fantasynonsense 's review for:

From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

4.0

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“Geeks are smart and talented and passionate. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

➣ Overall Story

This was such a cute read!! It's the exact feeling of drinking iced tea next to a pool in the middle of summer: it's sweet, light, and fun. I love the idea of having a protagonist interested in film and the fact that while some of the slang feels a little "how do you do, fellow youths?" I like seeing modern and up to date references to social media in a way that usually feels natural.

➣ The Good

The relationship between Twinkle and Sahil is the most adorable thing. Obviously, that is the driving factor in this story, but I still thoroughly enjoyed watching them fall for each other. I also liked the emphasis on friendships and the different kinds of friends we meet and lose in life.
I just appreciate how this, even more than When Dimple Met Rishi has fantastic representation. Thank you for the explicitly bisexual boy that we never get to see in literature, whether or not it's young adult, and a nice little side romance with him and another boy—as minor as it was, it was a super cute side romance.
Sahil is just a quintessential Good Boy and multiple times I found myself going, "Oh God you're so awkward, someone help this poor boy." Which is great, because that's what all his friends seemed to think too. I love that he stays consistently supportive of Twinkle and challenges her when she starts acting out.

➣ The Unclassifiable

This definitely reads younger, which isn't a bad thing, but I feel like there were definitely plot points that got glossed over. I was about halfway through the book, enjoying them getting their film props together when I realized: did they ever write a script? Who wrote it? Did they just never mention how they're actually creating this? Who is the screenwriter??
And while I get that Twinkle focuses more on modern film, it seems odd that a film buff who wanted to be a director hadn't seen the original Dracula, if only because it's considered such a classic. Even if it did provide the opportunity for a cute movie night.
Everything moves reeeeeeallly quickly in the second half and I would've liked to have a little more time spent on Twinkle learning her lessons about friends and relationships. The shift in "normal" Twinkle to "Diva" Twinkle comes and goes much quicker than I would've liked. And I wish we had a few more scenes with Sahil and Twinkle talking through all of their misunderstandings with her secret admirer and how much of a non-issue that ended up being.

➣ Final Thoughts

This book is the cotton candy of contemporary YA and I really enjoyed it. While contemporary romance is not my genre and reading about teens who really act like teens makes me feel old and frustrated with their lack of communication, this book kept me entertained. Menon is my go to for YA contemporary and has been since When Dimple Met Rishi, so I look forward to seeing what comes next. As long as someone trips on their own shoelaces or throws coffee on someone again.