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A review by akalexander24
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
4.0
Dimple Lala is seventeen years old and Indian. And American. And severely confused.
First, there's Gwyn, Dimple's very best friend since forever. She's perfect for here in Jersey--blonde, tall, beautiful. She's the star of Dimple's best photographs and the star of Dimple's life.
And then there's Karash. According to Dimple's parents, he's a "suitable boy". Can we say matchmaking time?
Dimple doesn't want to like Karash. She doesn't want her parents to mess with her life. She's spent the past seventeen years trying to become less Indian, after all--if Karash is suitable for her parents, he's clearly not suitable for her.
...Right?
Quick! Think of three words to describe this book!
Ready for mine?
1. long
2. surprising
3. creative
It's a long book. It took me forever to read it. Yet every time I did, I would find myself curled up in bed reading for as long as I could, completely immersed in the book. It's long, but it's not painful. I read a few other books in the time I read this one as breaks (and to keep up my review blog). It's worth reading, but it's not worth pounding your head over trying to finish in a day. Born Confused deserves more than that.
It's surprising. The plot takes turns that I haven't seen in a long time. They're completely genuine, nothing so outlandish it could never happen... but not the norm for a YA novel. (Example: She doesn't end up with the first guy she meets, not everyone ends up with a soul mate.)
It's creative. There are so many wonderful metaphors and phrases... Reading this is like eating a perfectly prepared dessert, luscious and wonderful. And that's just the writing. The plot itself has so many turns (not exactly twists--think a water slide park, not a roller-coaster), each bringing you to the edge of your seat. (I feel compelled to admit, however, that the ending is slightly lackluster. It kind of makes sense. But it's also kind of strange and quick...)
Recommended, but keep in mind the length before embarking.
(Reviewed for my blog, accessible here.)
First, there's Gwyn, Dimple's very best friend since forever. She's perfect for here in Jersey--blonde, tall, beautiful. She's the star of Dimple's best photographs and the star of Dimple's life.
And then there's Karash. According to Dimple's parents, he's a "suitable boy". Can we say matchmaking time?
Dimple doesn't want to like Karash. She doesn't want her parents to mess with her life. She's spent the past seventeen years trying to become less Indian, after all--if Karash is suitable for her parents, he's clearly not suitable for her.
...Right?
Quick! Think of three words to describe this book!
Ready for mine?
1. long
2. surprising
3. creative
It's a long book. It took me forever to read it. Yet every time I did, I would find myself curled up in bed reading for as long as I could, completely immersed in the book. It's long, but it's not painful. I read a few other books in the time I read this one as breaks (and to keep up my review blog). It's worth reading, but it's not worth pounding your head over trying to finish in a day. Born Confused deserves more than that.
It's surprising. The plot takes turns that I haven't seen in a long time. They're completely genuine, nothing so outlandish it could never happen... but not the norm for a YA novel. (Example: She doesn't end up with the first guy she meets, not everyone ends up with a soul mate.)
It's creative. There are so many wonderful metaphors and phrases... Reading this is like eating a perfectly prepared dessert, luscious and wonderful. And that's just the writing. The plot itself has so many turns (not exactly twists--think a water slide park, not a roller-coaster), each bringing you to the edge of your seat. (I feel compelled to admit, however, that the ending is slightly lackluster. It kind of makes sense. But it's also kind of strange and quick...)
Recommended, but keep in mind the length before embarking.
(Reviewed for my blog, accessible here.)