Friendship, First Love, Big Dreams & So Much More // Book Review: From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication Date: May 22nd, 2018
Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance
Buy Links: Kinokuniya Malaysia | MPH Bookstores
Rating:

Source: Huge thanks to Pansing Distribution for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis

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.

A light, fun, cute and romantic contemporary reading that I could not get enough of it.

From Twinkle, With Love is a story follows the main characters who is a young Indian girl named Twinkle, her desire to be a female filmmaker just like her idols such as Sofia Coppola, Nora Ephron - to name a few in which she believes she can make her own stories for people in the world to see. To achieve her dreams, she needs to develop herself into someone that other people can see how capable she is and her voice will reach to them. So, when this cute, geeky, handsome boy, Sahil proposes her to direct a film with him, Twinkle is up for that opportunity.

Now that her dreams are about to knock on her door, she cannot hide the excitement that bubbling up within herself except she did not plan to fall in love with a person she never expected since her plan to be in a relationship with her crush, Sahil's twin brother. What will happen next? 

Characters

👧Twinkle is a lovely, sweet, innocent young girl who has a big dream she wants to achieve. She spreads a lot of positivity to the characters shows how she is determined and passionate about her works to be a filmmaker even though, her connection with her parents is kind of off somehow she would not let that distress her. She might be a sucker with love stories otherwise her relationship with Sahil is super cute and sweet. Her friendship with Maddie is quite rocky. It hurts so much to see how the two of them has fallen apart but that does not mean she will give up their friendship. 

However, I was irritated with the way Twinkle's acts after gotten the opportunity to direct a film for her school festival. She seems to be arrogant, feels like she knows everything about filming compare to her teams and her attitude makes me annoyed with her.

👦 Sahil is a good looking guy and a brilliant film critic, even so, he is very reserved to himself. Having a twin brother who is a school's athletic, a Harvard bound that has outshined him, alas, he is too - a smart guy. For all that, he makes a smarter move to approach Twinkle to make a film together in which he did a perfect job in staying professional ensure that everything will run smoothly. 

Thoughts

From Twinkle, With Love is an adorable story that instantly becomes my favorite book of the year 2018. The story narrated by Twinkle in a form diary/letters with the starting of it, Twinkle addressing her favorite female directors in which I find it easy for me to follow the story from the beginning to the end of chapters. 

I love how it is relatable to us during our high school with all the dramas - boy crush, friendship in danger, a friend who thinks we do not suit their taste hence, can never join them and so much more. How it makes my heart swells when Twinkle hurt him when she weighs her decision between Sahil and Neil, only because she receives an email from a secret admirer, N whom she thought, Neil. Makes her look childish in that sense. I could not help myself from rolling my eyes.

Regardless, From Twinkle, With Love gives me a lot of things that stimulate my emotion - their happy moments, fighting with best friends, undecided heart towards the boys - it all brought me into a smile on my face, tears threatening to falls on my face when I was in a car with my dad (duh!) and joy when everything gets together. Indeed, a wonderful diverse read with a POC's characters. 

Overall, Sandhya Menon's writing undoubtedly has enchanted me. The novel has entertained me good enough that I do recommend you to pick this up and dive into it.