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A review by zinelib
While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was a cute desi YA take on the movie While You Were Sleeping. The protagonist, Sonia, while she happens to be wearing a superhero costume, saves the boy she has a crush on, James from drowning in a river. Sonia was born in the US, but her 19-year-old sister Kareena wasn't, and their mother was deported to India less than a year ago, so she wants nothing to do with publicity or police. Things at home with Kareena are tense, and Sonia's BFF Candice dropped her after Sonia told Candice about her mother. Despite having a FaceTime mom and a live-in sister, Sonia is as lonely as Sandra Bullock's character in While You Were Sleeping. Just like in the movie, there's a brother and a family that Sonia finds herself falling in love with.
It was a compelling-ish read, but the WYWS storyline felt constraining. The WYWD title doesn't make a lot of sense, unfortunately, but whatever, it's a YA romance that goes down easy.
It was a compelling-ish read, but the WYWS storyline felt constraining. The WYWD title doesn't make a lot of sense, unfortunately, but whatever, it's a YA romance that goes down easy.