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A review by thecatladybooknook_penny
There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon
5.0
4.5/5 stars
I read this book as a recommendation from Zoe @Zoeereads.
If this book doesn't hit you in the feels, I don't know what will. I am NOT a fan of YA in general (YA fantasy/dystopian aside), but this story is just very very SPECIAL!! If you're a family member or just a plain old human, it will teach you something about how you perceive others and what those people may be feeling all because of mean words.
This is the story of Sweetie and Ashish. Sweetie is fat, smart, beautiful (on the OUTSIDE as well as inside), athletic, and the best at her event on the track team. Ashish is the star basketball player of his school and "player" who has never dated any Indian American girls and has recently had his heart broken by the last girlfriend. He is dealing with feelings of not being as good as his older brother. One day Ashish tells his mom he wants to try an arranged relationship as is common in the Indian culture. His brother had success so he might as well try it. Sweetie's mom says no to the arrangement but Ashish and Sweetie decide to push the issue and sneak around and date anyway...until Ashish's parents get involved.
You know that old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" is just not true. In this book it isn't the NAMES (fat) that is the problem as much as the actions of others: Sweetie's mom saying Sweetie shouldn't wear certain clothes because she would have skin showing (even her shoulders) or she can't date a guy like Ashish because he's a good-looking guy and he wouldn't WANT someone like her; boys at school saying fat girls are an "easy lay" because no one will want a real relationship with them so they will take what they can get; people making offhand comments like "you sure must enjoy a lot of these desserts".
I loved this quote from Sweetie: "Sure I mean the word 'fat' isn't inherently bad or gross. It's people who've made it that way. 'Fat' is just another word that describes me, like 'brown' or 'girl' or 'athlete'."
I love that Sweetie sees herself as strong, and capable, and an athlete and beautiful. And I love that Ashish sees her that way too: "I think you're beautiful. And I don't mean on the inside, though I'm sure that's true too. When you run...I see power and passion. I see focus and dedication. I see someone who isn't afraid to break people's expectations. And to me that is more attractive than the number on your weighing scale."
As a woman who has always had a bad relationship with food; as a woman who recently lost a lot of weight and developed an eating disorder...I never could get thin "enough"....and was petrified of gaining weight back (I did) and losing the love of her husband (I did NOT) and having people see me as "giving up" or "lazy" or "don't care about my health", this book is poignant for any age reader (middle school on up)....and even those who love someone who may be different than themselves. I identified with SOOOO much in this book (from the "fat" side of things...and yeah, fat isn't a bad word).
The only reason I didn't give this a whole 5 stars (even though GR rounds up) is because the voice of Sweetie and Ashish and a couple friends sounded way too "adult" but sometimes it was right on. I loved when the author giving us the stream of consciousness and inner thoughts sometimes too. I also loved learning more about the culture and heritage of the Indian people.
I read this book as a recommendation from Zoe @Zoeereads.
If this book doesn't hit you in the feels, I don't know what will. I am NOT a fan of YA in general (YA fantasy/dystopian aside), but this story is just very very SPECIAL!! If you're a family member or just a plain old human, it will teach you something about how you perceive others and what those people may be feeling all because of mean words.
This is the story of Sweetie and Ashish. Sweetie is fat, smart, beautiful (on the OUTSIDE as well as inside), athletic, and the best at her event on the track team. Ashish is the star basketball player of his school and "player" who has never dated any Indian American girls and has recently had his heart broken by the last girlfriend. He is dealing with feelings of not being as good as his older brother. One day Ashish tells his mom he wants to try an arranged relationship as is common in the Indian culture. His brother had success so he might as well try it. Sweetie's mom says no to the arrangement but Ashish and Sweetie decide to push the issue and sneak around and date anyway...until Ashish's parents get involved.
You know that old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" is just not true. In this book it isn't the NAMES (fat) that is the problem as much as the actions of others: Sweetie's mom saying Sweetie shouldn't wear certain clothes because she would have skin showing (even her shoulders) or she can't date a guy like Ashish because he's a good-looking guy and he wouldn't WANT someone like her; boys at school saying fat girls are an "easy lay" because no one will want a real relationship with them so they will take what they can get; people making offhand comments like "you sure must enjoy a lot of these desserts".
I loved this quote from Sweetie: "Sure I mean the word 'fat' isn't inherently bad or gross. It's people who've made it that way. 'Fat' is just another word that describes me, like 'brown' or 'girl' or 'athlete'."
I love that Sweetie sees herself as strong, and capable, and an athlete and beautiful. And I love that Ashish sees her that way too: "I think you're beautiful. And I don't mean on the inside, though I'm sure that's true too. When you run...I see power and passion. I see focus and dedication. I see someone who isn't afraid to break people's expectations. And to me that is more attractive than the number on your weighing scale."
As a woman who has always had a bad relationship with food; as a woman who recently lost a lot of weight and developed an eating disorder...I never could get thin "enough"....and was petrified of gaining weight back (I did) and losing the love of her husband (I did NOT) and having people see me as "giving up" or "lazy" or "don't care about my health", this book is poignant for any age reader (middle school on up)....and even those who love someone who may be different than themselves. I identified with SOOOO much in this book (from the "fat" side of things...and yeah, fat isn't a bad word).
The only reason I didn't give this a whole 5 stars (even though GR rounds up) is because the voice of Sweetie and Ashish and a couple friends sounded way too "adult" but sometimes it was right on. I loved when the author giving us the stream of consciousness and inner thoughts sometimes too. I also loved learning more about the culture and heritage of the Indian people.