Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I stopped at 40% due to a lack of interest.

This book is set in the 1970s, following Jasmine, a conflicted American-Iranian second-generation running for class president in her high school. She makes empty promises to her fellow classmates and the promises spiral out of control.

I really couldn't stand *any* of the characters. I kept hoping Jasmine would get better but she never did. Her brother Ali was so much better and less infuriating than Jasmine, I wanted the story to focus on him instead. A really neat idea for a story but man I couldn't stand anyone in this book except for the brother.

I think this book wasn't for me. I DNFd at the 50% mark. I didn't like any of the characters. They were all so single minded and self centered. I kept waiting for Jasmine to have some growth or just show integrity but it didn't happen. I checked some other reviews and it looks like that happens in the last 10% of the book. I just couldn't push through. I'm a character reader and there was no one to keep me going.

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

This was excellent! A conflicted heroine to root for, Jasmine's journey through both her campaign and her relationships with family, friends, and culture showed so much depth. Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win was so well-written and compelling it was a breeze to get through, and while parts of it were uncomfortable to read, I couldn't stop until I finished. Jasmine's inner and outer conflicts were realistic and complex and her character development really showed through. Perhaps my only critique would be that a few of the side characters, especially Jasmine's two friends, weren't given quite enough development to be more than means to an end. With the focus on Jasmine and her journey, however, it's not much of a complaint. 5/5.

Review of ‘Jasmine Zumideh Needs A Win’, by Susan Azim Boyer

Jasmine needs to win her high school senior class presidency so that she can get into her dream school, NYU. Because she kind of already mentioned on her application that she actually is the class president. The only probably is that her opponent plays dirty and is not willing to give up easily. And since this book is set at the time of the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and since Jasmine is Iranian, well… You see where this is going to go.

It’s fun to read about pre-internet and pre-cell phone times. I found myself wondering why they didn’t just pick up the phone and call and then remembering the setting of the book. It was also interesting to explore the meaning of self-acceptance through the difficult journey of a Persian teenager living in the United States at the time of the Iranian Revolution, when anti-Iranian sentiment was so strong. Unsurprisingly, I absolutely loved the glimpses of different aspects of Persian culture, some of which made me snicker. The conversations around the Iranian Revolution were very interesting and still much needed in 2022, in a much more global way. One only needs to listen to the news about big events in lesser known countries to realise that the same misconceptions from 1979 still exist today, despite the internet (which is a little disconcerting to realise, quite honestly). The big take away is that these stories are always so much more complicated than anyone realises, and that we need to move away from trying to solve the problems of the past by completely rebuilding a new society from the grounds up.

An Iranian-American teen in 1979 who needs to get into her dream school NYU and therefore wants to become Senior Class President. And then Iranian students take Americans hostage in Tehran.

I adored Jasmine’s messiness and her ability to make the wrong decisions. Susan’s writing is incredibly active and captivating and made reading the story very easy. I could see the rice boil in the pan so vividly and felt Jasmine’s frustration in my chest when Ali was mentioned time and again, and she didn’t want others to know that he was her brother. And those pop references! They fitted the story so perfectly! A smile tugged at my lips many times, and sometimes I cringed because of Jasmine’s choices. But you know what, teens need to make mistakes, in 1979 and now, to learn from them and to grow up. And that’s why, even though this story is set in 1979, it didn’t feel that way.

I had a soft spot for Ali, for his fierceness, for not being afraid to express his own opinion and be a proud Iranian, even if it made him the odd one out.

Read this story if you love a flawed and lovable MC who struggles to acknowledge her identity, has only one goal and might fall in love too.

Thank you so much, Susan, for trusting me to read and review your debut early. I loved Jasmine, Ali, Mike, Bridget, and Patty so much and hope other readers will feel the same way!

Started out strongly, but began to falter. A couple of minor plot holes bothered me. U2 had yet to release their first album at the time this story takes place, yet it is supposed to be one of her favorite bands.

Also, she mentions her father obtained a cordless phone as an early adopter. These were not at all available beyond a handful of prototypes in 1979.

While these are not necessarily central to the plot, I found them distracting.

The ending was fine albeit mildly predictable. The concept of setting the entire story against the backdrop of the Iranian Hostage crisis was a good one, I just felt the book lost its wind about 2/3 of the way through.

Jasmine Zumideh Needs A Win is a refreshing, relatable and 80s reference filled book. If you are a fan of the 80s and YA, this book is a must!

Susan Azim Boyer perfectly captures the painful struggle of growing up. While I cannot relate to being half Iranian during a time of turmoil between Iran and the United States, I felt transported back to my high school days. Navigating family/friend relationships, figuring out what you stand for, and deciding which path to pursue for the future are universal struggles of any teenager.

It is safe to say that Jasmine Zumideh Needs A Win is my new favorite YA book!

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 rounded to 4

It's so strange to think of a book set in 1979 as a historical novel. But reading this brought home that it is ancient history for the audience it's intended for--the voice is quite modern, not especially seventies, but otherwise Boyer did a great job with the details of the time.

She also gets into what it was like to be partly from an ethnicity that took a sudden, scary turn into unpopularity, when the Iranian Hostage Crisis happened. Meanwhile, Jasmine wants to get into NYU early, and needs an extracurricular dazzle . . . like running for school election. Some details of that seemed a stretch, but that wasn't the point.

What we have is Jasmine trying her teenage best to blend, while her brother Ali is very passionate about Iranian citizens' rights, and the deeply fractured situation in the Middle East. (Still is, sadly.) Jasmine has a very volatile friend group, a cute guy she's attracted to, and a very determined aunt visiting her, who wants her to focus on her heritage.

In order to win that election, Jasmine begins to slide down the slippery slope of political bad decisions. (Cue Nixon references, heh!)

The story is fast-paced, and the crisis thread and Ali were first rate. (In fact, I kind of wish it had been Ali's story, as I didn't much care for some of Jasmine's friends, or a certain cheating plot thread). I also wish that Jasmine's arc hadn't been downward slide for most of the book, with a sudden 180 at the end.

But there are a lot of other aspects that make it a terrific read for the older teen. (Though it's set senior year, there is a lot of casual sex talk, blue language, and underage drinking. All things that happened at the time, but parental guidance might still be wanted for the readership.)

I really really enjoyed this book! It was interesting to see a different perspective of how high school is for everyone. Its being stuck between two cultures and trying to find yourself - it's the feeling of wanting to move out of your town and go to a bigger city to try and "make it" and follow your dreams. This book is the breath of fresh air everyone needs, it's funny and relevant to today's time. It was everything I was looking for.

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer is a historical fiction novel set in 1979 during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. This gives off Dear Evan Hansen vibes and I absolutely adored this. It's a fast-paced novel perfect for anyone.

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

“Between the dirty tricks and the cover-ups and the betrayal, I keep saying this is not me, I’m not like this. But I am. This is the person I’ve become in order to be the person I wanted to be”

I love this book.

These kind of books are the reason why I love (diverse) YA Contemporary so much and the reason why I think we need MORE of this genre. Why I think these kind of books are so important to be published and to be read and just to be out in the world.

It’s diverse without looking like they’re trying too hard. So effortlessly done, and yet not carelessly either. It talks about important issues in a way that most of the books in the literary genre tried SO hard to capture because they want to keep it “smart” and “intellectual”, and yet failed to seal and deliver with a stamp on.

YA Contemporary books are messy and chaotic and filled with stupid mistakes and choices, but that’s also the very charm of it. Teenagers are messy. We are all chaotic once in a while. And we do make stupid mistakes now and then.

This one is no different. This book IS messy. It IS chaotic. And, Jasmine, I love you, but your choices :)) <33 You’re very ambitious, to say the least <33

And yet, this book somehow still managed to be so charming, lovable, and enjoyable to the very core. And not just borderline annoying. And I’ve become quite attached to it, I think… To the characters, mostly :)

I LOVE Jasmine. I love how much of a music ‘nerd’ she is. She’s so cool. You’ll get TONS of references of a couple of bands, songs and albums sprinkled through the book, and it’s just awesome. I had most of the songs/artists she liked written down and am planning to check them out for I was never that familiar with that era of music!

Bottom line : I love love love love love this book. 4.75 stars!!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC!

You can also find my review here for more of my thoughts about a few of the characters in this book! (I’m afraid they counted as spoilers, so I decided to not put it here, just in case :))

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2085ae44-48d2-456e-bf63-c29b1b3a66c0?redirect=true

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win captures the zeitgeist of the early days of the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Jasmine, a high school senior and the daughter of an Iranian father and American mother, is hoping to leave California after graduation and study journalism at NYU. But first, she has to be accepted at the prestigious institution. Needing that "something extra" to make her application stand out, Jasmine runs for senior class president. However, the college application is due before the election, so she says on the application that she's already been elected. She expects to win, so it won't be a problem, right?

Less than a week into her campaign, Iranian student radicals seize the U.S. Embassy in Iran and take American hostages. The anti-Iranian sentiment at Jasmine's school is immediate and virulent, threatening Jasmine's chances of winning. Jasmine tries to downplay (if not hide) her Iranian heritage, which is difficult when her brother exercises his First Amendment rights to defend the Iranian students and educate his classmates about previous U.S. interference in Iran. Suddenly, Jasmine finds herself at odds with her brother (more so than usual) and running a questionable campaign full of dirty tricks. But she justifies it by telling herself she has to get into NYU and her opponent want to bomb Iran.

On top of all the campaign drama, Jasmine's parents are on the verge of divorce, her friend group is falling apart, and there's a cute new guy at school she likes.

Although YA readers may not understand some of the historical references (Patty Hearst and the Symbionese Liberation Army, for example), they will relate to the themes of identity, cultural conflict, family issues, and teen romance. The multiple subplots keep the story moving at a pace that will keep teens engaged.

I also think there's an audience for this book among adults who were teens during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. As one such reader, I really enjoyed this book and thought it captured that period in U.S. history very well.

The end of the book seems a little rushed (perhaps because I wanted more), but overall this is a compelling story that will appeal to YA fans of historical fiction.

An enjoyable book! I’m glad to have learned more about Iranians in the 1970s and valuable historical pieces about their heritage. I also enjoyed that this book was around a high school senior class president campaign. Haven’t read anything like that yet. I didn’t like the language in this book. It was a little bit too much swearing for my tastes. Some parts of it were good for YA but I almost feel that it was more geared for the new adult genre. Overall an enjoyable read.

This was a great Young Adult novel focusing on school elections while bigger, tougher things are going on around them
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own

JASMINE ZUMIDEH is a whip-smart and hilarious story of identity and school elections. I was laughing the whole way through, but also wincing as Jasmine gets herself into more and more trouble. A lot of us in diaspora communities struggle with our identities, but that struggle is even more heightened when something out of our control happens in the world, and suddenly a particular group is regarded with suspicion. It happened with Covid, it happened with 9/11, and in JASMINE ZUMIDEH it happens with the Iran hostage crisis. Jasmine is just trying to win a school election, but suddenly nobody can talk about anything besides the hostages and Iran. She does her best to take the spotlight off her heritage, but in the process she makes a lot of questionable choices that start snowballing. It's savvy storytelling and so very compelling. Highly recommended!!

This novel is a total breath of fresh air! An absorbing read that brought me right back to the 80's and a meaningful depiction of the Iranian hostage crisis through the eyes of an Iranian-American teen. Highly recommend!

*3.5 stars rounded up*

I really loved reading about the main character from a diaspora that was pretty hard to accept in the time period with the events going on. At first, I didn't love Jasmine but by the end of the book, I found myself rooting for her. She was super relatable in the sense of "do I want to betray my heritage or do I want to fit in?" sense. This book would be an amazing tv series or movie overall.

This book was very informative about about the political state that was happening with Iran in 1979. Jasmine is trying to work through how to deal with everything as an Iranian-American. I really liked that part of the story but her friends were so annoying. I cannot fathom why she was friends with them and it made it hard to read the book.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is fast-paced and poignant. While the book was set in the late 1970s, so many of the micro-aggressions and nationalistic attitudes reminded me of today’s world. The historical context side of the novel was given in manageable chunks, so even if you weren’t familiar with this time period you had a good grasp about how world events were impacting the characters.

The main storyline is about the election on the surface, but for me it was more about the decisions Jasmine had to make about who she was willing to be. What she was willing to do or become to achieve her “dream.” Her personal struggle of not feeling like enough, not quite American enough, not Iranian enough, was so relatable. It’s sad that when you don’t fit into an easy box that you feel like an outsider rather than having acceptance from all sides.

The side characters weren’t as interesting and the relationship issues were a bit predictable. Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend for my students and/or have available in my classroom library.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to the ebook.

This book was really good! Honestly I loved the book so much that I would probably re- read it! I cannot wait for it to release in November so that others can read this book too!