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A review by books_with_mana
Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai
4.0
Girl Gone Viral is a fantastic slow burn romance that really picked me up after reading several thematically heavy books.
What I like the most about Alisha Rai's books is that I finally see people I know in books. The Punjabi family farm? That's my boyfriend. Cuisine reflecting multiracial upbringing? Me! Hijab wearing influencers? The girls I went to high school with. Rai's romance books centers communities and people that look like my own.
Growing up, contemporary romance books were so white and when non-white romance was introduced the love interest was BIPOC and the main character was White. There would be the same racist family member trope, police uh-oh, and the "my family was poor so I joined the military" or "I became successful entrepreneur who will fund your cute hobby" vulnerability speech.
Because Rai's characters come from underrepresented backgrounds, the reader experiences new obstacles. What I respect the most about Rai is how she gently educates the reader about racist legislation and institutional racism without being overly preachy OR overwhelming the romance plot.
Please read this! Katrina's full of mystery and intrigue in The Right Swipe and I'm glad we dived deeper into her character. Who doesn't want to know more about a former half-Thai model who is the widow to a much older jewelry tycoon and refuses to leave the house to protect her anonymity at all costs?
I'm quickly becoming a fan of Rai. A lot of interesting characters are introduced in this novel, so I foresee spin-offs in the future! (I'm really excited for Jia's book!!! maybe even Akash's??)
What I like the most about Alisha Rai's books is that I finally see people I know in books. The Punjabi family farm? That's my boyfriend. Cuisine reflecting multiracial upbringing? Me! Hijab wearing influencers? The girls I went to high school with. Rai's romance books centers communities and people that look like my own.
Growing up, contemporary romance books were so white and when non-white romance was introduced the love interest was BIPOC and the main character was White. There would be the same racist family member trope, police uh-oh, and the "my family was poor so I joined the military" or "I became successful entrepreneur who will fund your cute hobby" vulnerability speech.
Because Rai's characters come from underrepresented backgrounds, the reader experiences new obstacles. What I respect the most about Rai is how she gently educates the reader about racist legislation and institutional racism without being overly preachy OR overwhelming the romance plot.
Please read this! Katrina's full of mystery and intrigue in The Right Swipe and I'm glad we dived deeper into her character. Who doesn't want to know more about a former half-Thai model who is the widow to a much older jewelry tycoon and refuses to leave the house to protect her anonymity at all costs?
I'm quickly becoming a fan of Rai. A lot of interesting characters are introduced in this novel, so I foresee spin-offs in the future! (I'm really excited for Jia's book!!! maybe even Akash's??)