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From Twinkle, with Love
An aspiring teen filmmaker finds her voice and falls in love in this delightful romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi.
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.
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.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2018
210 people are currently reading
14183 people want to read
About the author
Sandhya Menon
30 books3,485 followersSandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels with lots of kissing, girl power, and swoony boys. Her books have been featured in several cool places, including on The Today Show, Teen Vogue, NPR Book Review, Buzzfeed, and Seventeen. A full-time dog servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,446 reviews
May 30, 2018
DNF @ 51%
There are some extremely important benefits to this book. It features an Indian protagonist who is incredibly feminist and her views on the world and the patriarchy are so refreshing, and sweet, and really lovely. I loved the passion she felt for her filmmaking and the fact that she wanted to become a filmmaker so that she could change the world.
I also really loved Sahil for his geekiness and his full support of her vision. Whenever she goes on rants about the patriarchy, he doesn't even miss a beat, and I loved that, too, as I'm always saying that YA contemporary stories need more feminist guys!
All of the good stuff aside, I personally could not get into this book. The first 15-20% was adorable - I laughed out loud multiple times, smiled from ear to ear, and it gave me all the warm fuzzies. Once it hit about the 20% mark, though, Twinkle became a little bit unbearable. Unfortunately, this is a complaint I have heard many times about Sandhya Menon's debut novel's protagonist, too, but I haven't read that one and can't comment on the comparisons.
Twinkle becomes really self-centered regarding not only her filmmaking (such as getting into multiple arguments with Sahil over minor things like props, totally belittling his opinions as he's "just the producer", and then never apologizing for it even though she admits to herself that she was being unfair), but also her relationship with Sahil. It's brutally obvious from the beginning that he has feelings for her, and even when she recognizes them and starts to reciprocate, she drags him along and treats him pretty poorly, all because his twin brother (who hardly knows she exists) is a "popular kid" and she wants to get in with the popular group.
Between her attitude, and the fact that the plot itself was really bland outside of her exchanges with Sahil or her grandmother (the only likable characters in the book, truly), I finally had to call it a day on this one at 51%. I'm still giving it 3 stars because, like I said, it has some very important values to offer, but all in all, it was definitely not for me.
One last thing: the writing and dialogue are both extremely "young". Twinkle is supposed to be 16, surrounded by 17-year-olds, as far as I understand, but I constantly found myself thinking these teens (aside from Sahil) act like they're more in the 13-14 range. That said, I did not take any points off because I don't agree with down-rating a YA book for featuring teens that act "young" (after all, teens are young people!), but if you don't like that writing style, I'd pass on this one.
Thank you so much to Simon Pulse for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
There are some extremely important benefits to this book. It features an Indian protagonist who is incredibly feminist and her views on the world and the patriarchy are so refreshing, and sweet, and really lovely. I loved the passion she felt for her filmmaking and the fact that she wanted to become a filmmaker so that she could change the world.
I also really loved Sahil for his geekiness and his full support of her vision. Whenever she goes on rants about the patriarchy, he doesn't even miss a beat, and I loved that, too, as I'm always saying that YA contemporary stories need more feminist guys!
All of the good stuff aside, I personally could not get into this book. The first 15-20% was adorable - I laughed out loud multiple times, smiled from ear to ear, and it gave me all the warm fuzzies. Once it hit about the 20% mark, though, Twinkle became a little bit unbearable. Unfortunately, this is a complaint I have heard many times about Sandhya Menon's debut novel's protagonist, too, but I haven't read that one and can't comment on the comparisons.
Twinkle becomes really self-centered regarding not only her filmmaking (such as getting into multiple arguments with Sahil over minor things like props, totally belittling his opinions as he's "just the producer", and then never apologizing for it even though she admits to herself that she was being unfair), but also her relationship with Sahil. It's brutally obvious from the beginning that he has feelings for her, and even when she recognizes them and starts to reciprocate, she drags him along and treats him pretty poorly, all because his twin brother (who hardly knows she exists) is a "popular kid" and she wants to get in with the popular group.
Between her attitude, and the fact that the plot itself was really bland outside of her exchanges with Sahil or her grandmother (the only likable characters in the book, truly), I finally had to call it a day on this one at 51%. I'm still giving it 3 stars because, like I said, it has some very important values to offer, but all in all, it was definitely not for me.
One last thing: the writing and dialogue are both extremely "young". Twinkle is supposed to be 16, surrounded by 17-year-olds, as far as I understand, but I constantly found myself thinking these teens (aside from Sahil) act like they're more in the 13-14 range. That said, I did not take any points off because I don't agree with down-rating a YA book for featuring teens that act "young" (after all, teens are young people!), but if you don't like that writing style, I'd pass on this one.
Thank you so much to Simon Pulse for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
June 17, 2018
4.5 Twinkling Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
This was a fun, adorable, sweet, YA contemporary that had me smiling the entire book.... there is something so readable about this author’s writing style.... in both this book and ”When Dimple Met Ricci” The characters were brought so amazingly to life....
Twinkle feels like lo woman on the social totem pole... in fact she refers to her self as a “groundling”... and the popular people are referred to as something to do with silk feathered hats.... Twinkle’s ultimate dream in life is to become a movie director, she idolizes all female movie directors... in fact this book is written in letter form, with twinkle writing letters to multiple different female movie directors... a epistolary novel...
Twinkle was a likable, real, naïve, and sometimes very frustrating teenage girl.... she somehow got herself into a love Square... Sahil the boy who has been crushing on her since he was 11, a secret admirer, and then the boy she has a crush on... Sahil’s twin brother Neil...Sahil was super adorable both inside and out, his twin on the other hand? Twinkle really drove me crazy in this situation... and the fact that she did not have a mother to talk to drove me even more crazy(The jury is still out on mom).... then we have supposed BFF Maddie... first of all I hate the mean girl trope... but Maddie was not being a good friend... and whose to blame?Maddie! not her new group of friends...Ugh! Twinkle really needed a big sister, because mom was so busy pouting or something.... drove me nuts! As I was reading this I was coming up with all kinds of brilliant words of wisdom I should pass on to Twinkle, if I ever were to have the chance.... The biggest of these things being high school is only four years of your life, so in the big scope of life it doesn’t matter who you sit by at lunch in high school... oh and probably more important... date the nice guy you have things in common with, not the hot guy you have nothing in common with! And in this case they are twins, so what’s the problem here?
As you can probably tell I got quite invested in Twinkle and her life... so do I recommend? Absolutely! Fabulous book with some lessons learned at the end, that I really appreciated! Things aren’t always as they seem and the popular feather hat wearing people have problems as well... if you are a parent I’d recommend for kids 12 and up, this is a very clean read...
*** many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for my copy of this book ***
This was a fun, adorable, sweet, YA contemporary that had me smiling the entire book.... there is something so readable about this author’s writing style.... in both this book and ”When Dimple Met Ricci” The characters were brought so amazingly to life....
Twinkle feels like lo woman on the social totem pole... in fact she refers to her self as a “groundling”... and the popular people are referred to as something to do with silk feathered hats.... Twinkle’s ultimate dream in life is to become a movie director, she idolizes all female movie directors... in fact this book is written in letter form, with twinkle writing letters to multiple different female movie directors... a epistolary novel...
Twinkle was a likable, real, naïve, and sometimes very frustrating teenage girl.... she somehow got herself into a love Square... Sahil the boy who has been crushing on her since he was 11, a secret admirer, and then the boy she has a crush on... Sahil’s twin brother Neil...Sahil was super adorable both inside and out, his twin on the other hand? Twinkle really drove me crazy in this situation... and the fact that she did not have a mother to talk to drove me even more crazy(The jury is still out on mom).... then we have supposed BFF Maddie... first of all I hate the mean girl trope... but Maddie was not being a good friend... and whose to blame?Maddie! not her new group of friends...Ugh! Twinkle really needed a big sister, because mom was so busy pouting or something.... drove me nuts! As I was reading this I was coming up with all kinds of brilliant words of wisdom I should pass on to Twinkle, if I ever were to have the chance.... The biggest of these things being high school is only four years of your life, so in the big scope of life it doesn’t matter who you sit by at lunch in high school... oh and probably more important... date the nice guy you have things in common with, not the hot guy you have nothing in common with! And in this case they are twins, so what’s the problem here?
As you can probably tell I got quite invested in Twinkle and her life... so do I recommend? Absolutely! Fabulous book with some lessons learned at the end, that I really appreciated! Things aren’t always as they seem and the popular feather hat wearing people have problems as well... if you are a parent I’d recommend for kids 12 and up, this is a very clean read...
*** many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for my copy of this book ***
April 18, 2018
I was full blown obsessed with Dimple, so I was pretty much screaming at the post office when this arc showed up.
I loved Twinkle and Sahil. She’s smart and sassy and is working to be vocal. He’s sweet and adorable and working to be visible. They’re both feeling a bit neglected for different reasons and I loved watching them get closer. Twinkle does go through a period of icky and I wanted to just shake her, but her growth was perfect. However, it was Dadi who stole every scene she was in.
Plot wise, I loved it. The format of letters, texts, emails, and journal entries was a great way to share the story. Added bonus was how it showed that there’s so much more to a person than what you see on the surface. There is some conflict and I could have done with a bunch more kissing, but it was a great mixture of sweetness, laughs, and heartfail.
Overall, it was exactly what I wanted to read. The story was sweet and realistic and had characters I was rooting for right from the beginning. I can’t wait to see what Sandhya does next.
**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved Twinkle and Sahil. She’s smart and sassy and is working to be vocal. He’s sweet and adorable and working to be visible. They’re both feeling a bit neglected for different reasons and I loved watching them get closer. Twinkle does go through a period of icky and I wanted to just shake her, but her growth was perfect. However, it was Dadi who stole every scene she was in.
Plot wise, I loved it. The format of letters, texts, emails, and journal entries was a great way to share the story. Added bonus was how it showed that there’s so much more to a person than what you see on the surface. There is some conflict and I could have done with a bunch more kissing, but it was a great mixture of sweetness, laughs, and heartfail.
Overall, it was exactly what I wanted to read. The story was sweet and realistic and had characters I was rooting for right from the beginning. I can’t wait to see what Sandhya does next.
**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse for providing the arc free of charge**
August 20, 2018
I adored this! Loved the romance and the examination of ego, expectations, and friendships.
June 18, 2018
I don’t think I loved it quite as much as Dimple but it was still an adorable YA read I would recommend!
I love also how Twinkle aspires to be a filmmaker, how awesome is that?
My rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I love also how Twinkle aspires to be a filmmaker, how awesome is that?
My rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
June 13, 2018
DNF at 58%
This was a surprise at first then turned out to be a chore which explains the DNF.
I love the idea of having an Indian American YA heroine to read for once and a budding director as well, this was a first time for me. Twinkle Mehra is a 16-year-old "groundling", as what she calls herself, and seems to make it a life goal to be promoted into the ranks of the "silk-feathered hats" aka Shakespearean highschool hierarchy 2.0.
Initially, I enjoyed her inner monologues/ letters to iconic female directors. She was spot on the insecure teenage dork and I was so excited to see her strip the wallflower status. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to see that because harharhar she could be pretty annoying and begrudgingly self-centered in her own way.
To say that I DNF'd a book because of the MC really is laughable. I really did want to finish this at first but I realized why should I even continue if I don't really care about the characters anymore? From Twinkle, with Love has important points to convey but I think a younger audience might have liked this more than I did. For a 16-year-old MC her voice and those of others seem very young and not fit with their age. Idk, it's just me huhuhuh.
Here are some points that I find problematic:
Things I love in this book
Other than the things I've listed above, I see no reason for me to finish this. I'm sssssooorrryyy but I can't.
This was a surprise at first then turned out to be a chore which explains the DNF.
I love the idea of having an Indian American YA heroine to read for once and a budding director as well, this was a first time for me. Twinkle Mehra is a 16-year-old "groundling", as what she calls herself, and seems to make it a life goal to be promoted into the ranks of the "silk-feathered hats" aka Shakespearean highschool hierarchy 2.0.
Initially, I enjoyed her inner monologues/ letters to iconic female directors. She was spot on the insecure teenage dork and I was so excited to see her strip the wallflower status. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to see that because harharhar she could be pretty annoying and begrudgingly self-centered in her own way.
To say that I DNF'd a book because of the MC really is laughable. I really did want to finish this at first but I realized why should I even continue if I don't really care about the characters anymore? From Twinkle, with Love has important points to convey but I think a younger audience might have liked this more than I did. For a 16-year-old MC her voice and those of others seem very young and not fit with their age. Idk, it's just me huhuhuh.
Here are some points that I find problematic:
Things I love in this book
Other than the things I've listed above, I see no reason for me to finish this. I'm sssssooorrryyy but I can't.
June 7, 2018
My heart is an emotional mess. So many feelings.
I loved everything about this book. It made me feel all kinds of emotions. Happinedd, sadness, laughter, anger, nervousness, and God knows what else. Seriously, it was all amazing. The plot, characters, and the format was another thing I loved.
Twinkle's chracters was amazing and I loved her. Some may say they found Twinkle's behavior frustrating or annoying but I related to it. When I am not thinking straight I tend to lash out at everyone too, in fact I think we all do that. She has been invisible her whole life and then she finds a chance to shine. So she grasps to it with all her heart, but when things start to go a little different than what she had imagined them to be and she freaks. And of course with time she comes to her senses. I really loved her character. She has flaws and insecurities like we all do and she knows what she is good at. She took the chance to bring her dream to life and change the world with her vision. She goes for what she wants and I admire that.
My sweetheart Sahil. He is so precious. He is sweet, kind, fun, smart, selfless and so pure. He is just so freaking adorable!! He has his own insecurities and flaws but damn if I could find a guy like him. He is truly perfect in every sense. The way he can make anyone feel comfortable and loved shows how pure his heart is. I just adore him so so much.
And the romance ...
"Because, in case you haven't figured it out," he murmured, cupping my face with one big hand. He brought his face closer; his lips brushed mine. "I'm a total fool for you."
Oh boy I was swooning. It was a little slow-burning but once it happens it's all I wanted. It was sweet and adorable. So loving and refreshing. It definitely made me jealous. Like I want that. Anyways, it was perfect. Only complaint is that I would have liked a few more chapters of them after they got together. But that's really not a complaint, its just me being greedy.
Sandhya Menon did it again. She is definitely one of my favorite authors now. Love the way she tells the story and of course my Indian heart is always overwhelmed every time she includes any Indian phares or anything. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I was so glad to say that it did not disappoint at all. It was everything I wanted and more. I was overflowing with emotions th whole time.
I loved everything about this book. It made me feel all kinds of emotions. Happinedd, sadness, laughter, anger, nervousness, and God knows what else. Seriously, it was all amazing. The plot, characters, and the format was another thing I loved.
Twinkle's chracters was amazing and I loved her. Some may say they found Twinkle's behavior frustrating or annoying but I related to it. When I am not thinking straight I tend to lash out at everyone too, in fact I think we all do that. She has been invisible her whole life and then she finds a chance to shine. So she grasps to it with all her heart, but when things start to go a little different than what she had imagined them to be and she freaks. And of course with time she comes to her senses. I really loved her character. She has flaws and insecurities like we all do and she knows what she is good at. She took the chance to bring her dream to life and change the world with her vision. She goes for what she wants and I admire that.
My sweetheart Sahil. He is so precious. He is sweet, kind, fun, smart, selfless and so pure. He is just so freaking adorable!! He has his own insecurities and flaws but damn if I could find a guy like him. He is truly perfect in every sense. The way he can make anyone feel comfortable and loved shows how pure his heart is. I just adore him so so much.
And the romance ...
"Because, in case you haven't figured it out," he murmured, cupping my face with one big hand. He brought his face closer; his lips brushed mine. "I'm a total fool for you."
Oh boy I was swooning. It was a little slow-burning but once it happens it's all I wanted. It was sweet and adorable. So loving and refreshing. It definitely made me jealous. Like I want that. Anyways, it was perfect. Only complaint is that I would have liked a few more chapters of them after they got together. But that's really not a complaint, its just me being greedy.
Sandhya Menon did it again. She is definitely one of my favorite authors now. Love the way she tells the story and of course my Indian heart is always overwhelmed every time she includes any Indian phares or anything. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I was so glad to say that it did not disappoint at all. It was everything I wanted and more. I was overflowing with emotions th whole time.
August 24, 2018
This is such an adorable read! I loved Twinkle's struggle with pursuing her passion despite her disconnect with her parents, her isolation from her old best friend and making connections with new friends, and her love for film making. Twinkle and Sahil are cute couple goals tbh.
She was a bit immature in her thinking at times, often battling against the "ideal" guy in her head that wasn't actually real which was a bit frustrating. But overall, I found this a great coming of age story that was completely adorable.
Full review here.
She was a bit immature in her thinking at times, often battling against the "ideal" guy in her head that wasn't actually real which was a bit frustrating. But overall, I found this a great coming of age story that was completely adorable.
Full review here.
April 28, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Well, From Twinkle, with Love was a breath of fresh air as it was wedged between a number of non-fiction reads and psychological thrillers. As a high school teacher, I probably love these teen novels with the same relish that my nurse mother enjoys her medical dramas. Sandhya Menon gives us the loveable protagonist, Twinkle, fully equipped with dreams of being a great Indian-American filmmaker and writing a series of "dear diary' entries to her favorite female filmmakers( Nora Ephron, Sofia Coppola, Ava Duvernay etc.). Like any teen, Twinkle is dealing with the pressures of parental expectations, friendship conflicts, and high school crushes. Add to that an eccentric grandma and an ambitious film project, well, Twinkle is juggling a lot!
I don't really have a lot of criticism because I have read many Teen & YA novels that have similar storylines and so there were not a lot of surprises out there. If you're looking for a a light read, I would certainly press this book into your hands.
Well, From Twinkle, with Love was a breath of fresh air as it was wedged between a number of non-fiction reads and psychological thrillers. As a high school teacher, I probably love these teen novels with the same relish that my nurse mother enjoys her medical dramas. Sandhya Menon gives us the loveable protagonist, Twinkle, fully equipped with dreams of being a great Indian-American filmmaker and writing a series of "dear diary' entries to her favorite female filmmakers( Nora Ephron, Sofia Coppola, Ava Duvernay etc.). Like any teen, Twinkle is dealing with the pressures of parental expectations, friendship conflicts, and high school crushes. Add to that an eccentric grandma and an ambitious film project, well, Twinkle is juggling a lot!
I don't really have a lot of criticism because I have read many Teen & YA novels that have similar storylines and so there were not a lot of surprises out there. If you're looking for a a light read, I would certainly press this book into your hands.
June 19, 2018
Filmmaking, girl-power, culture, and age-appropriate romance all wrapped up into one very YA novel. Lessons about confronting situations and learning who you (and others) are make this a worthwhile read for the YA crowd.
My favorite quote:
“When people show you who they are, you should believe them.”
My favorite quote:
“When people show you who they are, you should believe them.”
September 13, 2018
Sandhya has firmly cemented herself into my top favourite author lists of all time... what an incredible read! My emotions were messed, I need lots of ice-cream and iced coffee and a re-watch of a silent movie from the 1920s round about now! But in all seriousness, I was extremely anxious reading Twinkle, since I absolutely loved Sandhya's other novel Dimple and wasn't sure what this one was going to be like. But I was left far from disappointed. The main character Twinkle is an aspiring filmmaker and dreams of going to a top school to study films. She is from an Indian-American background and I loved the scenes in which she spends time with her family. When her classmate Sahil wants Twinkle to help direct a new film for a festival, she jumps at the chance. She also has a crush on Sahil's twin brother Neil. After some mysterious emails arrive in her inbox, she thinks that Neil is sending the emails but during this time of working with Sahil, her feelings may have potentially changed. Twinkle is written in a diary format which is one of my favourite formats to read (and write!), immediately capturing my interest. It flowed well, had a good range of characters and I loved Twinkle's honesty. A stunning read!
May 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is no way affected my review.
This book was basically 327 pages of me laugh-crying in the best way possible.
From Twinkle, With Love is Sandhya Menon's sophomore novel, a young-adult contemporary about an Indian-American teen filmmaker, Twinkle Mehra, who tells her story through letters to her favorite female directors.
I genuinely think I might have loved this one more than When Dimple Met Rishi.
Let’s start with the writing/format because this novel has an interesting format. I found that From Twinkle, With Love is an easy read in a good way. The diary format with some emails and texts thrown in made it a simple read in the literal sense, but the content still packed a heavy punch, and that’s exactly what I look for in these types of raw contemporary novels.
Twinkle is a complicated narrator, and I love that. We see her go on this journey as an aspiring filmmaker who is a young WOC and grew up a wallflower, but as the novel progresses she often screws up and makes very teen-like mistakes and has to step back and re-evaluate who she wants to be when she grows up to be a model filmmaker for future girls of color. I can just picture the people who are going to criticize Twinkle's character based on these mistakes, but I loved that she made them.
No one is perfect, let alone this fictional teenager, and I think her anger being manifested in ways of lashing out that she later regrets is relatable to the mannerisms of many teens and gives us a chance to re-evaluate those mannerisms along with Twinkle. When this novel starts, she’s portrayed as a more “meek, shy” character and she has to battle growing into her confidence with not becoming arrogant and vain. Again, I think these battles and struggles and screw-ups are realistic and refreshing to see.
Romance-wise, the romance in this novel was so swoon-worthy I got chills. Twinkle starts off this novel vying for a handsome popular jock, Neil Roy, but instead builds a relationship with his dorky brother, Sahil Roy, and sparks fly. I loved the slow burn romance in this one because the bond between Twinkle and Sahil felt believable as they formed a genuine connection and said connection is the cutest thing in existence.
Going off of that, all of the supporting characters in this novel were done brilliantly. The dynamics of Twinkle's family, with her mom, dad, and dadi (and of course, Oso the dog), were so well-developed. I loved the inclusion of parents and other family members in this novel as those dynamics are so important to discuss.
There are complicated familial dynamics in this book. Twinkle's immigrant parents are struggling with money, and that was another theme I loved in this novel. The distance from their home country, India, and their struggle with money put a lot of strain on their relationship that they had to work through in this novel. Though this was an underlying theme of the novel, I’m glad Menon was brave enough to explore the dynamics and nuances of immigrants struggling financially.
Peer-wise, yet again, I loved this novel. Sahil's crew, originally made up of two friends Skid and Aaron (a gay black character!!), were so fun to read about. Each character had their own distinct personality and their friendship was easily one of the highlights of my reading experience.
Then, there's Brij (another Indian character!) and Matthew (a bi character!). Though these are more minor characters, I loved the exploration of them as well, because let’s just say they’re involved in some good sub-romance plots.
And as for Twinkle's crew, there are some complications. Twinkle's kind-of best friend, Maddie Tanaka (a Japanese-American character whose parents I also loved reading about!), kind of ditched her for the popular crowd. At first, I was hesitant about this plot because I thought it might step too far into the girls hating on other girls plot, but unsurprisingly, Menon handled it beautifully.
A great new power female friendship is formed between Twinkle and another supporting female character (whom I absolutely adored!), while her issues with Maddie and her new friends do get a good resolution.
Parts of this novel are definitely “stereotypical YA contemporary” tropes, but I have a few opinions about that. First of all, marginalized characters and readers have never gotten the same access to these stereotypical rom-com/high school stories and we deserve that same access, so I applaud Menon for writing this. Second of all, Menon finds a good balance between the stereotypical high school story and the multiple unique aspects she adds to Twinkle's story.
A swoon-worthy romance, a brilliant coming-of-age narrative, beautiful inclusion of casual diversity, From Twinkle, With Love is not a novel you want to miss.
This book was basically 327 pages of me laugh-crying in the best way possible.
From Twinkle, With Love is Sandhya Menon's sophomore novel, a young-adult contemporary about an Indian-American teen filmmaker, Twinkle Mehra, who tells her story through letters to her favorite female directors.
I genuinely think I might have loved this one more than When Dimple Met Rishi.
Let’s start with the writing/format because this novel has an interesting format. I found that From Twinkle, With Love is an easy read in a good way. The diary format with some emails and texts thrown in made it a simple read in the literal sense, but the content still packed a heavy punch, and that’s exactly what I look for in these types of raw contemporary novels.
Twinkle is a complicated narrator, and I love that. We see her go on this journey as an aspiring filmmaker who is a young WOC and grew up a wallflower, but as the novel progresses she often screws up and makes very teen-like mistakes and has to step back and re-evaluate who she wants to be when she grows up to be a model filmmaker for future girls of color. I can just picture the people who are going to criticize Twinkle's character based on these mistakes, but I loved that she made them.
No one is perfect, let alone this fictional teenager, and I think her anger being manifested in ways of lashing out that she later regrets is relatable to the mannerisms of many teens and gives us a chance to re-evaluate those mannerisms along with Twinkle. When this novel starts, she’s portrayed as a more “meek, shy” character and she has to battle growing into her confidence with not becoming arrogant and vain. Again, I think these battles and struggles and screw-ups are realistic and refreshing to see.
Romance-wise, the romance in this novel was so swoon-worthy I got chills. Twinkle starts off this novel vying for a handsome popular jock, Neil Roy, but instead builds a relationship with his dorky brother, Sahil Roy, and sparks fly. I loved the slow burn romance in this one because the bond between Twinkle and Sahil felt believable as they formed a genuine connection and said connection is the cutest thing in existence.
Going off of that, all of the supporting characters in this novel were done brilliantly. The dynamics of Twinkle's family, with her mom, dad, and dadi (and of course, Oso the dog), were so well-developed. I loved the inclusion of parents and other family members in this novel as those dynamics are so important to discuss.
There are complicated familial dynamics in this book. Twinkle's immigrant parents are struggling with money, and that was another theme I loved in this novel. The distance from their home country, India, and their struggle with money put a lot of strain on their relationship that they had to work through in this novel. Though this was an underlying theme of the novel, I’m glad Menon was brave enough to explore the dynamics and nuances of immigrants struggling financially.
Peer-wise, yet again, I loved this novel. Sahil's crew, originally made up of two friends Skid and Aaron (a gay black character!!), were so fun to read about. Each character had their own distinct personality and their friendship was easily one of the highlights of my reading experience.
Then, there's Brij (another Indian character!) and Matthew (a bi character!). Though these are more minor characters, I loved the exploration of them as well, because let’s just say they’re involved in some good sub-romance plots.
And as for Twinkle's crew, there are some complications. Twinkle's kind-of best friend, Maddie Tanaka (a Japanese-American character whose parents I also loved reading about!), kind of ditched her for the popular crowd. At first, I was hesitant about this plot because I thought it might step too far into the girls hating on other girls plot, but unsurprisingly, Menon handled it beautifully.
A great new power female friendship is formed between Twinkle and another supporting female character (whom I absolutely adored!), while her issues with Maddie and her new friends do get a good resolution.
Parts of this novel are definitely “stereotypical YA contemporary” tropes, but I have a few opinions about that. First of all, marginalized characters and readers have never gotten the same access to these stereotypical rom-com/high school stories and we deserve that same access, so I applaud Menon for writing this. Second of all, Menon finds a good balance between the stereotypical high school story and the multiple unique aspects she adds to Twinkle's story.
A swoon-worthy romance, a brilliant coming-of-age narrative, beautiful inclusion of casual diversity, From Twinkle, With Love is not a novel you want to miss.
April 25, 2018
3.75
This book was fun to read, and so swoonworthy, but at the same time I found it frustrating and annoying at times too, just due to how some of the characters acted and the direction the plot went at times
It was nice to see Twinkle grow over the book and realise she doesn't need to change herself for other people.
Also Sahil is such a sweetheart <3
This book was fun to read, and so swoonworthy, but at the same time I found it frustrating and annoying at times too, just due to how some of the characters acted and the direction the plot went at times
It was nice to see Twinkle grow over the book and realise she doesn't need to change herself for other people.
Also Sahil is such a sweetheart <3
July 18, 2018
4.5/5
Sandhya Menon's debut, When Dimple Met Rishi, was a book I loved with every fiber of my being last year. I couldn't wait to get my hands on From Twinkle, With Love. The minute I had the book in my hands, I jumped to read it. As with When Dimple Met Rishi, this book epitomized everything I adore in a feel-good rom-com, that was also a story about growing up.
The star of this book is without a doubt Twinkle. She is not a straightforward character and I absolutely loved that about her. Most of you guys know how much of a sucker I am for flawed characters, especially flawed teen characters. Twinkle was the perfect example of the kind of imperfect characters I love in my books. She screws up a lot during the course of the book, but she learns from her mistakes and rises up much stronger than she was at the beginning. You get to see so many facets of her personality. There was her goal-oriented, talented, big-hearted side, and on the opposite end, there was her angry side which we get to see frequently. I loved every part of her complex personality. I also adored how she found comfort in writing letters to her favorite female filmmakers. I found that to be a charming and compelling aspect of From Twinkle, With Love.
Twinkle's family members also made for a fantastic addition to the story. Sandhya Menon portrays what life is like for a family of Indian immigrants and she does it beautifully. You see the ups and downs and the cultural blends. I saw many elements of my own family life in Twinkle's family and you guys have no idea how good it feels to have you depicted in a book like that. Every member of her family was fabulous, but Twinkle's Dadi (grandmother) was especially precious, and I loved the bond between them. From Twinkle, With Love also explored complicated friendships. Twinkle's shaky relationship with Maddie, was a strong focus of the story and was yet another element written with a lot of tact. I honestly liked so much about From Twinkle, With Love, but my favorite was Sahil, who is quite possibly the cutest YA love interest EVER. Sahil made my heart so so happy. He has had a crush on Twinkle for the longest time, but she has had her eyes on his twin brother. Twinkle finally begins to see him for the perfect guy that he is in this book, and oh gosh! <3 I just wanted to squish these two together because I shipped them hard. I don't know how Sandhya Menon continues to write boys who turn me into a possessive reader who side-eyes anyone who wants to claim them as their book-boyfriends. ;)
If you enjoyed When Dimple Met Rishi, you will have no trouble falling for Twinkle, Sahil and the wonderful cast of characters. I can't wait for more Sandhya Menon books in my life!
Sandhya Menon's debut, When Dimple Met Rishi, was a book I loved with every fiber of my being last year. I couldn't wait to get my hands on From Twinkle, With Love. The minute I had the book in my hands, I jumped to read it. As with When Dimple Met Rishi, this book epitomized everything I adore in a feel-good rom-com, that was also a story about growing up.
The star of this book is without a doubt Twinkle. She is not a straightforward character and I absolutely loved that about her. Most of you guys know how much of a sucker I am for flawed characters, especially flawed teen characters. Twinkle was the perfect example of the kind of imperfect characters I love in my books. She screws up a lot during the course of the book, but she learns from her mistakes and rises up much stronger than she was at the beginning. You get to see so many facets of her personality. There was her goal-oriented, talented, big-hearted side, and on the opposite end, there was her angry side which we get to see frequently. I loved every part of her complex personality. I also adored how she found comfort in writing letters to her favorite female filmmakers. I found that to be a charming and compelling aspect of From Twinkle, With Love.
Twinkle's family members also made for a fantastic addition to the story. Sandhya Menon portrays what life is like for a family of Indian immigrants and she does it beautifully. You see the ups and downs and the cultural blends. I saw many elements of my own family life in Twinkle's family and you guys have no idea how good it feels to have you depicted in a book like that. Every member of her family was fabulous, but Twinkle's Dadi (grandmother) was especially precious, and I loved the bond between them. From Twinkle, With Love also explored complicated friendships. Twinkle's shaky relationship with Maddie, was a strong focus of the story and was yet another element written with a lot of tact. I honestly liked so much about From Twinkle, With Love, but my favorite was Sahil, who is quite possibly the cutest YA love interest EVER. Sahil made my heart so so happy. He has had a crush on Twinkle for the longest time, but she has had her eyes on his twin brother. Twinkle finally begins to see him for the perfect guy that he is in this book, and oh gosh! <3 I just wanted to squish these two together because I shipped them hard. I don't know how Sandhya Menon continues to write boys who turn me into a possessive reader who side-eyes anyone who wants to claim them as their book-boyfriends. ;)
If you enjoyed When Dimple Met Rishi, you will have no trouble falling for Twinkle, Sahil and the wonderful cast of characters. I can't wait for more Sandhya Menon books in my life!
lost-interest
March 1, 2019This is going to be hilarious, dramatic AF and swoon worthy and I'm here for it!
April 27, 2021
I wasn't even planning to read this one this month, but I'm honestly so thankful that I did (it's also free on RivetedLit until the end of the month)! This was so cute and adorable and also angsty in all the good ways!! Also, I met Sandhya Menon at BookCon 2018 along with Kav and she was sooo kind and lovely <33 I picked up a camera enamel pin, too, and it's honestly sparked my desire to collect pins. (I have literally two (2) enamel pins.)
From Twinkle, with Love centers Twinkle, an Indian-American girl who wants to be a filmmaker but doesn't even know if she'll be able to afford college. The love interest, Sahil, always feels as if he's under his twin brother's spotlight; Sahil's brother is a popular jock, but Sahil himself is "unpopular" and considered a "geek." Sahil approaches Twinkle asking if she wants to direct a film for the Summer Festival, with him producing it, and they start working together! I really loved how the narration was Twinkle writing letters to powerful women, and it didn't hinder the story at all. There were also a few moments where people would be sexist and Twinkle wasn't afraid to call them out, which I absolutely loved! While I didn't get any of the film references at all, I feel like someone actually into film would freaking love it.
My main and only complaint is that Twinkle's voice in this novel seemed really young. It was a lot younger than Dimple's voice seemed in her debut novel, When Dimple Met Rishi, which was unexpected and kind of bothered me. By the end of the novel, I was kind of used to it and it became more endearing, but it definitely might throw you off in the beginning. Twinkle also kept mentioning being a "groundling" (someone unpopular), and I feel like a made-up term like that would belong more in a middle-grade novel?? Her naivety also bothered me at some moments, such as when a guy left her a note in binary that said "You are cute," but she was like "why would he send me a note in binary??" and she doesn't... translate... it?? There was so much of the plot that felt like unrealistic silly-middle-grade-type plot devices, rather than things that would occur in a high school setting.
However, I think this novel was really, really realistic with the way that it captured Twinkle's underlying desire to be "popular" and her attempt to reconcile that desire by calling the popular kids corrupt and mean. I know a lot of people disliked Twinkle for her selfishness, and I'm not in any way trying to refute that, but she's also just a teenager— one that sees the people around her and wishes to be like them.
This felt like a really accurate portrayal of a young high schooler who didn't know how to deal with the feeling that she was socially inadequate, and I think that was one of the best aspects of this story. Twinkle realizes, with the help of her friends, that the people who are "popular" aren't necessarily awful people, and even if some people did gossip or trash talk others, that still didn't make them inherently evil. This is about Twinkle who feels like she deserves more than what she got— her parents don't pay attention to her, she's not popular, and her family doesn't have a lot of money, but that doesn't justify harming others.
Trigger and content warnings for parental neglect, partying (with alcohol, I think?), and bullying. There may be more that I've missed.
From Twinkle, with Love centers Twinkle, an Indian-American girl who wants to be a filmmaker but doesn't even know if she'll be able to afford college. The love interest, Sahil, always feels as if he's under his twin brother's spotlight; Sahil's brother is a popular jock, but Sahil himself is "unpopular" and considered a "geek." Sahil approaches Twinkle asking if she wants to direct a film for the Summer Festival, with him producing it, and they start working together! I really loved how the narration was Twinkle writing letters to powerful women, and it didn't hinder the story at all. There were also a few moments where people would be sexist and Twinkle wasn't afraid to call them out, which I absolutely loved! While I didn't get any of the film references at all, I feel like someone actually into film would freaking love it.
My main and only complaint is that Twinkle's voice in this novel seemed really young. It was a lot younger than Dimple's voice seemed in her debut novel, When Dimple Met Rishi, which was unexpected and kind of bothered me. By the end of the novel, I was kind of used to it and it became more endearing, but it definitely might throw you off in the beginning. Twinkle also kept mentioning being a "groundling" (someone unpopular), and I feel like a made-up term like that would belong more in a middle-grade novel?? Her naivety also bothered me at some moments, such as when a guy left her a note in binary that said "You are cute," but she was like "why would he send me a note in binary??" and she doesn't... translate... it?? There was so much of the plot that felt like unrealistic silly-middle-grade-type plot devices, rather than things that would occur in a high school setting.
However, I think this novel was really, really realistic with the way that it captured Twinkle's underlying desire to be "popular" and her attempt to reconcile that desire by calling the popular kids corrupt and mean. I know a lot of people disliked Twinkle for her selfishness, and I'm not in any way trying to refute that, but she's also just a teenager— one that sees the people around her and wishes to be like them.
This felt like a really accurate portrayal of a young high schooler who didn't know how to deal with the feeling that she was socially inadequate, and I think that was one of the best aspects of this story. Twinkle realizes, with the help of her friends, that the people who are "popular" aren't necessarily awful people, and even if some people did gossip or trash talk others, that still didn't make them inherently evil. This is about Twinkle who feels like she deserves more than what she got— her parents don't pay attention to her, she's not popular, and her family doesn't have a lot of money, but that doesn't justify harming others.
Trigger and content warnings for parental neglect, partying (with alcohol, I think?), and bullying. There may be more that I've missed.
May 9, 2018
I had very high hopes going into From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon, since When Dimple Met Rishi is one of my favourite reads. It is safe to say that I was not disappointed, and I really enjoyed this story all about filmmaking. Twinkle is awkward and relatable, and the letters make for a unique format. Fans of rom-coms will no doubt love Menon’s latest novel.
Full review on The Candid Cover
Full review on The Candid Cover
May 26, 2018
This has been one of the best contemporary books I've read since like forever.
Twinkle was such a sweetheart oh my god! Her point of view was so funny and entertaining to read about and the style of the book through her letters to her idols and her future self told the story perfectly.
The idea of the film making was just so cool. I've never read 'Dracula', I have seen the movie and a few retellings but I am a massive fan of 'Midsummers Night Dream' and this went beautifully into the story.
The romance was so pure and fluffy. The couple just fitted together perfectly and there was a lot of chemistry. It wasn't exactly a slow-burn relationship but it went at a perfect pace.
The best part about the romance was the aspect of reality, Twinkle has admired this one boy for ages in her life and now feels things for another boy and that's life. You don't just have feelings for the same person all your life.
Overall this was a amazing book and if you haven't picked it up yet just going do it!
Twinkle was such a sweetheart oh my god! Her point of view was so funny and entertaining to read about and the style of the book through her letters to her idols and her future self told the story perfectly.
The idea of the film making was just so cool. I've never read 'Dracula', I have seen the movie and a few retellings but I am a massive fan of 'Midsummers Night Dream' and this went beautifully into the story.
The romance was so pure and fluffy. The couple just fitted together perfectly and there was a lot of chemistry. It wasn't exactly a slow-burn relationship but it went at a perfect pace.
The best part about the romance was the aspect of reality, Twinkle has admired this one boy for ages in her life and now feels things for another boy and that's life. You don't just have feelings for the same person all your life.
Overall this was a amazing book and if you haven't picked it up yet just going do it!
January 2, 2022
Have you ever felt like a book was written just for you? This book felt like that for me.
*SPOILER-FREE*
Shay's 'From Twinkle, with Love' moodboard:
5 stars because this is as good as teen fiction gets.
Song rec for this book : White Teeth Teens by Lorde
Sixteen-year-old protagonist, Twinkle Mehra is a feminist and 'groundling' as she calls herself, a wallflower on a journey to becoming more. Twinkle has big dreams and knows she is capable of greatness but she hasn't broken out of her shell. This a painfully relatable coming-of-age story that is a roller coaster of emotions; losing your bestfriend, falling in love, standing up for yourself, taking on your first big project, confronting detached parents & everything else in between.
It was like I was 16 again and reading this book felt like looking myself in the mirror. At some point I was like, are you sure this book isn't about me? I laughed, cried, got angry, got hurt, got flustered -& everything else- with her because I understood her heart. As a Southeast Asian girl who has big dreams but also big hurdles & a withering self-esteem who is constantly making mistakes & trying to learn from them, I felt so so seen.
⟪THE FORMAT⟫
is a diary! super interesting & it brings us so much closer to the main character and her feelings(& of course, her humour too). She is funny, witty
empowered yet timid and most of all, angsty. If you have an Asian family with emotionally-detached parents where you're basically raising yourself & dreams count for nothing in your household, this book is for you.
If you are a POC teen who dreams big but is angry at the world for its patriarchy & oppression of women of colour (like I am), this book is for you.
⟪THE ROMANCE⟫
in this book is cliche but I enjoyed it all the same. It made me squeal out loud, laugh, cry and clutch my chest like my heart was going to squeeze itself to death. It was perfectly-paced & their chemistry was AMAZING. The boy is an absolute cinnamon roll (& a very good-looking one, at that)
In the end, this book brought me into Twinkle's world and I really lived vicariously through her. There was no distance between reader & protagonist, and this the kind of reading experience I wouldn't trade for the world.
〖 Follow me on Instagram (@shashaybooks)! 〗
Thank you RivetedLit.com for providing a free full read!
*SPOILER-FREE*
Shay's 'From Twinkle, with Love' moodboard:
5 stars because this is as good as teen fiction gets.
Song rec for this book : White Teeth Teens by Lorde
"Twinkle, what's your number one goal in life?"
"To change lives with my films and show the world what a Desi girl can do," I said proudly.
Sixteen-year-old protagonist, Twinkle Mehra is a feminist and 'groundling' as she calls herself, a wallflower on a journey to becoming more. Twinkle has big dreams and knows she is capable of greatness but she hasn't broken out of her shell. This a painfully relatable coming-of-age story that is a roller coaster of emotions; losing your bestfriend, falling in love, standing up for yourself, taking on your first big project, confronting detached parents & everything else in between.
It was like I was 16 again and reading this book felt like looking myself in the mirror. At some point I was like, are you sure this book isn't about me? I laughed, cried, got angry, got hurt, got flustered -& everything else- with her because I understood her heart. As a Southeast Asian girl who has big dreams but also big hurdles & a withering self-esteem who is constantly making mistakes & trying to learn from them, I felt so so seen.
"Have you ever done something you were ashamed of, but found yourself powerless to stop?"[...]
"Yeah. But...how do you get yourself to stop?"[...]
Mummy shrugged and smiled a small, sad smile. "I don't know, beta. I'm still trying to work that out. I supposed all we can do is try, hmm? Perhaps life is about doing things in small steps to set things right again."
⟪THE FORMAT⟫
is a diary! super interesting & it brings us so much closer to the main character and her feelings(& of course, her humour too). She is funny, witty
"My field of sunflowers looks like a toxic waste dump, which might turn out to be a cool statement on society's unthinking gluttonous exploitation of our planet's natural resources. Maddie's looks like Monet helped her paint it."
empowered yet timid and most of all, angsty. If you have an Asian family with emotionally-detached parents where you're basically raising yourself & dreams count for nothing in your household, this book is for you.
If you are a POC teen who dreams big but is angry at the world for its patriarchy & oppression of women of colour (like I am), this book is for you.
⟪THE ROMANCE⟫
in this book is cliche but I enjoyed it all the same. It made me squeal out loud, laugh, cry and clutch my chest like my heart was going to squeeze itself to death. It was perfectly-paced & their chemistry was AMAZING. The boy is an absolute cinnamon roll (& a very good-looking one, at that)
In the end, this book brought me into Twinkle's world and I really lived vicariously through her. There was no distance between reader & protagonist, and this the kind of reading experience I wouldn't trade for the world.
〖 Follow me on Instagram (@shashaybooks)! 〗
Thank you RivetedLit.com for providing a free full read!
May 27, 2018
Want to see me talk about books? Check out my Youtube Channel: Bexnbookx
From Twinkle, with Love is a cute, inspiring, own-voices YA contemporary, with a talented main character as she attempts to navigate her high-school life and her upcoming future.
I received a free copy of this book from Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts and comments are entirely my own.
From Twinkle, with Love follows Twinkle Mehra, an aspiring filmmaker but utterly invisible. With stories to tell and a director in her heart, life would be easier if the world would listen to what she has to say and maybe she could finally get her best friend back. When fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for an upcoming festival, she jumps at the chance to be seen and showcase her voice as a director. Her dreams were finally beginning to come true, with Sahil's twin brother being a teenage heartthrob and a chance to get closer to her dream guy while directing her first film.
When mystery man "N" begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it's Neil, but with her movie project becoming a reality, she begins falling for her movie partner and adorable twin brother to Neil, Sahil. The question is will this unscripted romance be enough for Twinkle?
I really enjoyed reading From Twinkle, with Love, it was a cute contemporary that I could really immerse myself in and I flew through it in one day. The story went further than a high-school romance novel, and delved into dynamics of female friendships within the teen age group as well as strained family settings.
The writing style was really enjoyable to read, it was fun and quirky, with the story being written through letters Twinkle writes to female filmmakers that inspire her. It also has some additional text messages and blog posts which provided a further insights into Sahil's perspective. The writing style made for a quick reading experience, and an delightful one at that.
The plot wasn't overly complex, but what stood out to me within this novel was the important messages weaved throughout the story. Sandhya's novel touched beautifully on family and friendship dynamics, as well as including diversity and culture which sat at the forefront. Twinkle's family dynamic was a complex part of this story, and I find family not included enough within young adult contemporaries. The author was able to dive into a family that wasn't perfect, and I appreciated how they interacted together and how the family as a whole grew as the story progressed.
Twinkle as a main character was fantastic to follow, she was flawed but continuously learning more about herself. I loved how driven her character was to pursue her dreams, and found myself envious of her passion throughout the story. I was also able to see Twinkle's character develop within the story, she grew exponentially and overall I think she was an awesome main character. I liked the addition to Sahil's character, he was such a sweet cinnamon roll, although I felt like he wasn't as developed as Twinkle. He seemed like the perfect male, and I enjoyed reading about him, but I would of liked to see more from his character.
Twinkle's complex relationship with her best friend Maddie was also an interesting one to follow, although I found it progress, I didn't enjoy reading about it as a whole. I think at times it was a very toxic relationship, and although it may have been realistic for the high-school environment, it didn't love reading about it.
Overall, From Twinkle, with Love was a great contemporary read that really drew me in. I enjoyed reading about Twinkle and her experience with love, life and her future. Ultimately, I find that you can always tell a great story when you are able to take something from the novel, and From Twinkle, with Love definitely achieved this and I was able to learn more about the Indian culture which was wonderful.
Rating: 4/5
Purchase From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon from Book Depository and receive FREE SHIPPING: https://www.bookdepository.com/From-T...
From Twinkle, with Love is a cute, inspiring, own-voices YA contemporary, with a talented main character as she attempts to navigate her high-school life and her upcoming future.
I received a free copy of this book from Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts and comments are entirely my own.
From Twinkle, with Love follows Twinkle Mehra, an aspiring filmmaker but utterly invisible. With stories to tell and a director in her heart, life would be easier if the world would listen to what she has to say and maybe she could finally get her best friend back. When fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for an upcoming festival, she jumps at the chance to be seen and showcase her voice as a director. Her dreams were finally beginning to come true, with Sahil's twin brother being a teenage heartthrob and a chance to get closer to her dream guy while directing her first film.
When mystery man "N" begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it's Neil, but with her movie project becoming a reality, she begins falling for her movie partner and adorable twin brother to Neil, Sahil. The question is will this unscripted romance be enough for Twinkle?
I really enjoyed reading From Twinkle, with Love, it was a cute contemporary that I could really immerse myself in and I flew through it in one day. The story went further than a high-school romance novel, and delved into dynamics of female friendships within the teen age group as well as strained family settings.
The writing style was really enjoyable to read, it was fun and quirky, with the story being written through letters Twinkle writes to female filmmakers that inspire her. It also has some additional text messages and blog posts which provided a further insights into Sahil's perspective. The writing style made for a quick reading experience, and an delightful one at that.
The plot wasn't overly complex, but what stood out to me within this novel was the important messages weaved throughout the story. Sandhya's novel touched beautifully on family and friendship dynamics, as well as including diversity and culture which sat at the forefront. Twinkle's family dynamic was a complex part of this story, and I find family not included enough within young adult contemporaries. The author was able to dive into a family that wasn't perfect, and I appreciated how they interacted together and how the family as a whole grew as the story progressed.
Twinkle as a main character was fantastic to follow, she was flawed but continuously learning more about herself. I loved how driven her character was to pursue her dreams, and found myself envious of her passion throughout the story. I was also able to see Twinkle's character develop within the story, she grew exponentially and overall I think she was an awesome main character. I liked the addition to Sahil's character, he was such a sweet cinnamon roll, although I felt like he wasn't as developed as Twinkle. He seemed like the perfect male, and I enjoyed reading about him, but I would of liked to see more from his character.
Twinkle's complex relationship with her best friend Maddie was also an interesting one to follow, although I found it progress, I didn't enjoy reading about it as a whole. I think at times it was a very toxic relationship, and although it may have been realistic for the high-school environment, it didn't love reading about it.
Overall, From Twinkle, with Love was a great contemporary read that really drew me in. I enjoyed reading about Twinkle and her experience with love, life and her future. Ultimately, I find that you can always tell a great story when you are able to take something from the novel, and From Twinkle, with Love definitely achieved this and I was able to learn more about the Indian culture which was wonderful.
Rating: 4/5
Purchase From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon from Book Depository and receive FREE SHIPPING: https://www.bookdepository.com/From-T...
December 21, 2018
2.5? 3? 3.5? I have no idea. I also have no idea if these are actually spoilers, but better safe than sorry.
I'm so conflicted with this one. I hated Twinkle for most of this. Like, I hated her. She was one of the most annoying characters I've ever read. She liked a boy not because of him, but because she would be popular if they dated? Honey, when has that ever worked in the long run for anyone? Maybe focus on not feeling so sorry for yourself and living in a state of woe is me, and make new friends. The "connection" between her and Neil was mentioned a couple of times, but I'm sorry, WHAT connection?
She was so focused on status and social hierarchy, and I just wanted to shake her.
That being said, I liked the other characters and the plot enough that I didn't totally hate the book. By the end though, Twinkle wasn't a complete piece of shit, which is what I like to see. However, for me, it took too long to get to that point. She really thought that she was one of "the greats" before she was even finished filming her first fucking movie? Give. Me. A. FUCKING. BREAK.
One of the reasons I liked it was because of the whole ex-bff plot. I know exactly what it's like to have a best friend ignore you for new friends. However, Twinkle did not handle herself well. Actually, none of the characters involved handled themselves well. Still, I would've liked to have seen more done with this portion of the story.
If Twinkle wasn't such a selfish asshole for most of this, I would've loved this book. Scratch that. If she was a decent person, I would've loved this. I think part of it was the fact that it was written as her diary through letters to her favourite directors. We got to hear Twinkle's every horrible thought. If this was written in the third person and we weren't aware of just how garbage she was, I would've liked it a whole lot more. She was a complete fucking asshole to her parents. She had valid concerns, but again, handled everything in the wrong way. You're going to get mad at them because they don't have enough money to buy you a phone and a car? For real? You're old enough. Go get a fucking job. Don't make your parents feel like shit about themselves because you're feeling entitled. UGH.
I still have no idea what I want to rate this. I hated the main character, loved some parts, cried because some parts were a little too real for me, but still hated the main character. Send help LOL
I'm so conflicted with this one. I hated Twinkle for most of this. Like, I hated her. She was one of the most annoying characters I've ever read. She liked a boy not because of him, but because she would be popular if they dated? Honey, when has that ever worked in the long run for anyone? Maybe focus on not feeling so sorry for yourself and living in a state of woe is me, and make new friends. The "connection" between her and Neil was mentioned a couple of times, but I'm sorry, WHAT connection?
She was so focused on status and social hierarchy, and I just wanted to shake her.
That being said, I liked the other characters and the plot enough that I didn't totally hate the book. By the end though, Twinkle wasn't a complete piece of shit, which is what I like to see. However, for me, it took too long to get to that point. She really thought that she was one of "the greats" before she was even finished filming her first fucking movie? Give. Me. A. FUCKING. BREAK.
One of the reasons I liked it was because of the whole ex-bff plot. I know exactly what it's like to have a best friend ignore you for new friends. However, Twinkle did not handle herself well. Actually, none of the characters involved handled themselves well. Still, I would've liked to have seen more done with this portion of the story.
If Twinkle wasn't such a selfish asshole for most of this, I would've loved this book. Scratch that. If she was a decent person, I would've loved this. I think part of it was the fact that it was written as her diary through letters to her favourite directors. We got to hear Twinkle's every horrible thought. If this was written in the third person and we weren't aware of just how garbage she was, I would've liked it a whole lot more. She was a complete fucking asshole to her parents. She had valid concerns, but again, handled everything in the wrong way. You're going to get mad at them because they don't have enough money to buy you a phone and a car? For real? You're old enough. Go get a fucking job. Don't make your parents feel like shit about themselves because you're feeling entitled. UGH.
I still have no idea what I want to rate this. I hated the main character, loved some parts, cried because some parts were a little too real for me, but still hated the main character. Send help LOL
June 20, 2019
Twinkle: a delicate wallflower turned outspoken director during her junior year of high school. You will find culture, a love story, friendship evolution, family tension, and career ambition in this one. Twinkle will definitely annoy you at times but she does a lot of growing up too. Unfortunately books that are told through journal entries are never my favorite since I can’t imagine writing down every single detail that needs to be accounted for in order to tell a story.
August 16, 2018
Thanks to the publisher for this review copy!
I absolutely adored Menon's 2017 title WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI and was so so excited to read this one and discover that it is just as wonderful, although completely different. TWINKLE is written completely in letters to famous female film makers, and details the attempts of teenage Twinkle Mehra to both create a fabulous movie for an upcoming school festival and make over her social image.
*
This story is sweet and romantic and 100% celebrates geeky love at its absolute best. While Twinkle definitely starts out letting the world walk right over her, she gains emotional strength as she gains her confidence in film making.
*
TWINKLE is a must-read this summer, and a story that will be perfect for adults and teens alike to crack open on the beach......or in an air conditioned living room ~ either way!
*
Thanks to @simonkids for this review copy! I am passing it on to @kidlitexchange for more reviews.
I absolutely adored Menon's 2017 title WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI and was so so excited to read this one and discover that it is just as wonderful, although completely different. TWINKLE is written completely in letters to famous female film makers, and details the attempts of teenage Twinkle Mehra to both create a fabulous movie for an upcoming school festival and make over her social image.
*
This story is sweet and romantic and 100% celebrates geeky love at its absolute best. While Twinkle definitely starts out letting the world walk right over her, she gains emotional strength as she gains her confidence in film making.
*
TWINKLE is a must-read this summer, and a story that will be perfect for adults and teens alike to crack open on the beach......or in an air conditioned living room ~ either way!
*
Thanks to @simonkids for this review copy! I am passing it on to @kidlitexchange for more reviews.
July 15, 2018
From Twinkle, With Love was utterly adorable and a delight to read. It was filled with uplifting, funny, inspiring, strong, well rounded, imperfect characters and relationships. It was incredibly easy to read and my heart feels a little lighter after doing so. It made me smile, stress and squee in equal amounts. Although I didn’t enjoy this as much as When Dimple Met Rishi and there were a few plot points I didn’t love quite so much, I throughly enjoyed this book. I loved the nod to women in film and Twinkle’s journey to accomplishing her dreams, whilst discovering who she is and learning to believe in herself. Each and every moment of this reading experience was a joy and I would without a doubt recommend it.
July 5, 2018
Dear Twinkle Mehra of the future,
Hold on to this moment. You’ll want to remember how you feel.
You’ll want to remember every tiny detail.
This was such a pure book to read. I think that’s what I’ll remember the most about it: how happy it made me feel. It’s a book that made me happy from the moment I started to the very last word. It made me all emotional and shit, and I’m glad it did.
This is the story of 16yo Twinkle Mehra, born of two Indian immigrants who came to the US so their daughter could have a good life. Or at least the possibility of it. Twinkle only wants one thing: to make movies. She wants to be a director and change lives, she wants to share her truth through her art and make people happy. But she also wants to stop being invisible. And for this, she only sees one possibility: dating Neil Roy, the boy she’s had a crush on for years, someone so popular dating him would mean finally be visible. But, hum, does she really want to date him, or the idea of him? For now it doesn’t really matter, what matters is that Neil’s twin brother, Sahil, just asked her to make a movie with him, and it’s an opportuntiy Twinkle cannot refuse.
For this movie, a genderbend remake of Dracula, the only person she sees as her lead actress his best friend — or ex best friend? — Maddie. It could mean an opportunity to spend more time with her and show her that Twinkle is on her way to become popular. Because if Twinkle wants to be popular, it’s not just because she wants to be seen, it’s also because she misses her best friend who’s now one of the popular kids. She wants her best friend back, and if dating Neil is the only way to do that, so be it.
Of course nothing is that simple. Especially when Twinkle starts realising she’s developping feelings for Sahil. I have to admit, Sahil and his friends were my favourite characters in this book. I adored Sahil, he’s one of the softest, kindest boys I have read about in YA literature. I loved that he had faith in Twinkle’s work, that he believed in her when nobody did, that he never questionned the vision she had for this movie. Not only because it was important for her, but he was ready to listen to her and hear her arguments. Sahil is a respectful bean and I loved him. I also adored the friendships he has with his two best friends Skid and Aaron. Most of the time in YA books, we don’t read about about boys friendships. We mostly focus on girls friendships, which is also important and was talked about in this book. But reading about three unproblematic boys who liked to spend time together, send each other text messages, go on hikes, play video games and talk about their feelings was so amazing? I loved it so much when Aaron called out ‘toxic masculinity’, not because Aaron is gay, but because the guys listened to him. Give me healthy friendships between boys and I’m happy.
I also appreciated the message behind Twinkle’s sruggle to stay humble when she finally starts to succeed. Thinking yourself as the best is okay, but not when you diminish other people, and that was what Twinkle had started to do. I liked that Maddie and Sahil challenged this problematic part of her, that they made her see she was becoming someone she didn’t want to be. Twinkle was an amazing character, she just needed the important persons in her life to tell her when she fucks up, we all do. She was realistic, and that’s something I enjoyed.
I prefered this book to When Dimpe Met Rishi, I could relate to it more and I don’t know, I think I just liked the characters and the story more. But both books are amazing. I can”t wait to read more.
4.5
Hold on to this moment. You’ll want to remember how you feel.
You’ll want to remember every tiny detail.
This was such a pure book to read. I think that’s what I’ll remember the most about it: how happy it made me feel. It’s a book that made me happy from the moment I started to the very last word. It made me all emotional and shit, and I’m glad it did.
This is the story of 16yo Twinkle Mehra, born of two Indian immigrants who came to the US so their daughter could have a good life. Or at least the possibility of it. Twinkle only wants one thing: to make movies. She wants to be a director and change lives, she wants to share her truth through her art and make people happy. But she also wants to stop being invisible. And for this, she only sees one possibility: dating Neil Roy, the boy she’s had a crush on for years, someone so popular dating him would mean finally be visible. But, hum, does she really want to date him, or the idea of him? For now it doesn’t really matter, what matters is that Neil’s twin brother, Sahil, just asked her to make a movie with him, and it’s an opportuntiy Twinkle cannot refuse.
For this movie, a genderbend remake of Dracula, the only person she sees as her lead actress his best friend — or ex best friend? — Maddie. It could mean an opportunity to spend more time with her and show her that Twinkle is on her way to become popular. Because if Twinkle wants to be popular, it’s not just because she wants to be seen, it’s also because she misses her best friend who’s now one of the popular kids. She wants her best friend back, and if dating Neil is the only way to do that, so be it.
Of course nothing is that simple. Especially when Twinkle starts realising she’s developping feelings for Sahil. I have to admit, Sahil and his friends were my favourite characters in this book. I adored Sahil, he’s one of the softest, kindest boys I have read about in YA literature. I loved that he had faith in Twinkle’s work, that he believed in her when nobody did, that he never questionned the vision she had for this movie. Not only because it was important for her, but he was ready to listen to her and hear her arguments. Sahil is a respectful bean and I loved him. I also adored the friendships he has with his two best friends Skid and Aaron. Most of the time in YA books, we don’t read about about boys friendships. We mostly focus on girls friendships, which is also important and was talked about in this book. But reading about three unproblematic boys who liked to spend time together, send each other text messages, go on hikes, play video games and talk about their feelings was so amazing? I loved it so much when Aaron called out ‘toxic masculinity’, not because Aaron is gay, but because the guys listened to him. Give me healthy friendships between boys and I’m happy.
I also appreciated the message behind Twinkle’s sruggle to stay humble when she finally starts to succeed. Thinking yourself as the best is okay, but not when you diminish other people, and that was what Twinkle had started to do. I liked that Maddie and Sahil challenged this problematic part of her, that they made her see she was becoming someone she didn’t want to be. Twinkle was an amazing character, she just needed the important persons in her life to tell her when she fucks up, we all do. She was realistic, and that’s something I enjoyed.
I prefered this book to When Dimpe Met Rishi, I could relate to it more and I don’t know, I think I just liked the characters and the story more. But both books are amazing. I can”t wait to read more.
4.5
June 19, 2018
I loved this wonderful YA novel. It is written in letters to various female film makers and follows Twinkle as she makes her first film.
Twinkle views herself as a “groundling” and wants to be apart of the popular, “silk feathered hat,” group. As she makes her movie, she makes new friends and comes to learn more about herself.
There were some parts of the book where I felt incredibly frustrated with Twinkle’s thoughts and behaviors. But I had to remind myself that she is a teenage girl, and it’s incredibly normal. This book is not written for a 28-year old woman, though I totally enjoyed it.
I loved that Menon writes about Indian families. I enjoyed seeing how Twinkles parents came to the US to give her a better life. And I especially loved the relationship between Twinkle and her grandmother.
Twinkle views herself as a “groundling” and wants to be apart of the popular, “silk feathered hat,” group. As she makes her movie, she makes new friends and comes to learn more about herself.
There were some parts of the book where I felt incredibly frustrated with Twinkle’s thoughts and behaviors. But I had to remind myself that she is a teenage girl, and it’s incredibly normal. This book is not written for a 28-year old woman, though I totally enjoyed it.
I loved that Menon writes about Indian families. I enjoyed seeing how Twinkles parents came to the US to give her a better life. And I especially loved the relationship between Twinkle and her grandmother.
June 16, 2018
dnf at page 214
this is SO not what i was expecting from the author of When Dimple Met Rishi!!! i liked that one because it was smart and mature (if a LITTLE bit corny at times), and i like the premise for From Twinkle with Love way more so i was sure i was going to love it, but it was PAINFULLY juvenile and immature. it sounds like it was written for 13 year olds!!! it was a cringe-filled chore to get through as much as i did. the characters were cute i GUESS (i loved the grandma) but they were very flat. all of it was just so predictable and corny (not cheesy - i like cheesy!) and childish and BORING. i was really disappointed!!
i hope sandhya menon's next books return to the When Dimple Met Rishi caliber
this is SO not what i was expecting from the author of When Dimple Met Rishi!!! i liked that one because it was smart and mature (if a LITTLE bit corny at times), and i like the premise for From Twinkle with Love way more so i was sure i was going to love it, but it was PAINFULLY juvenile and immature. it sounds like it was written for 13 year olds!!! it was a cringe-filled chore to get through as much as i did. the characters were cute i GUESS (i loved the grandma) but they were very flat. all of it was just so predictable and corny (not cheesy - i like cheesy!) and childish and BORING. i was really disappointed!!
i hope sandhya menon's next books return to the When Dimple Met Rishi caliber
May 28, 2018
4.5 “Adooorrrbbsss Part 2” Stars
I think I loved this book even more than the first, if that's possible. Well, it is possible, because unlike with When Dimple Met Rishi I have no major complaints about this story at all!!!! It was adorable and the character development was pretty stellar, too.
I was smiling so hard throughout the whole thing and got major swoon vibes from the romance, so yeah, I'm a happy reader!
First, hello first person narrative, you know I love you more than third especially in contemporary! Twinkle's voice was just perfect for YA and for the story itself. She was someone I could instantly connect with, despite my reservations about the decisions she was making along the way. But she was young and I could see where she was coming from, so instead of coming off as irritating, she was just slightly immature in a "I know this isn't the best idea but maybe it'll work out in the end because I have hope" kind of way.
She made some dubious choices and came really close to getting on my nerves like Dimple in her book, but unlike Dimple, Twinkle owned her mistakes and did her best to try to correct them. This was really what made this book extra special for me. As silly as this sounds, because I know that's not what happened, it still felt like the author fixed my biggest problem with her previous story.
Now, what didn't need fixing at all was Sandhya Menon's ability to write amazing love interests and swoony romance. She did it again!
Sahil was just... YEEEESSSSS!!!
Freaking adorable. Nerdy. Cute. Romantic. And obviously the better twin. Fight me!
I loved that instead of having that perfect twin dynamic with his brother, he was actually trying to stay as far away from "perfect" Neil as possible. The inner conflict wasn't a huge part of the story, but it made it special, and it gave Sahil something to work on throughout the book.
Aside from the romance, the story also focused on Twinkle's relationship with her best friend (loved how complicated that situation was, and how both girls ended up realizing their mistakes and trying to fix them) and the funny and usual dynamic with Twinkle's grandmother (a positive relationship in a home that seemed so broken).
Overall, this book was all about positives to me. It was cute, heartfelt, romantic, authentic and diverse. Not only the protagonists were Indian-American, but we had gay, black, Japanese-American and more diverse group of characters represented in a positive light. More, please!
April 30, 2018
2.5/5 – i can't decide if i love it or hate it. the process of reading it was so frustrating, but i appreciated other aspects.
things i loved:
(1) the diversity!! okay, yeah, DUH. From Twinkle With Love has amazing indian-american rep and doesn't disappoint in this aspect.
(2) twinkle's passion for films! i love seeing characters who are REALLY passionate about something because i feel like we rarely see that. it's usually a side comment in media. it's frustrating because my teen life revolved around What I Want to Be When I Grow Up but you never see that. but this!! was the star of the show.
(3) the last chapter aka the last four pages. they were so great!! but enough to redeem the other 300+? kinda questionable.
things i didn't love:
(1) twinkle. i'm more of a character-driven book type of person; if i don't like the main character, there's a problem. i couldn't get over twinkle's insecurities and obsession with wanting to be friends with someone because they're popular, or downgrading herself/others because they were unpopular. it all felt extremely sad and juvenile. especially since it was such a Big Thing in the book! at one point, i thought to myslef, "if i hear the word 'groundling' one more time..." it's so frustrating when twinkle is so oblivious to like, everything. at one point, i realized o really pitied twinkle for her opinions and actions and that made me reaaaaaaally sad.
(2) the rest of the characters?? i found it hard to connect with anyone and everyone just felt plastic. some things felt overdramatic and lacked depth. the romantic relationship was cute, but also very frustrating; the frienships were heartfelt, but also very frustrating. see a pattern?
(3) the unnecessary drama?? a lot of it felt so so childish. i can't tell if i'm growing out of YA (i AM getting old...) or if some of this just reads as middle-grade. some of the things felt really petty and left me thinking, "does this really happen? is it really that bad?" of course, it's meant to make the story more interesting, the characters grow more, etc etc but like??? yeah.
i'm really sad i didn't enjoy this more because i really REALLY wanted to like it. this was actually one of my most anticipated books of 2018. maybe my expectations were too high.
things i loved:
(1) the diversity!! okay, yeah, DUH. From Twinkle With Love has amazing indian-american rep and doesn't disappoint in this aspect.
(2) twinkle's passion for films! i love seeing characters who are REALLY passionate about something because i feel like we rarely see that. it's usually a side comment in media. it's frustrating because my teen life revolved around What I Want to Be When I Grow Up but you never see that. but this!! was the star of the show.
(3) the last chapter aka the last four pages. they were so great!! but enough to redeem the other 300+? kinda questionable.
things i didn't love:
(1) twinkle. i'm more of a character-driven book type of person; if i don't like the main character, there's a problem. i couldn't get over twinkle's insecurities and obsession with wanting to be friends with someone because they're popular, or downgrading herself/others because they were unpopular. it all felt extremely sad and juvenile. especially since it was such a Big Thing in the book! at one point, i thought to myslef, "if i hear the word 'groundling' one more time..." it's so frustrating when twinkle is so oblivious to like, everything. at one point, i realized o really pitied twinkle for her opinions and actions and that made me reaaaaaaally sad.
(2) the rest of the characters?? i found it hard to connect with anyone and everyone just felt plastic. some things felt overdramatic and lacked depth. the romantic relationship was cute, but also very frustrating; the frienships were heartfelt, but also very frustrating. see a pattern?
(3) the unnecessary drama?? a lot of it felt so so childish. i can't tell if i'm growing out of YA (i AM getting old...) or if some of this just reads as middle-grade. some of the things felt really petty and left me thinking, "does this really happen? is it really that bad?" of course, it's meant to make the story more interesting, the characters grow more, etc etc but like??? yeah.
i'm really sad i didn't enjoy this more because i really REALLY wanted to like it. this was actually one of my most anticipated books of 2018. maybe my expectations were too high.
December 6, 2022
✩ 1 star - dnfed 30%
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i really wanted to like this book, i had so many good expectations but i just couldn’t stand the main character she was a bit much.
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even though i liked the plot and the other characters.
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the mc, her personality and attitude just ruined the whole experience and i don’t even care about the story anymore
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i really wanted to like this book, i had so many good expectations but i just couldn’t stand the main character she was a bit much.
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even though i liked the plot and the other characters.
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the mc, her personality and attitude just ruined the whole experience and i don’t even care about the story anymore
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