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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There’s Something About Sweetie melted my heart. Sweetie is an Indian American girl, star track athlete, and fat. Her Amma has always criticized her for her weight even if Sweetie is happy with the body she’s in; this negativity weighs on Sweetie and takes a hit on her self esteem.
Sweetie’s mom meets with Sunita Patel one morning at the market and is treated to lunch at a fancy restaurant when Amma decides that Sunita’s son Ashish Patel, star basketball player, couldn’t possible date her daughter because they wouldn’t look good together.
Sweetie is very hurt and decides to take matters into her own hands and texts Ashish after getting his number from a friend. His parents soon find out that the two are trying to date in secret and make a dating contract promising not to tell Sweetie’s parents until they go on four prescribed dates.
Ashish and Sweetie grow to like each other and even more, but what will Sweetie’s parents say when they find out? Will Amma and Achchan give their blessing or will Sweetie and Ashish’s love be short lived?
Sweetie’s mom meets with Sunita Patel one morning at the market and is treated to lunch at a fancy restaurant when Amma decides that Sunita’s son Ashish Patel, star basketball player, couldn’t possible date her daughter because they wouldn’t look good together.
Sweetie is very hurt and decides to take matters into her own hands and texts Ashish after getting his number from a friend. His parents soon find out that the two are trying to date in secret and make a dating contract promising not to tell Sweetie’s parents until they go on four prescribed dates.
Ashish and Sweetie grow to like each other and even more, but what will Sweetie’s parents say when they find out? Will Amma and Achchan give their blessing or will Sweetie and Ashish’s love be short lived?
I love them, obviously!! I’m obsessed with Sweetie’s confidence and passion for self-advocacy, and with how goofy and swoony Ashish is. I already love how Sandhya Menon’s characters reflect their love for both their Indian and American cultures, as well as how these teenagers communicate their feelings—not perfectly, but with such intention! Finally, this novel also champions body positivity in the face of blatant fatphobia, which I love for any teen reading this.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
holy shit y’all i wish i had words to express how much i loved this book
this was THE SWEETEST book ever i loved sweetie and ashish i loved the pop culture and bollywood references i loved the discussions about female empowerment and the reclaiming of the word ‘fat’ as something positive i LOVED the family dynamics and the many moments towards the end of the book especially between sweetie and her mum which made me SOB
this book was super cute and happy and frustrating and angsty and dramatic and sexy and hard-hitting and relatable and heart-warming and so sweet (duh!)
it took me quite long to read it but only because i was in a slump but i just read the last 200 pages in almost one sitting ugh i already want to read it all over again
5 STARS FOR A PERFECT BOOK
rep: fat Indian female main character, Indian male main character, m/m relationship between two black gay side characters, several other Indian and black side characters
huge trigger warning: fat shaming/body shaming (which is challenged on page)
this was THE SWEETEST book ever i loved sweetie and ashish i loved the pop culture and bollywood references i loved the discussions about female empowerment and the reclaiming of the word ‘fat’ as something positive i LOVED the family dynamics and the many moments towards the end of the book especially between sweetie and her mum which made me SOB
this book was super cute and happy and frustrating and angsty and dramatic and sexy and hard-hitting and relatable and heart-warming and so sweet (duh!)
it took me quite long to read it but only because i was in a slump but i just read the last 200 pages in almost one sitting ugh i already want to read it all over again
5 STARS FOR A PERFECT BOOK
rep: fat Indian female main character, Indian male main character, m/m relationship between two black gay side characters, several other Indian and black side characters
huge trigger warning: fat shaming/body shaming (which is challenged on page)
All the stars! This book is absolutely delightful and everything you could ever want in a contemporary romance. I absolutely adore Sweetie!
I'm officially a Sandhya Menon groupie (is that even a thing for authors??) and I'm not ashamed!
I loved this book! It's funny, emotional, full of great messages, and was just cute all around. I loved Sweetie and Ashish both as individuals and as a couple. They still maintain their own personalities and are very upfront with each other about what they're going into the relationship with and what they want out of it. As much as I already loved Ashish going into this, I fell in love with Sweetie immediately. I also fell in love with the secondary characters like Samir, Oliver, Izzy, and both Ashish and Sweetie's parents. Each character has a purpose in the book, and I think they all got a fair amount of page time and influence in the plot and character development. I'll definitely be recommending this book to pretty much everyone I see.
*Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!*
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2019/05/21/your-own-worst-enemy/
I loved this book! It's funny, emotional, full of great messages, and was just cute all around. I loved Sweetie and Ashish both as individuals and as a couple. They still maintain their own personalities and are very upfront with each other about what they're going into the relationship with and what they want out of it. As much as I already loved Ashish going into this, I fell in love with Sweetie immediately. I also fell in love with the secondary characters like Samir, Oliver, Izzy, and both Ashish and Sweetie's parents. Each character has a purpose in the book, and I think they all got a fair amount of page time and influence in the plot and character development. I'll definitely be recommending this book to pretty much everyone I see.
*Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!*
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2019/05/21/your-own-worst-enemy/