In 1979, Jasmine's dream is to attend NYU, but she knows to get in, she needs a stellar list of activities. She sees an opportunity to make her dream come true by running for class president - only for her activities, she lists she IS the president. And so begins a contentious campaign. Jasmine's campaign and life are complicated by conflict between the United States and Iran. Jasmine has to decide where she stands and how she wants to react. This was a good read about a teen deciding how she connects to social issues and also how that connects to the wild world of high school. On a personal note, there were some mentions of Manhattan (the Kansas one) in here that I loved as a K-Stater. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this November 2022 release!

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win has the voicey hilarity reminiscent of Maureen Johnson with a dash of Louise Rennison’s chaotic Georgia Nicholson. A modern story set against a vivid early 80s backdrop, I was sucked in from the start by Jasmine’s unforgettable voice, which had me laughing from the jump.

Jasmine is a girl stuck in the middle—of her separating parents, her sniping best friends, and her two cultures. And most importantly, she’s stuck in the middle of doing what’s right and what will get her not just the thing she wants but the thing she’s convinced herself she needs: an acceptance to NYU that will change life as she knows it.

Jasmine is whip smart and determined, even when she has to sacrifice her own integrity time and time again to succeed in her mission to win the senior class presidency. But even as she makes one terrible decision after the next, you won’t stop rooting for her, and better: you’ll always understand why she does the things she does.

And don’t forget about Mike, the darling angel love interest with truly unimpeachable morals, who makes us all want to be a better person.

Susan Azim Boyer has crafted a story that will not only make you laugh out loud at every turn, but will also make you question how far you would go, and if you’d be brave enough to do what’s right, if you were in Jasmine’s shoes.

I found this to be a well written young adult book and a quick fun read. I would definitely recommend more to the teenage crowd.

In Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win Jasmine Katie Zumideh dreams of interviewing rock stars for Creem magazine. She thinks the way to achieve this is by getting a journalism degree at NYU and in the process reinventing herself. In order to pad her application, she says she is class president, although she has just declared her candidacy. She assumes the election is a slam-dunk because she is running against ultra-conservative Gerald whose platform includes reinstating school uniforms and saying the pledge of allegiance. But then Americans are taken hostage in Iran and Jasmine's brother Ali becomes radicalized, vocally supporting the Iranian protesters. Gerald villainizes Iran in his platform, while Jasmine tries to distance herself from her Persian heritage, which is not easy with Ali staging protests at school. Her campaign managers convince her she must take the low road to win, which includes making ridiculous campaign promises, going by the name Jasmine Katie and revealing that Gerald's dad is in prison. Amidst the campaign controversies, she is also dealing with separated parents, friends cheating on each other and expecting her to keep it secret, and academic pressures. The historical setting and realistic cultural details, especially focusing on middle eastern food, make this a real win.

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win" by Susan Azim Boyer is a captivating and relatable coming-of-age novel that will resonate with young adult readers. The story follows Jasmine, a teenage Iranian-American girl who is struggling to find her place in the world. As she faces the challenges of high school, family expectations, and cultural identity, Jasmine is determined to achieve her goals and live up to her own standards of success.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the portrayal of Jasmine's growth and self-discovery. The author, Susan Azim Boyer, does an excellent job of capturing the complexity and authenticity of the teenage experience, with its insecurities, uncertainties, and moments of triumph. Readers will find themselves empathizing with Jasmine as she navigates the ups and downs of adolescence, and will be inspired by her resilience and determination.

Another strong point of the book is the portrayal of family dynamics and cultural identity. Jasmine's relationship with her parents and extended family is both realistic and relatable, and the author explores the tensions that arise from the clash of Iranian and American cultures with sensitivity and nuance.

Overall, "Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win" is a compelling and relatable YA novel that offers an insightful exploration of identity, ambition, and the pursuit of happiness. If you're a fan of contemporary YA fiction with a strong and relatable female protagonist, you won't want to miss this book.

I’ll admit it: Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win wasn’t necessarily on my radar for this end of the year… Yet, I’m really, really happy it made it there. It was such a lovely discovery and I had a lot of fun reading this book, overall. Check out my review below to know more about it! 🙂

I ENJOYED…
This book is entirely carried by Jasmine Zumideh, the main character of this story. She’s Iranian-American, she’s planning on going to NYU after her senior year to study journalism. She’s ambitious and determined – so determined she lies on her NYU early application, aerm, yet also really messy, at times. Basically, she’s your typical teenager and I just loved that. She makes some bad choices that made me wince as I read on, but I loved seeing her grow so much.
One of the highlights of this book definitely is the way it manages to balance perfectly between fun moments and important discussions about identity, racism and US foreign policies at the time the story is set (in 1979). I’ll admit that I didn’t know much about the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979 before reading this book. How these events affected Jasmine, her entire family, even the student election at her high school as her opponent reveals himself with very dangerous xenophobic comments… I found it remarkable how the author depicted these real-life events into these fictional characters’ lives and how it changed them. From Ali, Jasmine’s brother taking a stand against US foreign politics out loud, to Jasmine trying to navigate the way Iranians are suddenly perceived, while still wanting to win the student election…

There’s such a good place for friendships in this story, I really appreciated it! Jasmine’s stuck between her two “best” friends, always wanting to put one before the other and quickly thrown against her will into keeping a terrible secret that’s not her own. I really enjoyed the little friends group in this story and particularily the bond between Bridget and Jasmine, torn apart at times and yet still so real.
I also really appreciated the inclusion of family in this story. Jasmine’s parents are separated and she’s still trying to deal with the consequences of it all. Her Auntie is living with them as their father’s on a work trip, cooking all the delicious Persian food and stressing out about the hostage situation. Her brother, Ali, has started speaking out about US foreign policies at her high school. It might feel like too much, listed just like that, but it wasn’t. I just loved how each of these elements were included in the story, making it well-rounded, overall.

I HAD A HARD TIME WITH…
I liked that this story included a little bit of romance, but I personally found it a bit underwhelming. I wished I felt a little more chemistry between the characters, I wished maybe for some deeper moments between the characters to really be on board, with it.
Overall, I binged this book really quickly, but felt like I wanted a bit more depth with the relationships. I longed for more, deeper moments between Jasmine and her family, especially between Jasmine and her brother as things resolved themselves by the end of the story.

OVERALL
Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win was overall an entertaining, funny, smart read. I really loved how it balanced between tough, important topics and the every day, a little confusing at times, teenager life. Recommending it!

I started this novel a couple of times and each time I’d get about a chapter in and stop. I’m sure this is an enjoyable read, but it wasn’t the right fit for me. There was a sort of negativity to the protagonist that I found difficult to overcome. I do understand that it likely started that way, and throughout the plot her character would develop, but, in the end, this book wasn’t the right fit for me as a reader. I am sorry I could not review it in a more thorough way. This is a personal opinion and should not deter anyone from picking it up and reading it.

Though this book is perfectly fine, it didn't grab me. I shared the title and the premise with a student book selection committee and they indicated that it wasn't something they were interested in having for the collection.

This book was adorable! I really enjoyed Jasmine as the Main Character, and her determination (as a teen) to become President. I thought the representation in this book was wonderful, and the incorporation of real-life teen issues was fantastic. This is YA and I don't typically move toward YA but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

I struggled with this book— I really wanted to like it, and I enjoyed the unique perspective of the book, but I just couldn't get into the story. It was a great take for a YA perspective on the Iranian hostage crisis, but the writing was too choppy for me to feel immersed in the book.

This was a fun and entertaining read. I loved following along Jasmine running for student council. I found the time period interesting and I learned about the Iran Hostage Crisis. This is a YA book, but Jasmine is a relatable character dealing with all the emotions one deals with a teenager and dealing with family and friends. It was an enjoyable read! I would recommend it both to adults and YA.

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is fresh and funny, a book that makes you root for the main character even while she is making decisions you know are going to come back to haunt her. As a biracial Iranian-American myself, Jasmine's struggles with her identity, to figure out how to be Iranian AND American, hit very close to home, making my heart ache for her. The time period shines through without ever feeling like a parody of the '70s. Overall, this book is beautifully done -- and the descriptions of Iranian food had me drooling throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a perfect coming of age YA depicting a time period that is rarely spoken about. It's fun, serious and informative, everything you love form a YA novel.

This was a total miss for me. I really struggled with the main character, Jasmine. She was so frustrating and I eventually gave up and DNF this one. Didn't work for me, but I know I"m in the minority.

OK, here me out: sometimes I think I like YA books better than books with characters my own age (almost-40). Jasmine, folks. Jasmine!

She represented what many young women struggle with--trying to find one's place in a world that doesn't take much stock in your opinions.

I loved how this book managed to touch on important historical events juxtaposed against a typical, teenage senior year experience. (That blasted college application process!) This book was fun and I absolutely have talked to no fewer than ten high schoolers about it since I finished it.

Must read!

Jasmine is ready to move on. She's eager to move away from Southern California and go to her dream school, NYU where she can major in journalism and write about the ever expanding music scene. Eager to get a leg up on her application, she said that she was Senior Class President-Elect before the election takes place. But, she's certain she can win and it won't be a problem. That is, until a real-life incident turns the election upside down. Jasmine's brother is outspoken while Jasmine shrinks and tries to downplay her heritage. This all snowballs and Jasmine is left making a number of difficult decisions.

Coming into this, I didn't know what to expect from the historical aspect especially. So, as this brought in the Iran Hostage Crisis I was fascinated to learn about it. I definitely ran to Google pretty early on to learn a little about it and am still eager to learn more about it. I think having something centered around this which people may not know about that was important and excellent choice as I think this will help educate a number of people.

While already discussing what teenagers go through and struggle with, the author really dives into what POC can face. For this specifically, what middle eastern descent people face in times of war when xenophobia is incredibly high. The author really brought to life how difficult it can be and the choices that they'll need to make to be able to get through the day.

The focus was on Jasmine and her struggles with her heritage and going to college, but there were some things going on in her home life that I would have loved a little bit more discussion about as I think that is another thing that a number of people could have related too.

Jasmine is a character who acts her age. She makes mistakes that I found foolish, she's messy, but she is also someone who feels she's really stuck between a rock and a hard place. She struggles on where she fits in. Between her social circle and cultural identity she's struggling on who she wants to be and how she wants to express herself. With everything she does and she goes through, I do believe that she could be a very relatable character for teens.

I loved the contrast between Jasmine and her brother, Ali. Jasmine was struggling, wanting to keep her cultural hidden more while Ali was proud. He wanted to talk about it, make sure everyone knew about it while advocating for what was going on. It was nice to see the difference in someone who is trying to advocate for their heritage while something struggling with it because of the ways that it might affect them. I think Ali was a great character to express that.

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win was a wonderful debut. It's a story that will make you laugh while also reflecting on your own life and what you would do if you were in Jasmine's shoes.

A Heartfelt, powerful, coming of age book. It's one where it's almost hard to review, because you just have to read it yourself and see what it's like.

Rating : 4 out of 5
Blurbs : It’s 1979, and Jasmine Zumideh is ready to get the heck out of her stale, Southern California suburb and into her dream school, NYU, where she’ll major in journalism and cover New York City’s exploding music scene.

There’s just one teeny problem: Due to a deadline snafu, she maaaaaaybe said she was Senior Class President-Elect on her application—before the election takes place. But honestly, she’s running against Gerald Thomas, a rigid rule-follower whose platform includes reinstating a dress code—there’s no way she can lose. And she better not, or she’ll never get into NYU.

But then, a real-life international incident turns the election upside down. Iran suddenly dominates the nightly news, and her opponent seizes the opportunity to stir up anti-Iranian hysteria at school and turn the electorate against her. Her brother, Ali, is no help. He’s become an outspoken advocate for Iran just as she’s trying to downplay her heritage.

Now, as the white lie she told snowballs into an avalanche, Jasmine is stuck between claiming her heritage or hiding it, standing by her outspoken brother or turning her back on him, winning the election or abandoning her dreams for good.

Told with biting insight and fierce humor, Susan Azim Boyer's Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a fresh, unforgettable story of one Iranian-American young woman’s experience navigating her identity, friendship, family, her future, and a budding romance, all set against life-changing historical events with present-day relevance.

Thoughts : Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. Intriguing plot and likable characters. If you like YA books in general, you'll like this book. Sadly, YA books don't work for me.

This was a very good book that examined multiculturalism, democracy, and navigating high school. I was impressed by all that the book touched on while exploring the turbulent times during the Iran hostage crisis. I did find the book to be geared toward the lower YA range as the main character was pretty juvenile.

Jasmine Zumieh dreams of becoming a journalist and of attending NYU to achieve this dream. In order to get into NYU she needs one more extracurricular or achievement to stand out. She decides to run for student class president to get the extra item she needs to stand out. On the eve of the election, the Iranian revolution begins and starts to skew the perspective of the students who would be voting in the election. This is a great coming of age novel that discusses what ethnicity means, how to be proud of your roots and how to determine which values you should uphold. I would highly recommend it.