The Marvelous Mirza Girls

By: Sheba Karim

Narrated by: Richa Moorjani

Gilmore Girls meets vibrant New Delhi in this thoughtful and hilarious new novel about a teen facing family expectations, relationship complications, and hidden secrets in a new country—sprinkled with Sheba Karim’s signature wit and steamy romance, and perfect for readers who loved Mary H. K. Choi’s Emergency Contact and Adib Khorram’s Darius the Great Is Not Okay.

To cure her post-senior year slump, made worse by the loss of her aunt Sonia, Noreen decides to follow her mom on a gap year trip to New Delhi, hoping India can lessen her grief and bring her voice back.

In the world’s most polluted city, Noreen soon meets kind, handsome Kabir, who introduces her to the wonders of this magical, complicated place. With the help of Kabir—plus Bollywood celebrities, fourteenth-century ruins, karaoke parties, and Sufi saints—Noreen discovers new meanings for home.

But when a family scandal erupts, Noreen and Kabir must face complex questions in their own relationship: What does it mean to truly stand by someone—and what are the boundaries of love?

witty, sensitive, topical, insightful and entertaining

I enjoyed the characters and the way they dealt with challenges--personal, interpersonal, and political--as well as the landscapes and communities they navigate through.

Good but didn’t blow me away

I really enjoyed this book because of the mother-daughter dynamic, descriptions of India both historically and presently, political commentary, and learning about the minority experience both in the US and in India. It was, however, still a YA romance, and didn’t leave me saying “wow” or anything at the end. I am glad I read it, but I can’t rate it as highly as some of my other reads.