a modern take on an age-old question: when forced to choose between her family and the guy she loves, what will maleeka do? sixteen-year-old maleeka was taught from a young age that family was everything. but growing up, she knew she was different from her siblings, who excelled and followed the rules imposed by their strict and hot-tempered first-generation syrian father. maleeka pushed boundaries, upending the order her father tried to exert upon his household. uninterested in becoming a doctor, lawyer or an engineer, maleeka dreams of writing and singing-of creating her own life story and following her own moral compass. yearning to be seen and loved just as she is, maleeka seeks solace in marc, a high spirited and rebellious-yet sensitive-bad boy. swept off her feet into his heart and his arms, maleeka feels more loved and supported by marc than she does by her family, but she is forbidden to have anything to do with him. not wanting to choose between her family and marc, maleeka tries to have it both ways. but keeping her relationship with marc a secret is a constant battle. when her older brother threatens to reveal her secret, maleeka realizes she has to make a choice between the one she loves and the family she needs. can maleeka and marc find a way to stay together or will they lose the fight?