This 304 page middle grade fantasy book is a quick fun read.  There is no religion in this Muslim authored book, jinn are not portrayed as creatures from Islamic doctrine, and with the exception of Quranic decorations hanging in a room and Zam Zam water being mentioned, once each, in passing, there is nothing hinting or signaling religion.  Even the jinn come across as characters who just happen to be jinn, who have control over fire and live in an alternate world, the book uses their fantasy elements to create an added layer, but the heart of the story is making choices, doing what’s right, being a good friend, and changing injustice when you can. This is a companion book to Nura and the Immortal Palace, and even with the lacking religion, I think I enjoyed this book more.  The plot is clearer, the characters are relatable, the thread of the missing mother is emotional, and the commentary on corporations and labor practices are awesome to see in a middle grade book.  

SYNOPSIS:
Amir is wealthy, really wealthy, and arrogant, and unlikeable, and yet, the over the top framing of him being all these things, makes even the target audience reader realize, that he is also a 12-year-old little boy who is grieving his missing mother, longing for friends, wanting to be seen in his competitive family, and ultimately smarter and more emotionally intelligent than he will ever force himself to admit.  Until, a cat, or rather a jinn princess in the shape of a cat, shakes up his world, by convincing him to come to hers.

Shamsa strikes a deal with Amir, she will help him look for his mother, if he helps her battle against her siblings to be the next heir of the Kagra Kingdom.  Amir knows she is a trickster, it is her nature, but he wants, no needs, to find his mother, so he is willing to pose as her slave and do her bidding.  There are three tasks to test the future heirs physicality, artistry, and diplomacy, and the irony that Amir does not want to be heir to his own fortune, while helping Shamsa claim hers, is not lost on him and will in fact force him to make choices about who he wants to be and what he wants to stand for.

WHY I LIKE IT:
I like that the book discusses monopolies and business and corporations and systemic gatekeeping.  It stays on level and articulates the points it wants the reader to explore with Amir, but does so without taking away from the story.  Also the ability to see all that Amir has, because he is wealthy, also allows the reader to see what he is also missing, and this is done with a little more subtly, some self-awareness, and some quality writing which results in making Amir a little more relatable.

I do wish there was some Islam, jinn are Islamic based and to not have any signaling seems a bit lacking.  Perhaps it kept it so that accuracy or rep was not a factor, I don’t know, but when Amir says that he thought only the uneducated believe in such creatures, it rubbed me the wrong way, just like when he makes a comment that, “those are the kinds of games God like to play with me.” The lines are minor, but when that is the only religion mentioned and it is done in a negative trivial, dismissive way, they carry more weight than perhaps intended.

I like that the characters and plot are solid.  It doesn’t feel like Amir is free-falling through a crazy chaotic world, there is direction and purpose.  There really isn’t a lot of world building or even Pakistani culture, it really is about the characters and their arc of growth and coming in to their own.

FLAGS:

Fantasy, jinn, lying, sneaking, death, abuse, manipulation, plotting, casinos, fears of water, abandonment, abuse.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
Probably wouldn’t do it as a book club, there are teachable moments and concepts that would be fun to discuss perhaps with economic or business tie-ins, but I don’t know that there is that much to discuss outside of what the book offers.  I do plan to shelve this though, so my own kids have easy access to pick it up and read and hope teachers, librarians, and parents will as well.