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A review by charvi_not_just_fiction
From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon
5.0
“Geeks are smart and talented and passionate. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
This book was such a wholesome and lovely one packed with romance, emotions, feminism, desi swag and complicated relationships as well as self-development.
"Being a human belonging to the wallflower genus, I'm kinda used to swallowing my words instead of speaking them"
Twinkle was a great character who went through a lot of development. She is shown as an under-confident yet passionate wallflower who lives to direct movies. Her life is a struggle what with her family being poor and pretty much absent except for her dadi and recently losing her best friend Maddie to the popular group, Twinkle is down in the dumps. Then she formulates a plan to direct a movie with Sahil to showcase in the school fest which will make her famous. If not that then dating the popular hotshot Neil, Sahil's twin brother, will definitely get her in the popular group and help her win back her best friend. There's just one problem...she starts falling for the wrong brother. And when the power of being a film director gets to her she begins to change. Will Twinkle be able to retain her true identity and find love while winning back her best friend?
"Sometimes I worry I don’t know who I really am. Sometimes I’m afraid nothing I do will ever be enough to set me apart.”
Sahil has been in love with Twinkle since he was 12. As a fellow nerd and film enthusiastic he finally gathers the courage to ask Twinkle to work with him on the film. Sahil is a sensitive and kind boy who is tired of hiding in his brother's shadow. He has finally found a girl who likes him and sees him for what he truly is... or has he? What will Sahil do when he discovers that Twinkle has been crushing over his twin brother Neil all along?
I love how Twinkle talks about the patriarchy and wanting to be a women of colour who becomes a director because that minority group is so marginalized and she's not going to let it stand in the way of her dream. She's a quiet girl who learns to get a voice as she spends more and more time with Sahil who encourages her to speak up for herself and instills her with self-confidence. With Sahil she feels confident and seen. But as time progresses maybe she's starting to speak to much? Her anger over life boils over at the wrong times and she's clearly seen struggling in her journey.
I like all the other minor and side characters in this book too. Starting with the families, I love Twinkle's dadi who is slightly eccentric but nevertheless very wise and loving. Twinkle's parents have a lesser role to play but her mother and her nani's backstory in the end comes out unexpectedly and definitely had me crying at midnight. Sahil's parents are also a nice bunch and I love how his father is breaking the stereotypes of men retaining their masculinity by refusing to wear floral clothes and aprons and refusing to cook. It's absolutely lovely and refreshing.
Maddie was a very conflicted girl who was trying to balance two worlds and failing miserably. On some level I totally related to her but she was definitely giving Twinkle a cold shoulder too many a time. I love how their friendship was explored throughout the book, especially how it ended :)
Hannah was one character I absolutely disliked but here's the thing, her backstory was beautiful and fit perfectly into the story and totally blew my mind. Sandhya Menon definitely knows how to play with our minds! Violet, Skid and Aron were all refreshing with heir support for Twinkle and Sahil and added an element of humor. They were there to provide the characters with solid advice and guidance, especially Violet without whom Twinkle could have strayed off the right path.
The book also had a small LGBT and black people rep which was so cute.
If I have to explain the book in one word it would be 'ADORABLE'.
From the way it was written and the way the characters interacted and how their romance was carried out, everything was cute and wonderful. And at the same time Sandhya Menon managed to explore so many important topics? I am in awe.
Such a great book to end 2o18 with!
This book was such a wholesome and lovely one packed with romance, emotions, feminism, desi swag and complicated relationships as well as self-development.
"Being a human belonging to the wallflower genus, I'm kinda used to swallowing my words instead of speaking them"
Twinkle was a great character who went through a lot of development. She is shown as an under-confident yet passionate wallflower who lives to direct movies. Her life is a struggle what with her family being poor and pretty much absent except for her dadi and recently losing her best friend Maddie to the popular group, Twinkle is down in the dumps. Then she formulates a plan to direct a movie with Sahil to showcase in the school fest which will make her famous. If not that then dating the popular hotshot Neil, Sahil's twin brother, will definitely get her in the popular group and help her win back her best friend. There's just one problem...she starts falling for the wrong brother. And when the power of being a film director gets to her she begins to change. Will Twinkle be able to retain her true identity and find love while winning back her best friend?
"Sometimes I worry I don’t know who I really am. Sometimes I’m afraid nothing I do will ever be enough to set me apart.”
Sahil has been in love with Twinkle since he was 12. As a fellow nerd and film enthusiastic he finally gathers the courage to ask Twinkle to work with him on the film. Sahil is a sensitive and kind boy who is tired of hiding in his brother's shadow. He has finally found a girl who likes him and sees him for what he truly is... or has he? What will Sahil do when he discovers that Twinkle has been crushing over his twin brother Neil all along?
I love how Twinkle talks about the patriarchy and wanting to be a women of colour who becomes a director because that minority group is so marginalized and she's not going to let it stand in the way of her dream. She's a quiet girl who learns to get a voice as she spends more and more time with Sahil who encourages her to speak up for herself and instills her with self-confidence. With Sahil she feels confident and seen. But as time progresses maybe she's starting to speak to much? Her anger over life boils over at the wrong times and she's clearly seen struggling in her journey.
I like all the other minor and side characters in this book too. Starting with the families, I love Twinkle's dadi who is slightly eccentric but nevertheless very wise and loving. Twinkle's parents have a lesser role to play but her mother and her nani's backstory in the end comes out unexpectedly and definitely had me crying at midnight. Sahil's parents are also a nice bunch and I love how his father is breaking the stereotypes of men retaining their masculinity by refusing to wear floral clothes and aprons and refusing to cook. It's absolutely lovely and refreshing.
Maddie was a very conflicted girl who was trying to balance two worlds and failing miserably. On some level I totally related to her but she was definitely giving Twinkle a cold shoulder too many a time. I love how their friendship was explored throughout the book, especially how it ended :)
Hannah was one character I absolutely disliked but here's the thing, her backstory was beautiful and fit perfectly into the story and totally blew my mind. Sandhya Menon definitely knows how to play with our minds! Violet, Skid and Aron were all refreshing with heir support for Twinkle and Sahil and added an element of humor. They were there to provide the characters with solid advice and guidance, especially Violet without whom Twinkle could have strayed off the right path.
The book also had a small LGBT and black people rep which was so cute.
If I have to explain the book in one word it would be 'ADORABLE'.
From the way it was written and the way the characters interacted and how their romance was carried out, everything was cute and wonderful. And at the same time Sandhya Menon managed to explore so many important topics? I am in awe.
Such a great book to end 2o18 with!