Hello all to this extra post!! If you enjoyed When Dimple met Rishi as I did I hope you enjoy this small selection of similar teen stories I found lurking on the shelves. There seem to be more diverse stories for teens out there now, and these few tell of young Indian girls and boys who are growing up in these modern times.
Title: From Twinkle with love
Author: Sandhya Menon
Publication details: Simon Pule; NY, 2018
ISBN: 9781481495400
What this book is about: Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories to tell and universes to explore. So when fellow film-obsessive Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a film for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle can’t wait. The chance to showcase her artistic voice? Dream come true. The opportunity to get closer to longtime crush, Neil Roy – a.k.a Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come even truer. When Twinkle receives an email from a secret admirer – the mysterious ‘N’ – she is sure it’s Neil, finally reaching for their happy ending. The only problem is that, in the course of their movie-making, she has found herself falling for Sahil – the wrong brother. Twinkle soon realizes that resistance in futile: the romance she’s got isn’t the one she scripted… But will it be enough?
My review: Such an awesome love story!! I hadn’t cried and laughed so much in a teen book than I did in this!! Told entirely through Twinkle’s diary entries, Sahil’s blog posts and texts; it gives a different flow to the narrative of the story. This captured the modern teen romance in their own language. Really well written. Loved the whole ‘Desi-ness’ of it all! For those who don’t know, ‘Desi’ means Indian!! Again, please make sure readers are well into their teen years!!
My rating: 4½ ⭐
Title: Love, hate & other filters
Author: Samira Ahmed
Publication details: Hot Key Books; London, 2018
ISBN: 9781471407147
What this book is about: Maya Aziz dreams of kissing boys and going to film school in New York, but miles away, an unknown danger looms. A terrorist attack in another city unleashes fear and hate in Maya’s small town, changing her life and disrupting her future. A stunning debut novel that celebrates the power of personal choice in a world that wants to put labels on us all.
My review: A good read!! A bit intense though as the second background story of the ‘terrorist’ is a bit dark for my liking. Set in a landscape of modern small town America where prejudice and fear is abundant. Our young protagonist Maya has to forge her own path all the while overcoming all kinds of challenges to achieve her dream. Samira Ahmed had me hooked from the start. Her style of writing is exceptional to say the least. An author to look out for in the future! Better for older teens.
My rating: 4½ ⭐
Additional notes: This amazing book has already been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Young Adult fiction in 2018.
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 