Book Review: Golden Girl by Reem Faruqi

Golden Girl by Reem Faruqi is a heartfelt book about family, friendship, hope, and change.

Written in verses, Golden Girl follows Aafiyah Qamar who is dealing with a lot in her life. She is grappling with adolescence. Her paternal grandfather is battling cancer. But when her Abba (father) is accused of a crime and detained at an airport, Aafiyah’s life is forever changed.

Highlights

• It was interesting to see Aafiyah come from an immigrant family who was well off until her father gets detained.
• Aafiyah also deals with all the typical teenage drama, which made this story fun to read.
• I loved the fact that Aafiyah is a flawed protagonist. She doesn’t always do the right thing, but she shows remorse for it.

Lowlights

• It’s a faster-paced novel, but what’s special about Aafiyah as a protagonist is how Aafiyah doesn’t do anything with malicious intent-she just wants her father home.

Final Thoughts: I have never read a novel in verse form for a middle-grade book until this one. It’s got a fresh perspective and a unique outlook on when is it okay to steal with consequences that are fitting for the story.