Barakah Beats

weirdly GoodReads doesn't have the audiobook edition listed here but I listened to this on audio and thought the reader was great!

I think there's a lot to like about this book and I love Nimra as a main character. I kind of couldn't get over how overly-complicated and sweaty I found the central conflict to be here, though. Like, Nimra transfers from a private Muslim school to public school and is nervous about not fitting in...but THE most popular boys at public school are all Muslim members of a band that specifically does Muslim-themed songs...and SHE'S never sung before except for her prayers and they happen to overhear her singing her prayers and INSIST that she joins the band...which she does even though her family's personal interpretation of the Quran forbids music so she feels very guilty about it and has to keep it a secret...until they perform at a talent show at the mosque.....like.....just seems like this whole plot could have been slightly simplified!!! But go off I guess?

STILL despite my grumpy misgivings, a fun contemporary story that will inform some tweens and make others feel represented.