10 Things I hate about Pinky by Sandhya Menon – 5/5

“I don’t think we could be more opposite if we were custom-designed to be.’

– Sandhya Menon

Specifics:

Book: 10 Things I hate about Pinky

Author: Sandhya Menon

Published: 30th June, 2020

Genre: YA Romance

LGBTQIA literature: Yes

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Series: Dimpleverse #3

Pages: 368

My rating: 5/5

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny-tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.

Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she’s made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy, Samir—who is a total Harvard-bound Mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer. As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they’ll never forget.

Review:

How does someone take a similar concept and write three novels with it belonging to the same series and somehow manage to make each of them unique conceptually and the way it touches our hearts?

SANDHYA MENON! Sandhya Menon can do that and actually, she has done it.

This was my 4th book of hers, 6th, if you add the two sweet novellas and also happens to be the final part of the Dimpleverse series.

It has really great writing with a very good pace, brilliant characters and plot. I related to the scenarios and characters so much. I’ve seen a few people calling it a cliché but I didn’t see it at all.

Apart from the cute love story, it had passion, self-love, being driven for something other than one-self, it showed the power of what can happen when someone takes a stand and brings like minds together, it shows how communication can improve any relationship.

The most relatable thing is the love-hate relationship between Pinky and her mum and how it’s been solved. A lot of Indian kids can relate to the former part and I’m lucky enough to relate the latter also.

The book is from 2 POV’s, Pinky and Samir. Two complete opposites who happen to get into a situation where they fake a relationship for completely different gains. What starts with a list of ’10 Things Samir hates about Pinky’ slowly turns into the opposite.

Everything you expect happens. I’m not saying it’s predictable. What I mean by it is if you’ve wanted a story where all the good things happen and all the problems are sorted, you’ll be granted that wish. It’s so heart warming and beautiful. Happy endings always please me. This was a happy ending multiplied by infinity.

I am rating the book a very merry 5/5 stars.

Spoiler alert:

Did I know that Samir and Pinky will fall for each other and Pinky will solve her problems with her mother? Hell yes! This was supposed to be a happy book. What I had to find out was how that would happen.

I was this crazy over supportive friend shouting ‘kiss, kiss’, every single time Samir and Pinky were together. I was thrilled when Samir made the first move. He did come across as shy but when he knew what he wanted, he didn’t hold back.

The amount of support Pinky and Samir manage to gather for the town hall meeting and the strike was amazing. It goes to show how you’re never too young to achieve something amazing.

I kinda knew Samir was going to make Pinky’s mom realise that she needs to take a step forward and burry the misunderstandings between them. And he does. I love how Mrs. Veena not only comes through but also uses her amazing lawyer skills to save the butterfly habitat.

Coming to the characters:

Pinky Kumar: Short for Priyanka Kumar, the daughter of two highly successful lawyers is a highly passion driven and impulsive rainbow haired girl who does not see eye-to-eye with her mother. Her struggle with the broken relationship with her mother and her feelings for Samir prove worthy in the end as with a little help from Mr Jha, she manages to put everything behind and gives a fresh start with her mom and also falls madly in love with Samir. Her love for nature and animals is commendable. She spends half of her summer vacation spreading awareness and succeeding in protecting a butterfly habitat from being razed.

Samir Jha: Homeschooled and the only son of a cancer survivor, Samir has had a very controlled childhood. He had to take matters in his hands at a tender age of 10, when his mom, the only person in his family, was taken ill by cancer. He is very passionate about being a lawyer and wants to study in Harvard. His summer internship falls through and he accepts a proposition made by Pinky to be her fake boy friend in exchange for an internship with her mother, who is a lawyer. He is a very kind and caring person. He helps Pinky realise how amaizng she is (which she already knew but anyway) and talks to Pinky’s mother about breaking the ice. When Pinky finds the awful list that he makes with the things he hated about her, he realises his mistake and recites a poem with how those exact things made her fall in love with him. Can I get a Samir Jha in my life please?

Mrs Veena Kumar: The Shark, as they call her in the world of law, Mrs. Kumar is Pinky’s mom and she always has been stern with her. It’s only because she’s afraid that Pinky will become he past self where she was a rebellious teen who gets pregnant from a one night stand. But once she realises that a life depends on her, she put her best foot forward and changed her life overnight and pulled herself together. She gives up the part of her that is lively and brave to become someone responsible and reserved. She dedicates her life to Pinky. When Pinky finds out about this, all is well between them.

Dolly: The best cousin ever!! Inspite of being an over achiever and a perfect kid who never dissapoints anyone, Dolly is having an identity crisis and tried to be a rebel and date Cash, a neighborhood fcukboi. It obviously ends in a disastrous therapeutic retreat with her parents for three weeks. But she’s always there to support her cousin and she comes back right in time for the protest.

What I liked about it:

1. Such relatable characters and plot
2. very very emotional and I connected with the characters a lot
3. Tears inducing happy love story
4. Emphasis on how important Therapy is and can be
5. Shows how communication can make any relationship better
6. I might love my parents a tad bit more than how immensely I already did
7. Speaks about the importance of conserving nature and how a voice can bring a change in the community

What I did not fancy:

1. Dimpleverse is over
2. If you are single like me, beware, because you’ll be craving for someone to love you like Samir Jha loves Pinky Kumar
3. Agh! My heart!

“I want to give this kid the best start in life I possibly can. And if that means doing something I’ve never considered before, then so be it.”

– Sandhya Menon