"Heartfelt and triumphant." — Rajani LaRocca, Newbery Honor–winning Author of Red, White, and Whole

A cricket-loving Pakistani girl stifled by patriarchal expectations disguises herself as a boy to get a job to pay her sister’s medical bills in this 'lyrical action-packed debut full of determination and grit'.

I just finished AARZU ALL AROUND, and I love it so much!!! ❤️❤️❤️ I adore the sensory language of the book—I can hear the cheering for the cricket team, I can smell the flowers, taste all the foods. But most of all, I can FEEL Aarzu’s journey through the pages of the book. She is such well-developed REAL character, and I admire her greatly. I love the part where she draws strength from the Qur’an, I love how she wears her dupatta because SHE wants to, and not because anyone is forcing her to. I love the themes of friendship, forgiveness, and family. I love the many different kinds of poetry, and how seeing the words designed and displayed on the page is a huge part of the story. (I think the Dragonflies might be my favorite 😍) I love the repeated image of Aaruz holding her palms up to the sky. Such a powerful and personal image. This book is a gift, and it deserves all the best things. I’ll echo what Shirin Shamsi said: 'Thank you for writing fearlessly about your culture and religion.' The author taught me so much about Pakistan and Islam (and cricket 😁). THANK YOU! ❤️❤️❤️