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Becoming Jinn Discussion Guide 1. In Chapter 1, Azra becomes a Jinn against her will. How much do you think her inability to choose this life for herself plays into her rebelling against it? Have you been in a situation where you were forced to do something against your will? How did you resolve it? 2. The Jinn world, at least those living among the humans, is mothers and daughters. The female Jinn form small Zar sisterhoods. These fellow Jinn are not just friends but a support system. Why is this important for the Jinn and specifically for Azra? For the young adult audience, why is it important to show this sisterhood and this support system? Do you have a support system and does it share any traits with the Zar? 3. Azra’s Zar is made up of five other Jinn: Laila, loyal, kind, and the peacemaker; Yasmin, the “mean” girl; Hana, super smart; Mina, blasé about all but boys; Farrah, a diehard music fan who is the self-proclaimed “goofy one.” Which Jinn girl are you most like? Which are you the most different from? 4. Becoming Jinn is a contemporary fantasy, but the Jinn are a real-world belief in North African and Middle Eastern cultures. They are a type of spirit creature, hidden from the human eye but the only being aside from humans capable of rational thought. They can be good or evil, are often said to haunt homes and wreak havoc for humans if they are threatened or crossed. This real-world lore influences the mythology created in Becoming Jinn. Do you see evidence of this in the book? How does Becoming Jinn flip the genie tropes popular in Western culture? What’s the same and what’s new in his version of the genie world? 5. The mothers withhold the truth about the Afrit from their daughters. Do you think they are justified in his decision? If you were a Jinn mother, would you tell your daughter the truth? If you were a Jinn daughter, would you want to know the truth? 6. Do you think Azra’s feelings about becoming Jinn and the decisions she makes along the way would have been any different had she known the truth at the start?

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7. The death of Jenny deeply affected Azra. It not only prevented her from bonding with her Zar sisters but it turned her against magic. Why do you think it was so hard for Azra to heal from this loss? Is there anything she could have done to help in her grief? 8. Azra feels like an outsider in both her Jinn and human worlds. Have you felt like you didn’t belong somewhere? How did you handle it? 9. Azra struggles to accept her fate and her new responsibilities. Have you ever had to accept a role you weren’t ready for and how did you deal with it? 10. Both Henry and Nate play important roles in Azra’s journey to accepting her Jinn life. What role does each play? Why is Azra drawn to each of them? Why is it easier for Azra to accept them in her life when it’s so hard to accept her Zar sisters? 11. Some readers say there is a strong love triangle in the book while others say there is no love triangle. Do you consider the relationship with Azra, Henry, and Nate to be a love triangle? What elements does it have and what does it lack? 12. In many young adult books, the parents are not a part of the story. But Kalyssa and Samara are a strong presence in the book. What do you think this adds to the story? Are you glad the mothers are a part of the book? How would the story have been if they weren’t there? 13. In Chapter 13, Laila says to Azra “focusing on what we can’t have takes away from what we can have.” Do you agree with this? 14. In Becoming Jinn, Azra must learn to fully enter a human’s anima to discover the person’s truest wish. As her mother, Kalyssa, says in Chapter 18, “Humans are rarely attuned to the things they really want. And most of the time, what they want isn’t actually what they need.” Do you agree with this? If so, why is it so hard to admit what we most need in life? 15. What would your one wish be?

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16. Keeping secrets is a major theme in the book. Everyone keeps secrets, from the Jinn mothers who keep secrets from their daughters to Azra keeping secrets from her mother, to Henry keeping Azra’s secret, even to Chelsea who keeps her true self a secret to be a part of the popular crowd. In Chapter 26, Azra says sharing secrets is as much of a burden as keeping them. What does she mean by that? Do you agree? Have you ever had the burden of keeping a secret? 17. In Chapter 26, Azra says, “I always thought my mother was the lucky one for having memories of my father, of my grandparents, of what life was like before. Maybe she was right not to call them up, not to share them, because is it possible my memories of Jenny, Henry’s memories of Jenny, make it worse? Harder for us to move on?” Do you think having memories of someone who has passed away makes it easier or harder to move on? 18. If a genie could erase your memories of a lost loved one, would you want them to? 19. Azra’s true heritage is a shock. Did you see this coming? What do you think of this revelation and how will it change Azra’s feelings about who she is? 20. The phrase “life is compromise” comes up several times in the book. Do you agree with this? 21. Is this a lesson Azra has learned by the end of the book? What lessons do you think Azra has learned? How has she changed from the beginning of the book to the end? 22. The ending could be controversial. Do you like the way the book ends? Why or why not? 23. What do you think is going to happen in the sequel? How do you think Azra will grant Megan’s wish?

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Spice Up Your Becoming Jinn Book Club! Holding a book club for Becoming Jinn? Here are some ways to add some Jinn culture to your party. * THE FOOD!

Jinn love to eat, especially sweets. Serve some of the food featured in Becoming Jinn: Platters of hummus, roasted eggplant, and pita chips Chicken tagine with tomatoes and sweet caramelized onions (Visit “The World of Jinn” on www.lorigoldseinbooks.com for the recipe!) Lamb kebabs Chocolate cake Mint chocolate chip ice cream Cheese-filled dates Or recreate Nate’s picnic for Azra from Chapter 25! As she says, “There’s a plate of cheese and crackers, rolled cold cuts and sliced bread, a heaping Tupperware of potato salad, a matching one with a green salad, even a container of sushi. Not to mention the pile of chocolate chip cookies and the tower of fudge brownies, which in truth is all he needed for me.”

* THE CLOTHES!

Kaftans anyone? Harem pants? Head scarves? Azra’s signature black, white, and gray? Or her mom’s colorful palette of greens and reds and oranges? Visit “The World of Jinn” on www.lorigoldseinbooks.com for inspiration!

* THE DÉCOR!

Oil lanterns, red tagines, mismatched arrays of multicolored dishes and napkins, or, even better, hold your book club at Azra’s favorite spot: the beach!

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