Sandhya Menon (1)

The main character was a spoiled brat. She worries a lot about being a ‘groundling.’ There is nothing wrong with those who don’t want to be popular.
Also, she complains about not having money for a phone a lot. Get a job. Stop bellyaching.
So much feminism. She treated guys like crap because she thought they were being disrespectful because of gender. Not everything is about gender.
Despite all this, I enjoyed the ending.

2.5 Stars

Content: kissing, one or two uses of languages… (altro)

This is totally a romantic comedy. If you like romance and cuteness and wish fulfillment, you will probably enjoy it. I sure did. I found both Rishi and Dimple appealing. I was kind of like Dimple as a teen -- no makeup, strident feminist, protective of my independence. And I fancy my husband is kind of a Rishi -- a more traditional, earnest, hardworking, responsible type. Their compatibility doesn't seem likely, so it's all the sweeter when they fall for each other. They have both just graduated high school and are attending the same summer coding program at San Francisco State University, so this book almost falls into the category of college story/new adult. It's a romance novel, a pretty tame one. Sex is discussed but not described.

The only aspect of this book that didn't work for me was the talent show. I do not understand why a bunch of would-be coders who are there to create apps would be told to put on a talent show in the middle of their program. I guess because it's fun? But there's actual money riding on it, so it's not actually fun, it's seriously competitive and stresses Dimple out. The talent show seemed to be a convenient device for the author (to include Bollywood dancing, Rishi's help, video footage, etc.) but it wouldn't make sense in the real world. It was just a big distraction from what the kids are there to learn.… (altro)

3.5, rounding up to 4, and second book for my Asian readathon 2020, checking off "3) Read a book featuring an Asian character or written by an Asian author who is different from you." I am Chinese American, and definitely need to broaden my reading range of the diaspora.

Cute standalone, with most annoyances coming from the realistic ughhhs of teenage life (it's been 15 years since but I'm sure if I peek at my diaries of the time they are similarly pressed about The Future but also how no one likes me, and how intense these feelings are).

Twinkle feels she is a total wallflower and her childhood bestie has seemingly moved on to the popular crowd. She aspires to be a filmmaker (and addresses each diary entry to a female director), but isn't sure how to peel herself off the wall and into where the people are, something that the protagonist of [b:There's Something About Sweetie|35583527|There's Something About Sweetie (Dimple and Rishi, #2)|Sandhya Menon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539796761l/35583527._SY75_.jpg|57017289] also shares. An encounter at a coffee shop leads her to work on a film for an upcoming school festival with Sahil Roy, identical twin brother of her crush, Neil Roy. Meanwhile, a mysterious suitor pops up in her email inbox... who was fairly obvious to figure out, but Twinkle's got going on, okay?? Our protagonist gets ugly with directatorial power, and that can be frustrating to watch but the journey to realizing where she crossed the line feels earned.

I have a feeling it will eventually be dated, but I enjoy books where the story is also told through texts and blog posts (fond memories of other YA books like [b:ttfn|301024|ttfn (Internet Girls, #2)|Lauren Myracle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388205880l/301024._SX50_.jpg|1644362] being Super Cool to teenage!me) Twinkle and her anxieties about social circles felt real, though the continued metaphor of groundlings vs silk feather hats felt like a stretch (though again, this also feels like a very authentically teen thing to do).… (altro)

This was also adorable, and I think I like it more than its predecessor ([b:When Dimple Met Rishi|28458598|When Dimple Met Rishi (Dimple and Rishi, #1)|Sandhya Menon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475687488l/28458598._SX50_.jpg|48593860]). I'm always looking to expand my reading, and it occurs to me I haven't read many things with a fat protagonist (drawing a blank, unless I count nonfiction like Roxane Gay's Hunger). Though I'm east Asian, not south Asian, I do agree with/feel that it was important for Sweetie to be South Asian because often, our parents express love through acts of service (food) but also concern/fear that the world will be cruel to us, often in ways that come across as judgmental from a surface view. This is the position Sweetie's mom takes: that she needs to hide her body and try to become thinner so people won't laugh at her. But, Sweetie is an athlete and known for her speed, and her weight isn't so much a negative as it is another descriptor, like "high schooler" or "Indian American"; it's societal perceptions that have made "fat" a bad word.

We saw Ashish all cool and full of swagger in his brother's book, but now that we're in his head he's... also a teenager full of insecurities! Kids, man.

The romance is sweet, and pretty straightforward. It's an all-around feel good book.… (altro)