Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win was such a fresh YA novel. A story about a young Iranian American trying to make her dreams come true while struggling with being true to herself and her culture and to the people she loves most. There are moments when I wanted to shake jasmine’s shoulders and yell “What are you doing?!” But that’s the teenage years in every generation. This book is truly near 5 stars for me but i unfortunately as a reader cringed a little too much with Jasmine’s choices towards the end of the book. The ending also had some rush pacing in my opinion. But again, I really did enjoy this book. I really adored the relationship between her and her aunt though and wish we got to see more of that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

First off, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was messy, but in a good way! It definitely kept me hooked. I never thought a high school election could reflect world politics, and the lengths that some characters were willing to go to were unexpected. Everything became a lot more complicated for Jasmine since Iran and the U.S. were having issues, causing her opponent to take on a very hateful approach with his campaign. She tried so hard to hide her Iranian identity to fit in and win the election. Winning was vital for her acceptance into NYU, her dream school. She longs to leave California and become a music journalist on the East Coast.

There were definitely times where I was frustrated because of the choices Jasmine was making, but it was also written in a way where you can see how difficult it was for her to be in those situations. We got to see how her parents’ relationship has affected her, how the political climate affected how her and her family, as well as other Iranians, were perceived, and how she struggled choosing between loyalty and personal interest. It showed a lot of the struggle of being mixed and learning how to be proud of your background. It was nice to see that her brother never forgot about his background, and I love how she also started to realize how important it was for her to be proud of her background as well.

Apart from election drama, there was also drama within her friend group, showing how hard it can be to stay in the same friendships as you get older and become different people. Jasmine also had a love interest who just seemed like the perfect guy — even she couldn’t handle how morally correct he was all the time. How things wrapped up with them seemed a little rushed, but they were cute. What I thought was interesting was how her friendship with her best friend, Bridget, was handled. After everything that went down, it’s nice to see that the way it all ends wasn’t completely rushed with them.

Flawed characters ultimately make for very interesting characters. As invested as I got in Jasmine’s story, I wasn’t sure how it would all end. Would she get a happy ending? I have to say that I like how the author chose to end the story, and you can see how much Jasmine developed throughout. She began to appreciate her culture more, as well as her aunt, who really was only trying to be there for her and Ali. Overall, I give it 4/5 stars!

I really struggled with reading this book. I wanted to cheer for the main character, who was in the first chapter very likable with a very clear vision of who she wanted to become. About 25% of the way through reading this book, I became disenchanted with Jasmine and the way that she decided to run her election campaign, particularly by ignoring her brother.

I was looking forward to reading this as I had not read any stories that took place during the Iranian Conflict, but the overall story fell very short for me. There were too many conflicts: her parents separating, the clashing cultures of her father's family and her school friends, not being able to tell right from wrong initially, and then letting the problem grow drastically out of hand.

loved it! i really enjoyed the setting of the book and how jasmine navigates throughout her journey. can't wait for more from boyer!

The struggle to balance two cultures is highlighted by Jasmine, an Iranian-American student just trying to get into college during the Iran hostage crisis. The 70s vibe is strong in the story and it felt genuine., not pandering or commercialized. A lot of the characters and their actions are very frustrating and almost made me give up the book, but the writing was quick and expertly moved on before I got too annoyed with a character. A lot of teenage decisions are made, and a lot of self reflection, resulting in a pretty satisfying ending.

This book I so insanely special and This book is election meets teens of today even though it takes place in the 90s. Full review on my socials. Thanks again Wednesday books for the arc.

Susan Boyer's characters are believeable, the plot is enjoyable, and the humor makes the prose flow easily even when the topics and situations become a bit heavy.

Following Iranian-American Jasmine in 1979 as she strives to get accepted to NYU for journalism, follow her dream to write for Creem, and juggle with wanting to blend in rather than stand out because of her family and heritage, this work was enjoyable and worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this dARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's the first time in a long time that I felt the characters were relatable in their teen hood. I really enjoyed this read. It was relatively fast for me.

A winning debut! Jasmine's biting narrative made this story so much fun to read and Azim Boyer balanced humor and the story's serious conversations with so much grace. Readers need this book in their life!

I love books about teenage girls figuring out their lives, and this one is great, including elements of politics and xenophobia and how one navigates both. This is a great addition to any library or collection.

Jasmine Zumideh is full of pop culture references to the 1970s, girl boss attitude, and Iranian American pride. The characters are very flawed but still likeable. Jasmine and her brother are two sides of the same Iranian American coin, and their friends have varying degrees of misguided patriotism and understanding. The title will appeal to teens especially because it tackles themes like friendship, betrayal, dysfunctional families, and identity.

Rating 4/5
Plot 4/5
Writing 4/5
Character Development 4/5

“Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win” by Susan Azim Boyer is a YA historical fiction and coming-of-age story. This book tells the story of Jasmine Zumideh, an Iranian-American teen, in 1979, who dreams of being accepted into NYU’s journalism program. Due to a hiccup with her application, she says that she’s Senior Class President before being elected. Nonetheless, she’s running against Gerald Thomas and is confident that she’ll win. However when a group of students in Iran takes American Embassy in Tehran and its people hostage, Jasmine’s goals for winning change course. Jasmine decides to not use her heritage during the election, however, her brother, Ali, is very vocal about the issue, and even Gerald tries to use the situation to gain sympathy votes. Jasmine is stuck between “claiming her heritage or hiding it, standing by her brother or turning her back, winning the election or abandoning her dreams for goods.”

I haven't read many coming-of-age stories like this one, but I enjoyed it! It was realistic and relatable. Definitely a great book for those interested in YA, historical fiction, and contemporary romance!

This was the first Iranian American historical fiction book I’ve read and I thought it was fantastic! It’s a young adult book but I found it educational and entertaining. I also LOVED the ending!

Thank you for this advanced copy!

TOP 5 REASONS TO READ JASMINE ZUMIDEH NEEDS A WIN

1. Relatable Characters
The characters in this book feel real, and sometimes this lacks in a lot of YA novels. I wasn’t there in 1979, so I only know historical facts, which is why I can’t tell if the ambiance in the late 70s really felt like they were described in the book, but it definitely sounded realistic.

2. If you like witty banter, you’ll be pleased to know that you’re in for a treat.

3. There’s a message hidden in this book: How much are we all willing to sacrifice to achieve our goal? We’re following Jasmine on her journey on discovering how much she is willing to sacrifice to meet her personal goal, and it isn’t always easy.

4. Quick read
You can easily read this in one sitting and because it is written in an engaging writing style it’s definitely manageable.

5. Iranian culture and personal growth of our MC
Unfortunately, I don’t know much about Iranian culture, which is why I found it interesting to learn more about the culture, especially during the setting of the story. I also found it quite interesting to read how Jasmine managed to come to terms with her heritage. You see her grow through the book, and it isn’t always easy to read because the MC struggles. The author managed to portray her growth perfectly.

What a fun-filled read from beginning to end! It was the absolute perfect balance of witty + in your feels. The author did an amazing job of expressing what it’s truly like to be a high school student while also addressing very important issues + topics. Oh the nostalgia this book brought me…

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

My Review:

I received an eARC from the publisher via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review and place on this blog tour – thanks!

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win includes everything you’d expect from a book where high school election is the main plot point. There was drama, betrayal, secrets, love interests– the whole shebang. Admittedly, I am on the fence most of the time when it comes to high school election books, mostly because I never encountered them in high school and all of the drama involved just seems so over the top and very American. However, this idea of Americanness becomes a point of contention throughout the novel, becoming something that stands apart from other books in this sub-genre.

Azim Boyer sets this novel at the end of the seventies, at a point in history where tensions between the US and Iran are high. My American or Iranian history is nearly non existent, so I didn’t have much context going in, but the narrative does a good job at filling in the blanks for readers without that knowledge. With Jasmine’s little white lie in her NYU application, a lot of pressure falls on her shoulders to decide who she wants to be amidst this conflict: where favouring one side of her identity over the other could result in external and internal consequences. This struggle translates well onto the page, and though sometimes you want to shake Jasmine a bit, she remains a redeemable MC and one who you are rooting for the entire way through.

The writing was definitely my favourite part of reading this book. This may be a debut novel, but it reads with such an established and unique voice. I, for one, cannot wait to read more from Azim Boyer in the future. Jasmine’s voice was easy to fall into and by the halfway point in this novel, I could not put it down.

Within that, I also appreciated the focus on family, as I think that is the place where we can see Jasmine’s character development shine through the most. She spends the first half of the novel trying to deny her Iranian side, going by Jasmine Katie on the ballot and downplaying her relationship to her brother. When all the drama begins to pile up, it is her family who Jasmine finds comfort in, Her relationship with her Aunt was one of my favourites in the book, and it had me tearing up toward the end.

I think the main criticisms I have in this book have more to do with the handling of the aforementioned high school drama. I think that while the family side of her conflict was written well, the school side of Jasmine could have used the same level of exploration. Her campaign ends up hurting a lot of people, and I think perhaps she got away from that a bit too scot free. I also thin that there could have been a bit more to develop that this story was happening in the seventies besides from the social context. Sure, there isn’t any texting or internet, but there really isn’t any true indicators of the time frame besides Jasmine’s taste in music and the landline.

All in all, Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win was a really enjoyable book. Azim Boyer has a very easy and enjoyable to read writing style. I haven’t read a lot of books in this vein for comparisons, but I think that fans of The [Un]Popular Vote will enjoy this one. It’s perhaps not as fleshed out on the election side of things, but it does contain similar themes from a twenty-first century perspective.

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win released November 1st, 2022

This book was high stakes, incredibly loud in the best way possible, and something I think everyone should read.

Let’s just talk about the character development in this book! Fantastic. I loved the plot and just characters in general. What a great journey!

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

📼 Book Review 📼

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📼📼📼📼📼/5

This book is written in first person by a 17 year old who is a senior in high school. And it sounded like it. I have rarely experienced this as I have boys. For a short bit, I was wondering if I was going to drop the book. But then the story started to pick up.

Without giving anything away, this book was basically about integrity. It would honestly not be a bad book to have your teens read. Will Jasmine learn her lesson? Will any of the other kids?

So let me explain my substitutes for stars in the ratings. This book takes place in the 1980s. Several times she has wanted VHS tapes. I was actually looking for a cassette tape emoji but couldn't find one.

It not only takes place in the '80s, it also has a major historical event being discussed in it. The topic was handled very well.

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