Azar on Fire, Olivia Abtahi
Azar on Fire, Olivia Abtahi
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.50

Azar on Fire

Author: Olivia Abtahi

Narrator: Alex McKenna

Unabridged: 9 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/23/2022

Synopsis

Finding her voice takes on a whole new meaning when fourteen-year-old Azar Rossi sets out to win her local Battle of the Bands contest in this heartfelt and hilarious contemporary YA.

Fourteen-year-old Azar Rossi’s first year of high school has mostly been silent, and intentionally so. After a bad case of colic as a baby, Azar’s vocal folds are shredded—full of nodules that give her a rasp the envy of a chain-smoking bullfrog. Her classmates might just think she’s quiet, but Azar is saving her voice for when it really counts and talking to her classmates is not medically advisable or even high on her list.

When she hears about a local Battle of the Bands contest, it’s something she can’t resist. Azar loves music, loves songwriting, but with her vocal folds the way they are, there's no way she can sing her songs on stage.
 
Then she hears lacrosse hottie, Ebenezer Lloyd Hollins the Fifth, aka Eben, singing from the locker room. She’s transfixed. He's just the person she needs. His voice + her lyrics = Battle of the Bands magic. But getting a band together means Azar has a lot of talking to do and new friends to make. For the chance to stand on stage with Eben it might all just be worth it.

About The Author

Olivia Abtahi is a writer and filmmaker born in Washington, DC. When she isn't drafting novels about awkward teens, you can find her working on documentaries about social justice and climate equity. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and their daughter.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Shannon on August 07, 2022

I REALLY, really enjoyed this YA book about an Iranian American teen, Azar, who has a chronic and invisible disability related to childhood colic and vocal chord nodules. An aspiring singer/songwriter in her first year of high school, Azar is pretty much a loner until she forms a band and develops a......more

Goodreads review by Kaley on October 11, 2022

3.75 This book sort of bridges the gap between YA and middle grade. Azar is 14, and while technically a high schooler, therefore making this YA, she’s so young that the book often reads much more like a middle grade novel. This is neither a good or bad thing, simply something you may want to be aware......more

Goodreads review by Toya (thereadingchemist) on August 30, 2022

4.5 stars rounded up! This was such a great coming of age story. Azar is an incredible 14 year old Argentinian-Iranian girl going through her freshmen year of high school who has to take part in speech therapy thanks to a bout of childhood colic that left her with painful throat nodules that makes t......more

Goodreads review by Gina on October 30, 2022

This story is very different from what I typically read in some ways, which I find exciting. I had no clue it was a companion novel to Perfectly Parvin, so I plan on reading that eventually! For one, this book is about a 14 year old. I personally really like younger YA and fully think we need more of......more

Goodreads review by vale on September 15, 2022

thank you PRH International for sending me an EARC of this book! 5 STARS!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book kind of breaks the distance between middle grade and ya, since it has a very middle grade-y feel but in a great way. I don’t really read middle grade often, but this book was simply delightful (and that is n......more

Quotes

Praise for Azar on Fire:

“[A] positive story, with distinctive and hilarious first-person narration, of literally finding one’s voice. . . A poignant, engaging, and affirming novel.” —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Perfectly Parvin:
A 2023 Sequoyah Book Award Nominee (OK)
A 2022 Golden Kite Honor Award Winner
A 2022–2023 Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee
A 2022 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
A 2022 ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List Pick
A 2021 New York Public Library Best Book Pick
A 2021 Chicago Public Library Best Book Pick
A 2021 BuzzFeed Best Young Adult Pick
A Book Riot Must Read YA Romance Pick

“Abtahi writes a touching contemporary that's hilariously heartfelt about one girl's journey to self-discovery.” —BuzzFeed

★ “Abtahi deftly navigates Parvin's transitional life phase, equipping her with enough humor and moxie to see her through even the toughest challenges . . . A joyful celebration of the right to take up space in the world.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “Abtahi’s charming debut will have readers cheering for Parvin. . . an incredibly charming, funny, and lovable protagonist who greets life with unbridled enthusiasm . . . as she navigates her two cultures with vim. . . A truly delightful story about a charming and engaging teen navigating freshman year.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Parvin’s narratorial voice sparkles with wit and pathos, and her journey toward self-acceptance seamlessly incorporates political and emotional realities. . . A diverse, fast-paced, feminist romance.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The fast-paced writing, wonderfully diverse cast, and very realistic and age-appropriate thoughts, choices, and realizations make this a solid read. Smart, funny, and full of heart.” —Teen Librarian Toolbox

“Authentic and organically hilarious. . . A fresh, charming standout.”—YALSA
 
“At its heart, this breezy YA title is about trying to find love by pretending to be someone else when being yourself is all that matters.” —Brightly

“The ebullient, eponymous heroine of Olivia Abtahi’s novel Perfectly Parvin—a prankster with a rambunctious wit . . . determines to remake herself as a demure, seen-but-not-heard young lady. The effort is doomed—if often hilarious—and has her trying but failing to tamp herself down through a friend’s quinceañera party and Farsi classes, through online makeup consults with her Iranian aunt and a tragic band audition.” —The Globe and Mail

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