Reviews

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!

maggied89's review

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4.0

4 very enthusiastic stars for this one! I won an ARC of this book via a Goodreads giveaway, and I’m so glad that I did. This isn’t my usual genre, but I loved the character-driven narrative. The central story is a bit predictable, but the high school anguish mixed with the realities of being a mixed “Persian Irish American” makes for a compelling character study. A bit Mean Girls, a bit Election, and a bit Almost Famous, Susan Azim Boyer created a compulsively readable story. And now I desperately want a pair of Candies and a TAB!

biblioemily's review

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3.0

It is a quick read, and I did learn more about the Iranian hostage crisis. But Jasmine is a tough character to like, there are a lot of just a little too convenient plot points that move the story along, and the other characters are just so flat. It did not seem funny/humorous to me as the blurb promised. Also, there is a lot of underage drinking and smoking (yeah, I know, it's set in 1979 but still) & mentions of sex that make me hesitant to recommend it to anyone below 9th grade.

starryeyed9's review

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

resslesa's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring medium-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

4.25

Zoo -me-day is how you pronounce the last name. A fun read that definitely brought me back to the 80’s and the characters all learn the importance of being oneself but the lesson and difficult when trying to also live your cultural life is a thing that must be grappled with. Well done and great for all teens. Fun and thoughtful.

sunnysab's review

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informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

missprint_'s review

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3.0

I think this will be very good for people who are very into music and the 1970s. I am neither so it was impossible for me to care enough about Jasmine’s aspirations to even get to the actual plot. I take issue with a supposedly aspiring journalist spending all of her time making up how her "interviews" will go. Jasmine also reads a lot younger than almost 18--which could totally happen but combined with everything else made this a miss for me.

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