****TW:**** Islamophobia, Racism, Cheating, Gaslighting, mention of bombing, war

****************Summary:****************

The year is 1979 and all Jasmine wants to do is get out of her town. To move to Manhattan. Go to NYU. Sound easy enough right? Well think again.
Jasmine is determine to do early registration for NYU and just have an easy senior year of high school. There is just one thing that is missing. Some sort of extracarriular activity. So what better way than to run for student body president for the first semester of said senior year. It should be easy enough considering her opponent is someone who wants to reinforce the dress code. But boy is she wrong.
With Iran being in the nightly news almost every night for the duration of campaigning, Jasmine makes the conscious effort to decide not to mention to anyone that she is actually Iranian-American. But her younger brother decides that he is going to take a stand against the injustice that is happening. While her younger brother is showing that he is proud to be an Iranian-American, Jasmine is wanting to suppress that side of her. Jasmine just wants to focus on the election and not focus on what is going on in another country. A part of her that she is trying to hide.
But when the truth does come out, Jasmine has to decide what is really important to her. The election or her heritage. Is there a way to pivot to make sure that she can be proud to be an Iranian-American while still winning the election and going to NYU in the fall of 1980.

************Thoughts:************

If you have followed me for awhile then you already know that I am a sucker for short chapters. This book packs a punch all while it pulls you in and makes you want to keep reading. This was written beautifully and really enjoyed the fact that this does deal with topics that can still be relevant in 2022 United States.
I loved the fact that the author tackled things like racism to where yes it was present in the story but didnt feel like it was the center piece of the whole story. Which is something that happens quite frequently here in the US.
I enjoyed the representation of this book. I enjoyed what it tackled. There were a few things that I didnt enjoy. Like what seems to be some of the students wanting the US to do something to Iran (IE bomb Iran) so that way the Americans can be safe even though they “should really know the whole story before [going] around making the Iranian [people] out to be the bad guy.” (Quote is from chapter 5.)

I loved this book! It was so compulsively readable, I was up all night because I couldn’t put it down. This will be a book I recommend to everyone. It’s a very well written historical YA set in 1979 with great representation, and it has a little bit of everything: politics, rock music, romance, family drama, betrayal, friendship and college applications.

👍
+ This book did such a great job with showing the internal dilemmas of the main character, Jasmine. She’s a flawed character, she makes a lot of mistakes, and takes a lot of selfish actions. But you still like her, and more importantly, you can see why she keeps getting sucked under. I usually have trouble liking characters that walk the morality line, and in this book things get quite out of hand, but I never got uncomfortable reading this, and I was always rooting for Jasmine.
+ The book handles the dual identity of Jasmine so well. As a Persian American during a time of major conflict between the two countries, Jasmine is pulled in two directions, not only by her identity but also by family, her friends and right and wrong. She doesn’t want to let go of her Persian identity but she feels she needs to conform to be able to get into her dream school. I felt this was handled in a very relatable way.
+ Other than Jasmine there were a lot of other great characters as well. I especially loved her brother and her aunt. They all clearly had so much love for each other, though especially the brother-sister duo did a good job trying to hide it.
& more in comments!

👎more of a nitpick:
- The only thing I didn’t love was her switch to the “right side” Things escalate so far and she makes so many bad choices that it’s difficult to understand why that straw was the final one.

Overall rating: 4.5⭐ rounded up to 5!

Thank you so much to St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

As the main character, I can describe Jasmine Zumideh as an overly self-possessed and spineless character who actively refuses to comprehend empathy unless it's beneficial to her plans; she's aloof about things related to her Iranian heritage, embarrassed about them at some point, and chooses not to learn how they're greatly affected by the crisis and injustice in favor of her American-ness. And beyond the issues with her heritage, her treatment of her friends and family is just completely appalling; deciding to withhold the truth against her very best friend because she believes her election process is more important than her friends' feelings, indirectly making her family miserable and causing aggression against her own brother. So, for a character who dreams to be a journalist, I have to agree with her brother's sentiment: how can she become one when she has no heart and a grip for honesty?

I absolutely loved this YA historical fiction novel!! It’s witty, heartfelt, and shines a light on Iranian culture, while highlighting a tumultuous period of time in US history, the time in which the Iran Hostage Crisis occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Jasmine’s character is wonderfully written. She wants to do the right thing, and pursue her dream to go to NYU, but she’s caught between doing what’s right and doing what she thinks has to be done to win the election for senior class president. She’s also afraid to stand up and speak out on any conflict around her. Throughout the book, she struggles with her Iranian-American heritage, feeling as if the two sides of herself are warring against each other. The Iran Hostage Crisis creates a further division in herself, and readers watch Jasmine's character develop, as she begins to realize the beauty and strength of her heritage, ultimately owning and celebrating it. They also see her grow in her understanding of what it means to be a true friend, to love her family, and to show integrity in her life.

The history and background behind the Iran Hostage Crisis was utterly fascinating. I loved learning more about Iranian culture and history, and learning how the U.S. was involved in Iranian politics before the Iran Hostage Crisis began. Overall, this was a fantastic YA historical fiction novel that I raced through. I will pick up anything by this author in the future!

Positively delightful! One of the best YA books I have read this year! The characters are kind of a mess, but their imperfections are what make them endearing and relatable, enjoyed this far more than I thought I would.
Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc which I voluntarily reviewed.

It's probably just me, but I could not get into the setting of this book. It didn't really feel like the 1970s to me; Jasmine had essentially the same voice that I'd expect a modern teenager to have. Altogether, not bad, just not for me.

Jasmine Zumideh is one of the most unlikable characters I've ever read. She was a terrible friend, a terrible sister, a terrible niece... There was SO MUCH ROOM for character growth - lots of baby steps along the way. Instead, we got to see her get worse and worse until the very end when she did a complete 180. Too little, far too late, Jasmine. And everyone just *magically* forgave her with zero tough conversations.

I was really fascinated by the political situation that laid a background for the book (the Iranian Hostage Crisis), and I wish we'd been able to see Jasmine grapple more with her feelings about being Iranian American. Instead we got to see her abandon her identity, both in public and in her own mind, and read endless whining about how unlucky she was that this happened right as she decided to campaign for student body president. 🙄

As a former SoCal resident I understand the need for escape and to go chase one’s dreams in college.

The writing in this was very realistic. You could see these characters being real people because they acted in line with how you would expect teenagers to. However there just wasn’t the character and plot development I would have liked. The book was slow at times and wasn’t quite resolved enough by the end of the story. Jasmine learned some lessons but really didn’t improve that much by the end.

All in all cute book, very important and educational idea, but fell short for me

“Imagine starting the new decade with a new mascot and free Coke every Friday.”

In 1979, at a school obsessed with John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon’s involvement in Watergate and impeachment, Jasmine Zumideh is a senior in high school who dreams of attending NYU and becoming a journalist for “Creem” or another music magazine.

When Jasmine Zumideh applies for early decision to her first choice college, Jasmine realizes she’s missing a something extra to set her early admissions application apart.

“Nothing, except the something extra for my application just went up in smoke. I can practically smell it burning.”

Assuming she won’t be accepted to NYU, she panics and exaggerates on her application. 🫣 Jasmine claims to be the senior class president at school, and she’s not. Whoops 😅

“What was I thinking? I can’t lie on my application. If I get caught, I could go to prison for fraud, I think.”

“That envelope absolutely, positively must get there overnight, and now I absolutely, positively must win this election.”

“I’m not going to fail. I’m going to be the first college reporter to interview Chrissie Hynde.”

As the story unfolds, her small lie continues to grow. She tries not to let it mentally eat away at her. However, there’s a hostage situation in the Iran. Jasmine finds herself having to choosing between the senior class presidency or owning her Iranian-American heritage.

“We slept through the seventies. It’s time to wake up.”

I love Jasmine’s determination and passion to be admitted into her first choice journalism school. I instantly loved and admired Jasmine for her passion of journalism and her love of music. Jasmine is truly a good person and handles and immense amount of pressure well.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! With fully fleshed out characters, Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Wins is a fast, fun read and a undeniably quirky plot that’s well structured. I found this book difficult to put down.

Title: Jasmine Zumideh Needs A Win
Author: Susan Azim Boyer
Release Date: November 1st, 2022
Page Count: 336
Start Date: October 20th, 2022
Finish Date: November 1st, 2022

Review:
Story: I liked this book. It was very quirky. It reminded me of a few popular young adult movies and books. I won’t list them because I don’t want to take away from this book. I’m not going to lie. I can’t say I was absolutely in love with this book. I definitely won’t ever be reading it again. If there is a sequel, I might consider reading it. It would depend on my reading schedule.
Characters: I didn’t care for the main character at all. She was just really self-absorbed. I get that she really wanted to get into her dream college, but still. Even Paris realized that stepping over everybody was detrimental to her goals. That’s a reference to Gilmore Girls. In my opinion, she was like Paris from Gilmore girls and Cady from Mean Girls. The rest of the characters had their ups and down.
Critiques: Nothing.
Final Thoughts: I really think that this book will be a hit for a younger audience. It’s funny. It’s quirky. It does have some underlying messages that are rather hidden in a way. While I’ll never read it again, I really did enjoy the read. I recommend it fully

4.25 stars!

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer may be about a high school teen campaigning for senior class president in 1979, but I found this witty debut wonderfully relevant and honest. Jasmine caught my attention from the start. Likable and passionate, she’s determined to make her dream of attending NYU and becoming a music journalist a reality. When a little white lie snowballs, she finds herself at the center of a high school and an American controversy. Her desperation to win the election forces her to make some difficult choices, leaving her torn between her Iranian and American identities.

I found Jasmine compelling. She’s portrayed realistically, as a struggling teen, whose world has become hyper-focused. Her parents are a mess, currently separated. Her father is away on business and her mother has retreated to Kansas to be with Jasmine’s grandmother. Jasmine’s Iranian aunt has come to stay with them, intent on keeping their Iranian heritage at the forefront of Jasmine and her brother’s life.

Boyer has created a cast of characters that are captivating, making even the unlikeable characters human. From Jasmine’s best friends, to her close-minded running mate, to her radical brother, I wanted to know more about each one.

And even though watching Jasmine make desperately terrible decisions over and over is hard, there’s humor and joy as she finds the right path.

I was so impressed with the author’s creativity in using a high school election and an international incident to highlight our political climate and illustrate how elections can turn all of us into people we don’t recognize.

And I had so much fun visiting 1979!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer

This book was the perfect balance of hilarious and being in your feels. The first time I saw this cover I knew this book would be a wild ride. An Iranian-American, mixed race, teenager in the 1980s trying to win a school election with political and social drama abound? Yeah, that sounds like it'd keep me hooked the entire time.

Two qualities of this book I really enjoyed was not only how funny it was but also the way Boyer didn't flinch away from speaking the hard truths about how young ethnic people have to navigate difficult political climates that they're not the on the frontlines of but they are the face of it in the West.

There are moments where some characters are flinging out some really painful (micro)aggressions and I felt every single one somewhere in my soul. That anger of wanting to speak up and bring these people down but also feeling like you should keep your mouth shut.

I think seeing Jasmine struggle to just be a teenager trying to get into university and make all the wrong choices was so interesting. Never throughout my read did I forget that she's just an 18 year old girl trying to figure things out. Cause it never really is as easy as 'take down the bad guys' especially when they're your peers and they've been fed incorrect political drivel their entire lives.

The supporting cast of characters like Ali (Jasmine's brother), Mike (her love interest), Bridget (her best friend), and her Amme (aunt) made this story all the more compelling. Every single person is effected by Jasmine but they also all play significant roles in her life as a narrative foil, voice of reason, and guilt. For me, the network of secondary characters really stole the entire show!

I loved seeing how the author wove together so many different plot points into a fun and wonderfully packaged read that teaches us a lot about the struggles of remaining true to yourself and your heritage in the face of a majority populace.

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley and TBR Beyond Tours for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

Just to be frank that the topics are quite heavy for me, I found some points that are tough to get into while I'm reading but eventually, I started to get along with this book and solve what it contained when I was 26% reading it.

Jasmine as the main character in this book is an Iranian American girl who lived in the United States during the big conflicts between both countries USA and Iran, being in her role can be hard enough, as an half and half when her both countries hate each other, as she went through so many disputes and problems that she got from her sibling, friends in High school, and political issues which also complicated and unfolding, as well as some choices she made. This is the part that I admire about Jasmine who is regardless of these problems, as well as the way how she solved and fixed all these dilemmas, eventually.

This book is a win, Jasmine is a wonderfully strong female character and I loved the chance to better understand how it would have felt in 1979, and would still feel today, to be Iranian American. I loved that this book showcased her typical adolescent identity and senior year in high school tropes but added in the important layer of ethnicity and culture (and gender!) within the context of the election and political unrest. There is so much value in a young adult book that offers this voice and character.

I loved some of the other themes here, the focus on music, the normalcy of adolescent life but also the intensity of how that time feels, the flaws in Jasmine's behavior (because adolescents are and should be messy!). This is a great book with character growth and empowering themes on integrity and movement into adulthood.

I appreciate the gifted ebook from St Martin's and the chance to celebrate Susan Asim Boyer's writing and her characters.

A spectacular debut novel that's a 4-star for me and I definitely loved this book and want to see more from this author. Wonderful MC and I liked the plot.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win was a mesmerizing read in every way I imagined it to be, and more! It's been a while since I last read a YA story that could engulf my attention like JZNAW did. I loved how the book had a modern touch, even though it was set in 1979!

Let's face it, high school isn't perfect for anyone. And this book expresses that notion perfectly. Seeing Jasmine make some wrong choices (which is perfectly reasonable for that age) made her so damn relatable in my eyes. Reading about Jas' struggles with her identity, culture and heritage being an Iranian-American teen made the book remarkable, in my opinion. I enjoyed getting to know about Iranian culture A LOT. The author's writing style needs to be praised too ~ it was so easy to lose myself in the story because of her talent! Humor was sprinkled all throughout the book even when difficult issues were being talked about - so that's another thing that I liked about the story. How different elements were balanced in the plotline, I mean. All the intensity surrounding the student election added such a thrilling touch to JZNAW too. :')

I can't recommend this book enough! 💜

This is a story about how far you'll go to achieve your dream. Jasmine Zumideh is a high school senior and aspiring rock journalist in 1979.  She is eager to get out of Southern California and become the first student from her school to attend NYU.  She has strong grades and the support of her school's journalism advisor.  But she feels she needs something more, so she writes on her application that she is the senior class president-elect -- even though the election has not yet happened.  

Jasmine is not too worried, though, given her opponent: Gerald, her nemesis from the school newspaper who is running on a platform of reinstating a dress code and otherwise imposing more order, which hardly seems like it will be popular among their fellow seniors.  But then an international incident with personal resonance for Jasmine begins to dominate the news, and Gerald uses this incident to generate support for his candidacy and try to undermine her campaign -- forcing Jasmine, who is navigating her own identity and family issues, to make difficult choices about what she shares about herself, how to handle her brother, and how far she is winning to go to secure victory and her admission to her dream school.

This was an interesting and creative book, melding stories about an election, navigating identity, and handling friendship and family at this crucial stage of life.  The author did an excellent job portraying why Jasmine was so eager to go to NYU and how it drove her to questionable choices all in service, in her mind, of what she needs to do to reach her dream life.  The juxtaposition of Jasmine and her brother, on the one hand, and Jasmine and her potential love interest Mike, on the other, was an effective way to explore how to balance the pressures of fitting in and navigating identities different from the majority of students.  Finally, the book deftly deploys both serious and funny tones at different points of the story, which is not easy to do.

Highly recommended!

This book was an interesting look at historical and pop culture of the 1970s. It takes on xenophobic manipulation, the tension of running a high school election campaign, an identity crisis, and a teenage girl trying to juggle it all through her passion for journalism and classic rock. Jazmine’s struggle with her Iranian-American identity was moving and handled with care as she fought racist comments against her. Her brother Ali was a compelling character as well and I appreciated his exchanges with her! While I wanted and got a happy YA bow tie ending, the conclusion was a bit rushed to me and most of the character growth happens in the end. I enjoyed the story overall and recommend to anyone who enjoys high school elections, self-discovery, and stories of multiple identities.

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. The incorporation of real event in Iran during the timeline in the book makes this young adult historical fiction educational in more than one regard.