Okay, I admit it. When I first picked this one up and started to read it, I thought I was revisiting the life of the main character of Sandyha Menon's other book, When Dimple Met Rishdi. I thought these were her earlier years, before she went to college. Well, I thought wrong.
This is not Dimple's story. This is Twinkle's story and they are not one and the same. This is a whole new girl. But I have to tell you that Twinkle is just as lovable as Dimple ever was. So, just so you know starting out, this is Twinkle's story. Dimple is no where in sight.
Twinkle does not feel like one of the cool kids. Her best friend, Maddie, has wandered away from her and you know, is sitting with those other kids at lunch. That group is cool. Twinkle doesn't have a cell phone and with her parents making their livings as a substitute teacher and an aide in a school for deprived kids, there isn't a lot of extra money floating around for shoes and vacations.
Twinkle decides if she can just catch the eye of Neil Roy, one of the ultimate cool guys, she can elevate her status and maybe even get her BFF back. So, she's surprised when Neil's twin brother, Sahil, the twin who doesn't stand in the limelight, buys her a coffee and then volunteers to work with her to create a new film version of Dracula with gender swaps.
Twinkle's heart belongs to film. She dreams of becoming a film director. In fact, each of the entries in her diary that make up this book is written to a big name, highly successful female movie director. Dear Ava Duvernay.... Dear Jane Campion, Nora Ephron, Sofia Coppola ..... and so it goes. That alone is a fascinating education in female directors..makes you want to go find all of their movies and see what they can do with a movie.
Romance, discovering the people who really matter to you, making your dreams come true and actually stepping back to take a look at what might be driving some of those "cool kids" to act the way they do..well it's just a typical day in an American high school. Twinkle is a sympathetic character who leads us through some of the social quagmires of being a teenager and gives us a chance to see ourselves in her shoes. I mean, who hasn't wished they could "call out" the nastiness of the cool kids? Really nail them on their hypocrisy and arrogance and general lack of empathy for those who are not of their tribe?
Twinkle has the chance to do just that and on film which gives her even more power. She could humiliate them all in front of a huge community audience.
Will she figure out who she loves? Will she find the "stuffing" that is solidly in place inside of her? Will she have the courage to follow her dream and really show the world exactly who those kids are?
Juggling a grandmother, Dadi, who is communing the the other world, her own Mummy who rarely plays any part in Twinkle's life, and her slowly growing like/love for Sahil is enough for anyone. But Twinkle has her BFF seemingly turning her back on her and a secret admirer emailing her just to keep her hopping.
A voice to keep you company and a journey filled with hope and possibilities. This is a great happy ending trek through teen town.
336 pages 978-1481495400 Ages 13 and up (passionate kissing; sexuality but no sex)
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
******** Utterly charming.” —NPR “Cinematic.” —Teen Vogue “Funny and sweet.” —Buzzfeed
Three starred reviews for this charming romantic comedy about an aspiring teen filmmaker who finds her voice and falls in love, from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi.
Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.
When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.
Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?
Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.--from the publisher
