Nira Ghani has always dreamed of becoming a musician. Her Guyanese parents, however, have big plans for her to become a scientist or doctor. Nira's grandmother and her best friend, Emily, are the only people who seem to truly understand her desire to establish an identity outside of the one imposed on Nira by her parents. When auditions for jazz band are announced, Nira realizes it's now or never to convince her parents that she deserves a chance to pursue her passion.

As if fighting with her parents weren't bad enough, Nira finds herself navigating a new friendship dynamic when her crush, Noah, and notorious mean-girl, McKenzie "Mac," take a sudden interest in her and Emily, inserting themselves into the fold. So, too, does Nira's much cooler (and very competitive) cousin Farah. Is she trying to wiggle her way into the new group to get closer to Noah? Is McKenzie trying to steal Emily's attention away from her? As Farah and Noah grow closer and Emily begins to pull away, Nira's trusted trumpet "George" remains her constant, offering her an escape from family and school drama.

But it isn't until Nira takes a step back that she realizes she's not the only one struggling to find her place in the world. As painful truths about her family are revealed, Nira learns to accept people for who they are and to open herself in ways she never thought possible.

A relatable and timely contemporary, coming-of age story, In the Key of Nira Ghani explores the social and cultural struggles of a teen in an immigrant household.

Nira wants to become a musician but she faces some tough challenges--her parents who work hard for her to become a doctor. How can Nira fulfill her dream and ( )

I received an Advanced Copy via Netgalley in exchange for an objective review.

I was born in Guyana, so I was intrigued to read a YA title featuring a Guyanese protaganist named Nira. She’s an opinionated, self-centered high school student in Canada frustrated with her immigrant parents strict academic rules. Study. Study. Study. Nothing else! But Nira loves the trumpet. And she’s a talented, untrained trumpet player to boot!

The struggle with her immigrant parents and fitting in at school is an experience well-described by the author. I didn’t mind the scattered transitions as I felt this was reflective of the chaos of being a teenager. Nira’s relationships with her friend Emily and her cousin Farah, as well as her parents, changes throughout the novel, also reflecting the ups and downs of a teenager. Her one respite is her relationship with her grandmother, who she has to share with Farah. When Nira finds out Farah’s family secret, she learns why her grandmother treats Farah the way she does.

Every little thing is heightened in Nira’s teenage mind, which makes you want to scold her yourself as a reader. Many times, she acts like a “ninny” as Farah her cousin calls her. I found myself disliking her choice of words in moments, but rooting for her to change for the better. In the end, it takes a tragedy for her to see the light while her other relationships are wrapped up and tied up in a neat bow. Overall, I was gently touched by Nira and her sensitive nature, even if she did act like a “ninny” at times!

I appreciate the Guyanese cultural elements being sprinkled throughout the story without overtaking the focus on Nira’s character arc, although a bit more culture would have given me more connection to Guyana beyond the fact that the country is corrupt and poor, as described by Nira and her family.

There is a lot of exposition in the writing, which is a writing device that always needs to be balanced by authors. From what I read about the author, this is a personal story made into a YA novel. The next step for the author is writing her next novel. And the next. And the next.

I’ll be rooting for her and looking forward to seeing how her writing evolves.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing the ARC to review! ( )