Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know

Written by Samira Ahmed

Narrated by Leila Buck and Soneela Nankani

Discover New York Times bestseller Samira Ahmed’s romantic, sweeping adventure through the streets of Paris told in alternating narratives that bridge centuries, continents, and the lives of two young Muslim women fighting to write their own stories.

 

Smash the patriarchy. Eat all the pastries.

 

It’s August in Paris and 17-year-old Khayyam Maquet—American, French, Indian, Muslim—is at a crossroads. This holiday with her parents should be a dream trip for the budding art historian. But her maybe-ex-boyfriend is ghosting her, she might have just blown her chance at getting into her dream college, and now all she really wants is to be back home in Chicago figuring out her messy life instead of brooding in the City of Light.

 

Two hundred years before Khayyam’s summer of discontent, Leila is struggling to survive and keep her true love hidden from the Pasha who has “gifted” her with favored status in his harem. In the present day—and with the company of Alex, a très charmant teen descendant of Alexandre Dumas—Khayyam searches for a rumored lost painting, uncovering a connection between Leila and Alexandre Dumas, Eugène Delacroix, and Lord Byron that may have been erased from history.

 

Echoing across centuries, Leila and Khayyam’s lives intertwine, and as one woman’s long-forgotten life is uncovered, another's is transformed.

 

“Ahmed's brilliant novel shows that the familiar journey of being smart, in love, and a little lost is as profound now as it was in the 19th century. Add in a romance in the hidden gardens of Paris and an explosive trove of lost historical letters from a woman almost forgotten and you've got a fresh, thoughtful joyride that you'll want to read with every woman and girl you know.”—Kim Liggett, New York Times bestselling author of The Grace Year

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980080053

Samira Ahmed

Samira Ahmed is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the young adult novels Love, Hate & Other Filters; Internment; Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know; and Hollow Fires. She is also the author of the middle grade fantasy Amira & Hamza duology and the Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit comic series. She was born in Bombay, India, and grew up in Batavia, Illinois, in a house that smelled like fried onions, garlic, and potpourri. She has lived in New York, Chicago, and Kauai, where she spent a year searching for the perfect mango. She invites you to visit her online at samiraahmed.com.

Reviews for Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know

[adelia soulje · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could listen to Samirah Ahmed’s prose all day long. Two narratives from separate time periods are not often appealing to me, but Samirah changed my mind about them! 10/10 recommend! Definitely a new favorite!

[fionaanne · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This premise had so much promise but doesn't deliver because a) too much telling, not enough showing and b) preachiness. DNF.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love a good literary treasure hunt, especially when women of color get to tell their own stories. Samira Ahmed is a stunning novelist, and, after the third consecutive five-star book, has reached automatic-buy status. This novel brims with art history, joie de vivre, and the ache of a woman's long-forgotten history. I thoroughly enjoyed spending some time in Paris with Khayyam and Leila.

#writeherstory

[ethel55_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Khayyam blows an art history scholarship award, but the consolation is spending time with her parents in Paris. When she ran into a boy in a local park, there were moments I wondered if I had picked up a paranormal story. But no, Alexandre is indeed real and the several great grandson of the famed Alexandre Dumas, The search is on for the raven haired woman, whose tale is told in alternating chapters. Leila crossed paths with Byron, Dumas and Delacroix and the book relates Khayyam and Alexandre's adventure for proof of her existence.

[lflareads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Khayyam is spending her summer in France with her mom and dad. She is American, French, Indian, and Muslim and would love to study art in college. Recently, she failed to win a writing contest to get into the college of her dreams. Her boyfriend is posting pictures with other girls and seemed to dismiss Khayyam before she left. All is not lost when she meets Alexandre Dumas.

Leila is struggling, as she is trying to hide her love for a man. Khayyam and Alexandre are researching and trying to understand what happened centuries ago.

The chapters alternate from present, Khayyam’s story to the past, Leila’s story. The history and clues intertwine and keep the reader finding connections between the past and present. I love the power and discoveries of the female characters throughout! The title is a reference to a description Lord Byron used and will become clear as you delve into this fascinating novel!

[hccpsk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With her newest novel, Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, Samira Ahmed has definitely landed on my list of favorite YA authors. All of her books contain powerful female characters of color with strong feminist ideals navigating modern landscapes with interesting stories. In Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, Khayyam finds herself spending the summer before her senior year in high school in Paris with her parents trying to recover from academic and personal disappointment at home in Chicago. Because of her French father, she speaks fluent French so she quickly resigns herself to exploring the city and attempting to fix her problems at home by continuing to research the subject of her failing paper. Ahmed knows how to write a great story, and she masterfully weaves in letters and flashback stories from Leila, the mysterious woman at the heart of Khayyam’s research. Of course, there are boys, romance, a lot of unbelievable coincidences and ridiculous situations, but that is half the fun of a good YA novel. At the center of Mad, Bad is a strong character, a great historical story and Ahmed’s fine writing style that should be appreciated by any reader.