When her father is falsely accused of a crime he hasn't committed and gets taken in by authorities, Aafiyah knows she needs to do something to help. When she brainstorms a way to bring her father back, she turns to her Weird but True facts and devises the perfect plan, but what if her plan means giving in to her bad habit, the one she's been trying to stop? Aafiyah wants to reunite her family but finds that maybe her plan isn't so perfect after all.
Review: I picked up and read Golden Girl by Reem Faruqi as part of my Ramadan Reading Challenge and I really enjoyed it. Told in the format of a novel in verse, we meet out-going, Pakistani American Aafiyah who is has a bad habit of "borrowing" things that are shiny and new despite having sufficient things at home. Her 'once in a while' habit becomes uncontrollable as her father is detained in Pakistan for a crime he did not commit after a family trip. As Reem witnesses her mother's stress in juggling financial problems coupled with a grandfather who is undergoing chemo therapy, Aafiyah wants to help any way that she can. She concocts a plan to betray her best friend in order to save her own family.
I I enjoyed this nuanced and flawed portrait of a South Asian tween who is struggling to find a way to help her family. I appreciated that the narrative moves beyond the troubles with immigrant families, but focuses on how to deal with an invisible illness which the author revealed is actually based on a person she met in her life. Aafiyah's Muslim identity is woven nicely throughout the story without being didactic. I would recommend this quick read for readers who enjoyed Hena Khan's Amina Voice.
Rating: 4 stars
Words of Caution: Mentions of a family member diagnosed with cancer and is receiving chemo treatment. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.
If you like this book try: Amina's Voice by Hena Khan
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