A review by heykellyjensen
In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natasha Deen
Nira and her family are Guyanese-Canadians, and her father is especially strict about the sort of upbringing and career he wants for his daughter. They've survived a big immigration, and now with opportunities to excel, Nira is expected to become a doctor. She doesn't want this though -- she wants to become a musician, and trying out for the high school band is the first step in the process. She doesn't have parental permission, and she doesn't have a "real" trumpet to play, but she wants it anyway. .
Big themes in this book also include friendship and family secrets. Nira struggles with a shift in her friendship with bestie Emily, and also shows how she finds a way to connect with her cousin Farah, who she's always felt distanced from. Nira being brown in a town where she's one of two brown young people is challenging, and that's not shied away from in the text at all.
There's a lot of good stuff here, but I found the writing to be underwhelming. Nira's voice reads really young for someone old enough to get a job, and frankly, this actually makes perfect sense in context of how she's been raised. It'll appeal especially to younger YA readers. What didn't work, though, was that this passion for music and performance doesn't really pick up until page 200 of the 300 page book. The first 200 pages meander a bit too much and don't show her passion and investment in this future as much as they could. This made the first third of the book drag, especially as some of the secondary characters become interchangeable. Nira is judgmental, and this is part of her growth arc, but it's that judgement that also forces her to see people as so one-dimensional . . . which translates to flat for the reader experience.
I did dig the way finances played a part in the story. Nira is forced to play a cheaper trumpet, and clothing -- what she can and cannot buy -- is a big deal. She can't wear brands because she doesn't have the money for it (this is great, but unfortunately, is one of the things in the story that drags down pacing and investment in her dreams a little too much in the beginning of the book). The struggles of an immigrant family building anew really shines.
Spoiler
When she doesn't make the band, she learns she needs to leap and make her wings on the fall down, rather than hope someone takes pity on her; this encourages her to play publicly and lands her a sweet little music gig on the side.Big themes in this book also include friendship and family secrets. Nira struggles with a shift in her friendship with bestie Emily, and also shows how she finds a way to connect with her cousin Farah, who she's always felt distanced from. Nira being brown in a town where she's one of two brown young people is challenging, and that's not shied away from in the text at all.
There's a lot of good stuff here, but I found the writing to be underwhelming. Nira's voice reads really young for someone old enough to get a job, and frankly, this actually makes perfect sense in context of how she's been raised. It'll appeal especially to younger YA readers. What didn't work, though, was that this passion for music and performance doesn't really pick up until page 200 of the 300 page book. The first 200 pages meander a bit too much and don't show her passion and investment in this future as much as they could. This made the first third of the book drag, especially as some of the secondary characters become interchangeable. Nira is judgmental, and this is part of her growth arc, but it's that judgement that also forces her to see people as so one-dimensional . . . which translates to flat for the reader experience.
I did dig the way finances played a part in the story. Nira is forced to play a cheaper trumpet, and clothing -- what she can and cannot buy -- is a big deal. She can't wear brands because she doesn't have the money for it (this is great, but unfortunately, is one of the things in the story that drags down pacing and investment in her dreams a little too much in the beginning of the book). The struggles of an immigrant family building anew really shines.