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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
3.5/5 stars? Possibly 4? I might up the rating once I’ve gathered my thoughts and written my proper review. Overall, another enjoyable read from Sandhya. I loved the insight into Indian-American culture, the diversity and feminism that was natural to the story. Characters with depth and varying personalities made FTWL fun and intriguing. This felt so real. My one gripe is I wanted more film-making stuff to make it feel more authentic.
“Geeks are smart and talented and passionate. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
This book was such a wholesome and lovely one packed with romance, emotions, feminism, desi swag and complicated relationships as well as self-development.
"Being a human belonging to the wallflower genus, I'm kinda used to swallowing my words instead of speaking them"
Twinkle was a great character who went through a lot of development. She is shown as an under-confident yet passionate wallflower who lives to direct movies. Her life is a struggle what with her family being poor and pretty much absent except for her dadi and recently losing her best friend Maddie to the popular group, Twinkle is down in the dumps. Then she formulates a plan to direct a movie with Sahil to showcase in the school fest which will make her famous. If not that then dating the popular hotshot Neil, Sahil's twin brother, will definitely get her in the popular group and help her win back her best friend. There's just one problem...she starts falling for the wrong brother. And when the power of being a film director gets to her she begins to change. Will Twinkle be able to retain her true identity and find love while winning back her best friend?
"Sometimes I worry I don’t know who I really am. Sometimes I’m afraid nothing I do will ever be enough to set me apart.”
Sahil has been in love with Twinkle since he was 12. As a fellow nerd and film enthusiastic he finally gathers the courage to ask Twinkle to work with him on the film. Sahil is a sensitive and kind boy who is tired of hiding in his brother's shadow. He has finally found a girl who likes him and sees him for what he truly is... or has he? What will Sahil do when he discovers that Twinkle has been crushing over his twin brother Neil all along?
I love how Twinkle talks about the patriarchy and wanting to be a women of colour who becomes a director because that minority group is so marginalized and she's not going to let it stand in the way of her dream. She's a quiet girl who learns to get a voice as she spends more and more time with Sahil who encourages her to speak up for herself and instills her with self-confidence. With Sahil she feels confident and seen. But as time progresses maybe she's starting to speak to much? Her anger over life boils over at the wrong times and she's clearly seen struggling in her journey.
I like all the other minor and side characters in this book too. Starting with the families, I love Twinkle's dadi who is slightly eccentric but nevertheless very wise and loving. Twinkle's parents have a lesser role to play but her mother and her nani's backstory in the end comes out unexpectedly and definitely had me crying at midnight. Sahil's parents are also a nice bunch and I love how his father is breaking the stereotypes of men retaining their masculinity by refusing to wear floral clothes and aprons and refusing to cook. It's absolutely lovely and refreshing.
Maddie was a very conflicted girl who was trying to balance two worlds and failing miserably. On some level I totally related to her but she was definitely giving Twinkle a cold shoulder too many a time. I love how their friendship was explored throughout the book, especially how it ended :)
Hannah was one character I absolutely disliked but here's the thing, her backstory was beautiful and fit perfectly into the story and totally blew my mind. Sandhya Menon definitely knows how to play with our minds! Violet, Skid and Aron were all refreshing with heir support for Twinkle and Sahil and added an element of humor. They were there to provide the characters with solid advice and guidance, especially Violet without whom Twinkle could have strayed off the right path.
The book also had a small LGBT and black people rep which was so cute.
If I have to explain the book in one word it would be 'ADORABLE'.
From the way it was written and the way the characters interacted and how their romance was carried out, everything was cute and wonderful. And at the same time Sandhya Menon managed to explore so many important topics? I am in awe.
Such a great book to end 2o18 with!
This book was such a wholesome and lovely one packed with romance, emotions, feminism, desi swag and complicated relationships as well as self-development.
"Being a human belonging to the wallflower genus, I'm kinda used to swallowing my words instead of speaking them"
Twinkle was a great character who went through a lot of development. She is shown as an under-confident yet passionate wallflower who lives to direct movies. Her life is a struggle what with her family being poor and pretty much absent except for her dadi and recently losing her best friend Maddie to the popular group, Twinkle is down in the dumps. Then she formulates a plan to direct a movie with Sahil to showcase in the school fest which will make her famous. If not that then dating the popular hotshot Neil, Sahil's twin brother, will definitely get her in the popular group and help her win back her best friend. There's just one problem...she starts falling for the wrong brother. And when the power of being a film director gets to her she begins to change. Will Twinkle be able to retain her true identity and find love while winning back her best friend?
"Sometimes I worry I don’t know who I really am. Sometimes I’m afraid nothing I do will ever be enough to set me apart.”
Sahil has been in love with Twinkle since he was 12. As a fellow nerd and film enthusiastic he finally gathers the courage to ask Twinkle to work with him on the film. Sahil is a sensitive and kind boy who is tired of hiding in his brother's shadow. He has finally found a girl who likes him and sees him for what he truly is... or has he? What will Sahil do when he discovers that Twinkle has been crushing over his twin brother Neil all along?
I love how Twinkle talks about the patriarchy and wanting to be a women of colour who becomes a director because that minority group is so marginalized and she's not going to let it stand in the way of her dream. She's a quiet girl who learns to get a voice as she spends more and more time with Sahil who encourages her to speak up for herself and instills her with self-confidence. With Sahil she feels confident and seen. But as time progresses maybe she's starting to speak to much? Her anger over life boils over at the wrong times and she's clearly seen struggling in her journey.
I like all the other minor and side characters in this book too. Starting with the families, I love Twinkle's dadi who is slightly eccentric but nevertheless very wise and loving. Twinkle's parents have a lesser role to play but her mother and her nani's backstory in the end comes out unexpectedly and definitely had me crying at midnight. Sahil's parents are also a nice bunch and I love how his father is breaking the stereotypes of men retaining their masculinity by refusing to wear floral clothes and aprons and refusing to cook. It's absolutely lovely and refreshing.
Maddie was a very conflicted girl who was trying to balance two worlds and failing miserably. On some level I totally related to her but she was definitely giving Twinkle a cold shoulder too many a time. I love how their friendship was explored throughout the book, especially how it ended :)
Hannah was one character I absolutely disliked but here's the thing, her backstory was beautiful and fit perfectly into the story and totally blew my mind. Sandhya Menon definitely knows how to play with our minds! Violet, Skid and Aron were all refreshing with heir support for Twinkle and Sahil and added an element of humor. They were there to provide the characters with solid advice and guidance, especially Violet without whom Twinkle could have strayed off the right path.
The book also had a small LGBT and black people rep which was so cute.
If I have to explain the book in one word it would be 'ADORABLE'.
From the way it was written and the way the characters interacted and how their romance was carried out, everything was cute and wonderful. And at the same time Sandhya Menon managed to explore so many important topics? I am in awe.
Such a great book to end 2o18 with!
I was worried that the follow-up to When Dimple Met Rishi would be too similar to the author’s debut or that it would not be nearly as good.
I shouldn’t have worried!
Twinkle was a character all her own, and while I was frustrated with some of her behavior, I still rooted for her. Also, I enjoyed the friendship that she struck with her producer, Sahil. Unfortunately, I disliked her fixation on Neil. Meh. Mostly because I didn’t like him.
And in spite of the fact that my e-galley did not include a majority of “N”s letters, I knew exactly who “N” was right away.
I’ll definitely buy this book, and fans of Stephanie Perkins will enjoy Twinkle!
Nope. Nein. No thank you.
- Unrealistic plot (are you really telling me that a group of high schoolers with absolutely no experience are about to make that great of a movie??!?)
- Annoying, cliche, shallow characters. They all acted like 12-year-olds, honestly.
- Twinkle is not someone I would ever root for. And she was in no way deserving of the outcome of the book. Acting like she worked so hard for that movie when all she worried about was her freaking love life. Take a break girl, you're 17.
Sorry.
- Unrealistic plot (are you really telling me that a group of high schoolers with absolutely no experience are about to make that great of a movie??!?)
- Annoying, cliche, shallow characters. They all acted like 12-year-olds, honestly.
- Twinkle is not someone I would ever root for. And she was in no way deserving of the outcome of the book. Acting like she worked so hard for that movie when all she worried about was her freaking love life. Take a break girl, you're 17.
Sorry.
Twinkle Mehra is just trying to survive high school. After her best friend goes awol when she becomes popular Twinkle feels increasingly isolated and lonely. When an opportunity arises to show off her love and skills directing a film for school she undertakes the effort hoping this will turn her life around and make her popular so she can get her crush, Neil.
For the film Twinkle is working with Neil’s twin, Sahil, and soon realizes they have more in common than she thought.
As a follow up to the adorable and thoughtful When Dimple Met Rishi, Sandhya Menon has followup with another story about a girl who has a story to tell that is captivating and compelling and heartwarming. Menon has done a great job of bridging a gap in stories about young girls of color and their stories of growing up.
For the film Twinkle is working with Neil’s twin, Sahil, and soon realizes they have more in common than she thought.
As a follow up to the adorable and thoughtful When Dimple Met Rishi, Sandhya Menon has followup with another story about a girl who has a story to tell that is captivating and compelling and heartwarming. Menon has done a great job of bridging a gap in stories about young girls of color and their stories of growing up.
I loved this wonderful YA novel. It is written in letters to various female film makers and follows Twinkle as she makes her first film.
Twinkle views herself as a “groundling” and wants to be apart of the popular, “silk feathered hat,” group. As she makes her movie, she makes new friends and comes to learn more about herself.
There were some parts of the book where I felt incredibly frustrated with Twinkle’s thoughts and behaviors. But I had to remind myself that she is a teenage girl, and it’s incredibly normal. This book is not written for a 28-year old woman, though I totally enjoyed it.
I loved that Menon writes about Indian families. I enjoyed seeing how Twinkles parents came to the US to give her a better life. And I especially loved the relationship between Twinkle and her grandmother.
Twinkle views herself as a “groundling” and wants to be apart of the popular, “silk feathered hat,” group. As she makes her movie, she makes new friends and comes to learn more about herself.
There were some parts of the book where I felt incredibly frustrated with Twinkle’s thoughts and behaviors. But I had to remind myself that she is a teenage girl, and it’s incredibly normal. This book is not written for a 28-year old woman, though I totally enjoyed it.
I loved that Menon writes about Indian families. I enjoyed seeing how Twinkles parents came to the US to give her a better life. And I especially loved the relationship between Twinkle and her grandmother.
Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.
I loved how authentic this book was. The Indian stuff was really cool even though I didn't understand most of it, it was just really nice to have a novel that wasn't completely white-washed. In fact I think most of the main characters were characters of colour which is awesome! We even had G and B of the LGBT crew and the G half was a black guy!
I loved Twinkle's voice and I loved seeing her growth through the novel and that she was willing to learn and admit her mistakes. I also loved her naivety regarding life and love and Sahil. Oh Sahil, what a sweetheart, it was so obvious from the start that he liked Twinkle yet she was so oblivious! The ending was perfect as well.
For more reviews see: https://owls-rainbow.blogspot.com/
I loved how authentic this book was. The Indian stuff was really cool even though I didn't understand most of it, it was just really nice to have a novel that wasn't completely white-washed. In fact I think most of the main characters were characters of colour which is awesome! We even had G and B of the LGBT crew and the G half was a black guy!
I loved Twinkle's voice and I loved seeing her growth through the novel and that she was willing to learn and admit her mistakes. I also loved her naivety regarding life and love and Sahil. Oh Sahil, what a sweetheart, it was so obvious from the start that he liked Twinkle yet she was so oblivious! The ending was perfect as well.
For more reviews see: https://owls-rainbow.blogspot.com/
Filled with the same sparkle, humor and romance found in When Dimple Met Rishi, From Twinkle with Love is yet another beautiful romantic comedy from Sandhya Menon.
This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
After loving Sandhya Menon’s debut, When Dimple Met Rishi, last year, I knew I would continue to pick up new releases from her. From Twinkle, With Love follows an Indian-American teenager, Twinkle, who dreams of becoming a filmmaker and telling her stories through films. One unique element of this book is that it’s told through an epistolary format, specifically through Twinkle’s diary entries. Twinkle uses her diary to write to female filmmakers who inspire her. I thought this format worked well for the story! It really allowed the reader to get inside Twinkle’s head– which, can I just say, was a refreshingly realistic teenage mind. Twinkle isn’t perfect; she makes mistakes and hurts the people she loves and sometimes struggles to believe in herself. But this just made her feel all the more approachable and real.
The romance was, as expected, adorable. It features the friends-to-lovers trope, which is a personal favorite of mine. Twinkle and Sahil don’t have a fairytale romance: they’re awkward, they aren’t always on the same page, and they both have personal things to work on that impact their relationships with others. Again, though, it felt realistic. I wish more YA portrayed relationships like theirs.
I also really enjoyed the friendships and family relationships in From Twinkle, too! Like with Menon’s debut, we get glimpses into Indian culture and life as an Indian-American teen, and I’m so glad this representation is out there. Of course, filmmaking and movies both play huge roles in this story, and that was a nice touch. Twinkle’s passion for film definitely shines through. I loved reading about the film she made over the course of the book, too! If you’re a film buff, you’ll absolutely enjoy this one.
Overall, From Twinkle, With Love gave me exactly the cuteness I expected, and also provided fresh, realistic characters and relationship dynamics. This has cemented Sandhya Menon as an auto-buy author for me. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an adorable, diverse contemporary!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
After loving Sandhya Menon’s debut, When Dimple Met Rishi, last year, I knew I would continue to pick up new releases from her. From Twinkle, With Love follows an Indian-American teenager, Twinkle, who dreams of becoming a filmmaker and telling her stories through films. One unique element of this book is that it’s told through an epistolary format, specifically through Twinkle’s diary entries. Twinkle uses her diary to write to female filmmakers who inspire her. I thought this format worked well for the story! It really allowed the reader to get inside Twinkle’s head– which, can I just say, was a refreshingly realistic teenage mind. Twinkle isn’t perfect; she makes mistakes and hurts the people she loves and sometimes struggles to believe in herself. But this just made her feel all the more approachable and real.
The romance was, as expected, adorable. It features the friends-to-lovers trope, which is a personal favorite of mine. Twinkle and Sahil don’t have a fairytale romance: they’re awkward, they aren’t always on the same page, and they both have personal things to work on that impact their relationships with others. Again, though, it felt realistic. I wish more YA portrayed relationships like theirs.
I also really enjoyed the friendships and family relationships in From Twinkle, too! Like with Menon’s debut, we get glimpses into Indian culture and life as an Indian-American teen, and I’m so glad this representation is out there. Of course, filmmaking and movies both play huge roles in this story, and that was a nice touch. Twinkle’s passion for film definitely shines through. I loved reading about the film she made over the course of the book, too! If you’re a film buff, you’ll absolutely enjoy this one.
Overall, From Twinkle, With Love gave me exactly the cuteness I expected, and also provided fresh, realistic characters and relationship dynamics. This has cemented Sandhya Menon as an auto-buy author for me. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an adorable, diverse contemporary!