Publishers Weekly
01/23/2023
In this moving ode to comics culture, community care, and the joy of unexpected first love, a spirited nod to 1990s rom-com While You Were Sleeping, Indian American high schooler Sonia Patil has been keeping a low profile ever since her mother was deported for overstaying her medical visa. The fact that Sonia’s older sister Kareena’s status is undocumented puts added pressure on Sonia to avoid unwanted attention and stay under the radar to maintain their relative stability, especially since Kareena has been supporting them both following their mother’s deportation. Sonia’s superhero cosplaying provides an escape, but after she rescues her crush James Cooper, who is Black and Indian, from a tumble into a canal while she’s in costume, her heroic act goes viral. Suddenly, the world is on the hunt for Sonia’s alter ego, and her previously peaceful passion thrusts Sonia, Kareena, and the Cooper family into the social media spotlight. Sonia’s troubles and triumphs are richly drawn; through her struggles, Rai (Partners in Crime, for adults) intimately explores personal questions around body image, mental health, and toxic internet culture while interweaving thought-provoking interrogations of U.S. immigration and healthcare policies. Ages 13–up. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
A fun, at times poignant, being-your-true-self story with just enough romance to keep readers satisfied. Highly recommended.” — School Library Journal
“Sonia’s troubles and triumphs are richly drawn; through her struggles, Rai intimately explores personal questions around body image, mental health, and toxic internet culture while interweaving thought-provoking interrogations of U.S. immigration and healthcare policies.” — Publishers Weekly
“A well-balanced story poised between serious reality and romantic ideals.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This coming-of-age story is filled with true teen conflicts and crushes, and readers will root for the honest, strong-willed Sonia.” — Booklist
School Library Journal
08/11/2023
Gr 8 Up—Sonia's mother has just been deported to India, and while the teen is an American citizen, her just-adult sister she lives with is undocumented. Trying not to draw attention to herself, Sonia doesn't wear the costume she made to the local bookstore's cosplay event, even though her crush and classmate, James, works there, right near the café where she works. Instead, she puts it on in the darkness to walk home. On her way, she sees James have some sort of seizure and fall into a canal. She jumps in and saves him but thanks to the mask and the dark, her identity isn't clear when video of the rescue goes viral. With James in the hospital, she goes to his family's restaurant to check on him, meeting his gruff brother and welcoming parents, who mistake Sonia for a girlfriend James had kept secret. This sets off a chain of events, punctuated by her new friend Hana's efforts to get Sonia out of her shell, that transform Sonia's life. In her debut, Rai lifts the rough edges of her plot from the 1995 movie While You Were Sleeping. She gives it depth with Sonia's precarious family situation and updates the all-white, straight cast from the original movie. Sonia's parents are both Indian, while James's father is Black and his mother's parents immigrated from India. Sonia's sister identifies as queer, as does her ex-best friend. This is a swoony romance with strong, affirming friendship, but some plot points and characters are rather tropey, like James's mean-girl ex. VERDICT A fun, at times poignant, being-your-true-self story with just enough romance to keep readers satisfied. A highly recommended purchase for late middle and high school library collections.—Kate Fleming
Kirkus Reviews
2022-12-24
A high school junior dodges the spotlight after saving her crush from accidentally drowning.
Growing up, Indian American Sonia Patil and her older sister, Kareena, were taught to avoid attention. While Sonia is a citizen by birth, her mother and Kareena are both undocumented; they originally came to the U.S. seeking treatment for Kareena’s infant leukemia. Since their mother’s recent deportation, Sonia has felt even more pressured to protect Kareena. She’s terrified of being revealed as James Cooper’s rescuer, especially after details about the incident are picked up by the news and spread across social media. When Sonia visits the Coopers’ restaurant to check on James’ recovery, she’s mistaken for his new girlfriend. Although this misunderstanding is quickly resolved, Sonia finds herself drawn to the Coopers, a close-knit Black and Indian family whose strong relationships and deep community roots contrast sharply with the fragility of her own. A new friendship and an unexpected attraction to James’ older brother, Niam, further complicate matters and force Sonia, who prefers to retreat from her problems, to choose between staying in her daydreams and taking charge of her life. Undocumented immigration, stress over health care, and the toxic use of social media are among the issues Rai addresses in her YA debut. Sonia’s struggles are depicted with sensitivity and attention to detail that extend to supporting characters, though the main antagonist unfortunately comes across as a mean girl cliché.
A well-balanced story poised between serious reality and romantic ideals. (Fiction. 13-18)
