A review by mezzano
That Thing About Bollywood by Supriya Kelkar

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

3.0

That Thing About Bollywood by Supriya Kelkar is a funny, lighthearted, and heartfelt story about a young Indian-American girl who learns how to communicate her feelings when she learns her parents are separating. Using "filmi magic," suddenly our main character's troubles continue when her life becomes a series of Bollywood numbers! This book is so heartfelt and unapologetic in its representation. This story focuses on the expectations that many Indian-American children face at home and the importance of honesty and personal growth. Kelkar wrote this book based on her own experiences as an Indian-American, back when there weren't any books with characters that looked like her. What she did have were Bollywood films, which have a very important role in this delightful middle grade novel. This is a great story for early middle school students. While I felt that many of the characters were repetitive or were slow to grow, I feel like the pacing and character interactions would work well for its intended audience. 
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