her life, is and how he’s doing (i.e. is he still single.) She finds out he is still single, apparently still waiting for her. Thus ends Chapter twenty-three. Chapter twenty-four starts…five years later! What?! Sarah has yet to call Spencer, but she has had time to get married and have a child! Another spot where I wanted more – what’s a Druze wedding like? Was her husband as much of a lout as it seemed like he might be? And a toddler! How did that go down? Was hubby happy? How did Sarah take it, what was her pregnancy like? That’s about where the book ends, with a poem and a moment of reflection on her part, and plenty of opportunity for a sequel. I truly hope the author, Fadya Alameddine does write a sequel or maybe even a series. The basics of a really good, interesting and thoughtful Young Adult story are there, with real and relatable characters, just flesh it out with more detail about the people and the action. That’s all it needs – just a little more of the good stuff. I recommend the book, and the author.

2.75The basic plot of the story was not bad, but I did not like most of the characters. I thought Sarah was annoying. The family dynamic was a bit weird to me. I understand a lot of girls crushing on a teacher, but finding out the teacher reciprocates is a bit creepy. Also the time jumps confused me.This book seemed to be missing a lot of what I think could have been great scenes. Last minute anxiety before the trip, the early marriage while she knows she still loves Spencer. Even learning how to function in an arranged marriage. I wish all that had been there.