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cakt1991's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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!
kikiareyoureading's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
veil0819's review
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
noellelovesbooks's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings: Racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, bullying, hate crimes, body shaming, fatphobia, and toxic relationships. Mention of antisemitism, infidelity, the threat of deportation, and war.
I received an ARC of this book, ahead of release, through the St Martin's Press influencer program. All thoughts are my own.
All Jasmine wants is to fulfill her journalistic dreams by attending NYU after graduation...but in order to do that, she needs something that will help her application stand out. When she realizes one of her classmates will be using the upcoming class President election to fluff his college resume Jasmine realizes what a win it could be if she won that election instead.
Not realizing the early admission application is due ahead of the election...and really needing that win to earn her spot at NYU she might have written, on her application, that she in fact won the election. Determined to not be a liar she's desperate to make that win a reality...no matter what it takes or what it costs.
Just as Jasmine thinks that winning is in the bag, I mean her opponent wants to enforce a dress code...protests in Iran start flooding the media and newspapers. As Jasmine's brother become a vocal advocate for the Iranian people Jasmine becomes embarrassed by that side of her heritage and desperately tries to hide that side of her.
The little white lie on her college application starts having all kinds of consequences as she's desperate to make that win a reality. Everything keeps spinning out of control and Jasmine is feeling less and less herself and more like someone she never thought she could be.
This story had me wanting to shake Jasmine and hug her as she struggled with her own identity in the face of everything going on in and around her life. A true coming-of-age story about what you do and who you can become in the face of adversity.
I received an ARC of this book, ahead of release, through the St Martin's Press influencer program. All thoughts are my own.
All Jasmine wants is to fulfill her journalistic dreams by attending NYU after graduation...but in order to do that, she needs something that will help her application stand out. When she realizes one of her classmates will be using the upcoming class President election to fluff his college resume Jasmine realizes what a win it could be if she won that election instead.
Not realizing the early admission application is due ahead of the election...and really needing that win to earn her spot at NYU she might have written, on her application, that she in fact won the election. Determined to not be a liar she's desperate to make that win a reality...no matter what it takes or what it costs.
Just as Jasmine thinks that winning is in the bag, I mean her opponent wants to enforce a dress code...protests in Iran start flooding the media and newspapers. As Jasmine's brother become a vocal advocate for the Iranian people Jasmine becomes embarrassed by that side of her heritage and desperately tries to hide that side of her.
The little white lie on her college application starts having all kinds of consequences as she's desperate to make that win a reality. Everything keeps spinning out of control and Jasmine is feeling less and less herself and more like someone she never thought she could be.
This story had me wanting to shake Jasmine and hug her as she struggled with her own identity in the face of everything going on in and around her life. A true coming-of-age story about what you do and who you can become in the face of adversity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Body shaming, Racism, Xenophobia, Bullying, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Deportation, Antisemitism, and War
nightwing's review
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.
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.
leahjanespeare's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
This is a solid debut. Jasmine gets herself into some tricky situations, and learns how to embrace her Iranian roots during a time in the US when its relationship and media coverage of the Middle East in general were particularly bad. It’s very much a Bildungsroman story since by the end she’s reflected on how she acted throughout the story (very bad friend, dirty campaigning, and not true to herself) and learns from her mistakes. If she hadn’t told a small white lie this would have been a very different story. While this story takes place in 1979, much of the politics can of course be equated to today’s atmosphere; especially regarding white Americans’ rampant xenophobia and ignorance, tendency to latch on to what the media says, and general misconceptions about different cultures and other countries’ political situations.
I got a little caught up in how stupid that lie was, and how she continually made glaringly bad decisions to cover up and snowball that lie, but I think this is a case of ‘she’s literally a teenager’ so a fault of mine, as an adult reader, rather than anything against the writing/characterization itself. If you’re a teenager, you’ll probably look at her actions as logical at the time.
I got a little caught up in how stupid that lie was, and how she continually made glaringly bad decisions to cover up and snowball that lie, but I think this is a case of ‘she’s literally a teenager’ so a fault of mine, as an adult reader, rather than anything against the writing/characterization itself. If you’re a teenager, you’ll probably look at her actions as logical at the time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
imstephtacular's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Hate crime, and Alcohol
Minor: Misogyny, Cursing, Genocide, Grief, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Deportation, and Antisemitism
_morgueann's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
It was a struggle to put this realistic historical fiction down. I'm a sucker for stories featuring young journalists, political commentary, and moral gray areas. This book belongs in the hands of any reader craving fast-paced realistic fiction that's full of drama.
Set in 1979 Southern California, Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win follows an aspiring journalist who's heart is set on NYU. It's a must for becoming an awesome journalist a music magazine like Creem. To ensure her acceptance, Jasmine submits for early decision and fudges her transcript to say she's senior class president. Now she just has to win the election.
Jasmine enlists the help of two friends to run her campaign, and everything is going well until the Iranian Hostage Crisis hits the headlines. Suddenly, the senior class election becomes a referendum on anti-Iranian hate versus an understanding of the complex history of America's interference in Iran. Jasmine is Iranian-American, and her heritage is getting in the way of NYU. Soon Jasmine is trapped in a web of lies, political sabotage, and a crisis of integrity.
Set in 1979 Southern California, Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win follows an aspiring journalist who's heart is set on NYU. It's a must for becoming an awesome journalist a music magazine like Creem. To ensure her acceptance, Jasmine submits for early decision and fudges her transcript to say she's senior class president. Now she just has to win the election.
Jasmine enlists the help of two friends to run her campaign, and everything is going well until the Iranian Hostage Crisis hits the headlines. Suddenly, the senior class election becomes a referendum on anti-Iranian hate versus an understanding of the complex history of America's interference in Iran. Jasmine is Iranian-American, and her heritage is getting in the way of NYU. Soon Jasmine is trapped in a web of lies, political sabotage, and a crisis of integrity.
ambledsoe's review
5.0
What do you do when you have the moral compass of an 18 year old high school senior who needs another extracurricular on your nyu college application? Lie of course, then try to make it truth afterwards.
Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a slam dunk book that blends history, character, and present day headlines into a seamless story about the internal conflicts we all face when living in a powder keg.
Its a well-written, well-paced, contemporary about finding your voice, losing yourself, and accepting responsibility for all that comes after.
There will be times you want to reach through the text and literally shake Jasmine "Katie" until her brains are unscrambled and in the very next paragraph wanna hold her hand and let her be. A completely complex and fleshed out character study for sure
Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a slam dunk book that blends history, character, and present day headlines into a seamless story about the internal conflicts we all face when living in a powder keg.
Its a well-written, well-paced, contemporary about finding your voice, losing yourself, and accepting responsibility for all that comes after.
There will be times you want to reach through the text and literally shake Jasmine "Katie" until her brains are unscrambled and in the very next paragraph wanna hold her hand and let her be. A completely complex and fleshed out character study for sure