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yapha's review
4.0
It bothers Abby Spencer that she has never met her father. She knows that he is in India, but that's it. When a chance encounter with a new food causes an allergic reaction, she and her mother realize that it is time to track him down. With a little Internet searching they manage to get in touch, and find that he never received any of the messages that Abby's mother had sent telling him that she was pregnant. Ecstatic to learn that he has a thirteen year old daughter, he flies Abby to Mumbai to meet him and her grandmother. This is a fantastic story about learning about yourself, your family, and all of the pieces that make a person whole. Pair this with The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond for another great journey of discovery. Recommended for grades 5-8.
tcbueti's review
4.0
This was generally light, Bollywood fan fiction with some family drama well mixed in. Not too ditsy, considering.
An allergic reaction to coconut convinces Abby's mom, Meredith, that she should contact abby's dad, who returned to India after their college affair. She wrote to tell him she was pregnant, but he never answered. She later learned he'd become a Bollywood star and never told Abby.
Once he learns of her existence, he whisks Abby to Mumbai for a visit. She becomes fond of her Indian grandmother and gets to know and respect her dad. Problem: how can they have a relationship without a scandal; how to spin it for the tabloids? Will this big news divert attention from his new movie, first serious film?
Compared to other books set in India, this one mentions poverty but doesn't have the American swoop in and fix it, like in Chloe in India. I like that there's a lot of respect as she BEGINS to learn about India, and pride about being biracial.
Mild romance (first kiss) , but also intense embarrassment about seeing her dad shirtless on billboards and dancing with his costar/girlfriend.
An allergic reaction to coconut convinces Abby's mom, Meredith, that she should contact abby's dad, who returned to India after their college affair. She wrote to tell him she was pregnant, but he never answered. She later learned he'd become a Bollywood star and never told Abby.
Once he learns of her existence, he whisks Abby to Mumbai for a visit. She becomes fond of her Indian grandmother and gets to know and respect her dad. Problem: how can they have a relationship without a scandal; how to spin it for the tabloids? Will this big news divert attention from his new movie, first serious film?
Compared to other books set in India, this one mentions poverty but doesn't have the American swoop in and fix it, like in Chloe in India. I like that there's a lot of respect as she BEGINS to learn about India, and pride about being biracial.
Mild romance (first kiss) , but also intense embarrassment about seeing her dad shirtless on billboards and dancing with his costar/girlfriend.
mon_ique's review
3.0
This is juvenile fiction at a low point. The writing was so cringe-worthy and the dialogue and actions very unrealistic. It just did not scream true for me, how Abby meets her father and the ending. I mean! The author wrote like this a lot! It was really annoying with a paragraph not going by with out at least one exclamation mark(!).
The plot and premise was good but the execution needed work.
The plot and premise was good but the execution needed work.
_anoushka_'s review
5.0
i read this book when i was like 7 and fell in love with it. if i reread it, there'd probably be some stuff I don't like, but all in all it's pretty iconic.
things I love about this book
- India
- Indian-American girl exploring her culture
- mixed race girl exploring her Indian side
- bollywood! (iconic vibes for real core)
- Shaan
- Abby's friends
- maybe Abby?
-
- grandma Tara
- idk a bunch of other stuff im forgetting
things I love about this book
- India
- Indian-American girl exploring her culture
- mixed race girl exploring her Indian side
- bollywood! (iconic vibes for real core)
- Shaan
- Abby's friends
- maybe Abby?
-
Spoiler
that woman abby's dad was dating, i was definitely in love with her (gay awakening vibes??), but i forget her name now- grandma Tara
- idk a bunch of other stuff im forgetting
rubenstein's review
4.0
this review will go live on the blog 03/27
Last year I fell head-over-heels for My Basmati Bat Mitvah, a Middle Grade novel about with a Jewish-Indian girl and how she comes to terms with her identity. Since then I have been on a huge Hindu/Indian kick and I'm pleased to say Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood didn't disappoint!
Abby Spencer grew up not knowing her father. She knew his name and that her parents met in college, but shortly after the semester ended, her dad flew back to India while he mom stayed home in Houston, fully unaware at the time that she was pregnant. Thirteen years later, Abby has finally accepted that her dad just isn't going to be a part of her life. Everything changes when she has an allergic reaction. Suddenly her missing father is all she can think about and, with her mother's help (and perseverance), Abby tracks down her dad - and she's in for a surprise! Kabir Kapur now goes by the name Naveen Kumar and he's the biggest Bollywood star in India!
Several phone calls and Skype sessions later, Abby finds herself catching a plane to Mumbai for her Thanksgiving break. She'll finally meet the dad she's never known (as well as a grandmother!) and experience the live of the rich and famous. Unfortunately, Abby has to keep her identity a secret - Naveen's first directorial premiere is in a few days and the press would be ruthless if they found out about a long-lost daughter.
This book is too cute! I devoured it in a single sitting and wanted more - a good thing! Much like Basmati, the characters in this novel felt real and were wonderfully fleshed-out. The parents were fully present, Abby's besties were wonderful friends, and the setting was remarkably vivid! So vivid in fact, that I've developed something of a Bollywood obsession!
Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood is a slim thing of a novel with a lightning fast pace. Despite my enjoyment of the book, there's not a whole lot to be said. POC characters are always a plus in my book and the craft and care that went into the characters made my heart swell. It looks like my craving for Indian literature won't be slowing down anytime soon! This was a lovely book and one definitely worth checking out.
Last year I fell head-over-heels for My Basmati Bat Mitvah, a Middle Grade novel about with a Jewish-Indian girl and how she comes to terms with her identity. Since then I have been on a huge Hindu/Indian kick and I'm pleased to say Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood didn't disappoint!
Abby Spencer grew up not knowing her father. She knew his name and that her parents met in college, but shortly after the semester ended, her dad flew back to India while he mom stayed home in Houston, fully unaware at the time that she was pregnant. Thirteen years later, Abby has finally accepted that her dad just isn't going to be a part of her life. Everything changes when she has an allergic reaction. Suddenly her missing father is all she can think about and, with her mother's help (and perseverance), Abby tracks down her dad - and she's in for a surprise! Kabir Kapur now goes by the name Naveen Kumar and he's the biggest Bollywood star in India!
Several phone calls and Skype sessions later, Abby finds herself catching a plane to Mumbai for her Thanksgiving break. She'll finally meet the dad she's never known (as well as a grandmother!) and experience the live of the rich and famous. Unfortunately, Abby has to keep her identity a secret - Naveen's first directorial premiere is in a few days and the press would be ruthless if they found out about a long-lost daughter.
This book is too cute! I devoured it in a single sitting and wanted more - a good thing! Much like Basmati, the characters in this novel felt real and were wonderfully fleshed-out. The parents were fully present, Abby's besties were wonderful friends, and the setting was remarkably vivid! So vivid in fact, that I've developed something of a Bollywood obsession!
Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood is a slim thing of a novel with a lightning fast pace. Despite my enjoyment of the book, there's not a whole lot to be said. POC characters are always a plus in my book and the craft and care that went into the characters made my heart swell. It looks like my craving for Indian literature won't be slowing down anytime soon! This was a lovely book and one definitely worth checking out.
funfetti7's review
5.0
Adorable and fun! A Bollywood version of the "I found out my dad is a prince" genre of stories. (When is the movie coming out?!?!?)
amdame1's review
3.0
Abby has always wondered about her father. Her mom refuses to talk about him. However, an allergic reaction when she’s 13, changes things a bit. Mom contacts dad and discovers he is a famous Bollywood star. Abby goes to India to spend the summer with him and is hit, not only with culture shock, but the reality of family relationships, friendships, etc.
I like the multi-cultural aspect of this book. It seems to be an accurate portrayal of being bi-racial as well as the culture of India.
I like the multi-cultural aspect of this book. It seems to be an accurate portrayal of being bi-racial as well as the culture of India.
mrskatiefitz's review
2.0
Abby Tara Spencer has never known her father. It is a huge surprise, therefore, when she learns that he is Naveen Kumar, a big Bollywood star in India, and that because of a miscommunication years ago, he doesn't even know she exists! Once he learns about Abby, Naveen invites her to spend some time with him in Mumbai, where Abby encounters unpleasant members of the press, a beautiful Bollywood actress named Rani and a cute boy her own age named Shaan.
I chose to read this book because it was a middle grade fiction finalist for the 2014 Cybils. I am surprised, therefore, by how utterly disappointing it is. The chief problem is the sheer number of typos and tense errors scattered throughout the book. The copy I read was not an ARC, but a finished copy borrowed from the library, and it had so many mistakes, especially in the middle of the book, that I kept tripping over them. I was so distracted by some of the errors, I had to read entire pages twice to make sure I understood them. Because the novel is written in first person from Abby's point of view, these mistakes also made her voice come across as awkward even in moments when it was not intended to be so. I don't understand how such a poorly edited manuscript could have made it through the publication process!
Editing issues aside, this book is light-hearted, fast-paced and exciting, especially for girls who dream of fame and fortune. The reader does have to suspend her disbelief quite a bit to imagine that a girl of thirteen has never Googled her absent father, or that a father would not find out about his daughter's existence because of just one misplaced letter, but some kids don't mind those kind of unlikely plot twists if they make the story more interesting. The romance is just right for the middle grade age group, and Abby is largely a good kid, even if she does a couple of things she shouldn't. Still, there are a number of contrived events, and the story as a whole doesn't really ring true.
This book does meet the demand for more books starring characters from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Like The Great Greene Heist, it may be receiving more praise than is truly warranted because of its contribution to the diversity cause, but if the goal is to have more mediocre diverse books, this one fits the bill.
For a much better portrayal of the Bollywood film industry, read The Grand Plan to Fix Everything and its sequel, The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic.
I chose to read this book because it was a middle grade fiction finalist for the 2014 Cybils. I am surprised, therefore, by how utterly disappointing it is. The chief problem is the sheer number of typos and tense errors scattered throughout the book. The copy I read was not an ARC, but a finished copy borrowed from the library, and it had so many mistakes, especially in the middle of the book, that I kept tripping over them. I was so distracted by some of the errors, I had to read entire pages twice to make sure I understood them. Because the novel is written in first person from Abby's point of view, these mistakes also made her voice come across as awkward even in moments when it was not intended to be so. I don't understand how such a poorly edited manuscript could have made it through the publication process!
Editing issues aside, this book is light-hearted, fast-paced and exciting, especially for girls who dream of fame and fortune. The reader does have to suspend her disbelief quite a bit to imagine that a girl of thirteen has never Googled her absent father, or that a father would not find out about his daughter's existence because of just one misplaced letter, but some kids don't mind those kind of unlikely plot twists if they make the story more interesting. The romance is just right for the middle grade age group, and Abby is largely a good kid, even if she does a couple of things she shouldn't. Still, there are a number of contrived events, and the story as a whole doesn't really ring true.
This book does meet the demand for more books starring characters from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Like The Great Greene Heist, it may be receiving more praise than is truly warranted because of its contribution to the diversity cause, but if the goal is to have more mediocre diverse books, this one fits the bill.
For a much better portrayal of the Bollywood film industry, read The Grand Plan to Fix Everything and its sequel, The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic.
shamelesslyash's review
3.0
Abby goes to India to see her long lost father. Along the way meets her family, makes new friends, gets a taste of her famous father's life, and oops she spills the beans that said famous father is well her father. All in all thought this was a great book for the middle school age that it's written for. It's also a great conversation starter about race and ethnicity because Abby is half Indian, but doesn't know that said of her life. Going through the book there isn't much talk about her being biracial, but it does hint at it. It's a fun read and recommend it.