Younger side of YA and soooo well done. Other than that I think freshmen shouldn't all be expecting to be kissed and go on dates, but I loved loved loved Parvin and her best friends and her expanding circles and especially her family. ( )

Perfectly Parvin, a rom-com, is a 2023 Lone Star novel.

Summer vacation couldn't have been better! Full of pranks with Wesley, a cute guy she meets while at the beach, Parvin has been her crazy self. Then, Wesley kisses her on the last night and asks her to be his girlfriend. Swoon! Even better, they will be attending the same school together. She will start high school with a boyfriend! Life is great! Until it's not. When she sees Wesley at orientation, he wears very professional looking clothes and hangs out with kids dressed the same. Some might say that he's dressed "uptight," perhaps reflecting his personality. That doesn't make sense. They did pranks all summer on people. Parvin loves pranking people (and they are extreme pranks). Wesley immediately says that they really shouldn't spend time together, especially after seeing her friends and explaining that she's "too much." In contrast, Her best boy-friend, Fabian, is queer and has a huge following on social media. His clothing and personality are a lot as well. Parvin's best girl-friend, Ruth, also queer, wants to know everything and has thousands of questions (hyperbole) for the people at orientation. She strives to succeed. They are a tight, loud group and Fabian and Ruth rally around Parvin to support her.

Appearances belie the truth. Wesley quickly gets a girlfriend and it's announced that they will attend Homecoming together. Parvin can't handle this humiliating development. She needs a super cute boy to take her to Homecoming. She chooses Matty, the nice guy who walked them through orientation. Her goal is to get a date from him. Parvin talks loud and makes loud noises; in other words, you can't miss her. She's got a strong personality. After watching rom-coms, she determines that she needs to be quiet, tame her hair, get rid of her excessive body hair, avoid snorting, and stop pulling pranks in order to get her a boyfriend and a date to Homecoming. Fabian and Ruth roll their eyes, figuratively. She needs to be herself! They aren't the only ones who tell her to be herself. Her Ameh [aunt] Sara, does as well. She lives in Iran; they talk over Zoom all the time. As Parvin's mother is white, she isn't able to help her with Iranian issues, such as crazy hair! In her quest to get a date, she may lose who she really is.

I didn't love Parvin as a character because I grew tired of her selfishness. Remember, I'm not a middle schooler! I love Ameh Sara because Parvin really listens to her and gives Parvin great advice. She plans on visiting soon. What happens with that visit is super unfair. Someone coming from Iran to the United States is very difficult; her trip shows the difficulties of trying to visit family in the United States when coming from a country such as Iran. I enjoyed Parvin's growth and think she's a great example of someone who needs to be herself (all loud parts of herself!), embrace her heritage and be a friend. A boyfriend won't make her whole or give her an identity; her identity comes from within. ( )

I really enjoyed this funny coming of age novel, which deals with trying to fit in when you stand out as a biracial teen. ( )