Remember how back in 2012 the only book anyone ever talked about was The Fault in Our Stars? I wish Symptoms of a Heartbreak was around back then because it is infinitely better and hits a lot of the same emotional notes that TFIOS hit for many people. While this book is pitched as a medical romcom, I’d actually describe it as less of a romcom and more of a family comedy with a smidgen of romance and a lot of growth and development.

Saira is Girl Genius and the youngest doctor ever. But all that genius cannot prepare for her first year as an intern at the place where it all started – when she diagnosed her best friend with cancer at the age of 6. It also cannot prepare her on how she should balance her very adult responsibilities with the fact she is still a teen who has never had any real teen experiences.

Saira truly reads like the perfect balance between teen and adult. A YOUNG ADULT if you will. She is prone to irritability, occasionally forgetting to think about people other than herself; but, she is also capable of being mature and making important decisions. Her voice just hit all the right notes for me. Her relationship with her fam was the best and all the food descriptions made me immensely hungry.

Given that this book is a comedy, it could have been pretty easy for it to brush off all the big bad things that happen in the world, but it didn’t. The health care system in the US is severely broken and Charaipotra didn’t dance around that. Saira had patients who dealt with shitty insurance companies. Not all of Saira’s patients are always okay given that they have cancer… and sometimes people die.

Charaipotra truly hit the mark with this book and I loved that we could both be immersed within Saira’s family and also within her work place without feeling like one or the other was neglected. I also loved how much character development there was. I love Saira coming to terms with the times she has dropped the ball on her friendships and familial relationships.

I have yet to say a word about the romance and part of that is because it really isn’t the focus of this book but also part of it is because it’s so soft and I wanted to save the softest thing for last. Link and Saira hit it off as soon as they meet but Link assumes that Saira is also a patient and she doesn’t bother to correct him. Even with this miscommunication, their romance is so sweet and so full of understanding.

If you enjoy experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, this book will truly be your thing. You will laugh, cry and swoon. If you were at one point, obsessed with Scrubs, this book will also be your thing (I started rewatching after finishing this book, LOL.) If you are a fan of realistic teens and good character development, this book will be your thing. If you love Punjabi grandmas (+ crazy Punjabi fams) and lots of good Punjabi food-porn, this book will BE YOUR THING. There is something for everyone here and Symptoms of a Heartbreak is absolutely worth the read.

I enjoyed Sona Charaipotra’s Symptoms of a Heartbreak so much! I was initially drawn to the cover. Medical contemporary? Yes. Rom-com? Yes. And when I was introduced to Saira? I mean, the first few pages of her trying to get to work on time had me laughing. I knew I was going to enjoy Sona’s writing.

Saira is a sixteen-year-old medical prodigy, working in the pediatric oncology in a very competitive internship program. She gets a lot of pushback because she’s young. But she holds her own, and I enjoyed getting to know her. She’s a go-getter, and she has to be with what she’s accomplished so far. But I love that about her, because a voice like hers needs to be heard more often.

And there’s Link. I won’t talk much into detail about him, because I don’t want to give anything away. But the romance and relationship between Link and Saira was just right, and very fitting for this book. It was a progression, and it was not the main attraction. But I think there are times when an experience and the characters need to stand out more than just a plot point.

I wish there were more of some things. Because this is categorized as an #ownvoices story, I was excited at the integration of the Indian culture. Saira’s family is a side character all on their own, and I’ve enjoyed all the scenes with them.

One thing I will warn you about is the topic of cancer. Specifically, childhood cancer. It’s hard for me to read about cancer sometimes. I get emotionally invested, and for this story? You bet there were tears.

I enjoyed Saira and Symptoms of a Heartbreak! I am looking forward to see more of Sona’s work.



*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This was such a unique story! It's rare to find a new and original story idea nowadays and this definitely was a breath of fresh air.

I was a big fan of Charaipotra's Tiny Pretty Things duology that she co-wrote with Dhonielle Clayton, so I was excited to read her debut as a standalone author. She really didn't disappoint.

Our main character, "Girl Genius" Saira was the best.  She's the youngest doctor in America at the age of 16, and she holds zero arrogance when it comes to others and her abilities. It could have been so easy for her to have an air of entitlement—which someone unjustly accuses of her—but she is just a regular teen who happens to live a very different life. She stands up for herself and does so with humor and charisma—she is very confident in her abilities. I found this to be a very smart and interesting way to tackle the sick kid trope that is very popular in YA these days.

I think Charaipotra also did really great things with the releationships in this book. The situation with Saira and her friend Lizzie was pretty tricky, but it ended up being a really great way of handling a change in friendship. They have things going on in their own lives  that the other can’t relate to. All Saira wants to do is to hold on because she doesn’t think she can continue life without that friendship. I think it's the same with her relationship with Vish—he is kind of her security blanket and she doesn't know what she'll do when he moves on from her. Another thing I loved was her incredible relationship with her sister. Taara could have easily been very jealous and spiteful of her sister because of the attention from not only their large family, but also complete strangers, but she was extremely supportive and was there for her, every step of the way.

Surprisingly, the one thing I didn't love was the romance. There was nothing wrong with it per say, I just think the story would have been stronger without it. It wasn't really the central plot line, so it didn't bother me that much, but for once, I don't feel like it was needed.

All in all, I thought this was a really strong and unique story with great characters and relationships.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

This adorable book comes out on Tuesday and I needed to post something about it.

So the premise of Symptoms of a Heartbreak is this: Saira Sehgal is sixteen and just starting her first job as a doctor. She's a "Girl Genius," having been in college at eleven and graduating med school at sixteen. Now she's ready for the professional world. But she's still sixteen, and her fellow interns and doctors at Princeton Presbyterian Hospital are very much not. Despite having graduated, she needs to prove herself as a professional, and as a doctor. Oh, and she needs to get her driver's license. But when she meets a cute patient that she starts to have feelings for, all bets are off.

I'm not usually the biggest fan of straight rom-com type books, but let me tell you that this is an #ownvoices author and that that's super important. The author wrote from the point of view of her own culture and it added an extra something. Because Saira, the protagonist, is more than this a Girl Genius Doctor. Her family is a huge part of her story and you can tell how much they love each other and love their culture. This book just HAS something, you know? There are happy parts to this novel, and sad parts (hence the title), but it all adds up to something great.

Thanks again to Netgalley!

TW: childhood cancer

At sixteen, Saira Sehgal is the youngest doctor in America. Dubbed "Girl Genius" by the media, she's been selected to be one of three interns at a prestigious new program in the pediatrics oncology ward. But despite her intellect and her accomplishments, Saira has a lot to learn—and realize that she might be a doctor, but she's still a teen.

June has been a month of reading books that are conflicting to rate.

At times, I loved this book. At others, I just wanted to smack Saira and shout, "WTF PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!"

However, Saira was very much a teenager and a doctor. Her emotions and inability to set aside emotion for logic were frustrating, but made sense because she's a teen, and as intelligent as she is, she still has teenage hormones. While much of her interactions with Link made me roll my eyes (particularly in the beginning where she continues with her lie of omission—like, girl, this is not going to end well), and her continued relationship with him made me physically pained, particularly since doctor-patient relations is such a huge taboo—her interactions with the other patients, her passion for healing and her desire to make things less awful were wonderful to read. I also painfully related to her reluctance to drive—because getting your license is scary and can be a step into adulthood that's really hard to take, particularly when you were forced (or chose) to grow up way too fast.

I also loved pretty much the entire supporting cast, and how the subject of childhood cancer and the realities of having a child with a slowly murderous disease were depicted with compassion, empathy and also a healthy dose of reality at the failures of the healthcare system (it can be better!) and the sacrifices that families make to save their children. This book goes for it without becoming tragedy porn, and I was really grateful for that. There is hope, there is failure, there is healing, and there is also reality that sometimes dying is a release from pain for both the patient and the family.

To the supporting cast. There is a lot of diversity in the casting (woot woot desi rep!), which was awesome to see, particularly since medicine is diverse. Plus there was a lot of LGB rep! Everyone felt so fucking real (view spoiler), even if sometimes they could be a little one dimensional. Saira's huge extended family was very well done, and the patients and their families and conflicting motives and fears and hopes.

I also liked the hospital staff, especially José, who was Saira's one-man hype team (and sayer of truths). And Howard and Cho, who I wish had more page time to really develop their bond with Saira a bit more instead of the constant Link focus. And Dr. Arora, too, to see his mentorship abilities in greater practice. I did not like Dr. Davis at all, but I understood her reactions towards Saira, because damn was that kid rude AF. Like, I get that you're a genius and are tired of constantly proving yourself to the adults in your life but figure out the fucking chain of command? Overall, I wanted more of the hospital staff interactions, and wanted to see Saira's relationship and skills develop and grow more—and see how Howard and Cho reconciled their longer hours with Saira's shorter time.

Instead, much of the book was about Saira and Link and their we-can't-but-we-are relationship. It was a lot of YA insta romance, and I didn't feel their connection? Despite everyone in the book talking about how obvious it was that they liked each other. I just felt that the romance was thrust in there as reason for Saira to go above and beyond for this one patient, as she constantly thrust herself into his life and tried to save him despite his repeated iterations that he wanted nothing to do with her after learning that she had lied to him. I wish that there had been a bit more realization on Saira's part after Link told her how her deception made him feel, and that she really did realize that she couldn't understand Link and the other cancer patients because she wasn't one of them. Sitting with your dying friend and becoming a doctor doesn't put you in the same world as the kids who actually have cancer and are experiencing the treatments and the fracturing of their families.

Additionally, there was some talk about childhood vs growing up, and the real conflict of what being a Girl Genius actually means for kids who skip ahead in their lives. Just like the cancer patients, Saira's friends don't understand what it means to have to watch her steps at every moment and not take risks—and Saira doesn't understand what it means to be a teen and a child, because neither her nor her friends share the same experience. I did like that Lizzie and Saira realize their differences and how selfish they were towards each other, and that Saira finally realized that she had been taking Lizzie for granted, and that relationships were a give and take instead of just assuming someone would be there to help you. I kinda wish that Vish had had the same realization, even if his situation was completely different and his hiding more necessary.

Anywho.

To wrap up this incredibly long review.

Why you might want to read this one:

1. Great depiction of what it means to be a Girl Genius (constantly proving yourself, teenage hormones/development, being kinda alienated from kids your age, learning to emotionally detach, etc)
2. Amazing diverse cast with a desi MC
3. Working in a pediatric oncology department and the emotional toll it takes, without being tragedy porn
4. The complexities of the healthcare system
5. Engaging family dynamics

Why you might want to skip:

1. Lots of revolving subplots and characters, which can be kinda underdeveloped
2. MC you want to smack at times
3. Instalove
4. Childhood cancer (because this book WILL make you cry)

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, despite the things that frustrated the hell out of me.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I loved this emotional medical contemporary. I felt so invested in all of the cases. Being a 16 year old prodigy definitely has it interesting situations. The food infused in the writing of this book had me wanting to cook and eat the entire time. This is an emotional adorable read and I highly recommend it!

FACT: I watched Doogie Howser, when the episodes originally aired, and I was totally fascinated with his trials and tribulations as he attempted to navigate the adult world as a teen.

My love of Dr. Doogie drove my desire to read Symptoms of a Heartbreak, and I throughly enjoyed the new life Charaipotra breathed into this concept.

Being a girl genius seemed kind of like a blessing and curse for Saira. Here she was, 16 years old, and a medical professional. She was responsible for making life or death decisions for her patients, but she could not get the other doctors to take her seriously, AND she still had to abide by her parent's rules. This was something Saira struggled with in the book, and I felt like Charaipotra did an admirable job capturing Saira's emotions and reactions to many of the situations that arose because of this. In the beginning, she showed her age, but slowly, I saw Saira growing and maturing and becoming more professional, and learning that certain things need to be earned.

This book was on the lighter side, and there are many, many fun, sweet, tender, and amusing moments, but Saira was an intern in the pediatric oncology ward, so there were some heartbreaking and painful moments as well. Be prepared. I know I shed some tears.

But never fear, because I was also treated to an adorable romance. Saira's reaction to Link was so sweet, and gosh darn it! These two were precious together. There union was filled with many complications, but I was still all in on this pairing.

Here's a quick list of other things I adored:
• Siblings - Saira and her sister shared some really special moments.
• Dadi - You know I love grandmas, and Dadi not only was a hoot, she was wise.
• Food! - There was a LOT of amazing cooking and eating in the book.
• Central NJ - It's so rare to see books set where I live, and I will always get excited about this.
• The Ending - I don't want to give anything away, but I was happy with it.
• Family - Saira's family was fantastic, and I loved what a prominent role they played in this story.

Overall, this was a wonderful, touching, and heartfelt read, which made me laugh, but also bought me to tears, but mostly, made me cheer for this fierce and fabulous girl genius.

A fantastic read! I smiled, I cried, I hoped, and I just fell in love with this book! Just so special, it made me feel lucky to have read it!

3.5⭐️

Saira Sehgal is just a normal 16 year old trying to pass her driver’s license, stay out of arguments with her best friend, dodge her helicopter superstar Dr mom, and grieve the loss of an old friend all while becoming the youngest doctor studying pediatric oncology. On her first day, she encounters an adorable teen in the oncology ward and they have an instant connection. The only problem is, he thinks she’s an oncology patient, like him, NOT a doctor on his case.

This was a fun and fast read that I enjoyed quite a bit. There definitely were some moments that were choppy in terms of plot and detracted from my overall enjoyment, but I really like how Saira struggled with her dual role of teen and adult and not knowing quite where to fit in. I do wish there was more explanation of all of the cultural references so that I wasn’t so confused, because that was one of the largest hurdles in my loving the book more than I did. I loved the familial bond that the Sehgal family shared and the reality that not everyone in your family will get along.

Thank you netgalley for a free copy of Hanks book In exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Omg. Love this book.

It’s contemporary. It’s ya. It’s medical. It’s romance. It’s everything!

I’m a nurse, so I love me a good medical story. This follows Saida, the United State’s youngest doctor. 16 years old. Okay. I’ll roll with it.

Her first day on the job she meets a boy. A patient. And love ensues. Obviously.

She has her ups and downs on the job. People are hard on her. They don’t think she can be there because of her age. And it shows, as it should. A 16 year old doctor will still have a 16 year old’s feelings.

I loved the ups and downs of her career and life. It felt real even though it’s kind of unheard of. And honestly, I’d be scared of a 16 year old doc too. I know I wouldn’t have been as amazing as the nurse practitioner in the story. (One complaint though. He acted more as a nurse than a nurse practitioner, but most people not in the medical field wouldn’t pick up on that.)

Would I recommend this book? Yes. 100%. Will you like it even if you aren’t in the medical field? Yes. Think of it as a Ya Grey’s Anatomy with a Little doctoring and a lot of drama.

This book is like a teen version of Grey's Anatomy (and Doogie Howser). The main character has to deal with earning respect as a teen doctor and falling for a teen patient. I would highly recommend for any YA reader, especially those interested in the medical field.

Saira is one of those YA characters that feels so genuine and relatable. While not everyone can relate to being a girl genius (I'm so far from that), Symptoms of a Heartbreak tackles issues that we all face - when our family doesn't understand us, having dreams and ambitions, feeling out of place. I loved how desi this book is from the mouth watering food scenes, to the ways her family comes alive in our mind.

This was a quick read with a fun love story. It was not my favorite, but I did find it to be entertaining.

A fun, sweet story. Charaipotra's solo debut is off to a great start. I can't wait to read more from her!

Saira (pronounced Sigh-ra) is the world's youngest MD at the age of 16 and she is about to embark on her next journey; an internship in pediatric oncology. Not only is this tremendous pressure on its own, the hospital she will be working at is the same one she visited daily to be by her childhood best friend's side, while she battled leukemia. Oh and did I mention her mom also works there?! Being the world's youngest MD, Saira is determined to make an impression and exceed all expectations. All of that changes when an unexpected variable is thrown into the equation.... Link. If there is one rule all doctors know it is: not to fall in love with a patient. What does this mean for Saira and how will it impact her career?

Being obsessed with shows like Grey's Anatomy, ER, and Chicago MD, as soon as I read the synopsis I knew that I had to get my hands on this book. I'm glad I did. Although, now it's over, I'm left hungry for more.

I really enjoyed the cultural references and integration found throughout the book. While I will admit there were times where it left me confused and wish I knew more about what they were talking about, it did not take away from the story. In fact, I appreciated the cultural references because it made the book feel more authentic and it makes the book stand out and different in a good way.

This book took me a little while to get into, but it was fun, thoughtful, and clever. I loved that Saira was the youngest doctor at her hospital and could hold her own against the other doctors, but some of her decisions were so frustrating! I could understand why they needed to happen since she is so young, prodigy or not, and it definitely increased the tension. Oh, and don't even get me started on her family, namely her aunt.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves television shows like Scrubs.

Saira is the youngest MD in America. With an internship in pediatric oncology, she knows she will make a difference in lives, just like she tried to do for Harper. We follow Saira, Cho, and Howard through several months as interns. Along the way we meet patients Pinky, Alina, Brenden, and Linc. Saira’s journey includes making decisions about life-long friends, as well as learning to drive. This book is filled with descriptions of foods that Saira’s daida makes. I’m sorry this eARC did not come with samples of the foods, but I hope the launch will. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

Girl Genius Saira is just starting her first job as an oncology resident at a prestigious hospital. As the youngest doctor in America, the spotlight is on her just waiting for her to screw up. Unfortunately for her, genius or not, she is also a sixteen year old girl prone to making the same mistakes sixteen year olds have been making since back and back and back in the day. And on top of that, one of her bosses seems to have it out for her. Pretty soon Saira lands in the kind of mess that looks impossible to get out of. Fortunately they don't call her girl genius for nothing.

I loved reading Saira's story. I couldn't relate to her as someone who spent their teen years in med school, but I could totally understand how she was feeling when she got dumped by her best friend or when she was scared to take her drivers' test. Saira is intellectually exceptional but she's also dumb in the most true to life ways we can be at sixteen. I just hope we see more of her in the future.

16 year old Saira is the Girl Genius. She was in college by age 12 and by 16 has finished medical school and is a hospital resident in the children’s oncology ward, and she’s off to a rough start. She’s late her first day, her supervisor seems to hate her, and she’s beginning to develop a relationship with one of her patients.

I liked this book. I liked learning about Saira, her culture, and her family. The descriptions of food were divine! Seeing the family interact at pizza hut did a great job of painting a picture of the family dynamic quickly and easily. Although a clear picture of Saira’s family was painted for us, I wish we’d had more intimate moments with Saira and her family.

With regards to Saira’s “friends”, they were hard to read about. Saira has spent her whole life working hard toward her goals. She chose to skip high school and the socialization it teaches, she chose to spend most of her time with her family watching Bollywood movies, and of the kids she knew before she joined the gifted program, she chose to only retain two friendships, Vish and Lizzie. While I hated that Vish put Saira into a position where she was forced to life for him every day, I thought he was a great character, I don’t think we saw enough of Lizzie though. When Lizzie and Saira got into a fight, I felt like I was supposed to have some sympathy for Lizzie but I didn’t. I don’t know if it was because her character wasn’t developed enough, or what, but I didn’t feel much.

Saira’s coworkers were full of surprises, and by coworkers I mean Jose, he was my favorite character in the book. I liked Saira’s interactions with her patients and their families and although I feel like everything happened very quickly. It feels like Saira met with each patron maybe 4 times. I just didn’t feel for them the way I think I should have.

Reading this book was interesting because I thought I was going to be reading a book about doctor who happened to be a teen genius, but I think I read about a teen who happened to be a genius and a doctor.

Saira is the Girl Genius, the youngest doctor in America; a title that she is proud to have and strives to live up to. When she begins her residency at the hospital her mother works at, Saira tries to distance herself and build her own reputation as a good doctor (something that is hard to do when you aren't much older, or younger, than your patients).
When she bumps into a cancer patient named Lincoln, she is immediately smitten with him...and when Lincoln assumes she is a cancer patient as well (and Saira does nothing to dissuade him of that thought) he finds someone that knows exactly what he is going through.
Charaipotra does a wonderful job of deftly weaving a lovely story with the heavy topics of cancer, children and death. I was quickly sucked into her character's lives and I was desperate to find out what happens when Saira starts to act more like a 16 year old girl rather than a genius doctor. Can't wait to see what else Sona Charaipotra has up her sleeve!