Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win

September 15, 2022
It's 1979 and Jasmine Zumideh dreams of attending New York University for journalism and writing for rock magazine Creem. Auntie Minah has come from San Francisco to stay with Jasmine and her younger brother, Ali, in Los Angeles while their dad travels for work. Their mom is at Grandma Jean's in Kansas, considering divorce. Meanwhile, Jasmine's school guidance counselor tells her she needs to beef up her record to help her get into a top East Coast college. When stuffy, xenophobic Gerald announces he's running for senior class president--and, worse, also applying to NYU--Jasmine jumps at the chance to run against him. Beating Gerald should be a cakewalk, but with the NYU early decision deadline only two days away, surely it's all right to put down that she's senior class president-elect? Growing up with a Persian Muslim dad and Irish Protestant mom, Jasmine previously hadn't paid much attention to news from Iran, but since the revolution, she's worried about her grandmother's safety. When Americans are taken hostage in Tehran, Gerald villainizes Iran in his campaign; Jasmine describes herself as Persian, hoping he won't connect the dots, but Ali vocally educates classmates about Iran's history. Caught between separated parents, figuring out her identity, and maintaining her integrity, Jasmine is a sympathetic character who makes some questionable decisions. Humor offsets the heavier themes. The supporting cast represents the area's diversity. A thoughtful coming-of-age story with a relatable protagonist. (Historical fiction. 12-18)

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September 26, 2022
Boyer’s thought-provoking debut follows Irish and Iranian 17-year-old Jasmine Zumideh as she faces off against a bigoted peer in a student council election. In 1979, Southern California native Jasmine dreams of immersing herself in N.Y.C.’s music scene and becoming a music journalist. Though her guidance counselor warns she’ll “need something extra” on her college application to make her stand out, she’s sure that winning the Aspiring Young Journalist Award will do the trick. After that doesn’t pan out, she abruptly decides to run for senior class president. Assuming she’s a shoo-in for the presidency, especially since her only real competition is xenophobic classmate Gerald, she submits her early decision application to NYU stating she’s already won. But when Gerald uses an incident in Iran as fodder to turn the school against her, and Jasmine in turn tries to distance herself from her Iranian heritage, she’s caught between her dreams, her family, and her identity. Jasmine’s sardonic voice provides levity as difficult interactions build, including her guidance counselor’s refusal to pronounce her name properly, despite multiple corrections, and her increasingly strained relationship with her brother as he endeavors to educate their classmates on what’s happening overseas. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary.

November 1, 2022
Grades 10-12 Aspiring journalist Jasmine Zumideh (that's Zoom-ee-day) dreams of interviewing her idols--like rock star Chrissie Hynde--but first she has to secure a prestigious journalism degree. NYU's program is extremely competitive, and if she wants to be accepted, she'll have to put a little oomph in her application. Class president seems like just the thing, but to win the election, she has to endure racism and her politically passionate brother and face her internalized shame about being Iranian. Boyer sets her clear-eyed debut in 1979 California at the start of the Iran hostage crisis, and amid this, packs an impressive number of ups and downs, including everyday high-school and family drama, into Jasmine's plan. Through Jasmine's eyes, readers experience the complications of a mixed heritage and the unjustness of social norms in the face of personal goals and self-acceptance. Touches of romance offer additional dimension to the story, but the book remains grounded in its historical setting and committed to cultural domestic touches, particularly around food, which truly makes it a win.

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