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smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
An Indian American farm girl from California spends the summer chasing her dreams of working at a fashion magazine in NYC. This #ownvoices YA romance had lots of Devil wears Prada crossed with 13 going on 30 vibes and a great cast of secondary characters. Maya mistakenly gets hired as an assistant features editor at her favorite fashion magazine, Fierce. Everyone assumes she's a 26 year old (not the 17 year old she actually is). Cue the inevitable disaster when the truth comes to light but it was a fun journey getting there. I really enjoyed the story on audio narrated by Soneela Nankani and recommend it for fans of SK Ali or Sajni Patel.
CW: trauma from a mass shooting (happened in the past), ADHD rep
CW: trauma from a mass shooting (happened in the past), ADHD rep
stbeaners's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent YA summer read. Perfect for a flight, or poolside, or rainy days as we enter fall. I appreciate the realistic approach to the adults, even when the story itself wasn’t realistic.
saloniporwal's review
4.0
How Maya Got Fierce is the story of a sixteen year old Indo-American who is trying to fulfill her dream for an internship in the magazine 'Fierce'. The only problem is, she got hired as an assistant features editor and her bosses think she is 26. And to make matters worse, not even her Punjabi, garlic farm owner parent's know about this.
Being an NRI myself, I was instantly attracted to this book, and my instincts were not wrong. I loved Maya's character, and related with her on many levels. Although there are many American qualities about her, I loved how she is still deeply rooted to her culture, cuisine, and language. Speaking of the story itself, I found the concept very intriguing and that didn't disappoint. I also liked how the author made reference to the LGBT community in such an authentic way. What I mean is in most books, we see that gay couples are easily accepted by their family, but that is not always the case, and this was a perfect depiction of just that. I found Maya's mom to be loud, energetic, and bubbly like most Punjabi women I know. Speaking of the negatives, I can't pinpoint exactly what was missing, but I would drive through many parts of the book. Maybe it was that parts of the story line like the On and off romance and all the drama with Dolly bored me. I think this was a memorable book that I will re-read parts of every now and again.
Being an NRI myself, I was instantly attracted to this book, and my instincts were not wrong. I loved Maya's character, and related with her on many levels. Although there are many American qualities about her, I loved how she is still deeply rooted to her culture, cuisine, and language. Speaking of the story itself, I found the concept very intriguing and that didn't disappoint. I also liked how the author made reference to the LGBT community in such an authentic way. What I mean is in most books, we see that gay couples are easily accepted by their family, but that is not always the case, and this was a perfect depiction of just that. I found Maya's mom to be loud, energetic, and bubbly like most Punjabi women I know. Speaking of the negatives, I can't pinpoint exactly what was missing, but I would drive through many parts of the book. Maybe it was that parts of the story line like the On and off romance and all the drama with Dolly bored me. I think this was a memorable book that I will re-read parts of every now and again.
resslesa's review
Cute although a little convoluted and predictable. Love that it features South Asian Indian women!
sujata's review
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC. Slow to get
Me engaged but loved it in the end. More engaged in Maya’s personal and work story than any of the romantic relationship stuff
Me engaged but loved it in the end. More engaged in Maya’s personal and work story than any of the romantic relationship stuff
julieannasbooks's review
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Fierce Reads and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced finished copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
How Maya Got Fierce turned out to be a quick and fun summer contemporary for teens and young adults alike. While this book took some time to set the stage, I was really able to appreciate that later on as I really felt for the characters in this story.
I really loved the representation throughout this story. Coming from New York, I can’t say I know much about the agriculture industry, so having a story around Desi families and farming was really interesting. In the first half of How Maya Got Fierce, we really get to know the characters and how their families’ businesses impact their lives in so many ways.
But then there’s Maya’s adoration for journalism and Fierce magazine, and these two worlds came together in such an unlikely, yet wonderful way. As I read, I wasn’t sure how this book would end off, but it was better than I expected.
A lot of what made the pace pick up for me was wanting to know how Maya would untangle her lies. I do think a little bit of suspension of disbelief has to go into reading this given that Maya’s pretending to be almost ten years older in a position that would have required past experience, but for the messages that came out of this book I feel like it was worth it. We all have stories to tell, and from so many unique perspectives. When I started my first job, I was encouraged to ask why we did the things we did at the company – since I grew up around technology, my perspectives were embraced, knowing that I could have ideas that could change things for the better. Maya was able to do this too, but by sharing the stories of populations that were less often heard.
There was definitely some second-hand stress trying to figure out how Maya would pull it off, and you can definitely feel that through her. But her passion for the magazine really came through as she strived for better representation in the magazine, and despite some of the questions I had about the odds of this kind of situation happening, the overall message of this book made it so worth it.
yapha's review
4.0
This was a fun summer read! Who wouldn't want to land their dream job and the hot guy for the summer? Maya feels torn between what she feels she should do, what her family wants her to do, and the dreams she wants for herself. Spending the summer away from home helps her clarify things -- even though she weaves an epic weave of lies as she makes her way through. Recommended for grades 8 & up.
eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley
eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley
megs_s's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
antoinettepowb's review
4.0
What an amazing story about family loyalty and chasing your dreams! I enjoyed reading about Maya balancing family expectations and exploring the life she wants for herself. This is relatable for so many young people today. Throw in Cow Camp, deciding how she feels about two guys, lying about her age to keep a dream job, and mending strained relationships it becomes a great summer read!