“I was the one who had dubbed us the Authentics, because my...

“I was the one who had dubbed us the Authentics, because my new
friends were the first people I’d met more concerned with being who they were
than with who others wanted them to be. At least that’s what we thought.”

Having a strong sense of self can be like
a protective armor from an unaccepting world, made up of what we identify with
– culture, values, family. But what happens when a seemingly untouchable part
of this identity is shattered?  

The Authentics by Abdi Nazemian
explores that very question through a way-underrepresented voice in the YA
arena. Meet Daria, an Iranian-American immigrant, who has everything she
thought she knew about her own past upended. Brought up within Beverly Hills’
Persian community, Daria is proud of her Iranian roots—they’ve helped her define herself. But when she
learns new facts about her family history, this fifteen-year-old girl must ask:
Who is Daria Esfandyar, if she’s not the person she always
thought she was?

Daria goes from worrying about acne and
her sixteenth birthday party to stumbling down a path of self-discovery,
uncovering secrets kept from her by both friends and family.  I was right there with Daria as she gains a
new perspective on authenticity, coming to realize that our truths often evolve
over time. We craft new narratives to help us understand ourselves and those we
love. We need those stories, she says: “Because stories are the only way to
make sense of the chaos and randomness of our world.”

Now ain’t that the truth?

There’s so much to love about this book.
Daria’s fierce dedication to honesty paired with her fearlessness in taking a
risk won me over, and her group of friends and family facing their own
challenges in finding who they are brought depth to the story. But the real
highlight for me was hearing from a perspective that is not heard from nearly
enough, and learning more about a culture I was pretty unfamiliar with
initially.