Member Reviews
This is a sweet YA romance with an awesome heroine. Sweetie’s mom is awful though. I was enraged by her. Ashish wasn’t the greatest love interest as he made some really poor choices but Sweetie made up for all his bad qualities. She is so awesome and I adored her.
I always know that when I pick up a story by Sandhya Menon it’s going to be sweet, fluffy, and full of heart. There’s Something About Sweetie is no exception, however it has the added bonus of being my favorite Sandhya Menon book to date! I was utterly charmed by Sweetie’s resilience and confidence and she’s the perfect type of protagonist I know I would want my future children to encounter when they’re reading YA one day.
There’s Something About Sweetie follows the story of Sweetie, an Indian girl who is a great friend, a respectful daughter, an amazing singer, and a star athlete – who just so happens to be fat. Yet Sweetie doensn’t let her weight define her or dictate her aspirations in life, and her story is full of so much body positivity and confidence that I felt myself feeling empowered after reading Sweetie’s chapters! Yet despite Sweetie’s confidence, the story does tackle the issue of others (such as Sweetie’s mom, family friends, etc) who are fixated on Sweetie’s weight and the pressures and stress that fixation puts on Sweetie, even if she does rise above it. I appreciated the realistic portrayal of being secure in your identity but still being hurt and worn down by others’ negativity- confident and happy people are not immune to sadness or emotional exhaustion!
Most readers are probably thrilled to pick up a story that’s set in the When Dimple Met Rishi universe, as Sweetie ends up secretly dating Rishi’s little brother Ashish. It was fun getting to dive back into the Patel family dynamics (every time Mr. Patel mentioned “hanky-panky” I cackled) and the cameos from Rishi and Dimple were fun little additions. However, Sweetie and Ashish’s romance really stood on its own as well, and I really loved their pre-planned “dates” by Ashish’s parents and how they allowed Ashish and Sweetie to learn more about their culture and have open discussions about how they chose to engage (or not engage) with their Indian heritage.
While I really enjoyed the overall story and plot of There’s Something About Sweetie (no one writes a good romance-arranged-by-parents-turning-out-successfully like Menon does!) it did run into some cliches toward the end that were extremely predictable and a little disappointing (specifically the “it’s not what it looks like” couple misunderstanding) and I do wish the ending had some more original conflict. However, this was mostly made up for by other elements in the story, including supportive and fleshed out friend groups and a brutally honest portrayal of the conflict between parents and children who have different ideals for their appearance (some of those scenes between Sweetie and her mom were hard to read, but I’m glad Menon included them). Whether you’ve argued with your parents over your weight, hair color, outfit choice, body piercings, etc. I think most readers will either relate to or remember the struggle of taking agency of your own body during your teenage years amidst some sort of parental disapproval, and Menon doesn’t shy away from Sweetie’s struggles in the story.
Overall: Despite some predictable elements surrounding the romantic conflict, I really, truly enjoyed reading about Sweetie and her relationships. The story tackles issues surrounding body image but still manages to be fun and lighthearted, and there’s an inherent light and goodness in Sweetie that will make every reader want their own Sassy Sweetie as a best friend.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and I’m so happy I did! Ashish has been dumped by Celia, who is in college, and it’s really bringing him down and even effecting his basketball! Sweetie is trying to be herself and not let it worry her too much that her mother thinks she needs to lose weight. I love the relationship between the two characters trying to figure out who they are by themselves while also realizing they may be falling for each other.
While sometimes Sweetie’s mantra of “I don’t need to lose weight to be myself” can get repetitive at times, it’s still a very important message. I love how she faces this issue head on, and that she even addresses it as an athlete. I would highly recommend this title to anyone who loves a good, sweet romance, especially for those that read and enjoyed “When Dimple Met Rishi.”
Naturally, I was so excited to read this book. After absolutely loving both DIMPLE and TWINKLE, SWEETIE was going to inevitably be another winner. I read the novella As Kismet Would Have It back when it came out and somewhat wished I waited until I read this one, since it technically happens after. Regardless, nothing was spoiled because this story was so wonderful.
My heart broke for her every time her weight was brought up (by a stranger or by her mother) because I fully know what that can be like. It’s frustrating to be the biggest person in a group while your smaller friends complain about how large they are; I dealt with that constantly throughout college and beyond. It was so hard to read the outside people commenting on her weight.
I LOVED Ashish, with his sort-of tough guy, overly confident exterior, and how Sweetie saw right through it from the moment she saw a picture of him early in the book. I also love that they went around their parents to see each other, after Sweetie’s mother decided that she was too fat for Ashish (even though the Patels clearly didn’t have an issue with that). They had instant chemistry and I really believed they felt like there was just ~something~ about the other person that drew them in to each other. It was genuinely adorable. The “contracted dates” thing was well-done and interesting.
There were definitely a few miscommunications or poor decisions made to create drama, but nothing out of the ordinary. It was so cute most of the time because they were honest to each other about their feelings for the majority of the book. I truly can’t think of any complaints for this one. I loved it.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Sweetie embarked on project "Sassy Sweetie" in an attempt to challenge people's preconceptions of what fat girls can and cannot do, while Ashish went along with the plan in an attempt to mend his broken heart and reclaim his mojo. What they found was an honest connection and a person, who saw the best in them.
• Pro: I have to commend Menon on how she wrote Ashish, because I was NOT a big fan of his when I met him in the previous book. But, she really let the "true" Ashish shine in this story, and he won my heart. He was vulnerable, kind, sweet, swoony, and he grew tremendously during this story.
• Pro: Sweetie was fab-u-lous! She was a dutiful daughter, straight A student, star athlete, amazing singer, and loyal friend. She was, in a word, effervescent, and I loved getting to know her.
• Pro: I like that Menon chose to make Sweetie a fat character, and challenged many of the misconceptions people have about those, who are overweight. Pairing these two went against the norm, and highlighted the idea of looking beyond appearance and seeing the "whole" person.
• Pro: Both Ash and Sweetie had amazing friends, who were there to support them on their journey, and also enhanced the story adding to my enjoyment.
• Pro: Yeah! for present and loving YA parents. I couldn't get enough of Mrs. Patel, and how both she and Mr. Patel so openly cared for Ashish. Though Sweetie's mother might not have gone about it in the right way, she did love and care for her daughter, and she grew, along with Sweetie and Ashish, over the course of the story.
• Pro: The romance was sweet and adorable, and I loved the dates the Patels arranged for Ashish and Sweetie. Not only did we get to see them interact with each other, but we got a good glimpse into their culture as well.
Overall: Another wonderful YA romance from Menon, which left me with a smile on my face and a song in my heart.
Being a romance from the perspective of desi characters is wonderful and interesting to read about. It normalizes aspects of the desi culture. It also tackles a lot of important issues. One characters is getting over a heartbreak, while the other is dealing with stereotypes and fat-shaming. Menon handles both well. She creates friendship dynamics that are powerful and important, and teenage characters that are close to a respectful of their parents.
However, this is very much a YA romance novel. This book is meant for teenagers and speaks in teenage language and operates in the way that teenagers think. I cannot wait for this book to be in the hands of my students and teenagers who can better connect with the story. This is the kind of book I wish I had when I was that age.
I have got to say it, there really is something about Sweetie. Something magnetic, something amazing. And once you pick this book up, you won’t be able to deny it either. I went into this book with some pretty high expectations, having enjoyed both of Menon’s other books, When Dimple Met Rishi and From Twinkle, with Love. So I was fairly confident I would connect with this book as well, since I knew what kind of writing style and plot type I was getting myself into. But trust me when I say, Menon has really hit her stride with this book. I don’t know if it’s the fact that she’s already got two books under her belt, or the fact that she seemed to connect strongly with Sweetie as a character and was, therefore, able to shine even brighter, but whatever it was, this book stands on the shoulders of its siblings and I can only hope that it gets the praise it deserves.
What strikes me most about this book is, of course, Sweetie. Her characterization is something that we’ve been sorely lacking in Young Adult fiction for some time, and it’s about time someone like Sweetie had her time to shine. The thing about Sweetie is her acknowledgment, to herself and to those around her, of her self-worth. She does not question it, like so many rom-com ya heroines are wont to do. I don’t actually have anything against a self-doubting main character, especially in YA, because real teens do tend to be filled with self-doubt, and seeing characters they can relate to deal with similar struggles, and survive those struggles, is important. But seeing someone like Sweetie is equally important. Letting those teens know that believing in yourself and recognizing your worth is important, and possible. Sweetie is powerful. She is strong and knowledgeable and talented. And she doesn’t let anything stop her, not society, not boys, not herself.
Her only hangup comes in the form of wanting to please her parents, particularly her overly protective mother, who sees Sweetie’s size as something that will cause Sweetie pain in the form of embarrassment among her peers, so she has always been at war with it. But Sweetie has always acknowledged her size as something that simply is. It’s a part of who she is and she has nothing against it, personally. She is still the best runner on her school’s track team, she is still a healthy, happy person, and she has never seen a reason that she shouldn’t be, regardless of how fat she may be. But her mother’s fears and embarrassment are influential, because Sweetie is young and loves her mother and desperately wants to make her happy, but not at the cost of what it means to be Sweetie. Their struggle over the course of the book to understand each other is, in my eyes, the true story being told here. Yes, there is romance, and I will get to the lovable Ashish shortly. But for me, the story was always about Sweetie and her personal battles and growth, some including Ashish and many not. The way Sweetie is at war with her mother over her weight and what that may and may not mean for her opportunities in the world is the most powerful story this book tells, and the most heartbreaking one. But it is not without hope, as Sweetie asserts her value, even if not always openly to her mother, throughout the entire book. Her mother’s words often hurt, but they are never enough for her to stop believing in herself. Sweetie Nair is the hero we need in Young Adult literature today.
There is more to this story, of course, than the Sassy Sweetie Project and her projecting her worth for everyone to see. We get one of the most precious first love stories between her and Ashish Patel, who readers of When Dimple Met Rishi met briefly as the cocky younger brother of titular Rishi. In this story, however, he takes center stage. Well, slightly off center stage. As the title would suggest, this story focuses on Sweetie and her story. But Ashish gets his own perspective chapters, and I am so grateful that we get to see him develop into a full character. He is sweet in ways I never anticipated, and his unwavering support of Sweetie in everything she does is truly inspiring. As in it inspires me to say boy bye to anyone not on his level. I mean really, from the get-go he is immediately confused and abrasive towards Sweetie’s mother’s stance on why the two of them should not date (Sweetie’s weight is such that people would laugh at her for trying to date someone as athletically built as Ashish). But Ashish himself never sees it that way, and he is vocal in that fact. He doesn’t just agree with Sweetie, he lets the whole world know how much he agrees with and supports Sweetie. He doesn’t keep it to himself or even keep it between the two of them. His outspoken belief in Sweetie and all she’s trying to prove-to the world, to her mother, to herself-is his greatest attribute. He never hesitates, never lets what society might try to dictate shade his feelings. Their blossoming romance remains untainted, and is something more teens deserve to be exposed to.
Menon really did that. She gave us a fat, Indian, track star, unashamed hero, and you can’t help but love Sweetie for everything she is and believes. Right from the beginning of the book, the characters felt so close to my heart, I just didn’t know why yet. The way they are written feels so genuine to the teenage experience, and I wish that I’d had Sweetie when I was sixteen. Her positivity is infectious. Her belief in herself seems so obvious that it’s hard to remember why you ever didn’t believe in yourself. There is something about Sweetie, and it’s something we could all use a little more of, especially when you’re sixteen and scared of the world. Sweetie will lend you her strength until you realize it was yours all along. Even if you’re not sixteen, it’s a lesson worth repeating.
This book was cute.
The beginning kind of had me thinking it was going to be rated lower. Every time Sweetie’s POV was being read it was literally “she can’t do anything, she’s too fat” the entire time. It felt like there was no story on Sweetie’s side, just comments about her weight. That honestly really made me dislike the Sweetie part of the book at first because it was really too much.
I liked the rest of the book though and the end was just perfect. Sweetie and Ashish were the perfect couple. So adorable.
I also loved both of their sets of friends. They just seemed so real and like awesome friends.
I really enjoyed Sandhya's first novel When Dimple Met Rishi and was excited for a new novel delving into the life of Ashish, Rishi's younger brother. Ashish is adorable but definitely comes with baggage from his failed relationship with Celia. But Sweetie is my new favorite character. She is amazing and her story is so easy to relate to for so many young women and girls, including myself, struggling with their body image, weight, and self-esteem. She struggles with trying to fit into her mother's image of a "perfect" young woman but thankfully is willing to break the mold and set her own definition of perfect. She is sassy, vulnerable, and confident. Loved the addition of each character's group of best friends, they added a lot to the story line as well. This was the perfect spin-off novel to When Dimple Met Rishi.
Can't wait to see Sandhya Menon's next book!
this was just hard for me to read via ebook and that's not fair to the format but i could not get into the character or the story and i was falling asleep while reading i also felt like this book felt young to me, which is actually AMAZING for publishing considering this is YOUNG ADULT and i'm an adult reader so that's my fault but it def. did hinder my experience reading the book
I admit I had a hard time with the story When Dimple Met Rishi. So, going back into that world makes me hopeful for a better story. Ashish is the typical high school stereotype and was hard for me to like him other all. Sweetie was different, I hated this character. She is a powerful character and the messages in this book is by far needed; however, although I love a female lead that are all powerful in their self-awareness I hated the emphases that she was “perfect” other than her size. Everyone has flaws (yes flaws with an “S”). The idea that Sweetie could change a person by speech alone almost magically was my biggest issue. This character was so unrealistic that it was ridiculous. The amount of eye rolling in this story was twice as much as I did in the previous novel. Another issue I had with this book is with the message that your self-worth is not measured by your pants size. Yes, a great message if done right; however, the issue of weight is never really fully explored. Sweetie is the fastest runner on the track team, something that the author goes to many lengths to express to the point that if she wasn’t the fastest runner she would be worthless. The item of fat was also not fully explore, Sweetie is a little overweight but by no means to the point of obsess. She is just a little bigger than others. So I have to ask want about those that look more obsess, or are not the fastest runner on the track team, or those that cannot get on a sports team, are they worthless? This message is one-sided with it being your self-worth isn’t measured by your pants size AS LONG as you are athletic enough to be working on changing because you need to change. Yup, you heard me that you need to change as if once again being overweight is so very bad. At this point you must be wondering why I even read this book. It is because I have to for my job. Overall, I did not like this book but there were somethings in it that were enjoyable.
Friends, I have a new favorite Sandhya Menon novel: There’s Something About Sweetie. I binge read the entirety of this novel in an afternoon because I just could not put it down once I started it. Menon’s compulsively readable writing, the fun and mostly realistic teen rom-com plot, the humor and heart of this story and a very strong cast of secondary characters played their part in making me fall in love with this book. But it was our two main characters – Sweetie and Ashish – were what cemented my deep appreciation for this story. Sweetie was a delight, Ashish was equally enjoyable, and both were people I’d love to be friends with – each of them kind, clever, intuitive, confident and all-around just wonderful. I felt so deeply for them as they faced their individual struggles (though I admittedly felt a little more strongly about Sweetie’s versus Ashish’s), and I was rooting for their relationship to work out right from the start. My only reservation lies in something that happens towards the end, but even that’s not enough to deter me from thoroughly loving and recommending this story. I laughed, I cried and I finished this one with the biggest smile ever on my face, and would 100% recommend picking this up if you’re into young adult contemporary romance.
An absolutely delightful book that had me smiling throughout. Sweetie is a wonderful character that you root for the entire time. It was great to see a fat, confident character as the lead in a rom-com. I will definitely be recommending this book.
Sweetie Nair is fat. She doesn’t care, but her mom cares. Like, a lot. A lot a lot. Definitely too much. So much that so when Ashish, a hot local boy from a good (and crazy rich!) Indian family tries to date Sweetie, Sweetie’s mom shuts it down. But Sweetie won’t give up without a fight, and so she, Ashish and Ashish’s parents hatch a plan in which the kids will go on four dates. If it works out, they’ll tell Sweetie’s parents. If not, no harm done. Plus, what can happen in four dates? Turns out, a lot.
If you’ve read any of Menon’s other books, this one is completely on brand. I’ve read her other two books, and this one might be my favorite? It’s up there with Dimple, for sure. It’s a funny romantic comedy with crazy endearing, mostly believable characters from a culture that’s different from mine. In addition to reading an adorable book, I get to learn a little bit about Indian Americans. This one has an added element of pointing out our society’s horrible ways of treating fat people. The way a folks react to Sweetie will have you seeing red – but you know it’s unfortunately totally realistic. Luckily, Sweetie is a self-confident young lady, and it was a joy to see her grow throughout the book. Ashish isn’t too bad himself! He has a very believable journey through the course of the book, and was a male lead you could root for even as he made a few terrible decisions.
TLDR: If you’re looking for a light, funny and very swoony read, this one will do it for you. I know it put a smile on my face.
Sandhya Menon is coming to PPLD to be the keynote speaker for Mountain of Authors! Meet her, listen to her give a talk and get a book signed on 27 April at 21c. More information about the event can be found here: https://research.ppld.org/mountainofauthors
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon Pulse for the advance copy, which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. There’s Something About Sweetie will be available for purchase on 14 May – don’t forget to put your copy on hold!
I’m absolutely here for Sandhya’s words and I was beyond excited to see Ashish get his own book.
You guys. I can’t even tell you how much I love Sweetie. She’s so good and such a lovely person. I loved how she saw herself and how she was happy with herself. Ashish took me a second to warm up to, but he was quite a marshmallow and I was quickly invested. And there’s such a great cast of secondary characters here: both Sweetie and Ashish have excellent friends and I’m hoping we’ll get more from them.
Plot wise, it was everything I wanted. There were sweet dates and open communication and lots of kissing. Of course there are a few stupid decisions {that make complete sense}, but the angst doesn’t last long and the gestures that come after that are fantastic. Yes, I’m being vague on purpose.
Overall, this was an amazing story and I can’t articulate how important it is and will be.
**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse for providing the arc free of charge**
I'm actually not even sure where to start with this review. I don't think I can express how much I loved this book. There's Something about Sweetie was amazing, because this book has a message the world needs to hear.
Sweetie is an Indian-American, and her parents are very traditional when it comes to their culture. So what's the problem? Sweetie is fat. To her, fat isn't a bad word, but to her mother it is the end of the world. Sweetie receives constant negative messages from her mom and from others around her, even strangers. So Sweetie decides it's time to start showing herself AND her mom that she can do whatever she wants as a fat girl without fear, whether it's date a hot Indian boy, wear what she wants, or sing in front of people. I love Sweetie's confidence which grows stronger over the course of the book. Even though she is insecure sometimes, she doesn't lash out at others when they hurt her feelings. She also has the most supportive group of friends a girl could ask for, and I loved their interactions.
Ashish has some baggage when it comes to relationships, not only with girls but with his parents, too. I really liked getting to see the Patel parents more in this story. It is so refreshing to have a YA novel in which the parents are actually present and play an important role! Ashish also has a wonderfully supportive group of friends, as well as one who needs a little help finding his place in the group. I would totally love a novella or spin-off book for Samir.
Sweetie and Ashish may be opposites in everything except for being athletes, but the dates they go on and the moments they share draw them closer to each other and to who they want to be. The way they complement each other and expand each other's horizons is so sweet and beautiful. There was even a scene that made me laugh out loud (one word: parrots), which I hardly ever do when reading!
This book has everything. Heartache, love, family, friends, laughter, and the requisite misunderstanding or two with the best reconciliation one could hope for. Even the characters I disliked most were redeemable.
Preorder this book, buy it when it comes out, or buy it when you read this because it's going to be one of the best of the year. And if it's not, well . . . . fight me. It should be :D
A lovely companion novel to When Dimple Met Rishi.
Ashish Patel (Rish's brother) is a star basketball player and all around catch but he didn’t know that break-ups could be so terrible; that is until his now ex-girlfriend cheated and dumped him. Down on his luck, he agrees to let his parents pick a good Indian girl for him to take on sanctioned dates. Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete, loyal friend and a stellar singer. However, she’s overweight; a flaw that her traditional parents cannot seem to overlook or forget. They agree to date each other in secret and it is not long before they discover that their chemistry is real.
Sweet, fun yet realistic and important novel which explores coming of age, identity and romance.
This book was adorable! I liked it even more than the first. The characters were complex and loveable and I was very invested in their story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good rom com. I will definitely be ordering this for my library!
5/5 Stars
Top 5 Reasons "Sweetie" Steals the Show
Sassy Sweetie - This girl is my idol! Sweetie is a star runner, shower singer, and secretly pursuing a boy for the first time. Better yet, she's fat and not ashamed of that. Seeing her happy in her own body was something I totally needed now and as a teen.
Adorable Ashish - This boy might have been a player and charmer but seeing him deal with his heartbreak and find himself again while also falling head over heels for Sweetie was an absolute delight.
Expectations of Perfection - This book delves into the pain and difficulty of trying to live up to people's expectations and ideas of perfection. Sweetie deals with both the fatphobia of others as well as her mother's desire for her to lose weight to live. Ashish though is trying to live up to his big brother and having a perfect persona.
Romantic Hearts - Ashish and Sweetie make quite the pair. From their first meeting/race to each of their parent planned dates, the two of them form a beautifully sweet connection that left me swooning.
Friendship for the Win - Both Ashish and Sweetie had iconic friendship groups that totally had their backs. I'm particularly fond of Oliver and Elijah and their relationship as well as Sweetie's girls coming for Ashish when he messed up.
Overall Sandhya Menon's There's Something About Sweetie is an absolute beauty of a book with the most adorable protagonists and a brilliant story. Ashish and Sweetie leap off the page and their everyday struggles are so realistic. I couldn't get enough of them on their own as well as the dynamics between family and friends. Honestly this quickly became my fave book by Menon and I highly recommend checking this one out!
This book was, like all of Sandhya Menon's books, a complete and utter delight. First of all, it's just adorable; I love the way Menon writes crushes and her teen relationships are something anyone who has ever fallen in love can relate to, no matter their age. More importantly, Menon explores a lot of really important issues, such as acculturation processes for children of immigrant families, dating across social class, and body positivity and fat acceptance. As a sociologist who studies the family, one of my favorite things about the book is the way that Menon complicates the typical script about Asian-American parents and the dating and social lives of their teens that implies that "old world" values are bad and "Americanized" values are good: Menon shows the value of parental guidance and of children respecting their parents, while also writing characters that are independent, strong-willed, and stick to their own instincts about what is write. Menon makes it clear that the relationship between the two worlds children of immigrants often have to navigate doesn't have to be one marked only by antagonism and impossible choices between love and family, but that these families are dynamic and ever-evolving. That she does all this while making my face hurt from all the grinning over just how sweet her characters are shows what a force Menon is. I can't wait for more of her books!