Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein

ARC, 374 pages
Release Date: April 21, 2015
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Stand-alone
Source: ATWT
For fans of: DNF, Jinn, YA, Fantasy, Mythology

     Forget everything you thought you knew about genies!
     Azra has just turned sixteen, and overnight her body lengthens, her olive skin deepens, and her eyes glisten gold thanks to the brand-new silver bangle that locks around her wrist. As she always knew it would, her Jinn ancestry brings not just magical powers but the reality of a life of servitude, as her wish granting is controlled by a remote ruling class of Jinn known as the Afrit.
     To the humans she lives among, she’s just the girl working at the snack bar at the beach, navigating the fryer and her first crush. But behind closed doors, she’s learning how to harness her powers and fulfill the obligations of her destiny.
     Mentored by her mother and her Zar “sisters”, Azra discovers she may not be quite like the rest of her circle of female Jinn . . . and that her powers could endanger them all. As Azra uncovers the darker world of becoming Jinn, she realizes when genies and wishes are involved, there’s always a trick.

*MY THOUGHTS*

     My disappointment with this knows no bounds. This is one book that landed itself on my most anticipated debuts of  2015 (along with 2 others that I've already DNF'ed smh) and I just couldn't get into it. I lasted 100 pages before I just couldn't do it anymore. 
"This may not be the life you want, but its thw only one you;ve got. Making the best of it, not the worst is up to you, but it's a ling road to take all by yourself.'"
pg. 31
     Azra is celebrating her birthday but it's more of a doomsday and less of a celebration. So she thinks. Today is the day Azra comes into her jinn powers. She's wanted to stay away from them for so long. She'd give anything to just be normal. Too bad that won't happen. That's one wish that will never be granted. 
"It's funny the things we miss that are often right in front of our noses.'"
pg. 70
     The main thing I didn't like about this one was the fact that was so slowwww. It felt like there was no plot movement. Basically for the first 100 pages I was reading about a girl who didn't like anything and was mad at the world for making her a jinn. Now that sounds like plot movement, but when it's repeated over and over, and OVER, it just got redundant and annoying. And not to mention boring. I wasn't impressed.. 
"Sometimes the lie is better than the truth.'"
pg. 83
     Clearly the plot wasn't the only thing I didn't like about it. I also didn't like the character. She was extremely pessimistic and didn't like anything. And then she was stealing and lying. I just didn't connect with her. I did like her mother and her friend Laila though. They were the only things keeping me anchored to the story really. But then I just couldn't do it anymore.
"Maybe being rewarded for my misbehavior is a leson I've already learned.'"
pg. 88
     In the end I ended up just skimming. I stopped and read some passages where it seemed like it got interesting, but I just didn't care to  continue. After the beginning of the story I don't think I was invested enough.. As for the rest of the book and the end,  I want to say plot wise things get better, but for me they didn't. It may for someone else though, so I say give it a try! But for me, I just wasn't convinced. 
Overall, I give this 

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