★★★★★ 5
Sweet younger YA graphic novel
Format: Paperback
Nayra and the Djinn is a graphic novel set during Ramadan that follows an American Muslim girl desperate to transfer out of the high school she hates. When shadow djinn Marjan agrees to help her by using their djinn powers, Nayra’s life starts improving. But Marjan isn’t being honest about their reasons for being in the human world, and as the end of Ramadan approaches, Marjan’s secrets may return to upend Nayra’s life too …
This is a super cute coming-of-age tale that revolves around friendship and family! I think it slots perfectly into the much-needed crossover area between older middle-grade and lower YA books, and will appeal to younger teens or the young at heart.
The art style was overall adorable, but my favorite aspect was the color work. The artist used a limited color palette to portray different moods and character perspectives. As a space nerd, I also appreciated the star accents throughout the artwork (I have a theory that the stars tended to crop up to hint at djinn influence on the events of the story, but that’s just speculation).
While I’m not a frequent graphic novel reader, this was a lovely change of pace from my usual reads. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a wholesome middle grade/YA crossover with a sprinkle of the supernatural!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2024
