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janine1122 's review for:
There's Something About Sweetie
by Sandhya Menon
4.5 stars, rounded up.
So far, Sandhya Menon can do no wrong in my book. Her third book takes us back to the Dimple and Rishi-verse, centering around Rishi's unpredictable brother, Ashish, and a girl named Sweetie Nair.
In each of her books, Menon's characters come so vividly to life. And each is so uniquely....themselves. Those distinct characters, combined with her writing from her own experience, and highlighting the authentic Indian-American experience just makes her writing so....wonderful and irresistible to me.
Sweetie Nair is such a breathtaking, refreshing, strong character. I love the way she is portrayed - this traditional, well-behaved Indian teenager who nonetheless realizes she needs to follow her own desires. Her struggle between what she feels she is worth, and the message she receives from her Amma about how being overweight makes her less-than and less worthy of things that "thin" girls can have is so honest and real. The complicated relationship between her and her mother is written so beautifully and truthfully. Knowing why Sweetie's mother treats Sweetie the way she does doesn't make her behavior okay, but it does make sense.
Which brings me to another thing I loved about this book in particular - the parents were written so well, something that, when done right in YA, always really impresses me. The parents here are characters in their own right, and involved in their children's lives. They're more than just stock characters in the background of the story, throwing wrenches in the lives of the characters here and there. They're three dimensional and human, and so warm and lovable. Ashish's parents in particular. I don't remember getting to know them well in When Dimple Met Rishi, but they were one of my favorite parts about this book. Sunita, Ashish's mother, was one of my favorite characters in the whole book.
And then Ashish. Oh sweet, messy, lovable Ashish. I love how flawed he is. How confused. How well-meaning. How he is so unable to clearly see himself, or how others see him. While Sweetie is confident about who she is and what she is capable of, regardless of what her mother or the world might think, Ashish is so much less sure of himself. He presents confidence and self-assurance to the world, his cocky grin hiding the confusion and worry that he really feels about who he is and what he wants.
I'm rambling at this point. Moral of this review? If you haven't read Sandhya Menon yet, do it. It doesn't even have to be this book - any of her books will do. They're worth it.
So far, Sandhya Menon can do no wrong in my book. Her third book takes us back to the Dimple and Rishi-verse, centering around Rishi's unpredictable brother, Ashish, and a girl named Sweetie Nair.
In each of her books, Menon's characters come so vividly to life. And each is so uniquely....themselves. Those distinct characters, combined with her writing from her own experience, and highlighting the authentic Indian-American experience just makes her writing so....wonderful and irresistible to me.
Sweetie Nair is such a breathtaking, refreshing, strong character. I love the way she is portrayed - this traditional, well-behaved Indian teenager who nonetheless realizes she needs to follow her own desires. Her struggle between what she feels she is worth, and the message she receives from her Amma about how being overweight makes her less-than and less worthy of things that "thin" girls can have is so honest and real. The complicated relationship between her and her mother is written so beautifully and truthfully. Knowing why Sweetie's mother treats Sweetie the way she does doesn't make her behavior okay, but it does make sense.
Which brings me to another thing I loved about this book in particular - the parents were written so well, something that, when done right in YA, always really impresses me. The parents here are characters in their own right, and involved in their children's lives. They're more than just stock characters in the background of the story, throwing wrenches in the lives of the characters here and there. They're three dimensional and human, and so warm and lovable. Ashish's parents in particular. I don't remember getting to know them well in When Dimple Met Rishi, but they were one of my favorite parts about this book. Sunita, Ashish's mother, was one of my favorite characters in the whole book.
And then Ashish. Oh sweet, messy, lovable Ashish. I love how flawed he is. How confused. How well-meaning. How he is so unable to clearly see himself, or how others see him. While Sweetie is confident about who she is and what she is capable of, regardless of what her mother or the world might think, Ashish is so much less sure of himself. He presents confidence and self-assurance to the world, his cocky grin hiding the confusion and worry that he really feels about who he is and what he wants.
I'm rambling at this point. Moral of this review? If you haven't read Sandhya Menon yet, do it. It doesn't even have to be this book - any of her books will do. They're worth it.