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This lyrical coming-of-age novel for fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay and On the Come Up, set in southern California in 1996, follows a teen who wants to honor her deceased friend's legacy by entering a rap contest.. Perfect Iranian girls are straight A students, always polite, and grow up to marry respectable Iranian boys. But it's the San Fernando Valley in 1996, and Rana Joon is far from perfect - she smokes weed and loves Tupac, and she has a secret: she likes girls. As if that weren't enough, her best friend, Louie - the one who knew her secret and encouraged her to live in the moment - died almost a year ago, and she's still having trouble processing her grief. To honor him, Rana enters the rap battle he dreamed of competing in, even though she's terrified of public speaking.