From Twinkle, with love – A book review

Remember the time when everyone including your friends loved a thing and you didn’t know how to react because you didn’t love it as much. Or to be honest didn’t love it at all? Well, I am gonna probably lose some friends over this review of From Twinkle, with love by Sandhya Menon. Let get it done with ok?

Finally an #ownvoicebook with an Indian MC, in a setting that I can personally relate to. But is it enough to make me like #FromTwinkleWithLove? Go read this post Click To Tweet

About the book

From Twinkle, with love Cover

Book Name: From Twinkle, with love

Author:  Sandhya Menon

Genre: Fiction ā€“ Romance

Characters: Twinkle Mehra, Dadi, Sahil and Neil Roy, Maddie Tanaka, Victoria

Setting: Colorado Springs, ColoradoThe United States of America

Summary

Twinkle Mehra is an aspiring filmmaker, who has had a crush on the school’s golden boy Neil Roy for a long time. She has made it her personal goal to break out of the groundling status (AKA commoners), in the high school cliched ranks, and get promoted to that of silk feathered hats, that is the popular ones.

To make matters worse, her childhood best friends Maddie had found new friends earlier this year and she is now among the popular clique, and she has to win her back.

When Sahil, a fellow film geek and the awkward twin of Neil Roy, asks her to work on a film for the summer festival, she takes it up as a chance to solve all her problems – get closer to Neil, win back Maddie, join the popular clique and shoot a film.

But what she did not expect was her falling for the sweet, understanding and adorable Sahil. What happens to their film and their romance forms the rest of the story in From Twinkle, with love.

Book review

Since I told you all pretty much how I feel about the book already, let us talk about the why part.

I was all excited for this book, because I had had met the author then and she turned out to be actually sweet and friendly. And most of my friends and many from the book blogger world loved it. But that didn’t sway my high expectations from my experience with When Dimple met Rishi. So I started reading with the correct level of expectations but hopeful that I will love it.

After a few initial chapters, I started disliking Twinkle as I found her annoying, self absorbed and hypocritical. As much as she spoke of breaking the barrier between cliches, she was obsessed with being in the popular group. She had a crush on Neil and constantly worried about ‘her connection with him’ even when she was getting closer to his brother, when she had barely spoken with him ever.

And she absolutely didn’t care about what Maddie’s interest in ‘being best friends’ with her. Or how Sahil would feel when he realizes that she is working with him to get to his brother, whose shadows he had lived under all his life. And she doesn’t tell him about meeting N, her secret admirer until he found out. I really wanted to like this book, you guys!

Also her character arc: Her character arc takes a positive change and then a negative so suddenly (and quite unnecessarily) that it had me double check if I were reading it correctly. Yes, she redeems herself at the end but the changes in her didn’t make sense to me.

Why am I talking only about Twinkle?

Because that is all there! From Twinkle, with love is written in the epistolary style with diary/letter entries of Twinkle and chat history of Sahil. The book offers no other character’s perspectives. But how did she write her diary when she was with others? Did she excuse herself for 30 minutes (that is how much long it took to write this review) when she is with others?

I liked the author’s writing style and easy flow. And it would definitely be a good book to start your reading habit even. I liked even the smaller characters like Dadi, Victoria and I wish we had deeper insights into their characters.

Things that worked for me

  • Finally a diverse book with an Indian MC, in a setting that I can personally relate to.
  • I loved Sahil and how understanding and helpful was.
  • Great book to start the reading habit with.
  • I liked the easy narrative flow, despite the epistolary style.

Things that didn’t work for me

  • I completely hated how annoying and cardboard-ish Twinkle was.
  • And her character arc didn’t make sense to me.
  • I wish the other (non lead) characters had more depth and character development.

Bottom-line

Read From Twinkle, with love if you are looking for a fluffy, contemporary high school romance, with desi characters. Many other bloggers have loved it, so you might too.

Similar books that you might like?

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Let us chat

Have you read this one? Did you like From Twinkle, with love? Do you readĀ epistolary style books and if so what other similar books would you suggest? Let us talk.

20 Comments

  1. glittergirl

    I want to read that book so bad now that I read your post. You did a wonderful job. I post on my blog about books I have read and I would love it if you followed me and gave me some suggestions.

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Sure will take a look!

      Reply
  2. Megan | The Ginger Mom Reader

    Annoying characters will totally wreck a book for me. That’s so sad that this one didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to šŸ™ I haven’t read any of her books yet, though I have Dimple on my shelf right now.

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Let me know how you like Dimple once you read it.

      Reply
  3. Bianca

    I hope your next read is better!

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Bentley

    Aww I’m sorry this one didn’t quite hit all the marks for your, despite your hopes that it would!

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Yes, but I have learnt my lesson.

      Reply
  5. Nadene

    Bummer, so sorry this did not work for you.

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Yep, that is true.

      Reply
  6. DJ Sakata

    I adore your posts, you always amuse me regardless of my interest level of the genre

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Thank you. I am flattered

      Reply
  7. Love, Sawyer

    Great honest review! I hope your next read is amazing.

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Yes it was. Thank you!

      Reply
  8. Kate @ Bitch Bookshelf

    Bummer you didnā€™t love it, and youā€™re not the first Iā€™ve seen say so. I ADORED Dimple & Rishi so I may give this a chance at some point.

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Let me know how it goes for you, Kate.

      Reply
  9. Whispering Stories

    Great review. Glad you loved it. Never heard of the book before.

    Reply
    • Gayathri

      Tahnk you!

      Reply
    • Gayathri

      Thank you! Let me know if you read it.

      Reply

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  1. April 2020: The one where my world stood still: Sunday Musings #73 | Elgee Writes - […] From Twinkle, with love – A book review […]

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Gayathri

Gayathri

Gayathri has been reviewing books since 2010. When she is not reading books or creating online content, she works as a writer and a digital marketer. Head over to meet me!