If You Could Be Mine

By: Sara Farizan

Narrated by: Negin Farsad

17-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since they were six. They've shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is a dangerous place for two girls in love - Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten, imprisoned, even executed if their relationship came to light.

So they carry on in secret - until Nasrin's parents announce that they've arranged for her marriage. Nasrin tries to persuade Sahar that they can go on as they have been, only now with new comforts provided by the decent, well-to-do doctor Nasrin will marry. But Sahar dreams of loving Nasrin exclusively - and openly.

Then Sahar discovers what seems like the perfect solution. In Iran, homosexuality may be a crime, but to be a man trapped in a woman's body is seen as nature's mistake, and sex reassignment is legal and accessible. As a man, Sahar could be the one to marry Nasrin. Sahar will never be able to love the one she wants, in the body she wants to be loved in, without risking her life. Is saving her love worth sacrificing her true self?

©2013 Sara Farizan. Published by arrangement with Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc. (P)2013 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Refreshingly and believably diverse.... Each character and relationship is kindly and carefully drawn.... A moving and elegant story of first love and family." (Kirkus Reviews)

"A heartbreakingly beautiful story of first love.... The reader becomes part of Sahar and Nasrin's journey. We move through it with them with our heart in our hands." (Jacqueline Woodson, author of Beneath a Meth Moon)

"A book full to bursting with aching, haunting, beautiful questions." (Chris Lynch, author of Inexcusable)

Not a standout

I read this for the “YA novel” category of my library’s challenge this year. While I learned a lot, I was not intrigued, or moved, or saddened, or any of the things one should be when reading a novel in this category. I struggled to get invested in the characters. Everything seemed superficial. Religion precluding love can be painted in a way that leaves the reader bleeding—here, I wasn’t even scratched.

loved it

I love loved loved this book. it was really good. more poeple sould read this.

An Angsty YA Read That's Unexpectedly Hilarious

If You Could Be Mine is about two young women who’ve been in love since childhood. But they live in Iran, where being a woman who loves another woman is punishable by death. Sex reassignment surgery is perfectly legal, though. Could this be the answer to their predicament? This story has all the ingredients of a great YA book: angst, secret smooching, forbidden love, heartache. But it’s also unexpectedly hilarious! Sara Farizan has the BEST deadpan humor in person, and Negin Farsad brings this out in spades in her narration of the book. Farsad is an Iranian-American comedian, and she just gets Farizan in a way that allows her to wring every last drop of humor from an otherwise heartbreaking story. One of my fave listens of the year! <3

Cute

The story somehow enlightening, and we need more books with this type of diversity! Though you may want to note that the story is written and narrated from the point of view of a 17 year old girl, and both her reasoning and way of thinking is very much intact with her age. So older audience (as myself) might find some parts to be childish and deem her foolish in others but remembering myself at that age I’m not sure i would act much differently under the same circumstances.

Anyhow the story is good (though I wish it was better) and has a good ending, and holds a pretty good educational value.

Revelant and Realistic Queer YA

If You Could Be Mine is the story of two girls in Tehran who have been best friends since childhood. The protagonist, Sahar, is a very smart young woman on track for the top university in Iran. Nasrin is a spoiled rich girl whose parents are intend for her to marry as soon as she leaves high school. Neither of these situations is painted as unusual in Iranian society within the context of the book. Farizan clearly establishes the country's culture without it seeming intimidating or anti-Islam.

Negin Farsad's narration makes the story more emotionally resonant than I think it would be otherwise. Sahar spends a lot of time being angry about her situation (understandable), and defensive of her decision to pursue a sex change so she might marry Nasrin instead of her fiance. Farsad easily finds the essential nuances within that anger, creating strong, unwavering characters.

As the story is in first person singular, we don't see any of Nasrin's real feelings on the subject of her impending marriage beyond her outside behavior, and what she says to Sahar. I would have liked to know the complicated feelings going on in Nasrin's head as well; it surely could not have been easy to choose duty and a life of ease, or the love of your life.

Overall, I found If You Could Be Mine thoughtful and well-written, with fully developed characters and socially relevant storylines. I liked the insight into underground queer culture in Iran. I would have rather seen a sweet ending, or a bitter ending, rather than a bittersweet one, but I'm glad Sahar was able to make the choices she did.

A great first novel

I fairly enjoyed this book. I could understand the troubles that Sahar faced, and as a desperate 17 year old, I could appreciate the fact that the story was believable and not too far fetched. This book most definitely left me wanting to know more about where the two will end up. At the end, I felt like I had learned more about the LGBT community in other countries.

Sahar found herself willing to do almost anything to be with her best friend while Sahar's best friend Nasrin is comfortable in "playing nice" for her family and friends and only loving Sahar when they are alone. This story can be understood by anyone who's ever loved someone that they couldn't ever be with. Great story overall and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I was not expecting that.

I'm not sure what kind of story I was expecting but I was not expecting to be so swept up in it. I found it by searching for LGBT romances, and while there is romance, the tears I shed were not happy ones. This gives a perspective of life in Iran that I would never have known about as I only see what appears in American news. This story is heart-wrenching, beautiful, terrifying, and unforgettable. Based on the setting, the ending was considerably better than it could have been. The author did an amazing job.

A must read

Really a good book, a lot of twists and turns. Keeps you wondering what happens next.

surprisingly good.

It actually propelled me to learn more about the struggles if lgbt folk in Iran. Good points for originality and non cheesy ending.

Main characters are awful people

Oddly enough, I made it through the story even with a main character that was supposed to be so smart, but made very idiotic decisions (don't tell me she was blinded by love).

the other character was so selfish that I found it hard to even like her through the eyes of the character. Pretty, vain and selfish to go with homely, smart and devoted. Typical dull mix.

I found the characters so unbelievable that I had a hard time with trusting the setting and culture.

If I could have related to even one of the main characters I could have said I liked it. If you want to have a story with truly unlikable MAIN characters, this is it.

the only likable character was P----- she was fine. she was actually the only character with a story. (compared to other novels, she would be a thin character, however).

The fatal flaw is the lack of building the characters and showing likable traits in them.


the narrator also was interesting......