I can definitely see why this is a Printz winner, as Nayeri's story is layered and powerful. There are some absolutely gorgeous lines throughout this book. I do wonder what the intended audience is for this book, though, because even though the main character is 12, for me it reads a little older.

Without chapter breaks, the book very much reads like a stream of consciousness, with Nayeri moving between fiction and reality. It mimics 1,000 Arabian Nights and works well in showing the Persian culture. Overall, this is a powerful, emotional memoir.