Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Tehrangeles by Porochista Khakpour!

This was infuriating & incredibly frustrating - but wildly entertaining? I’m so torn on how to review this one because on one hand I wanted to throw the book across the room and on the other hand I couldn’t put it down! Very reminiscent of reality tv 📺!

Please check TW before reading. Heavy themes of Covid lockdown, racism, classism, ableism, bulimia, drug use & SA.

Thank you Pantheon for sending a copy my way!

A hilarious Crazy Rich Asian style domestic drama about an Iranian-American family of wealthy LA self-made millionaires and their influencer daughters and the over the secrets each member has that a potential reality tv show deal threatens to expose. Good on audio with a PERFECTLY ridiculous cover. I enjoyed this debut way more than I expected to. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Loved this book. The characters were amusing and multilayered. Showed family drama and acknowledged how the pandemic affected people. Appreciated the gay representation as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I hate giving out one-star ratings, but I can’t bring myself to round this up to two stars. This had elements that typically form winning books for me: sisterly bonds, satire, and social commentary, but this simply was not for me. I couldn’t get into this, and it truly drained me.

I’m not the biggest fan of reality TV and I don’t like the Kardashians at all, but I was really enjoying getting to know the Milanis in this book. I was entertained by their antics, and was rooting for them to find a sense of peace with each other. But I felt like Tehrangeles lost its steam for me when it turned into COVID fiction. I just don’t know if we need stories about the lock down. Not yet, at least. I thought this would have been a better story without COVID as the plot device, and the book could have explored the same themes,

Tehrangeles was an aboutly elite social and cultural commentary told through satire, humor and heart. I felt so pulled to this book and enjoyed every minute of it. I've been recommending to everyone! I loved the family dynamic and the insights into Iranian-American culture. It was poignant, witty and intelligent.

"Tehrangeles" is a wild and satirical ride through the lives of the Milani family, who are trying to make it big on reality TV while juggling their Persian snack empire during the pandemic. The four sisters each have their own drama, and there are some funny moments about fame and identity. I really liked the idea of the snack empire and the reality TV angle, but the book felt a bit all over the place with its multiple perspectives and over-the-top characters. It was entertaining in parts, but I felt like it didn’t quite deliver on its potential. Overall, it’s a fun read but might leave you wanting a bit more.

Tehrangeles was a fun read!! I love the cover and the inside didn't disappoint either. I loved the exploration of identity and belonging.

I was really excited about this book because my best friend is Persian, and I don't come across books with Persian main characters as often as I would like to. I also really liked the idea of a snack empire and thought the reality TV show premise was a funny touch. I did like those elements in the actual book and found the family's story to be interesting, especially that of the parents. However, I did find that the constant shifts of perspectives and voice made this book feel a bit disjointed, and even taking in mind the satirical tone, things spiraled out of control to an almost unbelievable level. I would definitely check out other books by this author though!

This is a hard book to rate since on one hand it's supposed to be satire, but on the other hand, the characters are hard to tolerate. Each of the four daughters has their own defining quality and the issues that come along with that, but they're so isolated in their house during quarantine that it amplifies and makes them spiral a bit. Then their dad is deep into his wealth and privileges, while their mom is just trying to save face. Overall, elements of making fun of the absurdities of the rich, but really just reads like an unpleasant group of people.

I had super high hopes for this book and unfortunately it was a perfect storm of not so great things. The concept was something that really intrigued me, but the execution was completely different. I found the characters to be extremely vain and the plot was lacking. Although I understood the author’s intentions, but as an Iranian-American myself, I didn’t appreciate the purposeful downplaying of Iranian culture and what it means to be an Iranian in America. The narration of the audiobook was difficult to enjoy as well.

This book follows the Milani family, Iranian multimillionaires thanks to dad Ali’s microwaveable pizza snack invention. It starts at the beginning of the pandemic with the family in the talks of starting their own reality TV show. The show is on pause while the pandemic grows and grows. We mostly follow the 4 daughters: Violet, a model with a sweet tooth; Roxanna, an influencer with lots of secrets; Mina, the K-Pop fan trying to find out who she is; Haylee, the highly impressionable health nut. There are also parts of the book from the parents’ perspectives. The back and forth from POVs is handled so well and does not disrupt the flow at all.

The writing was engaging, the characters were real and frustrating. I am still not completely ready for books set during the pandemic, but I did find myself wanting to pick this up every day and find out what happens next.

Though overall good read, the book felt a little unfinished and left me wanting just a little more from it.

Kardashians, but make it Persian! Milani family lives in Tehrangeles. They have a junk food empire. They have 4 daughters with all different personalities. And they are ready to take over your TV screens. I could totally see this happening, but thank God it's fiction.

It's all fun and power when you end up getting a TV deal, but are you ready to have all your secrets out there? Are you ready to be cancelled? Are you ready to be judged by your weight? Are you ready to deal with a white supremacists? Are you ready to question your sexual identity in front of everyone? Milanis, get ready to do it all!

Porochista Khakpour delivered a good satire. She gave us a magnifying glass to look into what we watch when we want to pass time mindlessly. It was a good laugh, but thank you we don't need more of these families.

I was happy when we got the specific Little Women call out near the end of this book about four very different sisters. Instead of the American Civil War, it’s Covid, and the genteel poverty is replaced by extravagant wealth. Rich people doing rich people stuff is always a fun genre.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and I LOVED IT! I am rounding up to 4 1/2 stars! If you are a fan of reality tv that is similar to The Kardashians or maybe the Real Housewives, you will love this book. It looks at a wealthy Iranian family who is on the cusp of having their own reality tv show. And then the pandemic happens. I love all of the sisters in the book and their various personalities. They are written so well and will make you laugh. It is entertaining and a good look at how we present ourselves to the world based on insecurities and through social media.

Thank you to Pantheon books and Net Galley for an e-copy!

This book was a wild ride. I was so excited about it, but the ending kicked my ass! It’s a drug-addled rant to end 300 pages of an ironic look of our fame obsessed American culture. It had so much promise. I feel that a rewrite of the ending could make this book something special. When I read the dedication that the book started as a joke, I felt punked because it actually ended as one. I don’t share negative reviews on my social platforms because I respect the process too much.

A lot is going on at the Milani Mansion in Tehrangeles. The ultra rich Iranian American family is about to get their very own reality show where they'll show who they are, until Covid happens and lockdown is set. This story is narrated by the four daughters Violet, Roxanna, Mina and Haylee, and briefly by their parents Al and Homa. I especially enjoyed the last two and their origin stories of how they immigrated from Iran and built a fast food empire. This book is ridiculosly funny and cringey because of the accurate description of the insane people used to do and say during the early stages of the pandemic. I loved getting to know each of the sisters with their own struggles and stories of coming of age. I had a great time reading this book.

A quirky read about 4 sisters who have it all, at least from the outside.
Then their family decided to film a reality show and everyone, even the cat, is under scrutiny.
It’s Little Women meets Iran. The author discusses her abhorrence for the novel but follows the 4 sister framework, however the sisters are not typecast after the 4 March sisters.
It was an interesting novel.

I was excited to read this book as it pokes at reality television, and for the first few chapters I was enjoying it. Once I was further along, I began noticing some plot gaps and was left wondering if I'd missed something, so had to go back and reread. I usually enjoy books that are told in multiple voices, but the author had multiple voices for each character and it got a bit draining (e.g. - Roxi's last chapter). I so wanted it to pick up, but alas it did not.