Reviews

That Thing about Bollywood by Supriya Kelkar

delliomellidom's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I am definitely older than the target demographic for this book, however I still found it to be quite charming. It's bittersweet in some ways as well as funny, creative, unique, and inspiring. There are many children and young adults in my life who would and/or would have benefited from reading this book. I was able to easily picture the actions in this book; I loved learning about a (for me) new culture. All around a strong story that is perfect for younger readers.

tara1234's review against another edition

2.0

I thought I would really enjoy this book but I dnf at 45%. Maybe will try to read it a different time. :)

charvi_not_just_fiction's review against another edition

5.0

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. I mean the premise seems fun but this book is so beautifully written and it explores so many important topics. I think it's incredibly important for children these days to know how to express themselves and that it's okay to be emotional. It's something I struggled with as well and it was just incredibly hard to see little Sonali suppressing absolutely every emotion she had. It was also lovely and heartwarming to see her go through the emotional journey thanks to Bollywooditis.

I think the Indian rep was so on point. I feel like in the Indian community particularly we are asked to hide our emotions and troubles from everyone to save face or just not embarrass ourselves. To show only our good lives. I love that this book tries to break those rules imposed on children. It shows how it creates a cycle of relationships where emotions are bottled up and repressed and it just ends up causing so much hurt to everyone involved.

The Bollywooditis was so fun to read about! What with all the references and the singing and dancing, it added lightness to a book that talks about such heavy things although I must say I was perpetually getting second-hand embarrassment, lol.

All in all this book really touched my heart and I would definitely recommend it to readers across ages!

TW: divorce, off-page death of grandparent

literatehedgehog's review against another edition

3.0

Desi magical realism, where a girl's repressed feelings about her parents' fights and friend jealousy come out as Bollywood songs. I liked the premise and clear love for Bollywood movies, but the middle drags out too long.

afro8921's review against another edition

4.0

That Thing about Bollywood takes a young girl who always suppresses her true feelings and makes her act them out. I loved the bollywood theme and also the vulnerability of the characters in the story. Great realistic fiction read.

lprongs's review against another edition

3.0

Sonali's parents are separating and she hides those emotions under a mask. When her feelings start putting on Bollywood performances, she has to find out how to stop it before it changes everything.

renuka__'s review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I think the concept behind this book was fun, but I thought it was executed in such a repetitive and dry way. Even for a middle grade book, I really couldn’t believe how obviously everything was stated and how the main character’s growth/pain points took so long to overcome (in terms of chapters). It felt like all of her trauma had stemmed from this singular experience as a child and the author beat that point home over and over again. I think this book might actually make for a good movie adaptation where the movie was better. 

i_will_papercut_a_bish's review against another edition

5.0

Supriya Kelkar has created such a fascinating and unique magical world, in which 11-year-old Sonali wakes up one day to find all her hard-suppressed feelings have transformed her world into a Bollywood movie. She couldn't hide her true emotions, even if she wanted to!

This story is a beautiful, humorous exploration of the importance of processing your feelings with others and reaching out for help from your support network. The topic of divorce and family difficulty is handled with equal parts brutal honesty and tender empathy, in a way that's relevant and deeply accessible to young readers. I was rooting for Sonali all the way through! This book is a unique treasure on any family or classroom bookshelf, and I'm so excited to read the author's next book!

ila_mae's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-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

3.5

sbsterling's review against another edition

3.0

Far too long but a great and worthwhile message.