Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Omid is about to start his 10th grade year, and he is still searching for his place and his voice. His life is good for the most part: he lives with loving parents who immigrated to America from Iran to give him and his brother opportunities they didn't have, he has a best friend who knows him better than anyone else, and he met the new girl in town before anyone else, and they bonded over a mutual understanding of Shakespeare. But beneath all the good, Omid is still searching for his own voice and words. But, when his best friend introduces him to the rap artists that thrived in the early 2000s, Omid begins to hear his voice more clearly and finds a way to express himself through lyrics of his own.
This book begins in the late summer of 2001 and follows an Iranian family before and after the tragedy of September 11. I appreciated the author's depiction of a family that is shocked and awed by the monstrosity of the day but is also targeted because of a shared heritage. I loved Omid and his parents who don't 100 percent understand him, but they clearly love him and want to support him. I also loved that his best friend and he went through some struggles, but in the end, their friendship was stronger than their differences.

An Impossible Thing to Say is mesmerizing, and it transcends mere storytelling, becoming a beacon of cultural significance. Shahi masterfully weaves a narrative that is as heartwarming as it is thought-provoking, delving deep into the complexities of identity and heritage. The book is a celebration of resilience and the enduring power of human connection, beautifully encapsulating the richness of diverse cultures. In every chapter, Shahi's vivid prose brings to life characters and settings that are as real as they are enchanting. This novel is not just a literary achievement; it's a vibrant tapestry of stories that resonate with profound truths and universal themes. I can't wait to adopt this read for my classroom and add it to my bookshelf for my students to be able to check out from my classroom library.

This was absolutely beautifully written! I love a good novel in verse and this one is extraordinary. Omid’s story touches on life after 9/11/01 for Persian/Middle Eastern people in America, but mostly it is about Omid discovering who he is through theater, music, and his family/friend dynamics changing. Just a great story!

I've never read a book told in verse before so this was very different for me. I liked Omid's story and all of the things that he was learning about himself. I do feel like the story felt a little incomplete but I also feel like that works. As in him coming back from London felt like a good place to end even though there was more story there.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Every year my students seem more and more interested in 9/11 and the aftermath, and we're starting to see another uptick in novels set in that time period...which kids consider "historical" (sobs in old age). The fact that this title is also a verse novel gave it double the appeal.

Omid's story is heartbreaking at times. He and his family experience some prejudice and violence following the 9/11 attacks, and he's struggling to find himself while experiencing his first crush and dealing with some complicated family situations.

Discovering poetry, music, and theater opens something up in Omid--and he starts to find his voice...even for the things that seem IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY (see what I did there?).

Shahi's "An Impossible Thing to Say" delves deep into Omid's struggle with identity in Tucson, weaving rap's rhythm into his quest for belonging. Amid cultural clashes and looming terror, the novel highlights the tension between heritage and assimilation. A touching tale of finding one's voice in a complex world.

Thank you Harper Childrens and NetGalley for this ARC.

An Impossible Thing to Say is a moving YA novel in verse with an underrepresented voice. Omid is a high school student in Arizona who is finding his voice and understanding his Persian roots. When his grandparents immigrate to Arizona, Omid attempts to connect and communicate with his grandfather and finds it difficult. Is it the language? Should he have spoken Farsi more? At school he befriends the new girl and ends up in a Shakespeare play. Could they be more than friends? He questions why he was cast in his particular role. Amid all of his seeking, the Twin Towers are destroyed, and he has to face a new reality. Shakespeare and rap help him navigate his life as he figures out his place in the world. This is truly a unique story that I look forward to recommending to high school readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A quick read, this novel is set in verse and tells the story of Omid, an Iranian-American teenager. Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, he has actually never been to Iran and he doesn't speak much Farsi, although many
people judge him on sight. This is all happening in the days surrounding 9/11. So you see how the family is treated before and after that devastation.

Omid is crushing on a new girl in his class and ends up joining the school play because of her. He also gets into rapping, which he's really good at. But then his grandfather disappears. So Omid and his mom set off to find him

This book is all about finding yourself and being okay with who you are and where you come from.

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