by Vidya Samson
195 pages
Published June 6, 2012
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
What’s a girl gotta do to get her first bra, her first kiss, her first love?
If you thought the Middle East was all about fatwas and burkhas, think again. Join the fun as Veena, a naive teen from India, bungles her way through adolescence on the island of Bahrain. Laugh out loud as she deals with the intricacies of stubborn bras, crazy parents, racist classmates, first love, and the No-No Club, an abstinence club that degenerates into the Yes-Yes Club.
If you’ve ever struggled with body image issues, ever wanted to be different from what you are, ever wanted a hot guy or girl you couldn’t have, or if you just want a good laugh, this novel is for you, whether you’re nine, ninety, or anywhere in between.
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This is an interesting story. An Indian girl attending a Christian school, where racism is alive and rampant, and girls who so much as speak to a boy alone are considered sluts. It's an interesting idea.
When the book starts, it's right in the middle of a sex ed class. Quite honestly, that made me worried about what the rest of the book would be like. Luckily, things turned to other matters.
Veena has to deal with a lot of things, including her first haircut from a salon (which results in her telling everyone she has cancer so they'll think that's why her hair's so ridiculously short), being in her first play at school (her mother can't imagine why they picked her as the lead when there were so many prettier girls in her class), and a crush on a guy who doesn't seem to notice her (except for the fact that she gets better grades than he does).
Overall, a good story, although I don't think it's on par with Ms. Samson's previous book, "Indian Maidens Bust Loose."
3.5/5 stars
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