⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to @tlcbooktours, @stmartinspress, @macmillan.audio and the author for the free e-book and advanced listening copy!
This book was so cute. First of all, did not know going into it that it was set in the 70s. It felt so relevant to today’s world that I hardly noticed until a few fun references to music, culture, etc were thrown in. This was a fun and fresh approach in the YA world and I really enjoyed that aspect. The other part I enjoyed was learning more about Iranian culture. The descriptions of food made by Jasmine’s auntie were literally mouthwatering and I need to find the nearest Persian restaurant STAT.
ANYWAY- the content of the book itself was light and funny but also had some important themes about culture, friendship, etc. that are very relevant in today’s world. Jasmine’s series of unfortunate decisions were a bit annoying at times to read about as an adult but I think this story is so perfect for YA audiences and is something I would have related to a lot as a teenager.
I both read and listened to this book. The audio narrator has a voice/style that was a bit over the top for my taste and I think this book would be best consumed via print or e-reader! Overall, highly recommend to YA audiences or adults looking for a funny and sweet YA read!
Content Rating: PG
Synopsis:
A fresh spin on the cult-classic Election meets Darius the Great Is Not Okay in Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win when an international incident crashes into a high school election, and Jasmine is caught between doing the right thing and chasing her dream.
It’s 1979, and Jasmine Zumideh is ready to get the heck out of her stale, Southern California suburb and into her dream school, NYU, where she’ll major in journalism and cover New York City’s exploding music scene.
There’s just one teeny problem: Due to a deadline snafu, she maaaaaaybe said she was Senior Class President-Elect on her application―before the election takes place. But honestly, she’s running against Gerald Thomas, a rigid rule-follower whose platform includes reinstating a dress code―there’s no way she can lose. And she better not, or she’ll never get into NYU.
But then, a real-life international incident turns the election upside down. Iran suddenly dominates the nightly news, and her opponent seizes the opportunity to stir up anti-Iranian hysteria at school and turn the electorate against her. Her brother, Ali, is no help. He’s become an outspoken advocate for Iran just as she’s trying to downplay her heritage.
Now, as the white lie she told snowballs into an avalanche, Jasmine is stuck between claiming her heritage or hiding it, standing by her outspoken brother or turning her back on him, winning the election or abandoning her dreams for good.
Told with biting insight and fierce humor, Susan Azim Boyer's Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a fresh, unforgettable story of one Iranian-American young woman’s experience navigating her identity, friendship, family, her future, and a budding romance, all set against life-changing historical events with present-day relevance.
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