Kavita DaswaniBesprekingen

Une sympathique tentative de bluette indienne... mais reste une tentative.½

Fun read. Engaging without being too trite. I just wish though that the ending hadn't been so contrived, and the main protagonist had a little bit more spine to her.

I love novels that take place in India, and this one is really pleasant to read.

This is fun fluff. Everything is just a bit too easy to be believable, and that goes double for the ending. But it was still fun.½

I was inspired to pick up Lovetorn to read more about the Indian culture, and to read about how the family transitions from Bangalore to LA. Seems like quite the culture shock. The forbidden love aspect and how that relates to the arranged marriage also caught my interest.

I liked the story overall. It’s a quick light read with a lot of great ideas. However, I just wished that some of them were explored a little more fully. The length of the book is short, to the expense of some of the character and story development. It didn’t have the depth I was looking for, though the story itself is refreshing.

The protagonist Shalini is really bullied in school for her appearance and manner of dress. Some of the behavior is appallingly mean, so much so that I was impressed that she even made it to school everyday. She has a lot on her plate considering school and picking up the slack at home now that her mother is suffering depression from the move. Only her father and little sister Sangita seem to be thriving in their new life. She does find her place eventually, as her friendships and experiences evolve over the course of the book.

The family dynamics are explored and bring up interesting points about gender equality, culture and traditions, and mental health issues. I liked seeing how the family reacted to their new surroundings in different ways, and how they adjusted over time. Sangita the little sister is a standout character and I would have liked to learn more about her.

The transition to life in LA ended up being more interesting to me than the love triangle. I didn’t feel strongly for one choice over the other, even though Vikram does seem like a great guy and support system to Shalini. It makes sense that she would question her match to him through this forced separation. I wished there was more time in the book devoted to her decision making process, instead of it feeling somewhat rushed.

Even though I’m not head over heels in love with this book, Lovetorn is an enjoyable read. Contemporary fans looking for a refreshing read about Indian culture and family life should give this book a try.

Entering her mid-thirties, Anju has proven to be a failure as a daughter. Sure, she's well-educated. Sure, she has a successful career as a fashion publicist. Sure, she has remained a "good girl" despite living by herself in that den of iniquity known as New York City. But she's failed to do the one thing that would define her worth and ease the anxiety she's causing her ultra-conservative, ultra-orthodox parents: she still hasn't married.

And it's not Anju's fault. She's fasted, she's prayed, she's presented herself as meek and submissive. She's allowed her mother to drag her to every swami, fortune teller, and holy man she can find. She's had her birth chart read, her destiny foretold. She's tried to lighten her too-dark complexion. She's attended parties and reunions and the weddings of others, in the hopes of making a match--all to no avail. She's even tried online matchmaking for Indian couples only. What will it take for Anju to meet the man that others assure her has been born for her and, in the meantime, how can she balance her traditional Indian life with her increasingly independent American one?

Other reviews have listed two primary problems with this book: the lack of a clearly defined personality in the protagonist, Anju, and the perception of the novel as a piece of fluff with little to say. And, yes, this certainly isn't the type of novel that is going to deeply move you or offer profound insight into Indian culture. It also has an ending that is predictable and wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly. However, the aforementioned criticisms are a little harsh.

First, the issue of Anju's personality, which to me is not a misstep on the part of the author, although it could seem that way to an American audience who would prefer a headstrong and fiercely independent protagonist eager to break the shackles enslaving her to a patriarchal society. But Anju is not American. While she has been raised in a family that loves her, she has also been raised to believe that who she is will always be defined by the man who protects her: first her father and later her husband. She has not been encouraged to become a fully realized person and therefore is waiting for her other half, who will define her existence by setting the boundaries of what her life will be. It should not be surprising that this protagonist hesitates to break with her religion and her heritage, despite sensing something is amiss with the expectations placed upon her. That she is uncertain, cautious, and hesitant makes her seem more real.

Second is the classification of the novel as mindless chick lit. Okay, I can't defend the chick lit part. And there are moments in the narrative when I became a little impatient with Anju's focus on designer shoes and the world of high fashion. But it could be argued that not accustomed to having a voice (or at least not confident enough to always use it), Anju is using fashion to communicate her values and her inner life to others. At home in Bombay, Anju tries to look the part of the fashionable and worldly expatriate, eager to show that she has become more independent, less constrained by social mores. Yet, while attending fashion shows in the U.S. and Europe, she opts out of the haute couture chic for traditional saris, demonstrating to Westerners her pride in herself as an Indian woman. Anju uses fashion in an attempt to attain balance and define herself: she does not want to lose that intrinsically Indian part of herself in America, but she does not want her desires and dreams to be subjugated to the search for a husband in her homeland.

And the novel, while perhaps simplistic in its presentation, is not mindless. Anju knows she is not just a disappointment because of her inability to marry; she knows it goes back to the day she was born: "And then I slid out, with a minuscule slit instead of the wormlike appendage [my mother] had been looking forward to seeing. Oh, God, she had delivered a daughter as a first-born. The unthinkable had happened" (102). Despite being a disappointment, Anju is not unloved and does not want to alienate her family by cutting all ties with her heritage and her customs. Her loneliness and alienation is real and will only worsen if she marries a white man, effectively becoming estranged from her family, or if she marries an Indian man whom she cannot love nor respect. And it's very easy for Americans (as just about every American character in the book does) to think that a family that would expect you to enter into an arranged marriage or to define yourself by who you marry doesn't really love you. But that's a bit hypocritical, no?

For all of our supposed independence, isn't our culture just as marriage happy, just as eager to be one half of a whole? Think we're not as guilty? Say Yes to the Dress, The Bachelor, at least a dozen Disney princess movies, and a wedding industry that sells fairy tales for a price that could put your first born through college suggest otherwise. I knew and know plenty of women who can't wait to get married because that's what they're supposed to do. They believe that's when they'll become who they were always meant to be--wives and mothers. The "arranged" bit isn't necessarily there, but a woman in her twenties is perpetually asked questions about her relationship status: Seeing anyone serious?

And this connection is what Daswani makes work for her in For Matrimonial Purposes. By presenting us with a protagonist with one foot in New York and the other in Bombay, we may see a bit more of ourselves in Anju's experience than we're comfortable with. All of the American superiority begins to deflate as we begin to realize much of Anju's plight may also be our own.

Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder

Indian girl from a very wealthy family inherits a curse and no one wants to marry her. The story is about how the very rich spend money on impressing other people and the importance of a good (expensive) astrologer in getting an arranged marriage. She goes to New York and ends up in a glittering job as a fashion publicist (Paris, Concorde, Blahnik) as everyone does in a chicklit novel, and eventually finds a man to marry. The author attempts to give the book depth by turning it into a moral story - the heroine must find herself before she can find a husband. She needn't have bothered, it was a fairly enjoyable piece of fluff anyway.

Frothy and light, the book reads as though Daswani hoped a producer would pick it up and turn it into a straight-to-tv movie. And it would make a good one. Its a modern day fairytale with a princess who has a secret, a handsome prince, a couple of ogre-ish in-laws and three, if not ugly, then at least awkward, sisters. If you enjoy chicklit, then this is prime reading.

'Everything Happens for a Reason' and 'The Village Bride of Beverley Hills' are the same book published under two different titles.

This is a fast read, very much in the chicklit genre but at its core has the problem of how far an Indian Muslim girl should determine her own life and how much she should remain true to the traditional way her family are trying to enforce. The problem is compounded by the fact she becomes a top model and although the supposed baggage of lovers, drugs and a wild life are not true in her case, who would believe that, especially not her family. What is also interesting in the book is the very obvious branding involved in building up a model to be a star. None of these issues are dealt with in any depth but needless to say, I really enjoyed the book.

This book ambitions to blend "The devil wears Prada" with "A suitable boy" but fails to enchant on both counts. The passivity of the heroine and her futile lifestyle make her character bland and unlikable. Boring.

I became interested in reading Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani because of the multicultural aspect. I love reading about other cultures and I think it's important to have more YA books on the market that incorporate diverse characters. For that reason, I was super excited to read Lovetorn. Unfortunately, I wasn't completely satisfied with it. It has some great aspects, but overall, I wanted a little more.

I'll discuss the good points first. The multicultural aspect was very well done. I have basic knowledge of some Indian customs and culture, but this book provided a lot more information without sounding like a tutorial. I thought the storyline itself was an interesting idea. An Indian teenage girl who is already engaged moves to America and begins to wonder about her future and her options. This seems natural and plays out organically. Her relationships with friends, family, and loved ones change at a reasonable pace.

I also appreciated how Daswani describes the reactions to the move of all family members. Each member has a different experience transitioning, and I think they are all reasonable given the circumstances and ages of each person. They all go through a journey which impacts each other. Unlike some other YA novels, each family member is important to the plot and overall story. No Disappearing Parent Syndrome here.

Clearly, there's lots of good stuff in this novel. Unfortunately, there were also aspects I didn't like. First, I thought some of the relationships between the smaller characters developed unrealistically. While changes in the family members were gradual and organic, the friendships, social enemies, and crush relationships did not develop at a natural pace (in my opinion). This might sound strange, but the characters turned out too nice. Even the mean girls, who were really mean, came out sounding too nice by the end. The crush was the most realistic in my view.

Second, I didn't know who to root for. Maybe it's just me, but when there's going to be some kind of love triangle, I like to know who I should be rooting for and the reasons why. I had a sense that maybe I should root for the new guy because he's a new guy, but I really liked what I'd read about Vikram. Part of me really wanted her to stay with him, even though I wasn't sure how that would turn out. This is purely personal preference, so it may not bother other readers.

Third, and this is really, really nitpicky, there was misinformation about the psychologist. Psychologists can't prescribe medications. Psychiatrists can. This very small distinction bothers me purely because it's a common misconception and I'm in the field of psychology. By all means, this did not ruin the book for me, but it is irritating when the facts aren't right.

So, overall, Lovetorn was an enjoyable read. I just wish I'd gotten a little more from the novel. It's definitely worth the read, especially if you're interested in reading about other cultures.

>b?Final thoughts: Borrow.

REVIEW ORIGINALLY POSTED http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/2012/01/lovetorn-by-kavita-daswani/

Okay, Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani was basically amazing. I’m a huge fan of Indian culture and contemporary, and reading Lovetorn basically combined this love.

Lovetorn is an eye-opening look at Indian culture, as well as bullying, depression, and the way people are able (or not able as the case may be) to cope with drastic changes in their lives, such as moving from India to California.

I loved Shalini as a protagonist. I’ve never been bullied like she has and Kavita Daswani’s writing really helped me to feel everything she was going through, with the school bullies and the confusion of a first crush. And everything with her mother just broke my heart. Even though her mother drove me crazy and I wanted to slap her at times.

The storyline allowed for amazing character growth and self discovery.

Lovetorn is a stunning and original contemporary. I teared up and laughed and experienced things along with all of the characters, not just Shalini. If you’re a fan of contemporaries and learning about different cultures, I definitely recommend picking up Lovetorn.

A lighthearted look at the world of arrange marriages, great for a bus journey to Glasgow. Anju is pretty much an Indian girl on the shelf, not getting any younger and still unable to find a husband, much to the consternation of her family. She escapes to America, a decision that will both free her and possibly make her unmarriable.½

The sequence of the story was a little off, starting in the middle then going back to the beginning. While this can work well in a story, it doesn't quite work well in this book. It was a good starting point, but going back was tedious. I kept wanting to get to when the story began.
It wasn't very cohesive, either. Was it a book about being an immigrant? The cultural differences? Family? Religion? Finding a husband? it flitted about, not really staying on one topic enough to explore it.½

I love this book! Daswani creates such a sympathetic character in Priya, a woman who gives up her old life for an arranged marriage and a traditional household (one in which her husband's parents also live) and doesn't pull the punches at the end. It's chick lit, but pretty high up that ladder.

this book is a lovely book im sure you guys will like it because i read it and i enjoyed reading it and im sure you guys will too

a good story for a girl that loves fashion.

The  story revolves around Tanya...a young muslim girl who comes from a conservative family and is being pushed to marry somebody in Paris (her dream city)...the book is her journey to Paris and then how her life takes a turn from there when she decides to chase her dreams over meeting the guy choosen for her....I wouldn’t reveal too much of the story but i would surely like to say that the base of the book i.e. her leaving for Paris is not convincing enough...i mean here she is shown from a family where she is not allowed to travel alone in a bus as she is too beautiful and her grandfather is too scared for her....and then when she says that she wants to meet the guy in Paris (she wants to go to her dream city) before marrying him and goes on a hunger strike, her granfather allows her... i mean gimme a break its Paris we are talking about not Mumbai to Delhi....and then the quick rise for her in her career is againa  dream come true....... However if we stop reasoning and putting in logic, the book is a good timepass. Its takes you to a make believe world where you can chase your dreams and achieve what you have not dreamt of and in the end you can still walk away with a hunk and satisfy your parents...Its a book which you can read while waiting at station or airport....but trust me don’t buy the book...borrow it from a library......

Susan says: This was a really great chick lit book. Indie is first-generation Indian American, with parents who grew up in India, and have different ideas about what she should do and be. But most importantly, they are willing to let her try new things and be herself. Indie is really interested in fashion, and has applied for an internship at a celebrity fashion magazine. Then the editor comes to Indie's school and Indie somehow ends up with a babysitting job for her, not the fashion internship she wanted. While this story is about fashion, it is also about growing up and standing up for yourself and what you know is right. I really enjoyed Indie as a character - she is not super strong, but she has a good sense of herself and what she thinks is okay. The editor ends up taking a lot of advantage of her, and while Indie is building up the courage to confront her, she knows this situation is not okay. Light, but not too light with an interesting plot to camoflauge the moral.

Indie is a 15 year old girl with dreams of being a fashion designer. She doesn't get a coveted internship but babysits for (and is taken advantage of) the magazine's publisher. Typical teen/tween pop fiction story but with Indian/South Asian characters.

A very nice book about an Indian girl who is given in marriage to a man who already lives in America. I liked the way Priya lives, I think a lot of people (including me!) can learn a lot from her honesty and modesty.
I liked the Hollywood ending, of course, but I find the sudden change in Sanjay not very credible.

Amusing Indian immigrant chicklit story. Good light vacation read. Daswani keeps it interesting.

Light, fun, quick read.