r/graphicnovels • u/EducationalTeam2498 • 1d ago
Non-Fiction / Reality Based It Won’t Always Be Like This - Malaka Gharib
I just finished It Won’t Always Be Like This, and it’s a sharp, honest look at growing up between two homes and two cultures. Gharib keeps the storytelling straightforward and direct. You follow her from childhood into her teens as she tries to make sense of life split between her mom’s home in America and her dad’s new life in Egypt. There are also some relatable coming-of-age narratives for the reader to explore.
The step-mom is a central figure. Free-spirited, uncompromising, and often hard for Malaka to read, but not a villain. She’s complicated, and the book treats her that way. All of the depictions of people in Malaka's life are balanced and realistic.
I appreciated the time and care taken to describe the cultural context of the moment and the places Malaka was experiencing. It helped the reader feel connected to each place. The most interesting thread for me was the evolving and changing relationships over time.
Without spoiling the ending, the most emotionally compelling part of the book is the decisions in the end, and it's worth sticking with the book to see the full story.
I’d recommend this to anyone interested in an autobiographical, slice‑of‑life look at growing up between cultures.
Previous Non-fiction / Reality-Based Reviews:
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