5 OUT OF 5 STARS

Sandhya Menon strikes gold again with her sophomore novel. A sweet, swoon worthy book in which the heroine slowly comes to terms with what (and who) it is she really wants (and wants to be), in which the characters' emotional arcs are just as satisfying as their romance.

It presses all the buttons of being a cute contemporary romance with the added bonus of exploring big issues, like representation in film, and accurately depicting what it's like to be a teenager and not know who you are or what you want out of life.

I wasn't the biggest fan of its epistolary nature, simply because I'm too boneheaded to accept that someone would journal during big life moments instead of after, and it didn't think that format added to the story, although it certainly didn't detract from it.

This was a really cute contemporary read. Twinkle is an aspiring filmmaker. This book follows her on her journey of making a student film with Sahil. Sahil just happens to be the twin of her crush Neil.

Twinkle is completely oblivious when it comes to people liking her just as Neil is oblivious to the fact that she likes him. This story relies on a lot of tropes which in and of itself isn’t really a problem since I don’t tend to mind tropes. But the predictability of this book is kind of what put me off of it a little bit. Maddie, Twinkle’s friend, also put me off a little bit, while she claims to still be Twinkle’s friend we don’t really see her acting like it. Naturally Twinkle is upset about all of this and I feel sorry for her but then it twists at some point and I stop feeling sorry for her, and just start finding her slightly annoying. Overall this book wasn’t my favorite but I still think it’s worth reading.

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I enjoyed this as much as the author's first book. I loved how she's interspersed mixed media within the book.

This story wae a good mix of funny, cute, serious art the same time.

This book is for those of us who think outside the box and those who reach for the stars — the dreamers. Twinkle is a young girl with big plans to be an Indian-American female filmmaker who changes the world. She has the drive, the passion and the grit to get it done. A light, breezy and relatable story about trying to fit in before realizing you are born to stand out. The book delivers a strong message about accepting yourself and following your dreams.

From Twinkle, with Love tells the story of an Indian-American teen girl named Twinkle, and her plans to desperately rise from the ranks of "wallflower" at school to eventually become the well-known and respected filmmaker of her dreams. Twinkle feels some type of way because her best friend Maddie doesn't quite seem like her best friend anymore, as she's found a new crew. And in Twinkle's teenage mind, she feels the only way to gain cool points with Maddie and the it-crew is to date Neil Roy, the coolest guy in school. If that doesn't sound like enough drama, get this: Neil has a twin brother. And while he isn't all Mr. Popular like his twin brother Neil, Sahil is brilliant within his own right, and like Twinkle, loves film. Twinkle's perfect plan to land Mr. Popular might hit a snag when she scores this opportunity to work with Sahil on a film for the school's Summer Festival. And to complicate things even further, Twinkle has a secret admirer that emails her signing "N." only.

Twinkle's story unfolds in journal entries and letters addressed to her favorite filmmakers, Ava DuVernay, Nora Ephron, and Mira Nair. I love this format, as it makes the story unfold intimately, like the reading of a diary. In these entries, we learn that Twinkle is a dreamer and a planner. She has goals and a solid plan mapped out to make her dreams of filmmaker stardom come true. But she does realize she needs a bit of help being heard as she’s not the most popular or "visible" kid at school. With Maddie occupied with a new crew, Twinkle's best bet is working with Sahil. But will this draw Twinkle closer to her dream guy and her dream career? That’s what she’s banking on.

The only problem with the dreamers is they often live in their heads, not aware of how the ideas in their mind’s eye will affect what’s going on around them. That’s the case for Twinkle. She has a crush on Neil Roy based solely on the fact that he’s cute and popular. Aside from being a member of the swim team, we don’t know much else about him. One would think Twinkle would share cool things he says or does in these personal letters she writes, but she doesn’t. In fact, she is so enamored by the idea of Neil and his popularity, she never notices the nice things other guys do because they like her. All Neil has ever done was speak to her once and call her “cute.” But whatever.

As much as I enjoyed the story, there were times that I was underwhelmed with the progression. There was a lot going on in Twinkle's world: unrequited love and friendship, pressures from putting on a stellar summer festival film, a newly emerging crush, and (of course) the mysterious string of emails from a secret crush with the moniker "N." And if that isn't enough, there's hints of a strained relationship between Twinkle and her mother that I was hoping would be explored a bit more. While all of these things make for an exciting and engaging read, some were not explored in depth. For instance, I never quite understood what initially caused the strain in Twinkle and Maddie's friendship to begin with.

I would recommend From Twinkle, with Love to any lovers of contemporary YA fiction, particularly those who enjoy strong (yet flawed) female heroines, diverse characters, and love stories of the quirky variety.

⭐⭐⭐🌟

A charming, incredibly fun read! Sandhya Menon's books are ones I know I'm absolutely going to enjoy when I picked them up. This book did everything I knew it would. It made me laugh, sigh, and absolutely fall in love with two characters who I wanted everything to work out just right for them, especially Twinkle.

Twinkle is one of those characters you want to be friends with. There's something about her that I found so enduring, and extremely easy to like. Maybe it's the fact her journal entries are to her favorite female film makers, or maybe it's that Twinkle's story is one that really examines what it means to grow up, and find your place in the world, and chasing your dreams. Twinkle's story explores the ups and downs of growing up, finding your place in the world, the relationships you have (both within your family, and friendships), and of course there's also the possibly falling in love for the first time. This story is about all that, and I loved the way Twinkle brought all her experiences, and her feelings to life in this book. It was easy to relate to her, and to cheer her on.

This is definitely another Menon book worth picking up! I absolutely adore the way she writes her characters, their romance, and the mishaps that happen along the way. Menon's characters and their stories are ones I adore. I highly recommend picking up both this book, and Menon's debut, When Dimple Met Rishi.

Where do I begin? I thought this was such a cute story! I am not a big fan of YA contemporary due to me being older than the targeted audience. The last book I read was Eleanor and Park, which I loved. From Twinkle, With Love was such a refreshing read. I really enjoyed the story and the development. I found this story to be very believable and, even as an adult, relatable. The issues Twinkle face are not just issues in high school but found in everyday life. Twinkle’s problems are more relatable to me as an adult than in high school. She feels left out and ignored but works hard to make her dream come true. As we work, we want to rise to the top and some people will challenge their morals to thrive. Twinkle faces this problem as she starts to gains attention as she flourishes. She must learn who she wants to truly be and what she wants to portray with her films. Her best friend, Maddie, is having a hard time juggling Twinkle and her new friends. These sorts of issues occur on both ends, being ignored or trying to not ignore those who are important for you. Twinkle also faces a dilemma with her feelings as she tries sort through her feelings between Sahil and her secret admirer “N”. All of these issues Twinkle face are very realistic and it was nice to see her fall to rise again.

The characters were developed so well in this story. Twinkle had the most growth to truly find her best self. She started off feeling invisible but gains more confidence in herself as she continues directing her movie. I really enjoyed seeing Twinkle struggle through these challenges and come out on top. I was so connected to her character and really wanted her to thrive. Maddie was another character who had a lot of growth. We could see her trying hard to balance her friendship with Twinkle and Hannah. Sahil was probably my other favorite character. I really enjoyed his personality and his commitment. These characters were all a perfect fit for the book which really complimented the story.

Final Thoughts

Overall, From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon was a very enjoyable read. It was a refreshing story for YA contemporary. I am very happy that I read this book and gave it chance. I really enjoyed the story and found it very relatable for anyone. The characters were great and watching them fall and rise really made me cheer for them. A perfect blend of challenges and rewards was presented. I really enjoyed Twinkle’s character and the way she found true self in the end. This is a great coming of age book and I recommend it for anyone who is looking for a light fun read. If you enjoy YA contemporary then I highly suggest you pick up this book.

From Twinkle, With Love is the newest book by Sandy Menon, author of When Dimple Met Rishi, which I looooooved. I was so excited for her newest book. I flew through this book and it was incredibly sweet. There were a few parts of the story that seemed a little unbelievable, or maybe uncharacteristic of the main character, and I had some issues with how neatly some things wrapped up, but I would still highly recommend it.

My rating: 4 stars

Like Menon's previous book, WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI, this book is perfectly adorable. This book was a fast read—the characters are easy to connect to and Twinkle's diary is fun to read. I found some of the plot resolutions to be a little contrived and they seemed to resolve a little too neatly for my taste. But the book was a good palate cleanser between some other, heavier reads. It's a great book for a reset, to escape in a lighter world, or to get out of a reading slump.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

An absolutely adorable read. The foreshadowing and dramatic irony were done well, generating the suspense for the impending drama to have maximum impact. Twinkle's character growth was satisfying to follow, and the romance between her and Sahil was super cute. The characters weren't black and white, each having their own insecurities and desires, creating realism and complexity that made for interesting dynamics.

A journey of trials, errors and growth filled with charming characters!
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon!
Unique storytelling in the form of diary entries by Twinkle, as she relays the happenings in her life, let us know what makes her tick. Twinkle’s charming and calmly optimistic outlook on life shines as she addresses her entries to famous women that she admires. She wants to be a filmmaker and in the process of making her film, ends up hurting several people. She feels overwhelmed and has to step back and reevaluate everything. A journey of trials and errors and growth filled with charming characters makes this realistic fiction story a keeper, 4 stars!

**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

I was sooooo excited to read this book and it didn't let me down! At first I was a bit hesitant about the format (I'm not very into diary entry books), but I got over it pretty quickly and it kind of fit for this story. (**Side note: I've now learned about a few female film directors that I had not heard of before**) I personally enjoyed that while I thought certain things were going to happen in the story, not everything went exactly as I thought that it would. A quick read, that can resonate with many, not just the aspiring film directors of the world

This book was a fun book for anyone looking for a great romantic comedy. I loved how Twinkle's voice shown through. I thought it was a clever device to show her journal entries. I loved every page of this book.

We chose this selection as one of Modern Mrs Darcy's "20 books everyone will be talking about this summer": https://modernmrsdarcy.com/summer-book-list/

After When Dimple Met Rishi I didn't think I could love another book quite like Menon's debut novel. However, From Winkle, with Love proved me wrong. I also didn't know if I would like the format since it's mostly comprised of letters Twinkle is writing to her female director heroes, but I did. Menon has a way of pulling the reader into the story, particularly when it's written in a letter/texting style like this because you get a true sense of what the characters are thinking and feeling that way. I loved the entire premise of Twinkle doing a remake of Dracula from a female perspective and working with her crush's nerdy twin brother. A twist was that Twinkle is also receiving love letters from a secret admirer, one who she assumes in Neil, Sahil's brother whom she has always had a thing for. In the meantime her best friend is pulling away from her into a more popular crowd. Twinkle thinks hooking up with Neil will solve all her problems, taking her from a nobody, invisible groundling to a popular girl and winning her friend back in the process. This story put the family issues more towards the back instead of making them a forefront problem for the main character like in Dimple, but I still enjoyed learning about Twinkle's family dynamics. The ending made me cry and I was so happy with Twinkle's transformation throughout the story.

*Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

From Twinkle, With Love is a YA contemporary that follows Twinkle, an Indian-American filmmaker. Throughout the book, Twinkle sets her sights on making a film and in doing so, causes a ton of drama and heartfelt moments. Though the novel was touching, there were times when I was frustrated with Twinkle, and didn't support her actions. This showed how complex the protagonist was, but it made it hard to empathize with her as much as I wanted. In comparison to When Dimple Met Rishi, I did like Menon's debut more, but From Twinkle, With Love is a strong addition to Menon's published works. I'm looking forward to reading more from the author in the future!

Loved this as much as her other book! Her books are a must read for me now. So cute! It is funny, sweet and light-hearted. So good!

Menon’s “From Twinkle, With Love” is one of my favorite books to date. From the opening pages I am captured by Menon’s use of the young adult voice. As a reader, I could relate to Twinkle’s high school experience of wanting to fit in (even if I am more than a decade beyond high school!). Told through Twinkle’s perspective in the form of letters written to her favorite actresses, the novel invites readers to examine how far they would go in order to fit in with the “cool kids” of their school, all while trying to score a date with the most popular boy in school. There were moments I was laughing out loud at Twinkle’s descriptions of those around her, which caused me to thoroughly enjoy the novel even more. Definitely recommending this novel to my students and for our One School, One Story summer reading program!

This book deserves the hype it's been getting!

Very sweet teen novel with a highly relatable character. While I enjoyed "When Dimple Met Rishi" more (Dimple has more spunk), I think this book still has an audience at the high school right alongside that one.

While I absolutely loved the debut novel by Menon--When Dimple Met Rishi--I did not have the same deep, immediate feeling for this, her second novel. It was cute, and funny and heartwarming, but just didn't grab me in the same way that Dimple did. I do, however, think that this novel would be better suited to younger readers, so that is one plus to this title.