Drawing Deena

Pakistani American middle schooler Deena is experiencing stress so severe it’s affecting her body, resulting in panic attacks, daily nausea, and a cracked tooth. Some of her anxiety stems from interpersonal relationships: her cool cousin Parisa is a social media star, but Deena isn’t allowed to have her own account and doesn’t want to make one without her super-smart best friend Lucia anyway. Worries relating to her family’s finances and how often her parents fight about money, as well as her desire to become an artist—despite the disapproval she suspects she’d receive from her family were she to voice her dreams—further exacerbate her stress. When Deena decides to make a social media account for her mother’s tailoring business, she hopes that the exposure will help the boutique take off and ease her worries—but they only get worse. Mildly uneven pacing gives way to authentic-feeling and engaging character interactions. Through candid first-person narration, Khan (Zara’s Rules for Living Your Best Life) examines adolescent anxiety and its various triggers and depicts adaptive coping mechanisms, including making the most of mentorship and support from one’s community. Ages 8–12. (Feb.)

Correction: The text of this review has been updated to reflect a character's heritage.