Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win captures the of the nationaly mood of the early days of the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Jasmine, a high school senior and the daughter of an Iranian father and American mother, is hoping to leave California after graduation and study journalism at NYU. But first, she has to be accepted at the prestigious institution. Needing that "something extra" to make her application stand out, Jasmine runs for senior class president. However, the college application is due before the election, so she says on the application that she's already been elected. She expects to win, so it won't be a problem, right?

Less than a week into her campaign, Iranian student radicals seize the U.S. Embassy in Iran and take American hostages. The anti-Iranian sentiment at Jasmine's school is immediate and virulent, threatening Jasmine's chances of winning. Jasmine tries to downplay (if not hide) her Iranian heritage, which is difficult when her brother exercises his First Amendment rights to defend the Iranian students and educate his classmates about previous U.S. interference in Iran. Suddenly, Jasmine finds herself at odds with her brother (more so than usual) and running a questionable campaign full of dirty tricks. But she justifies it by telling herself she has to get into NYU and her opponent want to bomb Iran.

On top of all the campaign drama, Jasmine's parents are on the verge of divorce, her friend group is falling apart, and there's a cute new guy at school she likes.

Although YA readers may not understand some of the historical references (Patty Hearst and the Symbionese Liberation Army, for example), they will relate to the themes of identity, cultural conflict, family issues, and teen romance. The multiple subplots keep the story moving at a pace that will keep teens engaged.

I also think there's an audience for this book among adults who were teens during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. As one such reader, I really enjoyed this book and thought it captured that period in U.S. history very well.

The end of the book seems a little rushed (perhaps because I wanted more), but overall this is a compelling story that will appeal to YA fans of historical fiction.

Jasmine is desperate to get into a competitive college program, and consequently has over-promised on her college application. In order to secure her desired outcome, she starts making all kinds of morally questionable decisions, including minimizing her own heritage. This is a lively story about the consequences of not staying true to yourself in order to achieve perceived success.

Cute audio narration.

I really enjoyed this one. It felt like a fun take on a Tracey Flick-type character and story. Jasmine wasn't always likable and often made the worst choice, but the story was still really compelling and enjoyable.

I hated the audio book so much. The narrator’s voice was grating and obnoxious. I have listened to her narrate before and I liked it. The voice she chose for Jasmine though wasn’t good.

I rated it 4 stars though cause it was a cute story.

I had to wait till after pub day to rent the digital one (Kindle, Nook etc) from my library and read it.

There is a lot about this book that will resonate a lot with youths, especially in high school! I think the YA audience will enjoy.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a great YA read! i really enjoyed it and would have loved reading it as a teen!

Overall, I really enjoyed this read, but it wasn't my favorite book from this publisher nor was it in my tops for political themed books as I read four centered around various types of elections. It was however, a quick and easy title.

I read a lot of Wednesday books, so going into this, I had a bit higher expectations going into it. I don't want to say it was bad, because it wasn't, and it also had some very interesting representations in minority communities, this one dealing with Jasmine's Iranian background and an international incident in Iran that unfortunately causes problems for their high school presidential campaign.

I feel like had I not just read (un)popular Vote I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

I enjoyed this novel! The information shared about the international incident was great and I loved the diversity in this novel. The main character grew a lot by the end of the novel and she seemed to have learned about taking accountability for her actions. Jasmine’s experience with her identity was really well done in this book and her interactions with others were interesting and insightful. I enjoyed learning more about Iranian culture and all the talk about food made me hungry!!

I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator for the audiobook, but it thankfully didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the novel. If you are a fan of the tv show, Never Have I Ever, I think you will enjoy this novel and the experiences Jasmine and her friends experience within the high school setting and within their families.

JASMINE ZUMIDEH NEEDS A WIN is a fresh spin on the cult-classic Election, when an international incident crashes into a high school election, and Jasmine is caught between doing the right thing and chasing her dream.

I loved the whole character of Jasmine Zumideh, and while I listened to this as an audiobook, the narrator was wonderful, really making Jasmine the full bodied personality that I found her to be.

*many thanks to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

Classic YA with diverse characters. Enjoyable audiobook narration, but plot was a little obvious.

Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

I loved Jasmine Zumideh! She feels like a fully formed teenage character, making horrible decisions and having to deal with the consequences. Set against the backdrop of the Iranian hostage situation, this book digs into what it's like to be othered for the first time through the eyes of a genuinely likeable main character.

Thank you to Susan Azim Boyer, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for this audiobook of JASMINE ZUMIDEH NEEDS A WIN.

Jasmine Zumideh is a 17-year-old senior in 1979 Midwestern US, who wants nothing more than the blend in and get into an Ivy League school where she can study writing and become a journalist and move to L.A. and write about her favorite bands for Cream. Because Rolling Stone *so* doesn't take music seriously. And the only way to get there, of course, is to be voted senior class president.

But how to do that when the news keeps screaming about Iran and her social rebel brother keeps using the election to rile up the whole school? How else besides changing her name, for starters?

JASMINE ZUMIDEH NEEDS A WIN features an adorable, far-fetched what-can-go-wrong-will sort of plot. Conflict builds (and builds) at a preposterous pace as a result of truly great character development...these kids act believably like kids. That is-- unbelievably. The narrator is also the main character, Jasmine, and the voice is wonderfully addictive. As an audiobook, I found this narrative wildly entertaining.

My only quibble is that there are a couple places where Boyer doesn't get the setting quite right. I lost access to the audiobook before I could write this review, so I don't have my notes anymore to point out exact instances. To be honest there aren't many of these errors, but because I was actually alive then, they glare out at me.

Besides that, I loved the humor in this book, which balanced the heaviness and importance of the political discussion at hand. Elegant work.

Rating 👩🏻‍🎓👩🏻‍🎓👩🏻‍🎓👩🏻‍🎓.5 / 5 Graduating Seniors
Finished December 2022
Recommended? Yes, for narrative voice and humor
Read if you like:
🦸🏾‍♀️Strong female characters
🏫 High school drama
❤️‍🩹 Love triangles
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family drama
🇺🇲 Politics

My review posted to both insta and tiktok: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkbaKJ5gSRz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This was such a cute story! Jasmine is so quirky and fun. Pushed through even when her parents gave her a hard time. Will be recommending this book in book club next week! Great narrator!

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer
I listened to the audio version narrated by Lanna Joffrey. The narrator did an amazing job of bringing the story to life. There were even bits of music added in to give it even more flair.
The book itself was full of witty dialogue, high school drama, broken families, important conversations about race, and most importantly not judging people before you get to know them.
This was definitely written in a relatable way that YA fans will enjoy.
Many thanks to Susan Azim Boyer, NetGalley, Macmillian Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners for the advanced audio version in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a really cute book, but I also felt like it just wasn’t for me. YA is hit or miss for me. I felt like this one was too young for me, the main character was very immature, in my opinion. I did really like the premise of the book and I think It was very well written. I think it was an important read and I did like learning more about the Iran Hostage Crisis. I think this was well done in the book and was very realistic. I know so many others loved this book, I recommend checking their reviews out as well!!

This book is fresh and funny, one of the most original historical novels I've ever read. The setting and time period come alive vibrantly, so readers feel as if they are there. I didn't grow up then, but the book was still reminiscent in many ways of my own high school experience. I found Jasmine to be such an authentically messy and genuine character and laughed constantly at her antics. Even when she's making a mess of things, you can't help but to root for her. I think many BIPOC can relate to her identity crisis of trying to balance her heritage with her Americanness without losing or diluting herself. The wonderful cast of Persian and other characters around her provided perfect foils for her journey. In our current climate, I think JASMINE ZUMIDEH NEEDS A WIN is a much needed and humanizing portrayal of a flawed but loveable teenage Persian girl. This book could be a perfect vehicle for students to discuss political elections and America's fraught history with Iran, particularly when Iran is on the brink of another revolution led by brave young women. The narrator did a great job!

My review for Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer

Thank you to #Netgalley and #MacmillianAudio for the advanced audio of this book.

Ok so I requested a copy of this book, without knowing anything about it. I was in love with the cover and loved that the main character’s name is Jasmine.

Synopsis: It’s 1979 and Jasmine Zumideh’s senior year. She’s ready to blow her sleepy suburb in Cali and pursue her dream of going to NYU, then becoming a journalist. But first she has to be accepted. To make her application more appealing, she takes on the task to becoming the spring senior class president. This should be easy, but Jasmine finds that she has to overcome hurdle after hurdle. Which has her questioning her goals and even herself.

I really enjoyed this book. Azim Boyer does a wonderful job with historical fiction genre. The Iran hostage crisis isn’t covered well in school, but this book (although its fiction) gives a good background. I loved the Iranian culture references made throughout the book.

I also enjoyed the self discovery journey that Jasmine goes through. In the beginning of the book she is your typical selfish teenager, by the end of the book she changes drastically. This was a feel good book that did a good job with outlining teenage woes. I would certainly recommend reading this as a palate cleanser as its a feel good coming of age story.

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

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Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is the PERFECT YA novel for those struggling to acknowledge who they truly are. Jasmine, our heroine, needs to get into NYU and make a name for herself. Her option? Apply for early decision and write that she is senior class president… a role she has not yet earned. While in the midst of running for class president, Jasmine comes face to face with her Iranian heritage and the need to fit in culturally in the late 1970’s. Buckle up readers, because she needs a win and will go to lots of lengths to make those NYU dreams come true.

I enjoyed listening to my alc copy of Susan Azim Boyer’s debut novel. The main cast of characters were noteworthy and each’s importance was felt throughout the chapters. Narrator Lanna Joffrey was the perfect spark that truly brought this book to life. Young adult listeners/readers and others need to view a book where not everything is picture perfect and life can be flawed. In additionally but probably the best point, our female Main character is multicultural and that topic is not pushed to the side but acknowledged strongly. I cannot wait to see what Boyer writes up next.

Despite the 1979 historical setting of the Iranian students holding Americans hostage, this story feels very timely and fresh. I love Jasmine Zumideh and she's very relatable. Her motive to be class president is all the more important because she lied about it on her college application. On top of that, she has to deal with her activist little brother, racism at school, and her fear for her grandmother back in Iran. As a biracial person myself, I can totally relate to her struggle with identity and disappointing relatives by not speaking the language. The narrator is fantastic and I'd listen to any book she narrates. Highly recommend!