Drawing Deena

A nuanced and quietly powerful story.

Palestinian American middle schooler Deena is experiencing stress so severe it's affecting her body, resulting in panic attacks, daily nausea, and a cracked tooth. Some of her anxiety stems from interpersonal relationships: her cool cousin Parisa is a social media star, but Deena isn't allowed to have her own account and doesn't want to make one without her super-smart best friend Lucia anyway. Worries relating to her family's finances and how often her parents fight about money, as well as her desire to become an artist--despite the disapproval she suspects she'd receive from her family were she to voice her dreams--further exacerbate her stress. When Deena decides to make a social media account for her mother's tailoring business, she hopes that the exposure will help the boutique take off and ease her worries--but they only get worse. Mildly uneven pacing gives way to authentic-feeling and engaging character interactions. Through candid first-person narration, Khan (Zara's Rules for Living Your Best Life) examines adolescent anxiety and its various triggers and depicts adaptive coping mechanisms, including making the most of mentorship and support from one's community. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 3-6--Deena, a seventh grade Pakistani American girl, has such stress and anxiety over things like growing up, her family's finances, and not feeling quite as mature as her cousin, that she grinds her teeth at night and has trouble eating breakfast first thing in the morning. When she tries to use her artistic talents to help her mother's clothing business, she quickly hits some snags with family and friends. Can she get past her worries and find her voice to express her feelings? Like Khan's other middle grade novels, this book is written with an authentic middle school voice and blends culture, realistic worries, and mental health in a way upper elementary school and young middle school readers will appreciate. Deena is figuring out who she is in relation to her artistic skills, but still has to tow the line with her mother's expectations and concerns about what others will think of her. The chapters are quick and fast-paced, making the story fly by with proper resolutions. Readers will root for Deena because her struggles will resonate with their own. VERDICT An excellent read for elementary and middle school collections not the least because of its authentic voice and pacing.--Molly Dettmann

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"this book is written with an authentic middle school voice and blends culture, realistic worries, and mental health in a way upper elementary school and young middle school readers will appreciate."—School Library Journal "1/1/24"