A Whole Song and Dance by Sarvenaz Tash is a charming and heartfelt young adult novel that follows the story of Nasrin, a freshman in NYU’s prestigious musical theater program who is struggling to balance her passion for theater with her family’s expectations for her to pursue a business degree. When Nasrin starts to fail her business course, she reluctantly enlists the help of Max, a smug and attractive tutor who quickly becomes more than just a study partner.

Tash has created a cast of characters that are both realistic and endearing. Nasrin is a relatable protagonist, grappling with the pressures of being the “golden child” in her family and trying to find her place in the world. Max, too, is a well-rounded character, with his own motivations and struggles that make him more than just a love interest. Nasrin’s cousin, who causes a bit of romantic drama, is a particularly entertaining character who adds a touch of mischief to the story.

One of the strengths of A Whole Song and Dance is the way that Tash incorporates themes of identity, family, and pursuing one’s dreams into the story without feeling preachy or heavy-handed. Nasrin’s struggles with balancing her passion for theater with her family’s expectations will resonate with many young readers, and the way that she learns to stand up for herself and pursue her dreams is empowering.

The romantic storyline between Nasrin and Max is also well-handled, with their chemistry and banter feeling authentic and sweet. The slow burn of their relationship is satisfying to read, and the obstacles that they face feel organic to the story. Overall, A Whole Song and Dance is a charming and uplifting read that will appeal to fans of both musical theater and romance. Tash’s writing is engaging and witty, and the characters are a delight to spend time with. Highly recommended!

One of my favorite romance tropes is when the MC is living a double life. This novel definitely delivered. It was so fun and the banter was perfect.

Tash has once again penned a lovely story, with characters who jump off the page and make the reader absolutely invested in their lives and stories. A wonderfully written exploration of a young woman navigating cultural expectations and her own dreams for the future, this one is a must read for any teen (or the parent of any teen) with acting ambitions.

perfect for fans of live theater and messy protagonists!

Nasrin is starting her freshman year of college loaded down with tons of business classes as a proud business major… or so her parents think... She’s ACTUALLY in the musical theater program, and she’s gone to great lengths to keep up the lie, but the guilt is really getting to her. She keeps giving herself deadlines to tell them the truth, and keeps finding excuses to push the deadlines back...

She’s INSANELY busy in her first semester. She wants to at least double major so her parents will take the news easy… and she ends up with a very demanding gig… and she needs tutoring for the one business class she IS taking… and her classes require so much of her… and she has to maintain social time… Seeing Nasrin spread herself so thin is sorta like a comedy of errors, but it’s also tough because she just wants to do well at everything.

This was a really fun and compelling coming of age book with fleshed out side characters, complicated parental relationships, a passionate but slightly misguided main character, and just a hint of a sweet romance. The Iranian-American representation is so welcome and fun to read. All the conflicts made sense and resolved in a good way. I’m happy to have more college-set stories in YA, and especially diverse ones!!

This heartwarming, totally relatable, romantic comedy starring Nasrin Mahdavi and a slew of fun-loving supporting cast members showcases a young, driven Iranian-American college freshman who's a triple threat on Broadway—but who's living a double life.

I was smitten with Nasrin’s story in many ways. The title A Whole Song and Dance has a clever double meaning, as it is not just about Nasrin’s acting pursuits but about the perceived carnage along the way – especially the almost year-long “song and dance” she does in keeping her secret from her parents. Not only is the pressure we put on ourselves for our parent’s approval and support totally relatable (certainly was in my case), but so too is the pressure we put on ourselves in navigating this crazy little thing called life – even when it seems as if the world is at our feet.

A Whole Song and Dance is about being brave enough to follow your dreams but perhaps not being quite brave enough to deal with the impacts of that pursuit. Relationships, priorities and what we make excuses for are at the core of this story and are addressed in a refreshing and candid way. Author Sarvenaz Tash’s frank and creative writing is a joy to lose oneself in. Tash creates an inviting and stimulating framework in which she injects characters that battle their own demons and from whom there is a lot to learn.

The characters in A Whole Song and Dance are lovable because they are all flawed and believable. Despite the tale being set amongst the razzle dazzle of the acting and theater world, the character’s struggles are down-to-earth and real. Nasrin struggles with her prior experiences, juggling a hectic schedule, and her inability to tell her parents what she is really up to. Her best friend, Beckett, has trouble communicating with those closest to him – all to his own detriment. Max continues to work through his parents’ disapproval of his own career goals and how it affects him. Readers will be able to relate to at least one, but I suspect more, of these character struggles and hopefully have a lighthearted laugh about it along the way.

The contrast between the acting world and the business world is also addressed in a sincere, authentic way. Nasrin does not shun either career choice, but reflectively and thoughtfully makes light of the pros and cons of both, as well as the fact that the grass can often seem greener on the other side. She learns to have the courage and confidence to make tough choices. As much as she wants to do it all, at some point, something’s got to give, and she comes to terms with this and handles it with admirable grace.

Do yourself a favor and check out A Whole Song and Dance. It might help you navigate your own “song and dance” while giving you courage to face your fears and accept your authentic self.

That was a lot of fun. Nasrin was a really likable character and Max was a sweetheart. I love how Tash clearly showed Nasrin struggle with living the life she wanted to, one that made her happy, and lying to her parents. As a reader I appreciate when the struggle is in the forefront and there is no grey area. Definitely recommend checking this one out.

A WHOLE SONG AND DANCE was an enjoyable young adult contemporary about Nasrin Mahdavi who has to juggle multiple lies when she gets into the school of her dreams—the one her parents don’t want her going to. And then her predicament gets more complicated when she lands a role on a brand new series, she starts getting closer to a boy, and her cousin moves in and starts to stir everything up.

I’ll admit, this took me months to read. I’m not joking. I think I got the arc sometime in March and it’s currently the end of June. So… safe to say I don’t remember everything about this book. I did like it, especially Nasrin’s growth and the way she finally owned up to her mistakes by the end. I really enjoyed how her relationship with Minu developed, and how they finally put aside their differences to become friends. Nasrin’s relationship with Beckett was really sweet, and her relationship with Max was even sweeter.

The reason this is a three star instead of a four star book simply comes down to the fact that it took me so long to read. Had I read it faster, I may have enjoyed it better, but it just didn’t hook me like I wanted it to, therefore I kept putting it off until I finally rolled it on my tbr wheel (don’t ask) and I managed to finish it in only a couple of hours. I do feel like Nasrin was a little bit immature for someone who was supposed to be a university student, but I did feel like she grew out of that as the book went on, so it didn’t bother me too much. Also, this has more to do with the marketing than the book itself but this is definitely more of a contemporary than a romance. Nasrin’s lies took precedent over her relationship with Max—which I didn’t generally love, but that’s a me fault, not the book’s fault—and so this was definitely not a romance book.

Regardless, this was a fun book that I did genuinely enjoy. It’s just a bit lower down on my enjoyment scale than others, but it is most definitely not a bad book!

Thank you, NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Content - The book showcases Nasrin, an Iranian-American girl who recently got an acceptance letter from her dream college, NYU Tisch School of Arts to do Major in Musical Theatre. She has always dreamt about doing showbiz and broadway and she even lands a role in a viral streaming show. But there is just one problem, her parents, who think she is in business school.

To keep them happy, Nasrin enrolls in a statistics class, but she's kind of failing it. To keep up her grades, she hires a tutor, Max, who is annoying but attractive and they have a weird kind of love-hate relationship. Things take another challenging turn when her parents decide to move to New York along with a cousin who starts to blackmail her over her secrets.

Now Nasrin must decide what she really needs and how she is going to stand up for it.
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My Views - The book is a beautifully written coming-of-age rom-com book. The book deals with the parent-child relationship gap and the over expectations they have from their children and not understanding the child's choice or even supporting it.

The author being a Tisch Scholar herself has beautifully written about the school and its cultural surroundings. The relationship between Max and Nasrin is also funny and interesting.

The narration is smooth and flowy. The language is easy to understand.

Overall a very interesting and feel good read.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

Contemporary YA Romance. I like Nasrin, but the whole creating a website and faking bills from NYU business school just didn't quite fly for me. Cute NYC story with fun LES moments and a cool look how to stay true to yourself while pursuing your dreams.

A whole song and dance is a YA rom-com revolving around Nasrin who is thrilled to be accepted to Tisch School for drama classes in
NYC. But she has told her parents that she's actually at business school since they don’t want her to make a career in drama, just keep it as a hobby.

She’s taking a Stats class to be able to have a legit business course to talk about with her folks and she plans to tell them eventually.

This is a perfect read for musical theatre nerds. It has lots of twists and turns, a charming romance, and musical theatre references! Also, it perfectly represents the weight of a family’s expectations and the struggle to find one's life.

It was a fun book to read and I loved the characters. I loved Narsin the most, I loved the way she stood up for herself and fulfils her dreams. This book will make a great movie.

𝙰 𝚆𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚂𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 by Sarvenaz Tash is a book in which I saw myself. Nasrin, fresh out of high school, has received her acceptance into the elite drama school of Tisch. Her parents want her to go to Stern, the business school, and when they assume her acceptance is actually for Stern, Nasrin cannot bring herself to correct them. Hence begins Nasrin’s double life. She takes measures to ensure they do not guess that she is going to Tisch and takes one Stats class to not completely lie to them about what she is studying. Her love and focus though is theatre and she dives into the education needed to be a professional with zeal and excitement.

𝙰 𝚆𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚂𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 is a quick read about a young girl choosing to pursue her passions without telling her family exactly what she is doing because she thinks they won’t support her. Caught up in the hard work of becoming a professional, she is living the amazing life of opportunities and understanding herself and her personal values. The story is grounded in culture and presents a nuanced picture of what it means to be a child of immigrants. Family interactions via phone and visits to Nasrin’s parents are an integral part of the story. There were aromatic foods that made me hungry and long for my grandma’s cooking. Also present, an amazing best friend, a playful cousin and an annoyingly hot TA amongst a variety of characters that made this book a great read.

Head to my blog to read my detailed review where I talk about each of the characters I loved, on the parallels I found between Nasrin’s life and what I grew up with in India and what it means to study our passions.

Thank you to Sarvenaz Tash and Disney Books for the review copy of this book. Thank you Colored Pages Tours for having me.

If you’re looking for a cute YA story, then do this give a book a chance. it’s fun and easy to read. I flew through this book. Nasrin represented passion and Max was sweet.

Grateful to the author and colored pages and Net galley for providing an eARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this one. One of my favourite topic to read about is coming out of age stories about parents and the expectations that they put on their children and how those things affect children’s lives, and I adored how it was talked about in this book. I liked how hopeful this book felt and I loved the message of this book. It’s something that I need to be remember off often and this book did a really good job at reminding me of what’s important in life, which i’m very grateful for.

This was such a lovely story and a wonderful take on this topic, I had a wonderful time reading this one.

Hannah Montanna-esque story of a Broadway triple threat. This book will be perfect for Sarah Dessen fans. Filled with enough sweetness and sadness, readers will get the best of both worlds.

I love a theatre centered book, this one did not disappoint. The drama!

I also the chaos of the main character, Nasrin, leading a double life. Everything piles on and adds up digging into an even deeper hole. When everything comes to light what will she choose? Her dreams? Or her family’s?

This was a sweet read I definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

I really wanted to like this more than I did, but I found myself reading it simply to finish it. Nasrin's a triple threat, but even with getting into NYU and having her college paid for...she has to lie to her parents (who are paying for college) because they think she got into business school rather than Tisch at NYU. As a daughter of immigrants, Nasrin's passion is pushed to the side by her parents even though she doesn't want to go into business like them. So, she lies. That's the gist of the plot is keeping this double life away from her parents while Nasrin gets more and more opportunities, including starring on an increasingly popular -- yet problematic -- web show. She also has a relationship with her stats TA, and she has best friend drama with a fellow drama peer.

I'm not sure what exactly I didn't like about this, but I just struggled to read it. Every chapter reiterates the fact that Nasrin is lying to her parents. The weird romance with her stats TA. The problematic webshow which is acknowledged to have issues but no one ever does anything about it or says anything about it.

I did like the musical/broadway references. And Nasrin's passion and desire to do what she wants makes this a decent read...

I could hardly put this down. This book is about Nasrin who gets into NYU for drama but her parents think she got in for business, and she keeps chickening out of telling them, even in her first year there.
Not only was there so much to the story that was very Iranian, like going to a Persian restaurant and seeing the dishes on the menu that you know the names of being referred to as descriptors like “green herb stew”, but there are also a lot of good lessons. Sure, the main theme of the story is that Nasrin feels awful lying to her parents about her pursuing drama and trying so hard to figure out how to tell them, but a significant event of the story as well revolves around her being cast in a web series that has a good chance of getting big, but once that becomes real, she isn’t sure if she would really rather be doing that than going to school, even though professional acting is what she wants.
The characters are really good, and the vast majority of them are people of color, and the plot never lets up, it keeps throwing curveball after curveball in Nasrin’s direction, and I had so much fun reading this.
I received a digital arc from Netgalley as part of a blog tour, for an honest review.

Nasrin loves acting with her whole heart, but her parents want her to go into college for business so she won't struggle like they did. She gets into NYU, but not the business school like they thought, instead she is going to Tisch as a drama major. As the school year progresses, she tries to figure out how to tell them. Instead she lands a role in a web-based musical and her deception grows. More and more complications keep coming up as Nasrin tries to keep all of her lies and commitments straight. This is a must read for musical theater lovers and anyone hoping to follow their dreams without the support of their families, grades 7 & up.

This was cute! I was a little worried the references and theater kids would get annoying and repetitive but I really ended up enjoying it! I'm impressed!