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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
This is far from perfect or even a very well executed book, but I still quite enjoyed it for its silly, tropey romance and its casual diversity (shout out to the black gay guy who calls out toxic masculinity and has a bi boyfriend, as well as Indian American and Japanese American main characters). I also appreciated how Menon allows Twinkle to make lots of mistakes. I do have a quibble, which is the same thing I had with her first book, which also has a main female character who has a super strong interest in something (in this case, filmmaking) and the novel never actually really shows her doing it. Considering the love story takes place over the course of Twinkle and adorable Sahil making a movie together, it's kind of weird. Like, does the author just not know enough to add realistic details?? Dimple never did any coding in the book set in coding camp and this seems to be the same problem?
Where From Twinkle nabs me as a fan is in its adorableness. This one is quite possibly the cutest YA book I’ve ever read, and I loved every bit of it.
The Summary
Twinkle partners with her crush’s twin brother to create a movie for a school film festival. Film geekery, high school drama and unexpected romance ensue.
The Analysis
Too often I think I fall in the trap of desiring something “different.” And though From Twinkle certainly has “different,” mainly in its well-rounded, diverse cast, and the unique epistolary format, the plot is so familiar I swear I’ve read it before. And yet, for once, I didn’t care. From Twinkle is a familar story…the kind of 90s teen rom-coms. It’s also pretty predictable. Despite that, it’s so funny and adorkable/adorable that I didn’t care about the familiarity. It felt new without actually being new.
Twinkle is a great heroine. She’s strong, but timid; this is one of the books created for the character. This book exists to watch Twinkle grow. Everything that happens furthers her role within the story. Twinkle is quirky, smart and talented. And though she has some unflattering moments, I loved her every step of the way.
The side characters are great. There’s crush #1, Neil. There’s the actual love interest, Sahil. (I don’t consider that a spoiler…anyone who thinks Twinkle isn’t going to end up with Sahil knows nothing about rom-coms!) Maddie, her on again, off again BFF adds some interesting drama to the mix. And, best of all, these kids don’t at all feel too mature to be teens. That seems to be an issue with a lot of YA books…even ones taking place predominantly at a high school. The teen don’t act like teens in many YA books. They do in this one.
Beyond the characters, you can enjoy this book for funny film allusions, generally funny-ness altogether, and an awkward but great teen romance(s). Twinkle has multiple admirers in this book, and it is so fun to watch.
If you like contemporary, adorable, “light” in tone, romance-heavy YA books…this is a must read. I hope you love it as much as I do!
The Summary
Twinkle partners with her crush’s twin brother to create a movie for a school film festival. Film geekery, high school drama and unexpected romance ensue.
The Analysis
Too often I think I fall in the trap of desiring something “different.” And though From Twinkle certainly has “different,” mainly in its well-rounded, diverse cast, and the unique epistolary format, the plot is so familiar I swear I’ve read it before. And yet, for once, I didn’t care. From Twinkle is a familar story…the kind of 90s teen rom-coms. It’s also pretty predictable. Despite that, it’s so funny and adorkable/adorable that I didn’t care about the familiarity. It felt new without actually being new.
Twinkle is a great heroine. She’s strong, but timid; this is one of the books created for the character. This book exists to watch Twinkle grow. Everything that happens furthers her role within the story. Twinkle is quirky, smart and talented. And though she has some unflattering moments, I loved her every step of the way.
The side characters are great. There’s crush #1, Neil. There’s the actual love interest, Sahil. (I don’t consider that a spoiler…anyone who thinks Twinkle isn’t going to end up with Sahil knows nothing about rom-coms!) Maddie, her on again, off again BFF adds some interesting drama to the mix. And, best of all, these kids don’t at all feel too mature to be teens. That seems to be an issue with a lot of YA books…even ones taking place predominantly at a high school. The teen don’t act like teens in many YA books. They do in this one.
Beyond the characters, you can enjoy this book for funny film allusions, generally funny-ness altogether, and an awkward but great teen romance(s). Twinkle has multiple admirers in this book, and it is so fun to watch.
If you like contemporary, adorable, “light” in tone, romance-heavy YA books…this is a must read. I hope you love it as much as I do!
I really loved this book. Twinkle was an endearing protagonist, the romance was really sweet, and there were many moments that hit hard for me. The only issue for me is that my capacity to handle drama, especially teen contemporary drama, is vastly reduced at this point in my life, so there were several times when the book teetered on the edge of becoming Too Much for me. Thankfully, those moments didn't end up being as bad as I feared they would be, as this cast of characters do possess at least some maturity, and they help to keep each other from falling too far down the rabbit hole.
Note about the queer rep: there is a minor, side mlm romance.
Note about the queer rep: there is a minor, side mlm romance.
Even though this seems to be less well received than When Dimple Met Rishi, I still really liked this one! It has the same fun, quirky vibe and interesting cast of characters. People seem to not like Twinkle, and yes she does a lot of learning over the course of the book, but I don't think her actions are as inexcusable as other reviewers have said. She's 16! Of course she's still learning. I also have a fondness for this because it reminded me of my sister and I spending summers making movies and all the work (and drama!) that happened behind the scenes.
Okay this was an adorable book. Twinkle is such a cute lead, but watching her find herself was literally amazing. Sandhya had a way of making the characters act and sound like actual high schoolers which is something many YA writers fail to accomplish.
My one issue with the story was when Twinkle finally gets her voice and begins to speak out and defend herself, she's a bit chewed out for it and honestly I thought it was a bit unfair. A few times she did step over the line yes, but I honestly thought that most of what she said was warranted. I felt a bit strange about that part in the book but otherwise I loved it.
I think this is such a strong book for young girls to read just to know that it's okay to be themselves and follow their dreams. This is a fun easy read and I'd definitely recommend it.
My one issue with the story was when Twinkle finally gets her voice and begins to speak out and defend herself, she's a bit chewed out for it and honestly I thought it was a bit unfair. A few times she did step over the line yes, but I honestly thought that most of what she said was warranted. I felt a bit strange about that part in the book but otherwise I loved it.
I think this is such a strong book for young girls to read just to know that it's okay to be themselves and follow their dreams. This is a fun easy read and I'd definitely recommend it.
I gave this 3.8 stars but decided to round it up to 4 in the last minute because I'm indecisive and weak for a cheesy contemporary.
From Twinkle, With Love is a story about Twinkle, an aspiring filmmaker who wants to transform herself until she's no longer a wallflower. This is a story about risks, love, and redemption that's easy to fly through in one sitting.
I, overall, enjoyed this book. At times it read very young, but as someone who also has a fondness for middle grade books, this didn't affect me. What did affect me, however, was how unbearable Twinkle could be at times. Her personality just absolutely takes a turn partway through the book, which almost caused me not to finish it. Ultimately, I read on, and the ending redeemed itself for some of the middle contents.
From Twinkle, With Love is a story about Twinkle, an aspiring filmmaker who wants to transform herself until she's no longer a wallflower. This is a story about risks, love, and redemption that's easy to fly through in one sitting.
I, overall, enjoyed this book. At times it read very young, but as someone who also has a fondness for middle grade books, this didn't affect me. What did affect me, however, was how unbearable Twinkle could be at times. Her personality just absolutely takes a turn partway through the book, which almost caused me not to finish it. Ultimately, I read on, and the ending redeemed itself for some of the middle contents.
Twinkle Mehra has big plans for her life. She’s going to get popular, get her best friend back, and fall madly in love with the mega-popular Neil Roy, and then she’s going to get into the film school of her dreams and become a famous filmmaker.
But lofty plans rarely are accomplished the way we want.
When Sahil Roy, Neil’s twin, approaches Twinkle with the idea for a gender-swapped Dracula film for an upcoming film festival, she is excited. She gets to make a film, and Sahil can probably get her close to her crush, Neil!
Twinkle is a Desi character, so reading this book, much like in When Dimple Met Rishi by Menon, I was excited to see a diverse family and to learn more about their culture. For instance, when Sahil comes to Twinkle’s house, instead of where I might call my friend’s parent “Mr. Jones” or by their first name, in this culture they call them “Uncle or Aunt (first name).”
(And yes, I know these diverse titles by WOC are not meant to educate white people, but instead so that all people can find themselves represented in books. However, I do take the opportunity to learn about different cultures and diverse reads like Twinkle help me educate myself.)
Beyond the awesome diversity in this book, the story is just adorable and squee-worthy. It’s a young adult contemporary, so you know it has a happy ending.
I liked From Twinkle with Love significantly more than When Dimple Met Rishi (which I did quite enjoy), so if you liked Dimple, you’ll like Twinkle! I can’t wait for the next installment, When Ashish Met Sweetie due out in 2019.
Initial impression: Gosh dang it, Menon. It’s so hard to follow up an amazing debut with a book just as great, and in my opinion better. I loved Sahil — such a kind, giving soul. And Dadi (Twinkle’s grandma) was just a treasure. Brb crying forever with happiness 😭
But lofty plans rarely are accomplished the way we want.
When Sahil Roy, Neil’s twin, approaches Twinkle with the idea for a gender-swapped Dracula film for an upcoming film festival, she is excited. She gets to make a film, and Sahil can probably get her close to her crush, Neil!
Twinkle is a Desi character, so reading this book, much like in When Dimple Met Rishi by Menon, I was excited to see a diverse family and to learn more about their culture. For instance, when Sahil comes to Twinkle’s house, instead of where I might call my friend’s parent “Mr. Jones” or by their first name, in this culture they call them “Uncle or Aunt (first name).”
(And yes, I know these diverse titles by WOC are not meant to educate white people, but instead so that all people can find themselves represented in books. However, I do take the opportunity to learn about different cultures and diverse reads like Twinkle help me educate myself.)
Beyond the awesome diversity in this book, the story is just adorable and squee-worthy. It’s a young adult contemporary, so you know it has a happy ending.
I liked From Twinkle with Love significantly more than When Dimple Met Rishi (which I did quite enjoy), so if you liked Dimple, you’ll like Twinkle! I can’t wait for the next installment, When Ashish Met Sweetie due out in 2019.
Initial impression: Gosh dang it, Menon. It’s so hard to follow up an amazing debut with a book just as great, and in my opinion better. I loved Sahil — such a kind, giving soul. And Dadi (Twinkle’s grandma) was just a treasure. Brb crying forever with happiness 😭
I rarely read YA fiction, but I made an exception for this based on all the glowing reviews (and a nod from NPR's Book Concierge). Light and bubbly yet smart and incisive, it thoroughly charmed me. Though very little of the plot came as a surprise, Twinkle is so relatable and her story so funny and touching that I didn't much mind the predictability. That's a first.
"You know how many subscribers I have on my YouTube channel, Maddie? Seven. Three are Dadi, who keeps forgetting she made an account and making more, one is you, and the rest are porn bots."
This story was full of rom com cliches and tropes - but I absolutely enjoyed the ride. What totally made this book for me was Twinkle's voice. She is hilarious. Her voice reminded me a lot of Suze Simon's from the Mediator series, which is one of my favorite series of all time. Just the way she sees the world with a sense of humor made me love her as a character and made me want to continue the ride with her, even if I felt that plot was lacking a little bit. There's the secret admirer, which I couldn't figure out who it was, and there was the twin brother angst, and there was the best friend fighting angst and social high school hierarchy all at play in this book. At times I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the things they would say or do to each other, but every time I felt like that it didn't necessarily matter because I wanted to see Twinkle succeed.
Overall, nothing about this book surprised me - I knew going in that Sahil and Twinkle were going to end up together, that it was going to be a happy ending. But I would read another Twinkle book just for her.
This story was full of rom com cliches and tropes - but I absolutely enjoyed the ride. What totally made this book for me was Twinkle's voice. She is hilarious. Her voice reminded me a lot of Suze Simon's from the Mediator series, which is one of my favorite series of all time. Just the way she sees the world with a sense of humor made me love her as a character and made me want to continue the ride with her, even if I felt that plot was lacking a little bit. There's the secret admirer, which I couldn't figure out who it was, and there was the twin brother angst, and there was the best friend fighting angst and social high school hierarchy all at play in this book. At times I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the things they would say or do to each other, but every time I felt like that it didn't necessarily matter because I wanted to see Twinkle succeed.
Overall, nothing about this book surprised me - I knew going in that Sahil and Twinkle were going to end up together, that it was going to be a happy ending. But I would read another Twinkle book just for her.