The Midnight Readers discussion

We're starting this Saturday!!

I'm excited :D

Akshita wrote: "I'm excited :D"

Me too!!

So are we gonna go at our own pace or read a certain amount of chapters per day?

I just went to see how many chapters this book has and got confused because the name of the first chapter is "Two"

This is my first br *excited*

Nimrat wrote: "Akshita wrote: "I'm excited :D"

Me too!!

So are we gonna go at our own pace or read a certain amount of chapters per day?"

I'm good with going at my own pace

as long as you don't end up finishing in a day

Nimrat wrote: "I just went to see how many chapters this book has and got confused because the name of the first chapter is "Two""

How many are there?

Mrunal wrote: "This is my first br *excited*"

Really? Wow.

Mrunal wrote: "This is my first br *excited*"

Oh wow. Excited for you too!

Akshita wrote: "Nimrat wrote: "Akshita wrote: "I'm excited :D"

Me too!!

So are we gonna go at our own pace or read a certain amount of chapters per day?"

I'm good with going at my own pace

as long as you don't..."

Yes okay!

Lol. No. I have a Chemistry test on Monday so I'm gonna stop myself from finishing so fast and encourage myself to study Chemistry.

So we're starting today!!!!!!!

Wha- it's Saturday already??
I honestly didn't realise 😂

How many chapters a day?

Mrunal wrote: "How many chapters a day?"

We'll just go at our own pace and see how it goes.

Akshita wrote: "Wha- it's Saturday already??
I honestly didn't realise 😂"

Lol yes.

Hmm I'll start tonight then.

Alright!

ALL MY UPDATES ON THIS BOOK TILL NOW

smell God in the silk of Amma’s sari,


Why were you smelling her sari though?

We buy clothes on sale—
never anything cool.

Excuse me but, clothes on sale are COOL.

Even worse than the parties
where I feel so left out
are the ones where
I’m not even invited.

Personally, I'd rather not be invited to a party that to feel left out.

When you are an only child,
the house is orderly, quiet.
Voices are rarely raised.
Your parents only think of you.

WRONG.
you'll hear my mother yelling at me or my father from miles away
Also, most of the times my parents don't even bother talking to me so no. They don't only think about me.

And when I do try to talk,
my accent is wrong,
wronger than my parents’ accents
when they speak English.

I don't think wronger is a word, hon.

When he wears green,
I see bits of yellow swirling.
When he’s arguing a point in class,
his eyes look purple.
Then I stop and remind myself
not to stare.
Which is hard,
because Pete is my partner
in English.

Stop. Please.

They giggle all the time,
hang their arms around each
other in hallways,
talk loudly at the lockers,
hoping the boys will notice.
I don’t have time for such nonsense.
I have things I want to accomplish.

Yep. Reha is not like other girls.

She wears it in a braid she can sit on.

Why would someone sit on their braid though?

Rachel and Reha,
Reha and Rachel,

Not again.

I wore a white sari when my mother, your pati, died,

I don't know which language this is, but in Hindi pati means husband.

I am six years old perched on Amma’s bed trying not to wrinkle my dark green langa.

Why do I think that she means "lehanga"?
Because I genuinely have never heard the word "langa"

Sunny and I never argue even though we’re so different.

Being different doesn't mean that you will argue. There's something known as "respecting others opinions"

We were only a month apart—
Reha and Sunny,
Sunny and Reha,
almost close enough to be twins.

I've met people born on the same day as me, but I've never thought of them as my twin, because, you know the definition of twins.

Reha and Sunny,
Sunny and Reha,

Also why is this written twice like this? Just to increase the word count I suppose.

According to Daddy, Indians are famous for disagreeing with each other...

I didn't know that...

I’m caught between the life I want to lead and the one she thinks I should.

This hit hard.

They're in descending order btw.

I've read 73 pages out of the 136 pages in my ebook. I should stop. I'm not gonna read any more of this book for today.

Nimrat wrote: "I've read 73 pages out of the 136 pages in my ebook. I should stop. I'm not gonna read any more of this book for today."

I haven't even downloaded it yet... I am in a class rn...

Mrunal wrote: "Nimrat wrote: "I've read 73 pages out of the 136 pages in my ebook. I should stop. I'm not gonna read any more of this book for today."

I haven't even downloaded it yet... I am in a class rn..."

I've downloaded it, but won't be starting until very late tonight.

But 73 pages?? You are already more than halfway through!

Akshita wrote: "Mrunal wrote: "Nimrat wrote: "I've read 73 pages out of the 136 pages in my ebook. I should stop. I'm not gonna read any more of this book for today."

I haven't even downloaded it yet... I am in a..."

Um...yes. It had really short chapters so I was tempted to read more and more.
Since I have the Chemistry test on Monday, I'll give you guys time to catch up with me.

I'm starting now!

I just downloaded it. The chapters are like 2 pages only.

Yup. Super quick to get through.

Not very far into it, but I'm loving this book so much already! Never thought it was possible for me to start sympathizing with the MC when I'm only 10% in...but here we are

Akshita wrote: "Yup. Super quick to get through.

Not very far into it, but I'm loving this book so much already! Never thought it was possible for me to start sympathizing with the MC when I'm only 10% in...but h..."

I will start reading it tonight... I'm excited about it...

All the Indian references though...
Samosas and Sabjis.
Unpopular opinion: I don't like Samosas.

Nimrat wrote: "All the Indian references though...
Samosas and Sabjis.
Unpopular opinion: I don't like Samosas."

Yess! Love those references. They hit so close to home (literally)
Do you know which state Reha's parents belonged to?

I don't like samosa either. But I do love Kachori though

Yes. They belong to Karnataka.

Is it weird that I've never had kachori?

Nimrat wrote: "Yes. They belong to Karnataka.

Is it weird that I've never had kachori?"

Huh? Neither the bikaneri one nor the one with onion masala in it?
It's not weird. There's so much that i haven't had either.

Akshita wrote: "Nimrat wrote: "Yes. They belong to Karnataka.

Is it weird that I've never had kachori?"

Huh? Neither the bikaneri one nor the one with onion masala in it?
It's not weird. There's so much that i ..."

Nope. I'm just way too picky with what I eat.

I READ THE FIRST TWO CHS. I LOVE THIS BOOK ALREADY!

Nimrat wrote: "Akshita wrote: "Nimrat wrote: "Yes. They belong to Karnataka.

Is it weird that I've never had kachori?"

Huh? Neither the bikaneri one nor the one with onion masala in it?
It's not weird. There's..."

Same though. My taste in food is sooo limited!

Mrunal wrote: "I READ THE FIRST TWO CHS. I LOVE THIS BOOK ALREADY!"

That's great.
I'm not sure how I feel about this book though. It doesn't read like a five-star book to me. But who knows what's gonna happen.

Mrunal wrote: "I READ THE FIRST TWO CHS. I LOVE THIS BOOK ALREADY!"

AH YESS! GLAD TO HEAR THAT

@Nimrat
I just went through the updates you posted above.
And yeah, there were several instances with"not like other girls" trope that I didn't necessarily like..

But I'm able to look past it till now, as it's a middle grade and I remember having my own "not like other kids" phase when I was around eight.
Also, I think a lot of what Reha thinks is different about other kids, comes from her own parents' expectations from her. She's supposed to behave in a certain way, to be their perfect daughter, while also battling with the feeling of not belonging anywhere.
So I'm trying to keep an open mind about that.

Yeah... Me too... But I just loved the way she poetically describes everything...

I don't dislike the "not like other girls trope"
I just dislike the fact that they mention it again and again.
Like I can totally see that she's not like other girls, why bother mentioning it again and again.

Also yes. I agree. The fact that her parents want her to behave in a certain way, makes me sympathise with her.


Btw, THE COVER IS SO PRETTY

How far are you both into the book?

22 pages.

44 pages

I have just 36 pages left. I think I should stop.

Nimrat wrote: "I have just 36 pages left. I think I should stop."

Yes please! I'm already struggling to catch up.

Mrunal wrote: "Nimrat wrote: "I have just 36 pages left. I think I should stop."

Yes please! I'm already struggling to catch up."

Same here. Just not getting enough free time to read.

Akshita wrote: "Mrunal wrote: "Nimrat wrote: "I have just 36 pages left. I think I should stop."

Yes please! I'm already struggling to catch up."

Same here. Just not getting enough free time to read."

I was sneakily reading the book in English class.

Nimrat wrote: "Akshita wrote: "Mrunal wrote: "Nimrat wrote: "I have just 36 pages left. I think I should stop."

Yes please! I'm already struggling to catch up."

Same here. Just not getting enough free time to r..."

that's what I'd been doing for the entirety of last year but now my classes are offline...so that had to stop

But how are you liking it so far? Any particular thoughts?

Akshita wrote: "But how are you liking it so far? Any particular thoughts?"

This question is probably for Nimrat, but I will answer it anyway.
I am liking it so far. I did get confused at some points... I see the not like other girls troupe... I think it's going to 3.5 stars for me.

Akshita wrote: "But how are you liking it so far? Any particular thoughts?"

I love Pete specifically. I love the way Indian food is mentioned throughout the story. It has really good representation.
But it isn't something that I'm blown away with.
Sympathizing with her situation prevents me from criticizing this though.
There's just. *sighs* I don't know how to explain it. I'm not loving this as much as I thought I would.