AMIR AND THE JINN PRINCESS

A conceited 12-year-old in Lahore, Pakistan, agrees to help a jinn princess win a competition to become the heir of her kingdom in exchange for her assistance in searching for his missing mother.

Belying the arrogance that’s a result of a hyperprivileged upbringing, Amir Rafiq suffers from the loss of his beloved mother, who mysteriously disappeared from his family’s brick-making company. When Amir’s domineering grandmother announces that his father will be remarrying, Amir vows to locate his mother in time to stop the wedding. He doesn’t expect his quest to take him into another realm alongside spirited, shape-shifting jinn princess Shamsa. They are kindred spirits in their marginalization by siblings who regard them as competition, but they’re opposites in their desire to take their places at the top—Amir wants nothing of it, while Shamsa is driven to win by a secret promise. They strike a deal: Shamsa will help Amir find his mother, and Amir will use his cunning to help Shamsa ascend the throne. Khan superbly crafts a redemption arc for Amir, developing his character from unlikable to heroic as he navigates a variety of different circumstances from isolation to belonging, in the process growing from callous and entitled to complicated and altruistic. She also deftly and accessibly weaves into the story important social commentary on corporate ethical dilemmas such as exploitative labor practices, greed, greenwashing, and the blurred lines between social responsibility and buying people’s support.

Captivatingly well written and magical.