YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK, ALINA BUTT

Set in the early 2000s, this novel sees a young Pakistani British immigrant learning the art of gratitude.

For once, Alina Butt isn’t nervous about starting school. This year, she’s part of a tight group of friends whom she’s confident will support her through seventh grade—that is, until they fail to save her a seat, instead opting to sit next to a red-haired girl named Sophie. Turns out, Alina’s friends spent the summer hanging out with Sophie while Alina’s strict parents made her stay home. When passport issues prevent her from going on a class trip to Paris, her parents plan a family vacation to Pakistan as a consolation prize. Still, Alina remains convinced that she’s “the unluckiest girl in the world”—a feeling compounded by the realization that the family will have to leave England in one year due to visa problems. But while in Pakistan, she begins to appreciate what she has. Alina’s insightful, humorous, and candid voice lends this steadily paced book a conversational quality. Alina’s reframing of the idea of luck feels authentic and nuanced and is aided substantially by Sophie’s insights about her father’s disability. Alina’s moments of gratitude feel heavy-handed, however, and the first third of the book, focusing on preparation for the Paris trip, is somewhat disconnected from the rest. Still, this is a fast-paced, compelling read. Sophie presents white; the previous book established that Alina’s friend group is diverse.

A funny and frank tale of self-discovery.