The following is a list of Girls Of Riyadh reviews from readers who have actually read the book. They are unbiased reviews and so give a very balanced opinion of Rajaa al-Sanea’s bestselling novel.

Girls Of Riyadh – Book Review 1

Behind the shelter of the strict, religiously-dominated society of Saudi Arabia, it is difficult to imagine the daily lives of young women on the cusp of maturity, imagining the ecstasy of first love and the handsome men who will become their husbands. Four such women are members of the “velvet” Riyadh upper class, their every material desire provided, empty hours fueled with romantic fantasies and plans for the future. Well-educated and accomplished, the four, Sadeem, Gamrah, Michelle and Lamees, exist in a rarified atmosphere, feeding on one another’s dreams and expectations. Their romantic tribulations are accounted, chapter by chapter, by an anonymous female narrator who posts the unfolding events on the internet. Refusing to disclose her identity, the moderator offers comments and reactions to each phase of her narrative before beginning the next adventure of her sympathetic protagonists.

The girls are similar in background, but dissimilar in their choices and admonitions to one another along the way. What they clearly share is a fascination with the rituals of seduction experienced by marriageable girls of every culture, theirs more rigidly designed to limit exposure to acceptable classes and familiar interests. Yet within this structured framework, the friends manage to indulge in all the excesses of first love, the desperate attraction and yearning for the beloved, interminable phone calls that last until the wee hours of the morning, the timely seduction approved by the society they live in. Each girl manages to fall hopelessly in love, harboring “the dream of marrying the first love of their lives”. All but one fail in this pursuit, each enduring the endless anxiety of waiting to be chosen, the rapture of the beloved’s acknowledgment and the ultimate pain of love lost.

To this end, their experiences are familiar, but the author subtly manipulates her stories to illustrate the demands of a culture that does not cater to love matches, in most cases the mother of the beloved more influential than the girl the young man desires. Falling into the usual trap of denial in spite of their best intentions, the girls agonize over lost opportunities and poor choices, learning the harsh lessons of young love as they seek to redefine their identities to better protect themselves from failure. Finishing the novel, it is difficult to assign more than a voyeuristic curiosity for the brokenhearted protagonists. Though culture and religion are strictly defined, as well as the young women’s unquestioning obedience to family tradition, there is no deeper context, nor does the author claim one. This small peek into a fascinating culture does, however, indicate a universal rite-of-passage for young women everywhere, betrayal, the loss of innocence and the unsustainable yearning that precedes reality. Luan Gaines/2007.

Girls Of Riyadh – Book Review 2

I’m a Saudi girl, I live in Riyadh and I was really eager to read this book but when I read it I was disappointed in away ..I have to admit it that the book was fun to read but it doesn’t relate to Saudi girls that much, a lot of facts that have been mentioned in the book are in someway shocking to even imagine it happening in Saudi Arabia …
The author is talented but she didn’t look at the big picture.This book reflects Saudi girls and what she wrote is 1% of Saudi girls …..
others will read this book and think this is what Saudi girls are ,and what they are facing which is not true …

Girls Of Riyadh – Book Review 3

I picked up the Girls of Riyadh after hearing about the uproar it caused in Saudi Arabia and for the fact that few pop-fiction books from the Arab world seem to show up in English. It’s the story of four women of the “velvet” class of Saudi Arabia and their exploits of marriage, romance, and relationships in their early 20s. The story is narrated as if it occurred on a yahoo group/list serv and provides an interesting look into the secular upper class. It’s an interesting read and despite the cultural look the book has a lot of fluff to it. It’s an easy and fun read but differs little from young adult fiction in the U.S. (excepting the age group of the women involved). If you’re looking for a light “beach read” go for it.

Girls Of Riyadh – Book Review 4

I was initially drawn to this title due to a NPR discussion I heard about it. Some people have simply labeled it as arabic chick-lit, but I disagree. I can’t stand Chick lit, and found that this was a fascinating insight to a hidden culture. This was my very first Kindle purchase.

I am a man, and was simply amazed at the misoginy and double standard of Arabic society, especially the high level Saudi society. While undoubtedly surrounded by great wealth, the desperation that the main characters and the men they love display is extremely sad. Marrying a true love is a lucky happenstance that only belongs to a few, more often then not the marriages are loveless affairs.

It appears that the men in that society also stop their emotional maturation at around age 12 because they are coddled and allowed to. Any western woman should come away from reading this book with a new found appreciation for her freedom and rights to choose the partner of her choice.

I highly recommend this book.