Looking for a refreshing debut YA novel? I can't wait to recommend this one to my high school students!
Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win was such a great read! Taking place in 1979 during the Iran Hostage Crisis, the book centers around high school senior Jasmine, the product of an Iranian father and an Irish American mother who are currently separated and discussing divorce. Jasmine is running for spring semester Senior Class President to help strengthen her early admission application to NYU, her dream school, so she can study music journalism and interview some of the rock stars of the time. Her love of music reporting is reminiscent of the young reporter in Almost Famous, and her campaign for class president reminded me of Election. Those are two of my favorite movies, so that’s likely part of the reason I enjoyed it so much!
Set in a new-to-me time period with an MC from a culture that I am still learning about, Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win was the right mix of seriousness and humor. With themes of identity and acceptance, this coming of age YA novel was fresh and enjoyable.
Thanks to Wednesday Books St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I hope others sound interested in reading this book. I really enjoyed it and would love to chat about it if you read it, too! The book will be available tomorrow, 11/1, and I can’t wait to see what will come next from author Susan Azim Boyer!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer is set in 1980 and is the story of a teen who must decide if living her dream is worth the cost of going against everything she believes in. Jasmine is half-Iranian and has to deal with the repercussions of the Iran Hostage Crisis while running for senior-class president of her high school.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
I'm not sure what to expect from this read. The cover is more what you expect from a comedy. Still, the description describes some serious cultural and teen issues in the story. My initial expectation based on this is that the story will be one of those with many different aspects to it.
Actual Reading Experience:
First, I loved the period the story is set in and that the main character is half-Iranian. Hence, the events are so personal at a time when no one in this country would have even thought to look at how Persian people felt about the hostage crisis in Iran. I was very young when that crisis occurred, so I only remember tiny bits of things – like the yellow ribbons around the trees and how everyone worried about a young man from my hometown who was among the hostages. Given that opportunity to see a much fuller picture was very illuminating for me in so many different ways – some intended, I'm sure, but also some uniquely my own. I could get on my soapbox about them, but I won't. Though, I can see this as an excellent read for a book club, especially one full of people who lived through the crisis.
I loved the romantic comedy elements in this story. The cover said "lighthearted" with its design. Even though the story covers some intense topics that make you think (or should), those lighthearted moments bring the story to life like no other aspect could or did. The romance is very innocent and genuine and definitely had me cheering for Jasmine and Mike.
Lastly, even though this is considered a YA book, there is so much that adults can and should get out of it that I can easily recommend it to the adult reader.
Characters:
All the characters are so lovable and totally endearing, from Jasmine's friends and brother to the adults in her life - especially her Iranian Aunt that takes care of Jasmine and Ali, her brother, while her mother is away visiting her own mother. Life is breathed into these characters by the very layers that make them feel authentic and genuine to the point where they entered my life and have yet to leave.
Jasmine is a teen during the late seventies/early eighties. She knows what she wants and will do anything to achieve it. She is independent, determined, and entirely, lovably headstrong – so I knew life lessons would not come easy. But boy, did I love seeing her grow because of having to take on those challenges, mess up, and pick herself back up again.
Narration & Pacing:
Jasmine tells her story in first-person narration, and I couldn't imagine the story told any other way. This personal story is best served to readers in a very unique manner. I loved Jasmine's voice which is so authentically a teen on the cusp of maturing into adulthood. One who sometimes makes decisions for purely selfish reasons and then at other times sees the broader picture clearly and responds with more empathy and maturity than one expects in a teen.
The pacing is overall quite fast. Sometimes it slowed for a time as events seemed to go on way too long, but I mostly sped through her senior year while pondering my thoughts on all that was happening in the story.
Setting:
The setting is a high school in Southern California between 1979 and 1980. I loved the setting because it made the story much more impactful, looking at it from the eyes of a teenager who just wanted to live her dream. Something about the innocence of the characters and the authenticity of their reactions hit home with me.
Read if you like:
• Fast-paced stories
• Coming of age stories
• Exploring cultural diversity in US history

First I have to say, I appreciate the author writing about the Iran Hostage Crisis. It's something I knew little about and I enjoy YA books that teach the reader about something important they may not know. I think the subject matter was done in a very realistic way and showed several ways people reacted to it. There's kids who see Iranians as the enemy and want to go extreme, those trying for peace, and Iranian kids who are scared of what might happen to them just for their nationality.

I was wishy-washy on my feelings about Jasmine. I understood that she was trying to achieve her dream and also afraid of being bullied or treated differently for being Iranian. She's also a teenager and it's not surprising she made some poor decisions, especially when some of her friends pressured her. On the other hand, I was frustrated with her not standing up for herself and thinking that certain things weren't her problem. She did have some growth by the end of the book and realized what was actually important to her.

The story felt a bit slow to me, thought it's not a very long book. The ending wasn't quite what I wanted, especially regarding Jasmine's parents. I think it could have been a bit more resolved and no tough conversations were had.

I did like this book and the narration on the audio was cute and had some bits of music sprinkled in to give it a pop.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the copy.

DNF after chapter 12

It was a really cool concept but all of the pop culture references felt forced in. I wish it hadn't been so over the top with the "it's the 70s look what's cool" and focused more on the plot.

I had a love/hate relationship with Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win, but it kept me turning its pages. I can't recall the last time I disliked a character so much yet I still rooted for her. Jasmine isn't a great friend or sister; in fact, nearly everyone in the book isn't likable (Mike and Auntie Minah perhaps being the two exceptions)... many of them backstab, lie, bribe, and threaten each other. I get that teenage years are hard and no one is perfect but hated that this didn't show any sort of healthy friendship. That Jasmine recognizes her faults, "redeems" herself in the end, and reclaims her identity is nice but doesn't offset the sour taste of her earlier actions.

Yet I still sat there wanting her to end up at NYU! I could sympathize with her end goal and felt her desperation and I guess I wanted it all to pay off for her in the end. I thought the ending was a bit predictable though I was hoping her starting the club might have been enough for her acceptance to not be revoked.

I was annoyed by her early campaign "speeches"... we're supposed to believe someone interested in journalism and running for class president would say two sentences about a new mascot and free coke and leave it at that rather than a speech that showed any form of planning or thought behind it? I feel like teenagers are often portrayed this way (a bit thoughtless, speaking briefly, only highlighting silly promises and perks) but in reality if they're running for something they're usually articulate and passionate, and so I would especially expect that someone interested in journalism would be well spoken. I didn't buy it. Finally, the constant use of I-ran and I-rain-ian rather than just typing Iran drove me crazy... it's not lost on me that this may be the point, but it was annoying.

Despite my gripes, I enjoyed reading the story and still wanted Jasmine to win in the end. I needed to know how it all resolved and it kept me entertained. I think I may have enjoyed it more if I were a teenager. While I read lots of YA as an adult, here I found myself craving one healthy friendship or for everyone to call each other out and own how cruel and fake they were being and I didn't get that.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the free e-book and advanced listening copy!

This book was so cute. First of all, did not know going into it that it was set in the 70s. It felt so relevant to today’s world that I hardly noticed until a few fun references to music, culture, etc were thrown in. This was a fun and fresh approach in the YA world and I really enjoyed that aspect. The other part I enjoyed was learning more about Iranian culture. The descriptions of food made by Jasmine’s auntie were literally mouthwatering and I need to find the nearest Persian restaurant STAT.

ANYWAY- the content of the book itself was light and funny but also had some important themes about culture, friendship, etc. that are very relevant in today’s world. Jasmine’s series of unfortunate decisions were a bit annoying at times to read about as an adult but I think this story is so perfect for YA audiences and is something I would have related to a lot as a teenager.

Overall, highly recommend to YA audiences or adults looking for a funny and sweet YA read!

Thank you so much to TLC Book Tours for an early, gifted copy of Jasmine Zumideh Needs A Win! I was so excited to dive into Jasmine's story. Full of fun music and other pop culture references, I found the story easy to read and relatable. But it also tied into some more serious topics like the Iran Hostage Crisis and racism. I found Jasmine's journey of self discovery to be honest and flawed, just like a teen's story would be. I think that anyone who ever felt like they didn't fit in because of their identity and was embarrassed of their family/culture could absolutely relate to the struggles faced by Jasmine in this book. Could have done without the Rush slander (how dare you!) but I'll allow it this one time. I can't say enough great things about this book and I'm really glad I got to read an early copy.

Oh boy Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win gave me flashbacks to my 80's teenage years. This novel is filled with pop culture references, its music and the news that defined the times.

This book tells the story of one girls run for Senior Class President in the early 80's. Her dream of NYU in on the line, so this campaign is ride or die for her. The politics are reminiscent of today's elections with polling, campaign stops and tactics to make her look better than her opponent. Jasmine's integrity is tested pulling her dream further from reach rather than closer.

Jasmine character is messy and she blunders many choices. But its through her campaign that she sees exactly what family, friendship and sacrifice mean to be happy into adulthood.

Thank you Wednesday Books and TLC Book Tours for the complimentary copy.

Pub date: 11/1/22
Genre: YA, coming of age, own voices, historical fiction
One sentence summary: Jasmine's number 1 goal is to get into NYU, and she needs to become class to get there - but when an incident in Iran takes center stage, she'll have to reevaluate her priorities.

I love coming of age stories, so this one was right up my alley. I also loved that it took place in 1979 - the comparisons to Almost Famous are apt, and Jasmine's musical commentary was fun to listen to/read. I also love seeing more diversity in YA stories.

I think the book tried to do a little too much - the coverage of the Iran hostage crisis, the election, Jasmine's brother, a cheating couple in Jasmine's campaign, musical commentary - every time I'd get into one storyline, something else would pop up. I also had a bit of trouble relating to Jasmine - she didn't seem to learn from her mistakes until the very, very end of the book! But it all came together, and I think this book has great messages for a YA audience.

This is a debut, and I will keep a look out for more from author Susan Azim Boyer. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for my e-ARC and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Entering her senior year, Jasmine Zumideh has one goal -- to leave California behind and get into her top college in New York. Desperate to get in, she lists on her application that she is the senior class president-elect. There is only one issue: the election has not yet happened. Jasmine believes she'll get away with it, given that her opponent's main campaign promise is to restore the dress code. But when an international incident begins to dominate national news, her opponent uses it to try to turn their classmates against Jasmine. Suddenly, the possibility of losing the election, and her chance of getting into the only college she has ever wanted to attend, seems very real. So Jasmine must face what she is willing to do to beat her opponent, even if it means hurting her friends, her family, and even her self-respect.

Jasmine is an interesting and complex character. The book does an excellent job of taking the storyline of a student election between two very different students and creating a rich and compelling story about family, identity, and ambition.

Highly recommended!

I’m not crying…much.

After lying on her application to NYU Jasmine is desperate to make that lie true. She’s stated that she is class President but she’s not. She doesn’t think this will be too hard until the Iran hostage crisis hits and her opponent uses it for his advantage.

Jasmine is intelligent and witty. She makes many bad decisions throughout the novel but she’s relatable and I adored her.

I recommend picking this up.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for the chance to read

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5/5 stars. This book was fantastic! It follows an Iranian American main character named Jasmine Zumideh who is running for senior class president in 1979. She makes many questionable choices as she struggles between proudly claiming her heritage and winning the school election, and her journey of navigating her identity felt incredibly real and nuanced. The author does a great job establishing the stakes within this story and making Jasmine's actions seem reasonable despite being flawed. This book is also funny and informative, which makes the reading experience even better. I cannot explain the -0.5 from the rating without spoiling the ending, but regardless, everyone should pick up this book!

Jasmine wants to get into NYU at any cost—all that is standing in her way is a missing extracurricular activity. When Jasmine doesn’t win the writing contest she was counting on, she decides to run for senior class president instead. This should be a walk in the park because, after all, who would vote for the candidate proposing a dress code? Unfortunately for Jasmine, things take a turn for the worse when an international incident captures everyone’s attention.

The events portrayed did actually take place (Iranian students held US diplomats and citizens hostage from November 1979 to January 1981). It was interesting to read about the events through an Iranian American perspective. I imagine this is exactly how others were treated at the time this all occurred.

Overall, this was an okay read. It had its interesting bits (the 1979 setting, the real life events) but I didn’t fully connect with the story or any of the characters. Most of the characters were either unlikable or very surface level. I also felt like the resolution at the end was rushed.

Jasmine is an Iranian-American, lover of music and journalism, wants to attend NYU more than anything but, finding a way to stand out from other applicants is going to be tricky. Running for class president seems to be her only shot at attending her dream school but, things don't go as she'd hoped. Faced with being stuck between being a good best friend or winning her election, she feels as if all eyes are on her. Especially the new kid Mike, who makes Jasmine blush just by looking her way.

I really enjoyed how fun yet educational this story was. There were multiple topics that were he mentioned that i think set this book apart from other YA novels. The discussion of the relationship between Iran and the US made me as a reader see the impact the situation had on innocent people who did nothing more than exist. There is also the topic of media presenting only one narrative and the views accepting it at the truth. This proves why it is important to stand up for what you believe in and is just, like Jasmine did

Jasmine learns to appreciate her culture and stand up for what's right and not losing her identity in order to fit in. Being proud of who you are and where you come from is gratifying on it's own.

Thank you so much to St, Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the chance to read and review this book prior to release.

This is a Young Adult novel about a high-school senior, Jasmine Zumideh (Zoomy-day) who NEEDS to do whatever it takes to win the election and be class president; her whole college career depends on it.

Jasmine is willing to go to extreme lengths to secure the win, but how far is too far? Lying? Betraying your heritage? You'll have to read it to find out.

Susan Azim Boyer did a wonderful job of handling serious topics while still keeping the story light and heartfelt. I really liked Jasmine despite all her mistakes! I think she was written in such a relatable way, especially for high school girls trying to fit in!

I think this book is a great palette cleanser, not to mention the cover is absolutely adorable!

This book will be available on November 1st!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Susan Boyer, and the publisher for the eARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The year is 1979 and Jasmine is sick of living in her California town and is ready to get to New York to attend NYU to study journalism. Jasmine's family is from Iran and with Iran being in the news, she is constantly being picked on. What is Jasmine's other problem? She accidentally put that she was serving as Senior Class president. Was is Jasmine going to do?

This was a cute YA read! I loved the late 70s/early 80s setting! It was a neat time period for a YA read. I loved the balance of explaining the politics of the time, while still having humor!

For fans of Netflix's Never Have I Ever

If you like messy heroines this one is for you. Jasmine is like that friend you watch make bad decision after bad decision and you're like bitch really? Why!? But for some reason, you still love her.

That being said, it was an entertaining story and while it is set in the past the themes and overall message still very much resonate today. It manages to touch on misogyny, racism, and xenophobia in a light-hearted hearted manner that allows the reader to form their own opinion on things.

On a side note, Mike is a precious boy. Sweet, honest, and reasonable. I will take no criticism of him. Everyone else? Yeah, most of them are a mess 😆

This was a great #ownvoices YA story set in 1979 California about a Iranian-American teen girl trying to get into college in NYC and pursue her music journalism career. The only problem - she lied on her college application and said she was already class president and now has to make sure she wins at all costs.

Full of witty dialogue, lots of high school drama and important conversations about race, complicated broken families and not judging people before you get to know them. Recommended for fans of The (un)popular vote or Blaine for the win.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review!

An excellent YA debut that surpassed all expectations!

Synopsis: This story follows Jasmine Zumiedh, an Iranian-American student who runs for senior class president to increase her chances of getting into NYU. Torn between doing what she thinks is right versus what will get her the most votes, Jasmine starts to make one wrong decision after the next.

Thoughts: While this story takes place in 1979, I feel like Jasmine is the messy/ emotional teenage girl that all of us can relate to. She struggles with her identity, has typical teenage feelings of embarrassment, didn’t always make the smartest choices but through it all was determined to succeed. She reminds me a lot like Devi in Never Have I Ever, which is one of my favorite YA shows. Writing wise, the book was hard to put down and perfectly paced. I found a lot dialogue to be laugh out loud funny with many pop culture references. I will say that there were some moments that were a bit cringy, but all together this was such a heartfelt story that I will be recommending to many!

Read if you like:
-YA fiction
-High school setting
-Iranian-American rep
-Conflicted heroines
-Stories about identity struggles

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is such a unique book, because I feel like I rarely see books set in the 1980s, even if it is in the realm of historical fiction for today’s teens. Heck, it’s still a struggle for people to see things set post-1950, a la Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books as “historical.” But this book highlights the dichotomy of being recent enough that the young audience can draw connections to it (especially in context of the broad social issues discussed), but also set long enough ago that there’s some objective distance.

And that’s very much what you get in seeing the story through Jasmine’s eyes. While she lived in a different era, she’s similar in her drive to do well in school, even if it means telling a teeny white lie (or putting the cart before the horse), as well as her love for the popular music of the day. She’s very much in her own head, and that can sometimes make her a bit hard to like, especially when there are bigger things going on in the world than one little class election, but ultimately, she has her heart in the right place and she does grow over the course of the book.

The racial tensions amid the Iran hostage crisis are deeply moving, and I appreciated seeing the ways it impacted Jasmine and her family, even in the more subtle ways they were treated and Othered. The way no one could get their surname right made me want to slap every single one of those people. And while Jasmine is more single-minded in her goal, to the point of distancing herself from her culture, Ali embraces it, advocating for Iranian culture and Iran itself.

This book perfectly walks the line between being an “issue” book and a “messy teen coming-of-age” book. If you’re interested in a book that is a bit of both, with the addition of a 1980s setting, I recommend checking this book out!