What I Meant... by Marie Lamba

From the Publisher

After 15 years of being a good daughter and loyal friend, wouldn't you expect the people closest to you to believe you? To at least try to understand what you mean? Since my evil aunt moved in, everything has gone wrong.

My little sister thinks I'm a thief.

My best friend thinks I'm a jerk.

My parents think I'm bulimic.

And the boy I love thinks I'm not into him at all.

Somehow I have to set the record straight before I totally lose my mind.

Marie Lamba's debut novel tells the story of how 15-year-old Sangeet Jumnal's sleepy suburban life suddenly gets super complicated.

Publishers Weekly

Lamba makes an impressive debut with this contemporary novel introducing Sangeet, a 15-year-old Indian American girl who at times feels like the whole world is against her. The trouble begins when Chachi, Sangeet's widowed aunt from India, moves in with the family. When some items-food, money and some personal belongings-disappear from the house, it's obvious to Sangeet that Chachi is the thief, but Sangeet's parents blame their daughter. To make things worse, Sangeet's best friend, Gina, is inexplicably angry with her. Then there's the matter of Jason, Sangeet's crush, who acts like he's interested in her but stands her up after they plan to meet at the skating rink. The harder Sangeet works to prove her integrity and innocence, the less she is trusted. However frustrating her situation, misunderstandings do pave the way to some very funny moments. (At one point, Sangeet's parents are mistakenly convinced that she has an eating disorder, because snacks are missing from the cabinet, and Sangeet is forced to visit a therapist-who happens to be the father of one of her close friends.) Given the book's lighthearted tone, there will be little doubt that the wrongs Sangeet suffers will be righted, but dark undertones regarding the emotional instability of both Chachi and Gina could have been developed more fully. Ultimately, readers will find much to like in Lamba's heroine, who ultimately survives a set of trials worthy of Job with grace and humor. Ages 10-up. (July)

Children's Literature

Sangeet Jumnal's ordinary life in her happily biracial family in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, has been greatly complicated by the arrival of her aunt. Chachi is from Dad's side of the family, the Indian side, but she is different from Sang's other Indian relatives, who are "all sweet and nice and ask me questions about how I am and smile." Chachi's accent is harsh, her manner brusque, and if she seems like a caricature, that is quite plausibly how a harried Sang might view her in this story told in first person. Chachi turns the kitchen upside-down, seems completely obsessed with her own issues and needs, and reduces Sang's younger sister Doodles to tears. Meanwhile things are getting tense in school. Sang has a crush on Jason, and has heard from her best friend Gina that he might not be exactly indifferent. Dad, however, for reasons at odds with his own rebellious past, has turned traditional on his daughter and forbidden her to date. It all seems like a mix filled with the promise of tension and drama, and indeed the main character has progressively complex mazes to negotiate, involving truth, deceit, and the terrain between them. Her attempts at finding her way out of her unenviable situation are funny and touching and land her, naturally, deeper and deeper in trouble until Gina seems ready to cross her off her list of friends forever. It all comes to a head with an attempt at a secret date, clashing with a family visit to the Sikh gurudwara. Beleaguered Sang will evoke the sympathy and amusement of teenaged girls. While the clash of cultures thread feels overdone in places, in others, as when Jason steps off his pedestal with wisecracks about Sikhs, it is completely and insightfullyon target. In places the writing feels labored, and there seems to be a few too many subplots. Still, it is most refreshing to see a biracial family at center stage here. Touches like the parents' readiness to believe the very worst, Dad's easy turn to fearful despair, the ongoing battle between Sang and Chachi, and the American Diwali, ring true in endearing ways. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up Sangeet, 15, is the daughter of an Indian father and American mother. Her suburban Philadelphia life is getting complicated. An aunt is living at her house, stealing her stuff and turning her family against her; her best friend isn't talking to her; a lost schedule book leads to plummeting grades; her parents think she is bulimic; and she has boy troubles galore. The teen's family life and struggles will resonate with readers of all backgrounds, and fans of Narinder Dhami's "Bindi Babes" books (Delacorte) will enjoy this more mature, American take on similar issues. Lamba puts the present, first-person narrative to good use throughout most of the book, but glosses over some of the actions and reactions readers might expect from this intimate view into the girl's life. Sang's efforts to prevent the complete alienation of her best friend seem inadequate, the parental fallout from her escapades is mentioned only in passing, and a visiting uncle provides a deus ex machina of an ending. Still, teens will enjoy the interesting cast of characters and the book will have broad appeal, leaving readers wanting more.-Cara von Wrangel Kinsey, New York Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

Since Sang's bossy aunt from India moved in with Sang's family, it seems like she can't do anything right; this is new for the 15-year-old girl, who's used to perfect grades and praise for exemplary behavior. Fed up with her tyrannical aunt, whom Sang is ironically required to call Chachi, an Indian term of endearment, she decides to fight back. However, it's immediately clear that Sang has underestimated Chachi and now, instead of ousting her aunt, Sang must defend her own reputation. It's been jeopardized by a string of misunderstandings strategically exacerbated by Chachi that stand to ruin her relationships with her best friend, her secret crush and her family. Although readers become intimate with Sang through her thoughts and the creative bedtime fairy tales she weaves for her little sister, the majority of Sang's friends and family members lack development. However, adding detail and depth to the text is the influence of Sang's father's Indian heritage, which naturally integrates not only elements like traditional Indian foods, but also cultural beliefs relating to family and dating. Realistic and well-paced. (Fiction. YA)

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