My Perfect Family by Khadijah VanBrakle

---

✦ BLURB ✦

“Lonely Leena” is close with her young single mother. Still, she’s always secretly dreamed of more (and, when she was a kid, asked Santa for it). A huge family to cheer her on at graduation. A gaggle of smiling faces at the holidays. But one call from the hospital, and her mother’s hidden past comes to light: Her grandfather is in the ER, and her aunt is with him in recovery. Sorry—her WHO?

But with family comes family secrets—Leena’s mom’s, and as Leena grows close with her new family behind her mother’s back, her own. Leena’s mom warns that Leena’s grandfather Tariq’s financial generosity doesn’t come without strings attached… like Leena converting to Islam, fighting for a spot at a top university, and adhering to the restrictive rules that she ran from all those years ago. Leena isn’t sure who to trust, yet she’s certain that she adores Tariq and her mom—and that she’s the only one who could heal old hurts. After so many years, is it even possible? And if she can’t, will she have to choose between them?

A big family was the dream, but all this drama isn’t.

---

✨ A big-hearted story about belonging, identity, and family secrets ✨

---

✶ PRE-READING ✶

I’m always drawn to stories that explore family through a fresh lens, especially when they centre characters we don’t see often enough in YA fiction. A Black Muslim teen trying to find her place in a newly discovered extended family? Sign me up.

---

✶ POST-READING ✶

As I thought... Leena’s journey is full of feeling - conflicted loyalties, unexpected joy, and the aching desire to belong somewhere, with someone. Her relationship with her best friend DeeDee sparkles off the page, and the inclusion of Islam was refreshing in how it centred personal faith and cultural nuance. It’s also very clear that when a character misuses religion, it’s them, not the religion, that’s being questioned - which is vital and well done.

It surprised me by... …how many layers there were to the family dynamics. Leena’s struggle to navigate the complicated relationships between her mother, her grandfather, and her new relatives was both heartfelt and messy in a way that rang true. That said, I did sometimes feel like the same emotional beats were hit a few too many times, and certain scenes felt repetitive or awkwardly structured. The characters kept me engaged, but the writing might’ve benefited from a tighter edit.

---

✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦

📚 All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
📺 Never Have I Ever (for the blend of cultural tension, family drama, and teenage identity)

✦ MUSIC PAIRING ✦

Because sometimes, the heart of a story plays out like a song.

🎵 Featured Song: “Family Line” – Conan Gray
🎶 Vibe Album: Saturn – SZA (especially for the blend of longing and resolve)
🎧 Artist Rec: Mahalia – tender, thoughtful, and a little bit fierce when needed

---

✧ VIBE CHECK ✧

🎨 Colour Palette: Warm neutrals, soft gold, dusky rose
🎬 Soundtrack: A gentle indie drama score with strings and piano
🍂 Season: Late autumn - change in the air, but still holding warmth
😔 Mood: Hopeful with undercurrents of sadness
🌸 Scent: Rosewater, old paper, and clove tea

---

★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

Two of Flags (Tarot for You and Me)
In this deck, swords become flags - and here, a white man and a Black woman cross their flags in playful combat. It’s a striking image for Leena’s inner conflict: a half-Black, half-White teen trying to find peace between her mother’s past and her grandfather’s expectations, between who she is and who others want her to be.

My Perfect Family publishes on the 29th of July, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.