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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri's last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment.
In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC!!
Synopsis:
Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri's last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment.
In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC!!
2.5 ⭐️ this was a cute debut and if I was 17 it would have been up my alley but alas. Doesn’t make it any less endearing and adorable.
Netgalley ARC review
This book was somehow less than i expected. If you read the first two sentences of the description--"Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin."--it feels a little bit repetitive. Like, it says both "hip hop" and "violin" in each sentence, and you are like, wow is that the whole personality for this character and the whole way the book will be structured? And the answer is, yes! It's really pretty flat!
But, i gave it 3 stars anyway because it was easy and sometimes fun to read, and i didn't wish i weren't reading it at any point. It's all fine, just... there's no there there.
This book was somehow less than i expected. If you read the first two sentences of the description--"Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin."--it feels a little bit repetitive. Like, it says both "hip hop" and "violin" in each sentence, and you are like, wow is that the whole personality for this character and the whole way the book will be structured? And the answer is, yes! It's really pretty flat!
But, i gave it 3 stars anyway because it was easy and sometimes fun to read, and i didn't wish i weren't reading it at any point. It's all fine, just... there's no there there.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-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
I DNF-ed this book mainly because I was not in the mood for a YA romance when I picked it up so it's more of a me problem than a book problem. Having said that, it didn't do anything to lure me in either sooo....
lighthearted
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
The third of four sisters Zurika Damini seems to be the only one in her family who didn't fit with the rest. Where her older sisters all seemed to kick butt, becoming great lawyers and her cousin Krishna had found her life's passion in medicine - earning love and respect from the adults of the family - Zuri's life passion is music - definitely not parent or Indian family approved. When her dream music school gives her one last chance at admittance, Zuri is forced to balance her auditions with the week long wedding ceremony of her sister Maitri in this adorable coming of age novel by Sajni Patel.
My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding is a modern coming of age novel about a 21st century Desi girl in America struggling to find her way through life as she tries to pursue her passions and understand romance all while holding on to her family and roots. The plot of the book is charming - bringing to life the quirks of desi life while showing representation across a variety of Indian-origin cultures, illustrating the beauty of female friendships, sisterhood and cousinhood, and hitting upon more serious topics of colorism- but errs on the side of telling rather than showing. Zurika, who serves as the narrator for the book brings to life a lot of the feelings and frustrations of the Desi teenagers who struggle to balance the cultural and generational gap between their own American born and raised selves and their immigrant parents - evoking the views presented by Devi from Never Have I Ever or Radha from Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance. However, Zuri has a caricature teenage voice that seems to vent out her narrations with little processing or perspective, and I was disappointed to note that Patel lost an opportunity to present a more rounded, perceptive view of both Zuri and her siblings, and the immigrant generation - choosing instead (for most of her narrative) to default to a boiled down caricature.
Overall, the novel is a happy, quirky, rom-com that serves to introduce people to the beauty and pizzazz of American-Desi culture. Naveen, the main love interest, is charming and the sweet teenage crush between the main characters is endearing. Fans of Never Have I Ever and Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance are likely to find amusement at this new take on an art-loving Desi girl just trying to find her place in the world.
I give this book 2.5 stars for its attempts at representation and its desire to bring the grandeur and craziness of an Indian wedding to the masses.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me early access to the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding is a modern coming of age novel about a 21st century Desi girl in America struggling to find her way through life as she tries to pursue her passions and understand romance all while holding on to her family and roots. The plot of the book is charming - bringing to life the quirks of desi life while showing representation across a variety of Indian-origin cultures, illustrating the beauty of female friendships, sisterhood and cousinhood, and hitting upon more serious topics of colorism- but errs on the side of telling rather than showing. Zurika, who serves as the narrator for the book brings to life a lot of the feelings and frustrations of the Desi teenagers who struggle to balance the cultural and generational gap between their own American born and raised selves and their immigrant parents - evoking the views presented by Devi from Never Have I Ever or Radha from Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance. However, Zuri has a caricature teenage voice that seems to vent out her narrations with little processing or perspective, and I was disappointed to note that Patel lost an opportunity to present a more rounded, perceptive view of both Zuri and her siblings, and the immigrant generation - choosing instead (for most of her narrative) to default to a boiled down caricature.
Overall, the novel is a happy, quirky, rom-com that serves to introduce people to the beauty and pizzazz of American-Desi culture. Naveen, the main love interest, is charming and the sweet teenage crush between the main characters is endearing. Fans of Never Have I Ever and Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance are likely to find amusement at this new take on an art-loving Desi girl just trying to find her place in the world.
I give this book 2.5 stars for its attempts at representation and its desire to bring the grandeur and craziness of an Indian wedding to the masses.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me early access to the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Complicated
As the title implies we're not at a big fat greek wedding, we're at a big fat Indian wedding. Boy is it chaos.
Zuri is from a huge family, and is very gifted at the violin, problem is that while that's great to her parents it isn't a potential career. But Zuri can make it one if she just makes it to a competition that's happening in the middle of her sisters week long wedding festivities. Nothing could go wrong, right? Wrong.
Zuri was every bit the younger sister who just wants to be seen in her own lane and it was very frustrating when she was constantly being compared to her sisters and their career paths. But she has a friend and confidant in Naveen when they end up at the same competition together. Yet the Aunties have other plans for them too. I loved the family dynamic in this one and couldn't put it down because I needed to know what would happen next for the pair.
I honestly didn't want this one to end but as we kept getting closer and closer to the wedding I knew that we were soon going to be wrapping up the book. I loved all of the characters, their bond, their protectiveness, and even when they helped each other out. There were plenty of opportunities for this to turn toxic and it didn't and I am so thankful for that.
Zuri is from a huge family, and is very gifted at the violin, problem is that while that's great to her parents it isn't a potential career. But Zuri can make it one if she just makes it to a competition that's happening in the middle of her sisters week long wedding festivities. Nothing could go wrong, right? Wrong.
Zuri was every bit the younger sister who just wants to be seen in her own lane and it was very frustrating when she was constantly being compared to her sisters and their career paths. But she has a friend and confidant in Naveen when they end up at the same competition together. Yet the Aunties have other plans for them too. I loved the family dynamic in this one and couldn't put it down because I needed to know what would happen next for the pair.
I honestly didn't want this one to end but as we kept getting closer and closer to the wedding I knew that we were soon going to be wrapping up the book. I loved all of the characters, their bond, their protectiveness, and even when they helped each other out. There were plenty of opportunities for this to turn toxic and it didn't and I am so thankful for that.