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leoloveslit's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
smalltownbookmom's review
4.0
Another heartfelt queer YA story from Canadian author, Sabina Khan. I really enjoyed this family drama that sees Mehar returning to the country of her birth to help her estranged father celebrate his marriage to her new influencer stepmother. Full of family drama and the complicated first love between two queer South Asian teens in a culture that is VERY conservative. Good on audio narrated by Reena Dutt. While this wasn't my favorite by this author, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend for fans of authors like Sajni Patel or Farah Heron.
alkemistimole6's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jordanbolker's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Not as sapphic as I was hoping but still a cute and accurate love story of two women in India. Lots of great cultural references and deep reflections on familial relationships and drama. You also don’t get to find out more about Mehar and her mother when she returns home and that kind of stinks. Overall a good read!
allysther's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
whitmayo's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
readwithatlas's review
4.0
✧˖*°࿐ 3.5 Stars
A story full of complex characters and family dynamics! This was a super fun and quick read that was very comparable to Darius the Great. ‘What a Desi Girl Wants’ follows Mehar as she visits India for a month as a chance to repair her relationship with her dad.
This is definitely something to have on the lookout if you want a coming of age heavy on characterization compared to plot. While this could be seen as a negative if you need a more heavy plot to be engaged, I’m not a character person difficult, so I didn’t mind much. Most of these characters were very complicated and made it interesting to read about.
There’s also a side sapphic couple who was super cute as well! I definitely wouldn’t recommend it as a romance, since they barely meet a good way into the book but they develop well either way. It’s a lovely story that delves a bit into a queer South Asian romance. I felt it could have went more into the conservatism of the country and the difficulties that come with that. Despite that, I can’t negate the importance of a mostly fluffy queer love story.
Overall, if you’re looking for a novel with lots of character development and nuanced family dynamics with a side of saphic romance, this is definitely for you!!
A story full of complex characters and family dynamics! This was a super fun and quick read that was very comparable to Darius the Great. ‘What a Desi Girl Wants’ follows Mehar as she visits India for a month as a chance to repair her relationship with her dad.
This is definitely something to have on the lookout if you want a coming of age heavy on characterization compared to plot. While this could be seen as a negative if you need a more heavy plot to be engaged, I’m not a character person difficult, so I didn’t mind much. Most of these characters were very complicated and made it interesting to read about.
There’s also a side sapphic couple who was super cute as well! I definitely wouldn’t recommend it as a romance, since they barely meet a good way into the book but they develop well either way. It’s a lovely story that delves a bit into a queer South Asian romance. I felt it could have went more into the conservatism of the country and the difficulties that come with that. Despite that, I can’t negate the importance of a mostly fluffy queer love story.
Overall, if you’re looking for a novel with lots of character development and nuanced family dynamics with a side of saphic romance, this is definitely for you!!
wunder's review
3.0
This would be a five star book for the right person, but it was three stars for me. The "two cultures" aspect was really well done. I liked learning India as Mehar experiences it. There was exactly the right amount of untranslated Urdu. I could get everything necessary from context without having the interruption of translation.
Both the character of Mehar and the pacing of the book aren't all the way there. She doesn't really make a decision until halfway through the book, and that is just on impulse. Is it part of who she is to go with the flow or is it to not think things through and act impulsively? That just isn't clear. Most of the action is in the last third or even quarter of the book, when things suddenly speed up. There is a romance, but it is sort of a sub-plot to Mehar worrying about her dad's upcoming wedding. And is she already out as bi or is that new? There is no mention of that in the first part, but she doesn't seem surprised by it. She talks about it with her mother over the phone, but we just get a report that there was a conversation. Was it nothing to come out to her mom? I'm confused.
Both the character of Mehar and the pacing of the book aren't all the way there. She doesn't really make a decision until halfway through the book, and that is just on impulse. Is it part of who she is to go with the flow or is it to not think things through and act impulsively? That just isn't clear. Most of the action is in the last third or even quarter of the book, when things suddenly speed up. There is a romance, but it is sort of a sub-plot to Mehar worrying about her dad's upcoming wedding. And is she already out as bi or is that new? There is no mention of that in the first part, but she doesn't seem surprised by it. She talks about it with her mother over the phone, but we just get a report that there was a conversation. Was it nothing to come out to her mom? I'm confused.
amaruuk's review
2.75
just…disappointing? i think the representation is very good and i like the integrated urdu throughout, especially the fact that it isn’t italicized the way non-english words so often are. decolonialism babyyy. i just wish it wasn’t so poorly written