In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natasha Deen

In the Key of Nira Ghani 

by Natasha Deen

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Ratings 4.5/5

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Synopsis

A Guyanese girl must find the balance between her parents' "old world" expectations and traditions while pursuing her dream of being a great trumpeter in this contemporary, coming-of-age story.

Nira Ghani has always dreamed of becoming a musician. Her Guyanese parents, however, have big plans for her to become a scientist or doctor. Nira's grandmother and her best friend, Emily, are the only people who seem to truly understand her desire to establish an identity outside of the one imposed on Nira by her parents. When auditions for jazz band are announced, Nira realizes it's now or never to convince her parents that she deserves a chance to pursue her passion.

As if fighting with her parents weren't bad enough, Nira finds herself navigating a new friendship dynamic when her crush, Noah, and notorious mean-girl, McKenzie "Mac," take a sudden interest in her and Emily, inserting themselves into the fold. So, too, does Nira's much cooler (and very competitive) cousin Farah. Is she trying to wiggle her way into the new group to get closer to Noah? Is McKenzie trying to steal Emily's attention away from her? As Farah and Noah grow closer and Emily begins to pull away, Nira's trusted trumpet "George" remains her constant, offering her an escape from family and school drama.

But it isn't until Nira takes a step back that she realizes she's not the only one struggling to find her place in the world. As painful truths about her family are revealed, Nira learns to accept people for who they are and to open herself in ways she never thought possible.

A relatable and timely contemporary, coming-of age story, In the Key of Nira Ghani explores the social and cultural struggles of a teen in an immigrant household.

My Thoughts

Your sense of self refers to your perception of the collection of characteristics that define you. Personality traits, abilities, likes and dislikes, your belief system or moral code, and the things that motivate you — these all contribute to self-image or your unique identity as a person. People who can easily describe these aspects of their identity typically have a fairly strong sense of who they are. Struggling to name more than a few of these characteristics might point to a less defined sense of self. In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natasha Deen is an amazing YA read it's truly Phenomenal! No lie, I got so invested in the character Nira that not only did I read this all in one sitting, at one point I actually caught myself thinking of Nira as if she's a girl I work with in real life. I had to pause and remind myself that Nira is FICTIONAL.

I didn’t know anything about this author or her work till my friend recommended this book for a group read. I was kind of dragging my feet about it because I’m not a fan of Young Adult Fiction but I decided to give this a go. From the first page I was sucked in by main character. This book is like a love song.

So yeah, Natasha Deen is THAT good. Would recommend to everyone, worth so much more than 5 stars!!!

Highly Recommended!