This gorgeous book was sent to me by Stripes Publishing and I was so excited to read it. Thanks Stripes! I'm a massive cover fan and the fact it had a diverse cast on the cover with an Asian girl in the middle was a definite yes!
Themes: Family, friendship, a lot of spying :)
Zaiba's got everything it takes to become the world's greatest detective—she just needs a crime to solve!
I feel like I'm forever reading middle-grade and YA so to read a fun children's book was brilliant. Zaiba wants to be a detective and she's pretty good at it! Alongside her best friend Poppy and little brother Ali they try to find the missing dog and diamond collar of a celebrity. They at first think the dog just got away but they soon realise that someone deliberately let the dog loose and they need to figure out who and why.
The book is set in a hotel where they are celebrating Zaiba's cousins Mendhi party. I loved that! I haven't read a book set in a Mendhi party before and it was such a great way to show culture and traditions. If you didn't know anything about what a Mendhi Party even is, it's explained so well in the book.
Zaiba is super determined, ambitious and sure of herself whilst her little brother is so smart. Poppy plays the supportive best friend/ side-kick. Zaiba looks up to her Aunt Fouzia who is actually a real life detective in Pakistan and she encourages Zaiba's curious brain to seek out the clues and follow her gut.
Every book that I read from an Asian author, it's usually about being Muslim so this to me really stood out as that wasn't a focus at all. It really was just a fun detective book and the main character happened to be Asian. I liked that I could see an Asian character playing a role that I hadn't seen before. It's a book I think every child should have on their bookshelf.
I haven't read a detective story in ages and now all I want to do is read more of them! I have book 2 so can't wait to see what happens next.
Action-packed book!
5/5
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