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Rana Joon and the One and Only Now
This lyrical coming-of-age novel for fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay and On the Come Up, set in southern California in 1996, follows a teen who wants to honor her deceased friend’s legacy by entering a rap contest.
Perfect Iranian girls are straight A students, always polite, and grow up to marry respectable Iranian boys. But it’s the San Fernando Valley in 1996, and Rana Joon is far from perfect—she smokes weed and loves Tupac, and she has a secret: she likes girls.
As if that weren’t enough, her best friend, Louie—the one who knew her secret and encouraged her to live in the moment—died almost a year ago, and she’s still having trouble processing her grief. To honor him, Rana enters the rap battle he dreamed of competing in, even though she’s terrified of public speaking.
But the clock is ticking. With the battle getting closer every day, she can’t decide whether to use one of Louie’s pieces or her own poetry, her family is coming apart, and she might even be falling in love. To get herself to the stage and fulfill her promise before her senior year ends, Rana will have to learn to speak her truth and live in the one and only now.
Perfect Iranian girls are straight A students, always polite, and grow up to marry respectable Iranian boys. But it’s the San Fernando Valley in 1996, and Rana Joon is far from perfect—she smokes weed and loves Tupac, and she has a secret: she likes girls.
As if that weren’t enough, her best friend, Louie—the one who knew her secret and encouraged her to live in the moment—died almost a year ago, and she’s still having trouble processing her grief. To honor him, Rana enters the rap battle he dreamed of competing in, even though she’s terrified of public speaking.
But the clock is ticking. With the battle getting closer every day, she can’t decide whether to use one of Louie’s pieces or her own poetry, her family is coming apart, and she might even be falling in love. To get herself to the stage and fulfill her promise before her senior year ends, Rana will have to learn to speak her truth and live in the one and only now.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 25, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
November 14, 2023
Poignant, raw, moving
Rana is goes into senior year having quit basketball, dealing with the loss of her best friend, Louie, and keeping secrets from her family. Before, she wrote poetry to express herself and her identity but she hasn't written anything since Louie's death. Then, she finds a flyer for a rap competition Louie had wanted to enter and she begins to use her voice again to do what is important.
THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK MADE ME FEEL SO SEEN. Rana is an amazing character; she feels so real, messy, and wise. I loved experiencing her voice through her poetry. All of the characters are complex and far from perfect. But, it makes the story so rich and heartfelt. Honestly, all of the topics in the story are all so important to me. Etaat layers the themes of sexuality, cultural identity, Persian gender roles, and grief in a masterful way. The writing style was deep yet also kept moving so it wasn't slow paced.
I had high expectations for this and I'm so glad that it didn't disappoint. I'm sad to have finished this; I loved it so much.
Before reading:
QUEER PERSIAN REP AAAAAAAA I HOPE THIS IS GOOD 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Rana is goes into senior year having quit basketball, dealing with the loss of her best friend, Louie, and keeping secrets from her family. Before, she wrote poetry to express herself and her identity but she hasn't written anything since Louie's death. Then, she finds a flyer for a rap competition Louie had wanted to enter and she begins to use her voice again to do what is important.
THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK MADE ME FEEL SO SEEN. Rana is an amazing character; she feels so real, messy, and wise. I loved experiencing her voice through her poetry. All of the characters are complex and far from perfect. But, it makes the story so rich and heartfelt. Honestly, all of the topics in the story are all so important to me. Etaat layers the themes of sexuality, cultural identity, Persian gender roles, and grief in a masterful way. The writing style was deep yet also kept moving so it wasn't slow paced.
I had high expectations for this and I'm so glad that it didn't disappoint. I'm sad to have finished this; I loved it so much.
Before reading:
QUEER PERSIAN REP AAAAAAAA I HOPE THIS IS GOOD 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
September 14, 2023
Rana joon is a profound protagonist. She reminds me of many eighteen year old beloveds who are poets, truth seekers and tellers, willing to get past cultural expectations of their lives to find their own way.
This is a tender story, and one that embraces us in ways I can not fully articulate without giving spoilers. I find it overflowing with so many admirable choices, themes, characters and inclusions.
It is a complex story told with deftness and clarity. What I adore most about this book are the poetic verses (repeated references to Audre Lorde). Those of us ready for intersectional layered storytelling will find this a compelling read.
Those who are invested in narrow notions of what it means to be Iranian girls, will struggle with this story. Those who aren’t able to digest unfiltered communication among young folks, will also struggle with this book. I recommend reading the back cover/ synopsis carefully before making assumptions about what this book is or is not about.
I am grateful to the press for my advance copy. My recommendation is honest.
This is a tender story, and one that embraces us in ways I can not fully articulate without giving spoilers. I find it overflowing with so many admirable choices, themes, characters and inclusions.
It is a complex story told with deftness and clarity. What I adore most about this book are the poetic verses (repeated references to Audre Lorde). Those of us ready for intersectional layered storytelling will find this a compelling read.
Those who are invested in narrow notions of what it means to be Iranian girls, will struggle with this story. Those who aren’t able to digest unfiltered communication among young folks, will also struggle with this book. I recommend reading the back cover/ synopsis carefully before making assumptions about what this book is or is not about.
I am grateful to the press for my advance copy. My recommendation is honest.
January 29, 2024
شنیدم که کسی گفت کرکتر ایرانی کوئیر؟👀
August 24, 2024
the most unrealistic part of this was rana swearing at her mom and NOT getting baked into dinner that night
May 14, 2024
In 1996's San Fernando Valley, Rana Joon breaks away from the stereotype of the perfect Iranian girl. Despite society's expectations of academic excellence, politeness, and marrying a respectable Iranian boy, Rana is imperfect—she smokes weed, loves Tupac, and is secretly attracted to girls. But, the bigger problem is that her best friend Louie is dead. Louie, who knew her secret and encouraged her to embrace life. Rana struggles to cope with her grief as she prepares to honor Louie by entering a rap battle he had dreamed of competing in. Meanwhile, her family is falling apart, and she finds herself possibly falling in love amidst the chaos. To keep her promise to Louie and make it to the stage before her senior year ends, Rana must confront her fears, speak her truth, and embrace the present moment.
I feel very conflicted on my rating of this book because I truly believe one of the biggest issues is that it’s marketed as a young adult book when it isn’t. While the themes of grief, dysfunctional families, and coming to terms with sexuality are all appropriate for young adult readers there is one glaring oversight that stuck out like a sore thumb throughout the reading experience. This was extremely sexually explicit; to the point that it was more explicit than an actual steamy adult romance that I was reading at the same time as this. Of course, this is not to say that this is not a reality for teenagers. Yet, there’s something unsettling about reading sexually explicit content in the same chapter as the main character attending her high school Spanish class. I guess I don’t fully understand why this book had to be young adult considering how sexually explicit it was in contrast with the lack of depth in approaching some of the heavier topics. For example, there are lots of discussions in this book around eating disorders and fatphobia. However, the main character’s internalized fatphobia is never actually dissected and the eating disorder mentioned is only slightly touched on through another character sharing their experience. It was this weird murky territory where it’s heavily implied our main character suffers from these things but there’s never that full self-actualization with how it is wrapped up. Additionally, there is a very short discussion about mental illness that truly felt out of left-field as it hadn’t been mentioned before except to again neatly wrap up a storyline. In YA novels, it’s expected that some things are glossed over but these felt like major threads of the story that are not fully explored.
Another issue I had with this novel is that there are some inconsistencies that I noticed. For example, the Spanish teacher is first described as being female and only allows students to talk in Spanish in the class. Later, the Spanish teacher is male and talks in English to the students. Also, a side character discusses her frequent visits to Mexico - specifically Mexico City - which she describes as being just over the border. The San Fernando Valley is not that close to Mexico City. The most confusing one was when Tupac’s death is addressed in the story it felt forced into the story with no real consideration for the timeline of events. Tupac died in mid-September of 1996, but in the novel it would seem he died in possibly late June or July? The timeline the reader is given is that it has been about a month since the main character’s high school graduation and a few weeks before another character goes away to college. Yet, even this timeline is confusing because at one point towards the end of the book the main character says something to the effect of it’s crazy how much has happened in two weeks. This doesn’t add up with details in the beginning of the story about April turning into May, the main character’s father visiting, and then the graduation happening as well during this time. The timeline in general was confusing and Tupac’s death made this stick out even more because it's a fixed time in history. Honestly, it didn’t need to be a part of the story as it felt out of place in the grand scheme of the novel. I understand the main character was a dedicated fan of Tupac, however, what was the actual value to the storyline to add this plot point in?
Although my grievances with this novel outweigh my satisfaction with it, there were still things I liked. The 90s atmosphere of the story was great and it felt in some instances like one of those classic 90s coming-of-age romcoms. There are some conversations between characters about life and the future that really bring about that nostalgia. Furthermore, I found the discussions around poetry and rap music interesting, and there is clearly an appreciation for the history and origins of rap culture. However, for a large chunk of the story the rap battle is moved to the back-burner and events are happening off-the-page. This was a bit of a disappointment when it was initially introduced as one of the guiding plot lines of the novel. One thing I greatly enjoyed is the characters. I felt that both the main and side characters were well-developed and multi-dimensional. I also really liked the romantic relationship that develops, although it felt like it had been happening for much longer than the supposed less than two weeks timeline. In fact, finding out it had been such a brief amount of time kind of took away from the authenticity of this blooming romance for me. Regardless, I enjoyed Rana as a main character and while she could be frustrating at times it’s easy to understand that her reactions are a part of simultaneous grief and trauma and her character arc through this story was great. However, much like with the relationship aspect, I feel like the authenticity of this is undermined by it only taking place over two weeks.
Overall, this book just didn’t logistically work for me. I believe this story would have been a lot more impactful if it had taken place over a longer period of time with possibly slightly older characters or more nuance given to certain elements in the story. Regardless, I don’t feel that this book is appropriate for young adult readers (which are classified as 12-18 years old) considering the sexually explicit nature of the story.
Thank you to the publishers, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and Atheneum Books for Young Readers, for an advanced reader's e-arc via NetGalley. All opinions shared in this review are my own.
I feel very conflicted on my rating of this book because I truly believe one of the biggest issues is that it’s marketed as a young adult book when it isn’t. While the themes of grief, dysfunctional families, and coming to terms with sexuality are all appropriate for young adult readers there is one glaring oversight that stuck out like a sore thumb throughout the reading experience. This was extremely sexually explicit; to the point that it was more explicit than an actual steamy adult romance that I was reading at the same time as this. Of course, this is not to say that this is not a reality for teenagers. Yet, there’s something unsettling about reading sexually explicit content in the same chapter as the main character attending her high school Spanish class. I guess I don’t fully understand why this book had to be young adult considering how sexually explicit it was in contrast with the lack of depth in approaching some of the heavier topics. For example, there are lots of discussions in this book around eating disorders and fatphobia. However, the main character’s internalized fatphobia is never actually dissected and the eating disorder mentioned is only slightly touched on through another character sharing their experience. It was this weird murky territory where it’s heavily implied our main character suffers from these things but there’s never that full self-actualization with how it is wrapped up. Additionally, there is a very short discussion about mental illness that truly felt out of left-field as it hadn’t been mentioned before except to again neatly wrap up a storyline. In YA novels, it’s expected that some things are glossed over but these felt like major threads of the story that are not fully explored.
Another issue I had with this novel is that there are some inconsistencies that I noticed. For example, the Spanish teacher is first described as being female and only allows students to talk in Spanish in the class. Later, the Spanish teacher is male and talks in English to the students. Also, a side character discusses her frequent visits to Mexico - specifically Mexico City - which she describes as being just over the border. The San Fernando Valley is not that close to Mexico City. The most confusing one was when Tupac’s death is addressed in the story it felt forced into the story with no real consideration for the timeline of events. Tupac died in mid-September of 1996, but in the novel it would seem he died in possibly late June or July? The timeline the reader is given is that it has been about a month since the main character’s high school graduation and a few weeks before another character goes away to college. Yet, even this timeline is confusing because at one point towards the end of the book the main character says something to the effect of it’s crazy how much has happened in two weeks. This doesn’t add up with details in the beginning of the story about April turning into May, the main character’s father visiting, and then the graduation happening as well during this time. The timeline in general was confusing and Tupac’s death made this stick out even more because it's a fixed time in history. Honestly, it didn’t need to be a part of the story as it felt out of place in the grand scheme of the novel. I understand the main character was a dedicated fan of Tupac, however, what was the actual value to the storyline to add this plot point in?
Although my grievances with this novel outweigh my satisfaction with it, there were still things I liked. The 90s atmosphere of the story was great and it felt in some instances like one of those classic 90s coming-of-age romcoms. There are some conversations between characters about life and the future that really bring about that nostalgia. Furthermore, I found the discussions around poetry and rap music interesting, and there is clearly an appreciation for the history and origins of rap culture. However, for a large chunk of the story the rap battle is moved to the back-burner and events are happening off-the-page. This was a bit of a disappointment when it was initially introduced as one of the guiding plot lines of the novel. One thing I greatly enjoyed is the characters. I felt that both the main and side characters were well-developed and multi-dimensional. I also really liked the romantic relationship that develops, although it felt like it had been happening for much longer than the supposed less than two weeks timeline. In fact, finding out it had been such a brief amount of time kind of took away from the authenticity of this blooming romance for me. Regardless, I enjoyed Rana as a main character and while she could be frustrating at times it’s easy to understand that her reactions are a part of simultaneous grief and trauma and her character arc through this story was great. However, much like with the relationship aspect, I feel like the authenticity of this is undermined by it only taking place over two weeks.
Overall, this book just didn’t logistically work for me. I believe this story would have been a lot more impactful if it had taken place over a longer period of time with possibly slightly older characters or more nuance given to certain elements in the story. Regardless, I don’t feel that this book is appropriate for young adult readers (which are classified as 12-18 years old) considering the sexually explicit nature of the story.
Thank you to the publishers, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and Atheneum Books for Young Readers, for an advanced reader's e-arc via NetGalley. All opinions shared in this review are my own.
April 4, 2024
This hit really close to home as I am also a lesbian who struggled with their sexuality in high school and had a very close friend die in a car crash (that was potentially self inflicted) at 17 and whose mom was also having an affair at the same time and wants to be a writer.
What a great book tho!! I can’t believe I hadn’t heard about this before.
What a great book tho!! I can’t believe I hadn’t heard about this before.
May 19, 2023
3.5 Stars
This book is difficult for me to review. Because I love it. Because it has such great characters. It wrestles with such messy topics. It has excellent 1990s flair, and it definitely feels too mature for the intended audience. This is a coming-of-age story that, for obvious reasons, has a teenage protagonist (of color), which is obviously why it's been put in the YA category. But it isn't really a YA book. That's the reason I've knocked a few stars off my rating. That's the only reason. Because it's been a long time since I've found a book as quotable as this. It deserves every merit it gets.
Anyway, my full (and equally conflicted) review will be available July 2, 2023 at Gateway Reviews. Do check it out when it goes live!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
This book is difficult for me to review. Because I love it. Because it has such great characters. It wrestles with such messy topics. It has excellent 1990s flair, and it definitely feels too mature for the intended audience. This is a coming-of-age story that, for obvious reasons, has a teenage protagonist (of color), which is obviously why it's been put in the YA category. But it isn't really a YA book. That's the reason I've knocked a few stars off my rating. That's the only reason. Because it's been a long time since I've found a book as quotable as this. It deserves every merit it gets.
Anyway, my full (and equally conflicted) review will be available July 2, 2023 at Gateway Reviews. Do check it out when it goes live!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
September 22, 2023
unfortunately i just couldn’t get into it. i finished it and rana did make progress as a character but for the most part i just didn’t like her at all? and everything with her and yasaman felt very rushed imo.
August 2, 2023
This is a beautiful book, full of hope & also the messiness of growing up in grief. I loved witnessing Rana’s journey toward herself, the prose is poetic and truly lovely. I will come back to this story again and again.
June 19, 2024
I would definitely recommend this book, it is about a girl, Rana, whose best friend, Louie, died almost a year ago. She is trying to figure out who she is and still dealing with the grief of her best friends unexpected death, and find her voice, and share her poetry with the world while also keeping a secret that no one except her friend Louie knew. This book was good enough I had to finish it in one day, the story and plot had suspense and a nice ending even bringing me close to tears at some certain points and I really enjoyed reading this but the only issue that stuck out to me was that this book was supposed to be set in 1996 but while I was reading because of the dialogue I think, I kept forgetting that this was in the past because it seemed like it took place much more recently but I also might have just not been paying close enough attention, either way I would say this was still a pretty good read and I would recommend this book.
Read
September 27, 2023I enjoyed this book so, so much. It really took me back to being a high school senior in the mid-'90s in Southern California. My life was so different from Rana's, but this book really captured something that made me nostalgic. The struggles of a teen figure out who they are and where they fit in are timeless.
September 19, 2024
i really liked this, i think Rana is a tough queen and i love that she finally comes out about being gay to her mom in the end and her power towards her dad toward the end of the book
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2023
https://www.hercampus.com/school/nyu/...
I enjoyed being able to relate to Rana without being the same ethnicity. I think finding books like this are hard to find, and I’m glad this was a light hearted book for a coming of age story that deals with grief in many aspects of life. I recommend for people who feel they don’t belong in whatever shape or form that may be for you. (Also loved the girl power!)
I enjoyed being able to relate to Rana without being the same ethnicity. I think finding books like this are hard to find, and I’m glad this was a light hearted book for a coming of age story that deals with grief in many aspects of life. I recommend for people who feel they don’t belong in whatever shape or form that may be for you. (Also loved the girl power!)
January 5, 2024
It was an alright read, I don’t regret reading it. For YA it doesn’t get too deep into the layered aspects of Rana’s life, although I wish it would have.
The story was a bit buried underneath the hearty “advice” on what felt like every single page, but I get why it was important for Rana to process and self-actualize. I wanted more from the mentorship/role models that were present in her life.
The whole rap battle piece felt unnecessary, there wasn’t any battling happening? For the sake of rap battle culture I could’ve done without it, even though it was supposed to be a big part of her connection to her deceased best friend.
The story was a bit buried underneath the hearty “advice” on what felt like every single page, but I get why it was important for Rana to process and self-actualize. I wanted more from the mentorship/role models that were present in her life.
The whole rap battle piece felt unnecessary, there wasn’t any battling happening? For the sake of rap battle culture I could’ve done without it, even though it was supposed to be a big part of her connection to her deceased best friend.
April 22, 2024
Didn't think this book would be as complex and beautiful as it was. In tears by the end tbh. Etaat creates a world, Ranas world, that is full and messy and sometimes unexpected. All the other characters really fill up the space in a wonderful way. Reading a raw story that is both Persian and American meant a lot to me, especially with the special connection to both food and poetry that is highlighted throughout. Great read and very lucky to have stumbled into owning this.
June 23, 2023
A Lesbian Iranian reading Audre Lorde is really something so soft.
Read
December 30, 2024 CW: grief, cheating, car accident (graphic, on-page, in detail), death, homophobia, Islamophobia, underage drinking, alcohol, drug use - characters smoke weed (on-page), fatphobia and fatphobic comments from Rana's mother; absent father, Tupac's death mentioned (on-page); mention of antidepressants in a negative connotation as a character doesn't talk them and it leads to a bad situation; panic attack on page.
What a hidden gem!!! Set in 1996, Rana Joon is a lesbian Iranian-American teenage girl living in SoCal. She loves Tupac and writing poetry. When her best friend Louie unexpectedly passes away in a car accident, she starts her grief journey where she learns there were many things she didn't know about Louie. To honor him, she decides to enter a rap battle he would've participated in. She learns to enjoy writing her own poems and gains confidence as she is petrified of public speaking. This is a messy, fierce girl who finds herself learning about family secret's and stepping up to her strict father who lives in Iran while defying gender norms.
This book is MESSY but so is grief! I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it, but please be advised of the content warnings because this is not a light book by any means.
(Minor Spoiler)
One critique I have is I didn't like the scene of her love interest telling her to "live her truth" and come out to her family while knowing it might not have been safe for her to do so. The coming out scene is not horrible, but her mother does gets upset and shuts her out for about a week. Luckily, she eventually comes around.
What a hidden gem!!! Set in 1996, Rana Joon is a lesbian Iranian-American teenage girl living in SoCal. She loves Tupac and writing poetry. When her best friend Louie unexpectedly passes away in a car accident, she starts her grief journey where she learns there were many things she didn't know about Louie. To honor him, she decides to enter a rap battle he would've participated in. She learns to enjoy writing her own poems and gains confidence as she is petrified of public speaking. This is a messy, fierce girl who finds herself learning about family secret's and stepping up to her strict father who lives in Iran while defying gender norms.
This book is MESSY but so is grief! I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it, but please be advised of the content warnings because this is not a light book by any means.
(Minor Spoiler)
One critique I have is I didn't like the scene of her love interest telling her to "live her truth" and come out to her family while knowing it might not have been safe for her to do so. The coming out scene is not horrible, but her mother does gets upset and shuts her out for about a week. Luckily, she eventually comes around.
July 22, 2023
I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher.
The author did an amazing job writing a realistic main character. I found myself thinking back to my high school mentality and felt that Rana felt very authentic to my teenage self. While it made her feel relatable it also at times made me remember how big my problems felt in high school vs how big they were in the grand scheme of things. High schoolers can be very self centered and at times that made for a narrative that made it difficult to keep my interest. I will say that the last 70’pages really changed where I felt a connection to all of the characters and couldn’t put the book down because I wanted to know what happened. Overall I felt the plot was interesting and different than what I usually read so I am glad I checked it out.
The author did an amazing job writing a realistic main character. I found myself thinking back to my high school mentality and felt that Rana felt very authentic to my teenage self. While it made her feel relatable it also at times made me remember how big my problems felt in high school vs how big they were in the grand scheme of things. High schoolers can be very self centered and at times that made for a narrative that made it difficult to keep my interest. I will say that the last 70’pages really changed where I felt a connection to all of the characters and couldn’t put the book down because I wanted to know what happened. Overall I felt the plot was interesting and different than what I usually read so I am glad I checked it out.
March 28, 2024
I didn’t read the synopsis going in and just thought it was going to be a cute little rom com but boy was I wrong. It was… wow. An unexpectedly beautifully gripping and powerful read and I absolutely fell in love with Rana. It was full of raw emotions around death and grief, coming into oneself, prejudices and ultimately acceptance. But, unlike a lot of stories, there wasn’t simply a flip of a switch that suddenly everything. There was the constant work to make progress to get closer to the person Rana wanted to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2023
"A shy girl more wrapped up in the fantasy/ Than the reality of what it means to be alive./ Can you hear me now?/ I’m alive, I’m alive!"
i don't know if i just have a barbie hangover but everything about this book reminds me of it. i bet rana and her mom would've sobbed while watching it.
this is probably one of the most realistic queer ya i've read for a long time. i totally see myself in rana, not only because we both love fries and we're both scared of public speaking but because we both have the same heart.
i have mad love and respect for every growing woman in this earth. i think this book is for you.
i don't know if i just have a barbie hangover but everything about this book reminds me of it. i bet rana and her mom would've sobbed while watching it.
this is probably one of the most realistic queer ya i've read for a long time. i totally see myself in rana, not only because we both love fries and we're both scared of public speaking but because we both have the same heart.
i have mad love and respect for every growing woman in this earth. i think this book is for you.
July 29, 2023
If you are looking for a good read with tons of representations from various cliques and genre's then this is a book for you.
This lyrical coming-of-age novel for fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay and On the Come Up, set in southern California in 1996, follows a teen who wants to honor her deceased friend’s legacy by entering a rap contest.
The character arc of Rana has to be one of the most wholesome, conflicted and overall endearing ones I read so far on a YA category. The author drafted an FMC full of promise. I actually saw my teenage years flashback as I read through this book 😅
This lyrical coming-of-age novel for fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay and On the Come Up, set in southern California in 1996, follows a teen who wants to honor her deceased friend’s legacy by entering a rap contest.
The character arc of Rana has to be one of the most wholesome, conflicted and overall endearing ones I read so far on a YA category. The author drafted an FMC full of promise. I actually saw my teenage years flashback as I read through this book 😅
June 7, 2023
I won this one in a Goodreads giveaway. The story was good, but very formulaic. I wish that Shideh Etaat had been able to sell this as an adult romance rather than a YA novel because the adult elements were very much there and could have been explored with more depth. I loved the '90s setting and the bits of Orange County Iranian culture that the book is steeped in. The characters were authentic and conversations and dialogue were organic and well written.
3.5/5
3.5/5
June 8, 2024
trigger warnings and other info at the end of the review
OK, so I actually really liked this book! It felt like a teen was telling it (in the best way possible) and I found myself invested in Rana Joon's life.
The ONLY reason this was not 5 stars for me:
But all that being said, I did enjoy reading it. Happy pride, y'all 🌈
_________________book info____________________
Genre(s): YA Romance, Contemporary, LGBTQ+
Recommended Age Rating: 11+
Reasons Why: Language, alcohol, romance (kissing), sex, drugs (weed), talk of death/suicide
Recommended for Fans of: Realistic teen voices
Overall Rating: B+
Brief Summary: Rana Joon's best friend Louie died almost a year ago. Though it's been a bit, grief doesn't run on a schedule and she's still trying to cope with the loss. When she hears about an upcoming rap contest that Louie wanted to participate in, she decided to enter and perform for him.
While public speaking is hard, speaking your own truth and being lesbian in a family who is not accepting to the LGBTQ+ can make it even harder.
Will she follow through on the contest? Will she come out to her family?
OK, so I actually really liked this book! It felt like a teen was telling it (in the best way possible) and I found myself invested in Rana Joon's life.
The ONLY reason this was not 5 stars for me:
But all that being said, I did enjoy reading it. Happy pride, y'all 🌈
_________________book info____________________
Genre(s): YA Romance, Contemporary, LGBTQ+
Recommended Age Rating: 11+
Reasons Why: Language, alcohol, romance (kissing), sex, drugs (weed), talk of death/suicide
Recommended for Fans of: Realistic teen voices
Overall Rating: B+
Brief Summary: Rana Joon's best friend Louie died almost a year ago. Though it's been a bit, grief doesn't run on a schedule and she's still trying to cope with the loss. When she hears about an upcoming rap contest that Louie wanted to participate in, she decided to enter and perform for him.
While public speaking is hard, speaking your own truth and being lesbian in a family who is not accepting to the LGBTQ+ can make it even harder.
Will she follow through on the contest? Will she come out to her family?
August 21, 2023
KEM CHỐNG NHĂN VÙNG MẮT CỦA THE BODY SHOP CƠN SỐT TRÊN THỊ TRƯỜNG
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt là thứ cần thiết của bạn
Thành phần an toàn
Nguồn gốc xuất xứ rõ ràng
Thành phần lành tính, không tác dụng phụ
Sản phẩm được người tiêu dùng đánh giá rất cao
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt The Body Shop thật sự nổi trội trên thị trường mỹ phẩm Việt
“Thần dược” trị lão hóa
Kem dưỡng vùng da dưới mắt có thành phần lành tính, không tác dụng phụ
Kem dưỡng vùng da dưới mắt không gây nhờn rít cho da
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt của nhà The Body Shop được nhiều feedback khen ngợi
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt của nhà The Body Shop là sự xuất hiện đã tạo ra sự chú ý đặc biệt từ phía người tiêu dùng và gây nên cơn sốt trong thị trường mỹ phẩm. Đặc biệt, những người tìm kiếm những sản phẩm an toàn, hiệu quả có chiết xuất thiên nhiên cho vùng da dưới mắt đã lựa chọn sản phẩm này. Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt có tác dụng gì không chỉ giúp phục hồi vùng da quanh mắt, giúp trẻ hóa làn da,... làm cho da có sức sống và tràn đầy năng lượng
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt là thứ cần thiết của bạn
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt là một sản phẩm có độ hot ở nhà The Body Shop - một trong những nhà phân phối, và bán lẻ mỹ phẩm hàng đầu tại Việt Nam, sản phẩm được chiết xuất từ 3 loại hạt quý giá với cafein, tinh dầu hạt thìa là đen, thành phần từ dầu hạt nụ tầm xuân. Hiện nay, với nhiều công dụng khác nhau thì các thành phần này đã được áp dụng để chiết xuất nhiều loại mỹ phẩm khác nhau.
Tham khảo kem chống nhăn vùng mắt: https://www.thebodyshop.com.vn/kem-chong-nhan-vung-mat-kem-tri-nhan-mat-xoa-nep-nhan
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt l à sự lựa chọn rất tuyệt vời cho những người có làn da dưới vùng mắt bị tổn thương do các yếu tố bên ngoài, hoặc có các nếp nhăn, quầng thâm, bọng mắt,...Điều này làm cho các chị em phụ nữ thiếu tự tin khi giao tiếp hoặc thiếu tự tin trong công việc khi vùng da dưới mắt của mình xuất hiện những biểu hiện đó. Nhà The Body Shop cam kết sản phẩm:
Thành phần an toàn
Nguồn gốc xuất xứ rõ ràng
Thành phần lành tính, không tác dụng phụ
Sản phẩm được người tiêu dùng đánh giá rất cao
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt The Body Shop thật sự nổi trội trên thị trường mỹ phẩm Việt
Trong thời điểm hiện tại kem chống nhăn vùng mắt,ngành công nghệ phát triển mạnh như hiện nay, nhu cầu mua sắm online của con người cũng ngày càng tăng cao, nó thật sự cần thiết cho những người bận rộn. Với sự tiện lợi và không mất nhiều thời gian, trong lúc có ít ỏi thời gian nhiều người tiêu dùng có xu hướng tìm kiếm các sản phẩm chất lượng, an toàn và có nguồn gốc rõ ràng để sử dụng trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của họ, và một trong những sản phẩm về dưỡng vùng dưới da mắt thì của nhà The Body Shop là sản phẩm có sự lựa chọn nhiều từ người tiêu dùng.
Và sau khi được ra mắt trên thị trường mỹ phẩm, kem chống nhăn vùng mắt đã tạo ra một cơn sốt trên thị trường . Với sự phát triển của ngành công nghệ và ngành thương mại sản phẩm đã có mặt trên các sàn thương mại điện tử và trở thành một trong những sản phẩm được bán chạy như: The Body Shop, Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, và nhiều trang web khác. Với hàng ngàn lượt tim kiếm như:
“Thần dược” trị lão hóa
Kem dưỡng vùng da dưới mắt có thành phần lành tính, không tác dụng phụ
Kem dưỡng vùng da dưới mắt không gây nhờn rít cho da
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt là một sản phẩm có hàm lượng vitamin E dồi dào, giàu omega 3 và 6, giàu dưỡng chất Vitamin E và Axit hyaluronic,...Những chất nêu trên đều được sử dụng trong ngành y học của các nước trên thế giới và đã được khẳng định là có nhiều công dụng khác nhau. Từ tác dụng làm trẻ hóa và làm tươi sáng, phục hồi vùng da quanh mắt, giúp thư giãn và giảm ngay mệt mỏi, ngăn ngừa các nếp nhăn vùng mắt, tiêu diệt các vết thâm sạm.
Kem chống nhăn vùng mắt của nhà The Body Shop được nhiều feedback khen ngợi
Một trong những thành công của kem chong nhan vung mat sản phẩm trên sàn thương mại điện tử là tính an toàn và công dụng không ngờ đến của sản phẩm. Với sự tin tưởng của người tiêu dùng đối với những sản phẩm thiên nhiên và an toàn,sản phẩm đã tạo ra một cơn sốt trên thị trường và đem lại nhiều feedback khen ngợi trên các nền tảng web. Với nguồn gốc xuất xứ rõ ràng, thành phần an toàn sản phẩm đảm bảo cho người tiêu dùng có những trải nghiệm thật đáng nhớ.
Vì vậy, đón nhận cơn mưa feedback khen ngợi trên các nền tảng The Body Shop đã nhanh chóng chuyển đổi và mở rộng các kênh bán hàng online, giúp khách hàng có thể dễ dàng tiếp cận với sản phẩm các sản phẩm khác của mình. Nhờ đó, The Body Shop không chỉ tăng nhanh doanh số bán hàng mà còn tăng cường sự tín nhiệm và niềm tin của khách hàng vào sản phẩm của mình.
Nhưng ngoài cơn mưa lời khen, bên cạnh đó sản phẩm cũng đón nhận những lời feedback từ những vị khách khó tính về việc trải nghiệm sản phẩm của họ. Nhưng không vì đó mà làm ảnh hưởng đến sản phẩm và việc tìm kiếm thông tin sản phẩm và mua sắm online cũng đang trở thành xu hướng phổ biến ở thời điểm hiện tại. Tuy nhiên,trên thị trường cũng có sự xuất hiện của nhiều sản phẩm giả mạo và được chiết xuất với những thành phần không không lành mạnh và không đảm bảo chất lượng, người tiêu dùng thông minh cần phải có sự lựa chọn kĩ càng và chính xác.
Với mong muốn là sản phẩm luôn có độ hot trên thị trường, The Body Shop tin rằng kem chống nhăn vùng mắt sẽ tiếp tục được yêu thích, đón nhận và sử dụng rộng rãi trong tương lai. Sản phẩm này không chỉ là một sản phẩm làm đẹp thông thường, mà còn là một loại sản phẩm giúp hổ trợ bảo vệ vùng da dưới mắt của chị em phụ nữ. Với những chia sẻ của The Body Shop về sản phẩm, người tiêu dùng có thể tin rằng sản phẩm này sẽ luôn được phát triển để đáp ứng nhu cầu của người tiêu dùng ngày càng cao về các sản phẩm làm đẹp chất lượng và an toàn.
December 25, 2023
even though I’m not Persian, this book was relatable on a concerning level (hola, closeted lesbian in traditional family who gets constantly fat shamed by said family!) I cried multiple times throughout witnessing Rana’s journey, from how she dealt with grieving Louie in often unhealthy ways to finding her own confidence as a rapper and writer and her relationship with Yasamon and her family. I especially loved the cultural aspects here and how Rana figured out her identity as both Persian and queer, finally finding the courage to reveal herself by the end of the novel and overcoming her fears. Genuinely, such a good read, and definitely one of my favorites of 2023.
August 5, 2023
It's been almost a year since Rana's best friend died, inexplicably going too fast in a car that he typically drove over-cautiously. Louie was smart, sensitive and accepting of Rana's struggles as a closeted Iranian American Muslim lesbian with a difficult home life. Her dad works back in the Middle East while his family stays safely in the San Fernando Valley, coming to visit his wife and kids for only a month out of every year. Her younger brother Babak gets to do whatever he wants while Rana is told what to wear, what to eat and what to do by her immaculately groomed, perpetually neurotic mother.
In her grief, Rana has quit the basketball team and started joylessly hooking up with Louie's twin brother Tony. When she learns that a major rap battle that Louie had dreamed of taking part in is coming back to the area, she decides that she's going to honor his memory by competing. Trouble is, public speaking terrifies her. In fact, the most rapping she's ever done is while listening to Tupac while hanging out with Louie.
Her other best friend Naz encourages her not only to practice, but to use her own poems instead of just channeling the fragments of Louie's writing that are in her possession. Rana's late grandfather had instilled a love of poetry in her, but Rana is too unsure of her own talent to take that step. If she's going to overcome her fear of speaking up tho, why not take the full leap and expose her deepest feelings to the world?
Complicating matters is her growing bond with Yasaman, a half-Persian schoolmate who adores visual art and is eager to share that love with her. Rana is pretty sure that bubbly, red-headed Yasaman is interested in her romantically, but she's too caught up in her own head to know what to do about the possibility of her first relationship with another girl. Will Rana be able to honor both her own feelings and the memory of her late best friend as her turbulent high school days draw to a close?
Set in 1996, this young adult novel is a terrific throwback to the heyday of Tupac and the rise of the Wu Tang Clan. Shideh Etaat clearly knows her stuff as she has her characters wax eloquent about the influence and importance of rap and hip hop. This is actually the first book that's ever gotten me to fully appreciate the amount of work that goes into writing and performing rap (and by extension spoken word poetry) that's meaningfully from the heart and soul.
I also really appreciated the diversity in this novel and how it emphasizes the fact that Muslim girls aren't uniformly religious or docile. Rana reminds me in so many ways of myself and dozens of other Muslim girls I knew back in the 90s, straight or otherwise. Naz is an absolute delight, a hijab-wearing, mosque-going teenager of Afghani descent, who loves to drink and get down, if not all the way dirty, with hot dudes.
The only thing that gave me pause about this book is how mature it is, both emotionally and sexually. It continues to irritate me how modern marketing insists on categorizing books by the age of their protagonists. Rana might be a teenager, but she's in a lot of R-rated situations that are way more explicit than even some of the grownup romances I've read. This is definitely a book for readers who are comfortable with sex and casual drug use, no matter what age.
Rana Joon And The One And Only Now by Shideh Etaat was published July 25 2023 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
This review first appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
(edited for bleary-eyed late night work.)
In her grief, Rana has quit the basketball team and started joylessly hooking up with Louie's twin brother Tony. When she learns that a major rap battle that Louie had dreamed of taking part in is coming back to the area, she decides that she's going to honor his memory by competing. Trouble is, public speaking terrifies her. In fact, the most rapping she's ever done is while listening to Tupac while hanging out with Louie.
Her other best friend Naz encourages her not only to practice, but to use her own poems instead of just channeling the fragments of Louie's writing that are in her possession. Rana's late grandfather had instilled a love of poetry in her, but Rana is too unsure of her own talent to take that step. If she's going to overcome her fear of speaking up tho, why not take the full leap and expose her deepest feelings to the world?
Complicating matters is her growing bond with Yasaman, a half-Persian schoolmate who adores visual art and is eager to share that love with her. Rana is pretty sure that bubbly, red-headed Yasaman is interested in her romantically, but she's too caught up in her own head to know what to do about the possibility of her first relationship with another girl. Will Rana be able to honor both her own feelings and the memory of her late best friend as her turbulent high school days draw to a close?
Set in 1996, this young adult novel is a terrific throwback to the heyday of Tupac and the rise of the Wu Tang Clan. Shideh Etaat clearly knows her stuff as she has her characters wax eloquent about the influence and importance of rap and hip hop. This is actually the first book that's ever gotten me to fully appreciate the amount of work that goes into writing and performing rap (and by extension spoken word poetry) that's meaningfully from the heart and soul.
I also really appreciated the diversity in this novel and how it emphasizes the fact that Muslim girls aren't uniformly religious or docile. Rana reminds me in so many ways of myself and dozens of other Muslim girls I knew back in the 90s, straight or otherwise. Naz is an absolute delight, a hijab-wearing, mosque-going teenager of Afghani descent, who loves to drink and get down, if not all the way dirty, with hot dudes.
The only thing that gave me pause about this book is how mature it is, both emotionally and sexually. It continues to irritate me how modern marketing insists on categorizing books by the age of their protagonists. Rana might be a teenager, but she's in a lot of R-rated situations that are way more explicit than even some of the grownup romances I've read. This is definitely a book for readers who are comfortable with sex and casual drug use, no matter what age.
Rana Joon And The One And Only Now by Shideh Etaat was published July 25 2023 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
This review first appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
(edited for bleary-eyed late night work.)
December 23, 2022
I received Rana Joon and the One & Only Now as a bonus ARC from my local indie bookstore. Little did I know what a gift that was. This is a truly wonderful book set in the mid-1990s San Fernando Valley about an Iranian American teen girl struggling with ongoing grief about the death of her best friend, with her secret about being gay, and with a largely absentee father, who lives most of the year back in Iran, but is back as the story unfolds. There’s a lot going on here, but the central storyline focuses on Rana Joon navigating her emotions, her family, and her friendships in the final few months of her senior year of high school. She’s a big fan of rap music, especially Tupac Shakur, as was her friend Louie, whose death continues to be a struggle for her, nearly a year later. She decides to take his rap lyrics and enter a rap contest as a tribute to him, and a way to challenge herself to deal with her own fear of public speaking. Along the way, she hangs out with her best friend Naz, hooks up with Louie’s twin brother Tony, and spends time with Yasaman, a new girl at school whom Rana Joon falls for. The attraction is mutual, but complicated as Rana Joon does not dare reveal to her parents that she’s into girls, knowing exactly what their reaction will be. Different characters have their own secrets that make the story usefully messy, and Rana Joon finds herself in the middle of the chaos, caught between her desires and her parent’s expectations. As the story moves along, though, she starts to find her voice, gains the courage to speak up to her parents and her friends, and eventually performs on a public stage. This is a wonderful story of love and loss, of figuring out who you are, of remembering those who have died, while also speaking your own truths. The time and setting are wonderfully evoked, as is the rich sense of the Persian community in its complex variations as represented by Rana Joon’s various friends and relatives. This is the best kind of book with an appealingly diverse ensemble cast, core characters whose lives are messy but full of heart, and all the complications and uncertainties that loom as teenagers finish up high school and look to their futures. I absolutely loved this! I would recommend this for readers who like Kelly Loy Gilbert's elegant ensemble books about high school students, with their equally complex storylines and willingness to avoid cliched and overly neat endings.
March 26, 2023
I got this book from a queer authors' panel at a convention and I have to say I was very impressed! I'll admit I initially misjudged this to be another fluffy girl-meets-girl romcom, but it really was a much more intimate story of personal growth and discovery that left me dog-earing page after page with the sheer fellow-feeling of it all.
This book is mature for a young adult novel, both in voice and content, but executes both fantastically. I was surprised by how well teen drug use and sexuality were portrayed -- how both are things that can help or harm people -- and especially the narrative of sexual liberation, which spoke deeply to me as a queer teen. The book also discussed food and restrictive eating (and, to a lesser extent, eating disorders) in a fascinating way woven expertly into the novel's themes. Rana's voice was heartfelt and believably adolescent, though at times I found myself annoyed by her tendency to jump to conclusions. The author's use of symbolism and theme also felt far more developed than that of many other YA authors. It's refreshing to read YA that doesn't need to spell every superficial connection out, and I can't wait to see what could come next from Shideh Etaat.
The plot was small enough for an intimate coming-of-age narrative but was made to feel appropriately big through the character's voice. It felt at times that things simply happened *to* Rana, and that's entirely the challenge she overcomes as she learns to live her life on her terms. Plotlines of family troubles, young love, loss and grieving, and the creation of art are woven together quite nicely, though the contest central to the plot as described occasionally takes a backseat.
The setting felt like a love letter both to the Valley and to the mid-90s. The novel's time period never felt like an annoying nostalgia circlejerk, with pop culture references just frequent enough to make things believable. I would encourage anybody picking up the novel to listen to the particular songs mentioned (as well as the other media -- I found my experience greatly enriched by reading poetry and viewing the paintings mentioned throughout.)
All in all, this novel is a fast and refreshing look at one young woman's (and, through her, everybody else's) journey to self-discovery, personal liberation, and learning to live for oneself, the here, and the now.
This book is mature for a young adult novel, both in voice and content, but executes both fantastically. I was surprised by how well teen drug use and sexuality were portrayed -- how both are things that can help or harm people -- and especially the narrative of sexual liberation, which spoke deeply to me as a queer teen. The book also discussed food and restrictive eating (and, to a lesser extent, eating disorders) in a fascinating way woven expertly into the novel's themes. Rana's voice was heartfelt and believably adolescent, though at times I found myself annoyed by her tendency to jump to conclusions. The author's use of symbolism and theme also felt far more developed than that of many other YA authors. It's refreshing to read YA that doesn't need to spell every superficial connection out, and I can't wait to see what could come next from Shideh Etaat.
The plot was small enough for an intimate coming-of-age narrative but was made to feel appropriately big through the character's voice. It felt at times that things simply happened *to* Rana, and that's entirely the challenge she overcomes as she learns to live her life on her terms. Plotlines of family troubles, young love, loss and grieving, and the creation of art are woven together quite nicely, though the contest central to the plot as described occasionally takes a backseat.
The setting felt like a love letter both to the Valley and to the mid-90s. The novel's time period never felt like an annoying nostalgia circlejerk, with pop culture references just frequent enough to make things believable. I would encourage anybody picking up the novel to listen to the particular songs mentioned (as well as the other media -- I found my experience greatly enriched by reading poetry and viewing the paintings mentioned throughout.)
All in all, this novel is a fast and refreshing look at one young woman's (and, through her, everybody else's) journey to self-discovery, personal liberation, and learning to live for oneself, the here, and the now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews