Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating

About this book

Everyone likes Humaira "Hani" Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship...with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita "Ishu" Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She’s an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that she stands a chance of being elected head girl. Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after.

Censorship history

In 2024, "Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating" by Adiba Jaigirdar was banned at the school level in several districts across the United States due to its LGBTQ+ content. This ban reflects a growing trend in various states where books featuring LGBTQ+ themes are challenged by parents and community members, often leading to school board votes that uphold the bans. Specific instances of these challenges have occurred in states like Texas and Florida, where conservative groups have actively campaigned against such literature in educational settings.

Bans

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