Location: Milwaukee, WI
Music: Vocals, pianist
Identity: Pakistani-American, muslim
Friendship: Growing distant from a best friend

Due to their "uncommon" identities at school, best friends Amina (Pakistani-American) and Soojin (Korean-American) have commiserated and persevered through occasional bullying from fellow classmates, which, in turn, has created a stronger bond of friendship. So when Soojin wants to change her name to something more "American," Amina feels confused and unable to support her friend's choice. Then Amina feels even further removed from her best friend when a cool kid that used to bully them decides to befriend Soojin. Along with these common middle school problems, Amina is grappling with the ideals of her visiting conservative uncle and, at the end of the book, a hateful attack on her community mosque.

Khan masterfully presents the topic of being "othered" for a younger audience--both for those that identify to the main character and those that have never experienced prejudice based on their skin color or religion. The modern setting and the highly relatable topic of friendship make this an easy sell to a wide demographic, while also giving the reader more substance that can help build empathy and compassion.

With these positives in mind, I felt like the book lost focus on allowing Amina to excel as an individual. She had a lot of questions and a lot of self-doubt but she focused so strongly on mending her friendship that her personal progression was lost.