by Lori Goldstein
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: April 21st 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Mythology
Forget everything you thought you knew about genies!
Azra has just turned sixteen, and overnight her body lengthens, her olive skin deepens, and her eyes glisten gold thanks to the brand-new silver bangle that locks around her wrist. As she always knew it would, her Jinn ancestry brings not just magical powers but the reality of a life of servitude, as her wish granting is controlled by a remote ruling class of Jinn known as the Afrit.
To the humans she lives among, she’s just the girl working at the snack bar at the beach, navigating the fryer and her first crush. But behind closed doors, she’s learning how to harness her powers and fulfill the obligations of her destiny.
Mentored by her mother and her Zar “sisters”, Azra discovers she may not be quite like the rest of her circle of female Jinn . . . and that her powers could endanger them all. As Azra uncovers the darker world of becoming Jinn, she realizes when genies and wishes are involved, there’s always a trick.
I really liked the plot, even though I felt like it was a little dark in way. There is some crazy stuff that happens which kept it interesting. It really took the time to set things up. I think the second book is really going to be an explosion of action.
I love the way that Lori created a Jinn world hierarchy. There are different rules that they need to follow and they kind of have their own motherland called Janna. The numbers of Jinn interacting with humans is limited and as you read the book you find out why that is. We actually learn more about the history of their society and how it’s changed.
There is a strong theme of friendship throughout the book in my forms. Jinn woman form and group of friends called a Zar. These are their sisters for life that are there to support and care for eachother. Especially because the number of Jinn in the human world is limited. Azra’s mom has her own Zar and then the daughters of them form Azra’s Zar. There is also Azra’s friendship with Henry and his sister, which is a driving force in her lack of wanting to embrace her abilities. We really see her change from the beginning of the book to the end as she really sees what her indifference has done. That her personal choices actually have an impact on the people around her. I hope we see more of the Zar working together.
The romance was there but light. Of course there was the person I wanted her to be with and the person that she was with. I wasn’t really sure about where Azra’s feeling fell by the end of the book. I can’t wait to see what happens with that.
I really enjoyed Becoming Jinn and I’m excited to read the next book and see where the story is going. I really feel like it has some major potential to be awesome, my gut is telling me it won’t suffer from a middle book slump.
AZRA
Amber Heard
LAILA
Teresa Palmer
HANA
Emily Browning
YASMIN
Jemima West
MINA
Anna Kendrick
FARRAH
Victoria Justice
The book has a strong friendship theme so I tried to pick songs that had to do more with that and of course there are some serious struggles. I also threw Genie in a Bottle on there because I thought it was funny.
Too much of my day involves chatting books, obsessing over The Vampire Diaries, and perfecting the art of efficient writing through Twitter. Find me at @loriagoldstein and follow my blog at www.lorigoldsteinbooks.com or my Tumblr at http://lorigoldsteinbooks.tumblr.com. Like my author page on Facebook for fun book-related photos, tidbits, and happenings as well as news on Becoming Jinn.
