Becoming Jinn - Lori  Goldstein

I picked up this to read after it was selected by my bookshop's Teen Advisory Board, and they usually make phenomenal picks.  The premise seemed cool too.  I think my reading of this book was hurt by going in with high expectations.  I also think that the book reads younger than expected - with the main character turning 16, I'd say this book is written more for readers younger than Azra.

 

What I found was a book with all this build up towards resistance/revolution/uprising against the draconian laws governing jinn lives... and nothing really coming of it.  And I learned that Jinn, too, can be special snowflakes.

 

There's kind of a love triangle, which is a little forced.  One is the brother of her dead best friend, who she has rather sibling like feelings towards (for the most part), and has pretty good reason to be unhappy with his choice in women.  The other guy is one she's been drooling over for ages.

 

I'm not sure I really buy the whole "you're so pretty no one in the entire school will talk to you" - especially in regards to pre-transformation looks.  And while social awkardness can be taken for aloofness, there is generally a difference between how the two play out (and body language is often a good part of it).  Azra talks about herself as someone who's learned to disappear into the shadows/be socially invisible.  Maybe she has really poor self awareness, but that description doesn't really match up with the girl otherwise described.

 

And the girls she's supposed to be "sisters" with.  It's really Mean Girls-ish, with the relationships forced (even when they're supposed to be forced its a bit much).