Asma Bashir is visiting her family in NYC for the summer. All she wants is to listen to her Madonna mix tape, and maybe have a summer romance. Asma meets a hot guy on the plane and things are looking promising. But, she loses him before she can learn more and she realizes she forgot the Madonna mix she desperately needs. Her cousin agrees to help her record some songs off the radio, but things go wrong when they realize they have accidentally used a rare tape of her uncle's favorite singer. Now the girls must do whatever they can to try to replace the tape before her uncle finds out.  It doesn't help that her cousin's younger brother is blackmailing them. Will Asma be able to find another copy of the tape?  What will her uncle do if her finds out?  Is the cute guy from the plane ever going to be seen again?  Read this NYC adventure to find out how it all turns out. 

I really enjoyed Hot Pink in the City by Medeia Sharif. It brought back lots of memories of the 80s. I remember recording songs off the radio and making mix tapes, so I could relate to Asma and her cousin. I think many people during that time taped over something important and tried to fix it. Oh how difficult it was back then!  The characters were very believable and I enjoyed learning more about Asma's culture. The summer turns out to be a learning experience for her and through a series of events she grows to know herself better and stands up for herself in ways she never had in the past. I especially liked going back to a time before cell phones, the internet, and all the technology we are surrounded by today. A lot can happen over the course of a summer, read Asma's story to find out about hers. 

Has anyone else read Hot Pink in the City? Or have you read another book by Medeia Sharif? We'd love to hear your thoughts.