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jenlovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Natasha Deen’s In the Key of Nira Ghani in exchange for an honest review. The book releases on April 9.
“I feel like I’m living on a fault line. Everything’s great, but I feel like there’s a rumbling deep down
where I can’t see or feel it, and something’s going to blow” (loc. 835).
I could not have loved In the Key of Nira Ghani more. For me, the novel offers the perfect mixture of compelling, empathetic protagonist; gorgeous writing; and a believable contemporary plot. From the very beginning, Nira captured my heart and my head, and I read the novel in basically one sitting.
Nira lives with her parents and her grandmother in Canada—her family escaped from Guyana in search of safety and security but had to leave without their money. As in many novels about the children of immigrants, Nira walks the line between appreciating her parents’ culture and yearning to blend in with her classmates at her new school. As the only brown girl, Nira feels both incredibly conspicuous and tragically invisible, discounted by everyone but her best friend Emily. Her one escape is her music. Though her parents have decided that she will become a doctor and therefore needs to focus only on her studies, Nira convinced them to buy her a used trumpet, which she taught herself to play via YouTube. When Nira plays, she expresses all of the love, conflict, and confusion that dominate her life.
A brilliant student, Nira vies always to meet the high expectations of her family. She always, however, falls short. After her family emigrated, her father’s brother Raj brought his family to Canada as well, taking advantage of a new loophole that allowed him to escape with his bank account intact. The brothers’ relationship is one of constant comparison: of belongings, of ambition, of their daughters’ academics. Nira’s cousin Farah attends a private school where she blends in with the “Farahbots,” other wealthy girls who share their heritage and culture. Anchoring both girls is Grandma, one of my favorite characters. Grandma is wise, funny, and realistic about the challenges Nira faces as she struggles to find her place. Most of the time, Grandma sits back and lets her family figure things out for themselves, but when she intervenes, she’s a “puppet master” who pulls all the right strings (loc. 664).
Though Nira fights against the superficial judgments of others, she does herself fall prey to judging based on appearances. Much of the novel involves Nira learning to peel back layers, to understand that everyone has secret fears and hopes. Her friendship with Emily changes as they begin to invite others to her group—much to Nira’s chagrin—and Nira must deal with feeling pushed out of the relationships that anchor her. Emily becomes close to McKenzie, a popular girl whose constant misunderstandings about Nira—she’s Hindi, she’s Muslim, she’s from India, and SO many more—and Nira can’t understand how Emily can look past McKenzie’s prejudiced behavior. Nira’s love for music leads her to know Noah, a popular boy in the jazz band. Nira decided early on that Noah is out of her league, so she suppresses her crush in favor of being his friend. Eventually, Farah (despite Nira’s best efforts) joins this friend group, and Nira must strive to figure otu where she fits in this new arrangement of five.
All of these elements are made essential by Deen’s writing: even when, as a reader, I became frustrated with characters, I understood their perspective. Deen crafts characters of such complexity that we understand both why Nira wants new, name-brand clothes and why the entire idea is anathema to her parents. We understand why Grandma insists on making tea in every situation and why her use of sugar in the tea signals the kind of situation she’s dealing with. We understand why Emily is Nira’s best friend, why Nira is jealous of their new friends, and why Emily is insisting that Nira be more understanding. Most of all, we understand both why Nira desires so strongly to please her parents and why she just can’t give up on music. Emily tells Nira early on that her playing reminds her of Neil—not Louis—Armstrong because when Nira plays, “[she] make[s] [Emily] think of moonlight and defying gravity” (loc. 74).
Through the book, Nira becomes a keeper of secrets, both her own and others’, and each secret “steals the stars from the sky and the light from the moon” (loc. 1538). As a reader in on those secrets, I felt every moment of Nira’s story, of her imperfections and her pursuit of growth, of her moments of being an outsider and of belonging, of seeing her path clearly and being pushed off of that path. Watching her figure out herself and those around her is a journey I won’t forget, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Pre-order Natasha Deen’s In the Key of Nira Ghani immediately. You won’t regret it.
“I feel like I’m living on a fault line. Everything’s great, but I feel like there’s a rumbling deep down
where I can’t see or feel it, and something’s going to blow” (loc. 835).
I could not have loved In the Key of Nira Ghani more. For me, the novel offers the perfect mixture of compelling, empathetic protagonist; gorgeous writing; and a believable contemporary plot. From the very beginning, Nira captured my heart and my head, and I read the novel in basically one sitting.
Nira lives with her parents and her grandmother in Canada—her family escaped from Guyana in search of safety and security but had to leave without their money. As in many novels about the children of immigrants, Nira walks the line between appreciating her parents’ culture and yearning to blend in with her classmates at her new school. As the only brown girl, Nira feels both incredibly conspicuous and tragically invisible, discounted by everyone but her best friend Emily. Her one escape is her music. Though her parents have decided that she will become a doctor and therefore needs to focus only on her studies, Nira convinced them to buy her a used trumpet, which she taught herself to play via YouTube. When Nira plays, she expresses all of the love, conflict, and confusion that dominate her life.
A brilliant student, Nira vies always to meet the high expectations of her family. She always, however, falls short. After her family emigrated, her father’s brother Raj brought his family to Canada as well, taking advantage of a new loophole that allowed him to escape with his bank account intact. The brothers’ relationship is one of constant comparison: of belongings, of ambition, of their daughters’ academics. Nira’s cousin Farah attends a private school where she blends in with the “Farahbots,” other wealthy girls who share their heritage and culture. Anchoring both girls is Grandma, one of my favorite characters. Grandma is wise, funny, and realistic about the challenges Nira faces as she struggles to find her place. Most of the time, Grandma sits back and lets her family figure things out for themselves, but when she intervenes, she’s a “puppet master” who pulls all the right strings (loc. 664).
Though Nira fights against the superficial judgments of others, she does herself fall prey to judging based on appearances. Much of the novel involves Nira learning to peel back layers, to understand that everyone has secret fears and hopes. Her friendship with Emily changes as they begin to invite others to her group—much to Nira’s chagrin—and Nira must deal with feeling pushed out of the relationships that anchor her. Emily becomes close to McKenzie, a popular girl whose constant misunderstandings about Nira—she’s Hindi, she’s Muslim, she’s from India, and SO many more—and Nira can’t understand how Emily can look past McKenzie’s prejudiced behavior. Nira’s love for music leads her to know Noah, a popular boy in the jazz band. Nira decided early on that Noah is out of her league, so she suppresses her crush in favor of being his friend. Eventually, Farah (despite Nira’s best efforts) joins this friend group, and Nira must strive to figure otu where she fits in this new arrangement of five.
All of these elements are made essential by Deen’s writing: even when, as a reader, I became frustrated with characters, I understood their perspective. Deen crafts characters of such complexity that we understand both why Nira wants new, name-brand clothes and why the entire idea is anathema to her parents. We understand why Grandma insists on making tea in every situation and why her use of sugar in the tea signals the kind of situation she’s dealing with. We understand why Emily is Nira’s best friend, why Nira is jealous of their new friends, and why Emily is insisting that Nira be more understanding. Most of all, we understand both why Nira desires so strongly to please her parents and why she just can’t give up on music. Emily tells Nira early on that her playing reminds her of Neil—not Louis—Armstrong because when Nira plays, “[she] make[s] [Emily] think of moonlight and defying gravity” (loc. 74).
Through the book, Nira becomes a keeper of secrets, both her own and others’, and each secret “steals the stars from the sky and the light from the moon” (loc. 1538). As a reader in on those secrets, I felt every moment of Nira’s story, of her imperfections and her pursuit of growth, of her moments of being an outsider and of belonging, of seeing her path clearly and being pushed off of that path. Watching her figure out herself and those around her is a journey I won’t forget, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Pre-order Natasha Deen’s In the Key of Nira Ghani immediately. You won’t regret it.
juicygreenmom's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
4.25
sarag19's review against another edition
3.0
***ARC received through NetGalley for review, much appreciated***
This is a little more than just an average coming of age high school story. Its a struggle that goes deeper than just parents and child but into the struggle of culture. Nira's family wants to her be a doctor, they see that as the only type of success but Nira wants to be a musician that success is bigger than just becoming a doctor.
I liked Nira as a character, shes so wrapped up in her own struggles that she doesn't see or understand her friends struggles. I never found Nira to be too self center to see Mac, Emily, Noah and her cousin Farah's issues and she does open up and realize her own mistakes.
The best parts though are when Nira interacts with her family. I wished there had been more about the Guyanese culture but there was one particular section about Nira's fathers reaction to her buying clothes from a consignment story that really stood out to me. Its something so simple, how buying vintage or second hand is not just normal but popular can bring back such horrible feelings for Nira's father. Those are the best parts that really drive the story.
The ending was a bit off to me. I saw it coming, although it didn't play out like I thought but I wish that it had been different. I felt like it brought the family together in a way that felt unnatural and forced to me. I wanted to see Nira and her father come together on her desire to play music in a more fluid way. That was really what dragged down my enjoyment of the book from what it could have been.
Overall I think it would be a good read for younger teens.
This is a little more than just an average coming of age high school story. Its a struggle that goes deeper than just parents and child but into the struggle of culture. Nira's family wants to her be a doctor, they see that as the only type of success but Nira wants to be a musician that success is bigger than just becoming a doctor.
I liked Nira as a character, shes so wrapped up in her own struggles that she doesn't see or understand her friends struggles. I never found Nira to be too self center to see Mac, Emily, Noah and her cousin Farah's issues and she does open up and realize her own mistakes.
The best parts though are when Nira interacts with her family. I wished there had been more about the Guyanese culture but there was one particular section about Nira's fathers reaction to her buying clothes from a consignment story that really stood out to me. Its something so simple, how buying vintage or second hand is not just normal but popular can bring back such horrible feelings for Nira's father. Those are the best parts that really drive the story.
The ending was a bit off to me. I saw it coming, although it didn't play out like I thought but I wish that it had been different. I felt like it brought the family together in a way that felt unnatural and forced to me. I wanted to see Nira and her father come together on her desire to play music in a more fluid way. That was really what dragged down my enjoyment of the book from what it could have been.
Overall I think it would be a good read for younger teens.
msvenner's review against another edition
4.0
I waffled between 3 and 4 stars. I liked this. It was realistic fiction, looking at Nora's life in an immigrant family and trying to find her path in life, not necessarily the same image as that of her family. The story was very relatable and well written. Some interesting language and prose choices, which I appreciated. This is a 2020 Red Maple nominee.
lberestecki's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-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
3.25
gotathingforthings's review
4.0
In the Key of Nira Ghani is an ownvoices story following a Guyanese teen who is caught between her parents expectations and her own wishes to be a musician. At the same time her best friend is pulling away from her, and why is the cute popular guy Noah suddenly talking to her?
(laughing at my attempt to write a synopsis without actually writing the synopsis)
In the Key of Nira Ghani has real characters which I felt were written really well. I love how Nira is such a teenager, with all her insecurities and dreams. I loved her family and how everything could be fixed with a cup of tea. All the characters has different sides and I felt for them all.
In my opinion the ending was the weakest part of the story, it wasn’t really executed well and I thought that it could have been more developed. There were also some relationships I wished we could have seen more of: Noah & Nira, Nira’s family vs. Farah’s family (and if they ever found out her uncle’s secret), Mac & Emily! I hope we actually get a sequel because there is a lot left to explore!
More thoughts can be found my full video review: https://youtu.be/bBd66vwYpWI
3.5/5 stars! Would recommend if you want a diverse and nice contemporary.
(laughing at my attempt to write a synopsis without actually writing the synopsis)
In the Key of Nira Ghani has real characters which I felt were written really well. I love how Nira is such a teenager, with all her insecurities and dreams. I loved her family and how everything could be fixed with a cup of tea. All the characters has different sides and I felt for them all.
In my opinion the ending was the weakest part of the story, it wasn’t really executed well and I thought that it could have been more developed. There were also some relationships I wished we could have seen more of: Noah & Nira, Nira’s family vs. Farah’s family (and if they ever found out her uncle’s secret), Mac & Emily! I hope we actually get a sequel because there is a lot left to explore!
More thoughts can be found my full video review: https://youtu.be/bBd66vwYpWI
3.5/5 stars! Would recommend if you want a diverse and nice contemporary.
thegraduatedbookwormblogger's review against another edition
4.0
Full Review can be found at Http://www.thegraduatedbookworm.com
First, I'd like to thank Hachette Books Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for a review! Honestly, this book was so hilarious and light-hearted, I really was sucked in from the first page!
Right from the beginning you get drawn into Nira and her family and life. It's no secret that she comes from a family that's not the "ordinary" family you would normally see, however, she definitely tries to make it more of a normal life experience now that her family moved to Canada... Even if it doesn't always work out in her favour.
Growing up, I could totally relate to Nira in some ways, because we all just want to fit in. We all want to be part of the "cool crowd" even if that's not who we are inside. We all want to look into the mirror and be happy with the clothes we have, even if what everyone else has seems to be even better. The relationship that she also has with her family--Especially her grandmother!-- you can relate to in any family. Although the amount of diversity that's within the novel is amazing, when you come down to it, anyone can relate to this book from something. I personally loved the fact that her story wasn't like the rest. It played on a diverse family, and definitely a unique one at that, and it was really enjoyable!
Overall, this was a pretty great read! I really loved the multitude of characters, backgrounds, and the fact that some of the characters straight up told Nira what's up. She really grew from the beginning to end, and I think this is definitely a book that's worth reading!
First, I'd like to thank Hachette Books Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for a review! Honestly, this book was so hilarious and light-hearted, I really was sucked in from the first page!
Right from the beginning you get drawn into Nira and her family and life. It's no secret that she comes from a family that's not the "ordinary" family you would normally see, however, she definitely tries to make it more of a normal life experience now that her family moved to Canada... Even if it doesn't always work out in her favour.
Growing up, I could totally relate to Nira in some ways, because we all just want to fit in. We all want to be part of the "cool crowd" even if that's not who we are inside. We all want to look into the mirror and be happy with the clothes we have, even if what everyone else has seems to be even better. The relationship that she also has with her family--Especially her grandmother!-- you can relate to in any family. Although the amount of diversity that's within the novel is amazing, when you come down to it, anyone can relate to this book from something. I personally loved the fact that her story wasn't like the rest. It played on a diverse family, and definitely a unique one at that, and it was really enjoyable!
Overall, this was a pretty great read! I really loved the multitude of characters, backgrounds, and the fact that some of the characters straight up told Nira what's up. She really grew from the beginning to end, and I think this is definitely a book that's worth reading!
jennrid's review against another edition
4.0
A moving YA novel about complicated family relationships, finding your voice, first generation immigrants combined with a strong voice and a bit of humor. While I was in tears at the end, In the Key of Nira Ghani was a hopeful read.
t_stre's review
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0