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ego21's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I truly enjoyed Dimple's growth from an unlikable brat to a likeable and flawed protagonist.
ewitsell's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
backonthealex's review against another edition
5.0
Dimple Lala has just turned 17 and suddenly she finds herself in the midst of an identity crisis. Both of her parents and, in fact, all of her relatives were born in India. Her parents were the only ones who migrated to the United States, to Springfield, New Jersey, where Dimple was born.
A talented photographer, Dimple has always hidden herself behind the lens of her camera, and she has always been content to take a backseat to her blond-haired, blue-eyed, very flamboyant best friend Gwyn. Both have always felt like outsiders - Dimple because she has always felt "not quite Indian, and not quite American." Gwyn because she is a rich girl with an alcoholic mother who's never home, and a father who left years before.
But, now Dimple's parents have arranged for her to meet a 'suitable Indian boy,' and naturally, she can't help but feel resistant. Karsh Kapoor may be good looking, but Dimple refuses to have an interest in him. After all, he is the son of her mother's best friend from India, a college boy going to NYU, studying to be a computer engineer, and, Dimple is pretty certain, a real nerd.
But Dimple has a lot to learn about being Indian and her cousin Kavita is just the person to begin her education. On a visit for Dimple's birthday, she tells her all about the South Asian scene at NYU, in which she and Karsh are both active. And Kavita gives Dimple a way to define herself as an ABCD - American Born Confused Desi (Hindu for a person from South Asia). Suddenly, knowing that there are other people out there who feel as she does about who gives Dimple a whole new perspective on things.
But when Dimple runs into Karsh at a club one night, she suddenly sees him in a different light. Unfortunately, Gwyn also seems to sees him differently then the description that Dimple had given her, and Gwyn is on the rebound from a very public, very humiliating break up and has no inhibitions about revealing to Karsh what Dimple had said about him. Which means that Gwyn now feels completely entitled to throw herself at him.
Suddenly, both girls have an real interest in Indian culture and traditions. Or maybe it's a real interest in impressing Karsh with their South Asian knowledge - just as soon as they acquire some. Unaware that Dimple's feeling about Karsh have changed, Gwyn asks her to help her win over Karsh, even going to far as to borrow the new Indian clothing Dimple had just received for her birthday.
Will Dimple be willing to continue to take a back seat to Gwyn yet again?
Born Confused lays claim to the fact that it is "the first ever South Asian American coming of age novel" and I loved it - every word on all its 500+ pages. Tanuja Desai Hidier has a way with words that not only brings her characters to life, but can tingle all your senses - don't skip the descriptions, skimmers. But coming of age is a journey and Dimple takes us along on her through her first person stream of consciousness thinking, which can be at times funny, self-deprecating, serious and very naive.
I loved the metaphorical use of the Dimple's camera. She considers the camera lens to be her third eye, even naming it Chica Tikka. Dimple uses it not just as a way to hide but also to express what she can't in words. In fact, she has a lovely relationship with her grandfather, Dadaji, in India and since neither speaks the other's language, Dimple tells him about herself and her life through her camera lens. Tellingly, in the beginning, everything in Dimple's world is shot in black and white, but at 17, she begins to experiment with color - with her photographs and her life.
Best friend Gwyn is quite a character, as well. She has been the subject of Dimple's photographs for years, and nothing makes Dimple happier than seeing Gwyn happy, a situation that the very narcissistic Gwyn takes complete advantage of. I wondered more than once why they were such good friends, since that outsider sense of themselves seems to be all they had in common.
Mr. and Mrs. Lala, Dimple's parents, have been drawn to perfection by Hidier, as is cousin Kavita, Karsh and everyone else who people this novel. I did find I had to look up a few things I was sure of, mostly regarding things belonging to Indian culture and tradition, but not so much that it spoiled my enjoyment of Dimple's story.
Born Confused was originally published in 2003 and a few things may feel dated, but that does not detract from the novel at all. And that was also a time before social media and cell phone cameras, so Dimple's SLR camera, film, and darkroom may baffle a few readers, but hopefully they will be curious enough to enlighten themselves (I personally still prefer an SLR for real photographs, a cell phone for snapshots).
Bottom line: at a time when #weneeddiversebooks, Born Confused should be on everyone's reading list.
GOOD NEWS: Tanuja Desai Hidier has written a sequel to Born Confused called Bombay Blues, continuing Dimple's search for self and home, and this time she heads to Bombay to visit family and it will be available August 26, 2014.
This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book was an E-ARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
A talented photographer, Dimple has always hidden herself behind the lens of her camera, and she has always been content to take a backseat to her blond-haired, blue-eyed, very flamboyant best friend Gwyn. Both have always felt like outsiders - Dimple because she has always felt "not quite Indian, and not quite American." Gwyn because she is a rich girl with an alcoholic mother who's never home, and a father who left years before.
But, now Dimple's parents have arranged for her to meet a 'suitable Indian boy,' and naturally, she can't help but feel resistant. Karsh Kapoor may be good looking, but Dimple refuses to have an interest in him. After all, he is the son of her mother's best friend from India, a college boy going to NYU, studying to be a computer engineer, and, Dimple is pretty certain, a real nerd.
But Dimple has a lot to learn about being Indian and her cousin Kavita is just the person to begin her education. On a visit for Dimple's birthday, she tells her all about the South Asian scene at NYU, in which she and Karsh are both active. And Kavita gives Dimple a way to define herself as an ABCD - American Born Confused Desi (Hindu for a person from South Asia). Suddenly, knowing that there are other people out there who feel as she does about who gives Dimple a whole new perspective on things.
But when Dimple runs into Karsh at a club one night, she suddenly sees him in a different light. Unfortunately, Gwyn also seems to sees him differently then the description that Dimple had given her, and Gwyn is on the rebound from a very public, very humiliating break up and has no inhibitions about revealing to Karsh what Dimple had said about him. Which means that Gwyn now feels completely entitled to throw herself at him.
Suddenly, both girls have an real interest in Indian culture and traditions. Or maybe it's a real interest in impressing Karsh with their South Asian knowledge - just as soon as they acquire some. Unaware that Dimple's feeling about Karsh have changed, Gwyn asks her to help her win over Karsh, even going to far as to borrow the new Indian clothing Dimple had just received for her birthday.
Will Dimple be willing to continue to take a back seat to Gwyn yet again?
Born Confused lays claim to the fact that it is "the first ever South Asian American coming of age novel" and I loved it - every word on all its 500+ pages. Tanuja Desai Hidier has a way with words that not only brings her characters to life, but can tingle all your senses - don't skip the descriptions, skimmers. But coming of age is a journey and Dimple takes us along on her through her first person stream of consciousness thinking, which can be at times funny, self-deprecating, serious and very naive.
I loved the metaphorical use of the Dimple's camera. She considers the camera lens to be her third eye, even naming it Chica Tikka. Dimple uses it not just as a way to hide but also to express what she can't in words. In fact, she has a lovely relationship with her grandfather, Dadaji, in India and since neither speaks the other's language, Dimple tells him about herself and her life through her camera lens. Tellingly, in the beginning, everything in Dimple's world is shot in black and white, but at 17, she begins to experiment with color - with her photographs and her life.
Best friend Gwyn is quite a character, as well. She has been the subject of Dimple's photographs for years, and nothing makes Dimple happier than seeing Gwyn happy, a situation that the very narcissistic Gwyn takes complete advantage of. I wondered more than once why they were such good friends, since that outsider sense of themselves seems to be all they had in common.
Mr. and Mrs. Lala, Dimple's parents, have been drawn to perfection by Hidier, as is cousin Kavita, Karsh and everyone else who people this novel. I did find I had to look up a few things I was sure of, mostly regarding things belonging to Indian culture and tradition, but not so much that it spoiled my enjoyment of Dimple's story.
Born Confused was originally published in 2003 and a few things may feel dated, but that does not detract from the novel at all. And that was also a time before social media and cell phone cameras, so Dimple's SLR camera, film, and darkroom may baffle a few readers, but hopefully they will be curious enough to enlighten themselves (I personally still prefer an SLR for real photographs, a cell phone for snapshots).
Bottom line: at a time when #weneeddiversebooks, Born Confused should be on everyone's reading list.
GOOD NEWS: Tanuja Desai Hidier has written a sequel to Born Confused called Bombay Blues, continuing Dimple's search for self and home, and this time she heads to Bombay to visit family and it will be available August 26, 2014.
This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book was an E-ARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
5.0
This is a knock-out coming of age YA novel about identity, belonging, friendship, and romance. It's the story of Dimple finding out who she is as a person, discovering what her passions are, (re)connecting with her culture and family, reimagining an old friendship, and falling in love for the first time. There's a lot in here about feeling stuck between cultures: too Indian to really be American, and too American to really be Indian.
I loved the characterization and I loved the writing. I thought Hidier did a great job at having the voice feel very teenagery but also write beautiful descriptions. Her writing is both profound and very funny as she details Dimple's journey. I especially loved the mom's dialogue (so funny) and how photography and music were described. The scene where Dimple smokes pot for the first time and the narrative is following the funny directions her mind was going was also spot-on and hilarious. That scene, and actually most of the hangout scenes with the teenagers, really put me back in the mindset of being a teenager, which has honestly only happened to me a very few times reading YA.
Dimple's cousin Kavita, who is a secondary but important character is one of the first (first?) South Asian queer characters in YA. She was one of a few family members, including both Dimple's parents, that Dimples gets to know all over again as individuals separate from her preconceptions. Dimple slowly starts to see her parents as real people, and not just her parents, learning about their lives in India before they moved to the US. Kavita becomes more than Dimple's annoying Indian cousin who called her "cowgirl" because she lived in the States and becomes a good friend who knows what it's like to be in between
I wasn't sure about Dimple's BFF Gwyn who annoyed the crap out of me for most of the novel, meaning that her redemption at the end fell a little flat (or more like, I wasn't really invested in Dimple repairing her relationship with her and so when it happened, I was like, meh). I felt like I was supposed to feel sympathetic to her--especially after her WASPy parents-ignore-her home life was really explained. But I dunno, maybe I've just seen the rich white girl whose parents are divorced and don't care about her and who is amazingly beautiful and charismatic but is actually lonely story too many times by now. But she was awful for so much of the book! I get that she's searching for belonging just like Dimple is, but she did that through: a) ditching and ignoring Dimple more than once throughout the course of the book for a boyfriend / boy she liked: b) appropriating Indian cultural stuff over and over and arguing with people who tell her to think about why she thinks this stuff is open to her, and c) generally being very selfish and clueless about Dimple's feelings, down from small things like eating all of Dimple's pile of kinda burnt fries, which are her favourite and that she's meticulously picked out of the pile of regular fries to big things like not realizing Dimple obviously likes Karsh. What kind of BFF is she!
Okay, all this to say I loved this book!! It's a prime example of the genre and something for YA writers to aspire to. Which is especially a big deal considering this is a debut novel.
I loved the characterization and I loved the writing. I thought Hidier did a great job at having the voice feel very teenagery but also write beautiful descriptions. Her writing is both profound and very funny as she details Dimple's journey. I especially loved the mom's dialogue (so funny) and how photography and music were described. The scene where Dimple smokes pot for the first time and the narrative is following the funny directions her mind was going was also spot-on and hilarious. That scene, and actually most of the hangout scenes with the teenagers, really put me back in the mindset of being a teenager, which has honestly only happened to me a very few times reading YA.
Dimple's cousin Kavita, who is a secondary but important character is one of the first (first?) South Asian queer characters in YA. She was one of a few family members, including both Dimple's parents, that Dimples gets to know all over again as individuals separate from her preconceptions. Dimple slowly starts to see her parents as real people, and not just her parents, learning about their lives in India before they moved to the US. Kavita becomes more than Dimple's annoying Indian cousin who called her "cowgirl" because she lived in the States and becomes a good friend who knows what it's like to be in between
I wasn't sure about Dimple's BFF Gwyn who annoyed the crap out of me for most of the novel, meaning that her redemption at the end fell a little flat (or more like, I wasn't really invested in Dimple repairing her relationship with her and so when it happened, I was like, meh). I felt like I was supposed to feel sympathetic to her--especially after her WASPy parents-ignore-her home life was really explained. But I dunno, maybe I've just seen the rich white girl whose parents are divorced and don't care about her and who is amazingly beautiful and charismatic but is actually lonely story too many times by now. But she was awful for so much of the book! I get that she's searching for belonging just like Dimple is, but she did that through: a) ditching and ignoring Dimple more than once throughout the course of the book for a boyfriend / boy she liked: b) appropriating Indian cultural stuff over and over and arguing with people who tell her to think about why she thinks this stuff is open to her, and c) generally being very selfish and clueless about Dimple's feelings, down from small things like eating all of Dimple's pile of kinda burnt fries, which are her favourite and that she's meticulously picked out of the pile of regular fries to big things like not realizing Dimple obviously likes Karsh. What kind of BFF is she!
Okay, all this to say I loved this book!! It's a prime example of the genre and something for YA writers to aspire to. Which is especially a big deal considering this is a debut novel.
msoblong's review against another edition
4.0
The first time I read this book, I wasnt that into it. Later on I gave it a second go and actually really liked it.
ladybellatrix's review
3.0
2.5*
Dimple Lala is an American born Asian and she has a conflict a lot of second generations grew up with, feeling too Indian to be American and too American to be Indian. Over one summer, Dimple turns 17 and she is introduced to a 'suitable' boy and she finds herself questioning identity, culture and what she really wants.
I wanted to like this book, but it's just too fucking wordy. It's a lot of the metaphors don't make sense and you can have long and rambling descriptions of places and atmospheres that just made this book a lot longer than it needed to be. It felt like a book that needed to be trudged through to try and get to the actual meat of the story and though Dimple was quite well draw, the story is mostly lacking.
I feel like a lot of this books was meet ups that didn't need to happen described in detail they didn't need to be described in. This book could have been condensed and much more enjoyable with good editing.
Dimple Lala is an American born Asian and she has a conflict a lot of second generations grew up with, feeling too Indian to be American and too American to be Indian. Over one summer, Dimple turns 17 and she is introduced to a 'suitable' boy and she finds herself questioning identity, culture and what she really wants.
I wanted to like this book, but it's just too fucking wordy. It's a lot of the metaphors don't make sense and you can have long and rambling descriptions of places and atmospheres that just made this book a lot longer than it needed to be. It felt like a book that needed to be trudged through to try and get to the actual meat of the story and though Dimple was quite well draw, the story is mostly lacking.
I feel like a lot of this books was meet ups that didn't need to happen described in detail they didn't need to be described in. This book could have been condensed and much more enjoyable with good editing.
raynoo92's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent, excellent read, especially for someone who found herself in Dimple's shoes more often than not throughout high school. And now, after writing a thesis on growing up Indian American, this book is all the more close to my heart. The writing is witty; the characters are charming. Dimple is a real teenager, not just a body in the middle of a tug-of-war game. Her thoughts are genuine and she makes messy mistakes, keeping her relatable and lovable.
amerikanerin's review
1.0
High school romance, wasn't looking for that age level, couldn't get into it/ past the character body issues.
ietondo's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I have read--I can't do it justice but to say, just read it.
littlekinggone's review
3.0
This book does a lot of things really well, and it tackles a lot of big themes and questions. Dimple comes from a family of Indian immigrants and trying to balance her culture with American expectations has not been easy for her. As she goes into the summer before her senior year of high school, she is pushed to confront her previous ideas of her culture, identity, friendship, and love.
The Good:
Dimple is an endearing character. I identified with her quite a bit. She's quiet but compassionate. She hides behind her camera and tends to let her insecurities push her around a bit. She grew a lot through this story, and I enjoyed watching her grow into herself.
As far as side characters go, Gwyn gave me the biggest headache. I constantly wanted to reach in and shake some sense into her. She's selfish and self-serving, often pushing Dimple aside for her own needs. Their friendship hits a necessary speed bump, and it felt genuine and realistic. I remembered going through something similar in high school AND college (unfortunately).
One of the strong suits here is the diversity. Dimple is a POC. Her love interest is a POC. Their families are POC. A majority of their friends are POC. There are lesbians and drag queens and SO MUCH VARIETY AND CULTURE. I loved it. Hidier does an excellent job of submersing readers into the Indian culture. There are discussions of intersectionality and cultural appropriation that had a contextual basis with the plot. It was really well done. I wish more YA lit had the guts to tackle that as tastefully as she does.
The Bad:
There isn't really anything bad here. Usually this bad section will be dedicated to all the things that make me mad while I'm reading but there was none of that here. There are just a few things I thought could have been done better.
There's a lot of purple prose. I dug in to some of it and skimmed other sections. I want to say the book as a whole could have been shorter but I don't want to sacrifice the wonderful growth that happens during it. But! It matches Dimple's character. She's a thinker and philosopher. The beginning was also a little slow to start. It took about 200 pages for me to engage with the story. But again, I'm not sure how to cut that down without sacrificing the backstory and culture that's necessary for later.
I really liked Karsh as a whole. He's sweet and thoughtful with a good backstory. But that second meeting at the club felt a little manic pixie-ish? Like he suddenly swoops in and can rattle off Dimple's entire character to her and how she needs to believe in herself and shares his life story, etc. It felt a little soon considering they had said maybe two words together in their first meeting.
Overall, very enjoyable. I'm not sure I'll read the sequel based off the Goodreads reviews, but I think a lot of YA can take notes for how to tackle the hard subjects.
The Good:
Dimple is an endearing character. I identified with her quite a bit. She's quiet but compassionate. She hides behind her camera and tends to let her insecurities push her around a bit. She grew a lot through this story, and I enjoyed watching her grow into herself.
As far as side characters go, Gwyn gave me the biggest headache. I constantly wanted to reach in and shake some sense into her. She's selfish and self-serving, often pushing Dimple aside for her own needs. Their friendship hits a necessary speed bump, and it felt genuine and realistic. I remembered going through something similar in high school AND college (unfortunately).
One of the strong suits here is the diversity. Dimple is a POC. Her love interest is a POC. Their families are POC. A majority of their friends are POC. There are lesbians and drag queens and SO MUCH VARIETY AND CULTURE. I loved it. Hidier does an excellent job of submersing readers into the Indian culture. There are discussions of intersectionality and cultural appropriation that had a contextual basis with the plot. It was really well done. I wish more YA lit had the guts to tackle that as tastefully as she does.
The Bad:
There isn't really anything bad here. Usually this bad section will be dedicated to all the things that make me mad while I'm reading but there was none of that here. There are just a few things I thought could have been done better.
There's a lot of purple prose. I dug in to some of it and skimmed other sections. I want to say the book as a whole could have been shorter but I don't want to sacrifice the wonderful growth that happens during it. But! It matches Dimple's character. She's a thinker and philosopher. The beginning was also a little slow to start. It took about 200 pages for me to engage with the story. But again, I'm not sure how to cut that down without sacrificing the backstory and culture that's necessary for later.
I really liked Karsh as a whole. He's sweet and thoughtful with a good backstory. But that second meeting at the club felt a little manic pixie-ish? Like he suddenly swoops in and can rattle off Dimple's entire character to her and how she needs to believe in herself and shares his life story, etc. It felt a little soon considering they had said maybe two words together in their first meeting.
Overall, very enjoyable. I'm not sure I'll read the sequel based off the Goodreads reviews, but I think a lot of YA can take notes for how to tackle the hard subjects.