★★★★★ 5
Book Review
Format: Paperback
Disclaimer: I borrowed this book from the library. Support your local libraries! All opinions are my own.
Book: Nayra and the Djinn
Author: Iasmin Omar Ata
Book Series: Nayra and the Djinn Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Muslim FMC, Muslim characters, Nonbinary characters
Recommended For...: Middle Grade readers, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Friendship
Publication Date: February 28, 2023
Genre: Fantasy Graphic Novel
Age Relevance: 10+ (racism, bullying, religion)
Explanation of CWs: There are some racist remarks made to Muslim characters but it is in a light that shows it’s not ok. There is also bullying. The Islamic religion is shown and discussed.
If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: It’s Nice To Have A Friend
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Pages: 256
Synopsis: Nothing is going right for Nayra Mansour. There's the constant pressure from her strict family, ruthless bullying from her classmates, and exhausting friendship demands from Rami -the only other Muslim girl at school. Nayra has had enough. Just when she's considering transferring schools to escape it all, a mysterious Djinn named Marjan appears. As a djinn, a mythical being in Islamic folklore, Marjan uses their powers and wisdom to help Nayra navigate her overwhelming life. But Marjan's past is fraught with secrets, guilt, and trouble, and if they don't face what they've done, Nayra could pay the price. In this beautifully illustrated graphic novel, Iasmin Omar Ata has created a realistic coming-of-age story with an enchanting dose of the fantastical about strength, identity, and, most of all, friendship.
Review: I thought that this was a very well-written and illustrated graphic novel about Islamic folklore involving djinns. I went into this book not knowing a whole lot about them, but the way that the author and illustrator work together to tell the story about a particular one that comes to Earth was really enchanting. The characters were very well written in my opinion and I really liked that they felt kid-like for upper middle grade lower YA book.
The only thing that I would really fault the book on is that it seemed that the racist instances in the book were just kind of brushed off in a sense? I think the book might have been leading up to a second one in a series, But I would have liked it to be shown that the types of remarks that the main character was experiencing was definitely not okay and that they were being adequately dealt with although I do realize that not every administration body would take this as seriously as others, especially when it comes to our Muslim children, friends, family, and/or neighbors.
Verdict: I really love this book so much! Highly recommend!
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Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2025
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