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Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.
When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.
Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?
Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.
Review:
Author Sandya Menon came to my attention when I read When Dimple Met Rishi. It was such a fun teen rom-com that incorporated a sweet romance, fun friendships, and a glimpse of Indian-American culture. Her newest novel, From Twinkle, With Love, has many of the same elements. I loved those. But, there were some major issues that made this book hard to enjoy.
What I Liked:
Narrative Style:
I really enjoyed that all of Twinkle's chapters were journal entries addressed to actual female directors. Of course I know who Sofia Coppola and Jane Campion are. But the author also mentions several other directors such as Ava DuVarney, and Valerie Faris, who I am not familiar with. Now I really want to watch a lot of movies by all these directors!
I also liked that all of Sahil's chapters were text messages to his friends. This was a fun way to show Sahil's personality, and his friendships.
Depiction of Male Friendships:
It is a rare thing to see such strong male friendships portrayed in a YA book. In YA books, male friendships consist mostly of guys saying to each other, "Bro..." or guys goading each other to score with girls. So it was refreshing to see Sahil and his friends texting each other and having actual conversations about their problems and feelings.
Romance:
The romance between Twinkle and Sahil is very sweet. I love that Sahil pursues Twinkle, his crush since middle school! It is his idea for her to direct a movie, and he selflessly offers himself as her producer to enable him to spend more time with Twinkle. Smart guy!
The obstacle for this couple is Twinkle's fantasy that Neil, Sahil's twin brother, perhaps also likes her. Even though Sahil is perfect for her (he totally gets who she is and adores her for it), Twinkle can't push aside this idea that popular Neil will offer her the chance to also be part of the In crowd.
Audio Book Performances:
I really enjoyed the performances of both Soneela Nankani, as Twinkle, and Vikas Adam, as Sahil. Not only do they both do a lovely job with the main characters, but they also must bring to life all of the other characters. Nankani's portrayal of her grandmother, Daadi, is so filled with grace and wisdom. Adam's changes his voice subtly to embody not just Sahil, but his friends, Aaron and Skid. I really enjoyed the character of Skid!
What I Was Mixed About:
Twinkle lives in a multi-generational household consisting of her parents and her grandmother. All of her interactions with her Daadi (grandmother) are really endearing. Daadi is quirky, but wise, and accepts Twinkle for who she is.
Her relationship with her mother is more complicated. Twinkle feels her mother doesn't care about her. But her mother is depressed since the death of her own mother in India. This causes her mother to be distant and uninvolved with Twinkle's life. While the author acknowledges this, she still has Twinkle being less than understanding of it.
This could have been a very substantial part of the story, but perhaps the author felt it didn't fit with the light, rom-com vibe she was going for. But the impact of parental depression on their children is an important topic that either should have been more fully developed, or dropped entirely from the book.
What I Didn't Like:
Twinkle:
It is hard to enjoy a book when the main character is so hard to like. I found Twinkle to be incredibly shallow. She begins the book with a crush on Neil, Sahil's brother. She seems to be under the illusion that being his girlfriend will elevate her social status and make her former friend, Mattie, like her again. While I understand that Twinkle is devastated that Mattie has left her behind, Twinkle's obsession with social cliques is foolish. Do teens really get so worked up over which group they hang out with? Why is Twinkle so bent on leaving her own group of friends behind? This is the main story line, and it causes Twinkle to do many unpleasant things throughout the novel. Although many of her mistakes are resolved by the ending, I still didn't like her selfishness.
Rating:
Release Date: May 22nd, 2018
Genre: YA Rom-Com
Author: Sandya Menon
Audio Publisher: Simon & Shuster Audio
Narrators: Soneela Nankani and
Vikas Adam
Audio Length: 9 hours, 37 minutes
Print Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Length: 330 pages
Source: Public Library
Format: Audio Book
Recommendation: If you are looking for a fun YA romance, and don't mind a really annoying lead character, this book is for you. If you want to see a better example of the author's work, read When Dimple Met Rishi.
