Book Review: Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi

Publisher’s description

Fourteen-year-old Iranian-American Parvin Mohammadi sets out to win the ultimate date to homecoming in this heartfelt and outright hilarious debut.

Parvin Mohammadi has just been dumped—only days after receiving official girlfriend status. Not only is she heartbroken, she’s humiliated. Enter high school heartthrob Matty Fumero, who just might be the smoking-hot cure to all her boy problems. If Parvin can get Matty to ask her to Homecoming, she’s positive it will prove to herself and her ex that she’s girlfriend material after all. There’s just one problem: Matty is definitely too cool for bassoon-playing, frizzy-haired, Cheeto-eating Parvin. Since being herself hasn’t worked for her in the past (see aforementioned dumping), she decides to start acting like the women in her favorite rom-coms. Those women aren’t loud, they certainly don’t cackle when they laugh, and they smile much more than they talk.

But Parvin discovers that being a rom-com dream girl is much harder than it looks. Also hard? The parent-mandated Farsi lessons. A confusing friendship with a boy who’s definitely not supposed to like her. And hardest of all, the ramifications of the Muslim ban on her family in Iran. Suddenly, being herself has never been more important.

Olivia Abtahi’s debut is as hilarious as it is heartfelt—a delightful tale where, amid the turmoil of high school friendships and crushes, being yourself is always the perfect way to be.

Amanda’s thoughts

I started out just writing a little post-it note review for this book, then realized I wanted to be able to say more and make sure this book gets seen by more eyes. One of the best things this book has going for it is that it’s about a 9th grader and FEELS like it’s about a 9th grader. Sometimes it seems like there’s not much younger YA—and it’s entirely possible I’m just not reading the right things and missing these books—and it was really refreshing to read about a 9th grader. My son just finished 9th grade, and often while reading this book, watching Parvin make missteps and try to figure out who and how to be, I thought, YEP, this feels right.

The summary up there is very thorough. It hits the main plot points. And while the plot and the many issue it tackles was solid and compelling, what makes me really love this book is messy Parvin and her growing group of friends. Parvin’s best friends are pansexual, Korean American Ruth and gay, Mexican American Fabian. They all join the GSA at school, Parvin ostensibly to be a better friend/ally, but also because her crush Matty, who is bi, is in the group. Once Parvin gets it in her head that she needs to tone herself down to make boys like her (thanks, Wesley, you tool), things get complicated. She’s ignoring her friends, being completely inauthentic, and fixating on something she thinks she wants while overlooking other great, interesting people. It’s easy to read this as an adult and think, just be yourself! But in order to “just be yourself” you have to try on a lot of personalities, make a lot of mistakes, and figure out what really matters. And Parvin is well on her way to being that self by the time we leave her.

The fast-paced writing, wonderfully diverse cast, and very realistic and age-appropriate thoughts, choices, and realizations make this a solid read. Smart, funny, and full of heart.

Review copy (finished hardcover) courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9780593109427
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date: 05/18/2021
Age Range: 12 – 17 Years

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