What do you think?
Rate this book
All the Yellow Suns
A coming-of-age story about a queer Indian American girl exploring activism and identity through art, perfect for fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Sixteen-year-old Maya Krishnan is fiercely protective of her friends, immigrant community, and single mother, but she knows better than to rock the boat in her conservative Florida suburb. Her classmate Juneau Zale is the polar opposite: she’s a wealthy white heartbreaker who won’t think twice before capsizing that boat.
When Juneau invites Maya to join the Pugilists—a secret society of artists, vandals, and mischief-makers who fight for justice at their school—Maya descends into the world of change-making and resistance. Soon, she and Juneau forge a friendship that inspires Maya to confront the challenges in her own life.
But as their relationship grows romantic, painful, and twisted, Maya begins to suspect that there’s a whole different person beneath Juneau’s painted-on facade. Now Maya must learn to speak her truth in this mysterious, mixed-up world—even if it results in heartbreak.
Sixteen-year-old Maya Krishnan is fiercely protective of her friends, immigrant community, and single mother, but she knows better than to rock the boat in her conservative Florida suburb. Her classmate Juneau Zale is the polar opposite: she’s a wealthy white heartbreaker who won’t think twice before capsizing that boat.
When Juneau invites Maya to join the Pugilists—a secret society of artists, vandals, and mischief-makers who fight for justice at their school—Maya descends into the world of change-making and resistance. Soon, she and Juneau forge a friendship that inspires Maya to confront the challenges in her own life.
But as their relationship grows romantic, painful, and twisted, Maya begins to suspect that there’s a whole different person beneath Juneau’s painted-on facade. Now Maya must learn to speak her truth in this mysterious, mixed-up world—even if it results in heartbreak.
374 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2023
About the author
Malavika Kannan
2 books134 followersMalavika Kannan is a 21-year-old writer inspired by the imagination and resilience of queer girls of color and survivors everywhere. Her YA coming-of-age novel ALL THE YELLOW SUNS will be released in 2023, and her essays about gender, race, and identity appear in Washington Post's The Lily, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. She's currently an undergrad at Stanford University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
June 23, 2023
3.5?? i wish it had more depictions of maya's artwork, though her thought process of bringing about revolution through art is done so well!
Read
June 10, 2023I got to narrate All the Yellow Suns, and have lived inside the lives of these characters recently. Kannan's prose really pulled me in and created a movie behind my eyes as I read. Maya's journey was deeply relatable to me as a queer Indian afab who grew up in white America.
I appreciate the fierceness with which the author and the protagonist both challenge the systematic marginalization occurring in modern society, and how the story depicts realistic relationships between teenagers, including a queer romance. I think young brown women may well find something meaningful in this book. I definitely would have as a young teen. It has stayed with me in the days since I finished recording. I'm grateful to have given Maya her voice.
I appreciate the fierceness with which the author and the protagonist both challenge the systematic marginalization occurring in modern society, and how the story depicts realistic relationships between teenagers, including a queer romance. I think young brown women may well find something meaningful in this book. I definitely would have as a young teen. It has stayed with me in the days since I finished recording. I'm grateful to have given Maya her voice.
November 12, 2023
i was so excited for this and it ended up being very disappointing :(
2 stars
2 stars
July 26, 2023
The first pages of this book immediately had me hooked, there's just something about the way Malavika Kannan writes that immediately got to me. I see so much of myself in the main character Maya (except the part where I actually let go of my rage and act on it thanks to my big fat crush on a girl). All of these characters are flawed (because at the end of the day, they're simply human) but I loved them all. Malavika Kannan wrote so much depth into them, that while some moments were a bit cheesy, I felt like they were very real.
God I don't even know how to form words about this book, all I know is that it had me sobbing like a baby and that I loved every part of it.
God I don't even know how to form words about this book, all I know is that it had me sobbing like a baby and that I loved every part of it.
February 7, 2024
So this book is compared to Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe and honestly I think that does this book a disservice because this book has all of the same coming of age queer yearning and heartbreak that ari and dante has without any of the transphobia and problematic moments.
In all honesty it's been about a month since I've listened to this book and my memory is awful but I did enjoy this book. I don't quite get what people are saying about it being disappointing. This book is not a romance it is a coming-of-age story. We have a queer Indian main character who discovers and embraces her sexuality throughout the entire book and it gets hurt in the process and hurts other than the process and while there is a romance it is not the focus of the book and it is not present throughout the entire book.
I especially loved the depictions of healing through art and I wish there was more of that. Overall I did really enjoy this one and it's when I would recommend.
In all honesty it's been about a month since I've listened to this book and my memory is awful but I did enjoy this book. I don't quite get what people are saying about it being disappointing. This book is not a romance it is a coming-of-age story. We have a queer Indian main character who discovers and embraces her sexuality throughout the entire book and it gets hurt in the process and hurts other than the process and while there is a romance it is not the focus of the book and it is not present throughout the entire book.
I especially loved the depictions of healing through art and I wish there was more of that. Overall I did really enjoy this one and it's when I would recommend.
April 27, 2022
This book is my entire heart, I hope you all enjoy it <3
July 9, 2023
I want to start this review by thanking NetGalley for allowing me this ARC of All the Yellow Suns! In exchange for letting me read this novel before its publishing date, I will be giving an honest review. With that being said, let me tell you how much I loved this book...
Where to even begin with this novel? I came into this experience with little to no expectations. I requested the title on NetGalley because the cover grabbed my attention and I was in a bit of a slump. I haven't been a super big fan of YA recently, so I went in with that knowledge, too. The premise sounded interesting enough, though, so I gave it a go so I could finish it before pub day. I am so glad I did because I ended up finishing it in pretty much 24 hours.
Let me start by saying that it wasn't the characters in the novel that made me enjoy it so much. Every single person, including Maya, the MC, is flawed and honestly, I didn't find myself to gravitating towards many of them. With that being said, though, the way in which the characters interact with each other is what made the book feel lively to me. All the characters are so well-developed that at points they start to jump off the page and into the room with you. They're incredibly well-written and I really enjoyed getting to know them more and more as the story went on.
The issues tackled in this story seem grandiose at first and for a while, I wasn't sure if they were going to be able to be tackled in one book, or if everything was going to start to feel rushed. Maya and her friends take on a lot of heavy issues surrounding police violence, homophobia, micro+macro aggressions, and gender-based violence. There is so much to unpack in their small suburb of Citrus Grove and Kannan does it perfectly. I never once felt like topics were being placed in the plotline just for the sake of having them there. Everything was intentional and handled in the novel in a way that didn't feel disjointed. Maya and her friends are passionate (if not incredibly naive) teenagers facing serious injustices, and I was more than happy to be brought along in their fight against cruelty and the systems that oppress them.
While this book isn't focused especially on romantic relationships, our MC Maya does discover and explore her sexuality over the course of this book. I think this was my favorite part of the entire novel. Kannan does such an incredible job taking us through Maya's personal discoveries on sexuality and how that impacts her platonic, romantic, and interpersonal relationships. There were so many instances where Maya's internal dialogue surrounding her queerness felt exactly like what my early queerness was, and what I'm sure the authors felt like as well. It's not always pretty, and there are many people who get hurt and/or confused in the process of discovering who you really are, especially in a small, conservative town, but this novel really sends home the truth that the people who matter most will stick around. Maintaining relationships of all kinds, with your friends, your parents, and your mentors is just as important as finding a romantic partner to be entangled with, and ATYS shows that beautifully.
Your first Love, especially your first gay Love, will not be your last, and that is more than okay. It is actually (definitely) for the best. Things get really messy your sophomore year of high school, but that will usually turn out okay, too. This book reminded me of all these things and more. After reading this, I want to hug my parents a little tighter, hang out with my friends for a little longer, and get to saving the world a little faster. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my physical copy of All the Yellow Suns so I can reread it and re-love this wonderful novel all over again in a few short weeks, and then hopefully for many more years to come. Do yourself a favor and meet Maya, and then stay on the lookout for everything else Malavika Kannan will do in her future. I know I'll be.
Where to even begin with this novel? I came into this experience with little to no expectations. I requested the title on NetGalley because the cover grabbed my attention and I was in a bit of a slump. I haven't been a super big fan of YA recently, so I went in with that knowledge, too. The premise sounded interesting enough, though, so I gave it a go so I could finish it before pub day. I am so glad I did because I ended up finishing it in pretty much 24 hours.
Let me start by saying that it wasn't the characters in the novel that made me enjoy it so much. Every single person, including Maya, the MC, is flawed and honestly, I didn't find myself to gravitating towards many of them. With that being said, though, the way in which the characters interact with each other is what made the book feel lively to me. All the characters are so well-developed that at points they start to jump off the page and into the room with you. They're incredibly well-written and I really enjoyed getting to know them more and more as the story went on.
The issues tackled in this story seem grandiose at first and for a while, I wasn't sure if they were going to be able to be tackled in one book, or if everything was going to start to feel rushed. Maya and her friends take on a lot of heavy issues surrounding police violence, homophobia, micro+macro aggressions, and gender-based violence. There is so much to unpack in their small suburb of Citrus Grove and Kannan does it perfectly. I never once felt like topics were being placed in the plotline just for the sake of having them there. Everything was intentional and handled in the novel in a way that didn't feel disjointed. Maya and her friends are passionate (if not incredibly naive) teenagers facing serious injustices, and I was more than happy to be brought along in their fight against cruelty and the systems that oppress them.
While this book isn't focused especially on romantic relationships, our MC Maya does discover and explore her sexuality over the course of this book. I think this was my favorite part of the entire novel. Kannan does such an incredible job taking us through Maya's personal discoveries on sexuality and how that impacts her platonic, romantic, and interpersonal relationships. There were so many instances where Maya's internal dialogue surrounding her queerness felt exactly like what my early queerness was, and what I'm sure the authors felt like as well. It's not always pretty, and there are many people who get hurt and/or confused in the process of discovering who you really are, especially in a small, conservative town, but this novel really sends home the truth that the people who matter most will stick around. Maintaining relationships of all kinds, with your friends, your parents, and your mentors is just as important as finding a romantic partner to be entangled with, and ATYS shows that beautifully.
Your first Love, especially your first gay Love, will not be your last, and that is more than okay. It is actually (definitely) for the best. Things get really messy your sophomore year of high school, but that will usually turn out okay, too. This book reminded me of all these things and more. After reading this, I want to hug my parents a little tighter, hang out with my friends for a little longer, and get to saving the world a little faster. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my physical copy of All the Yellow Suns so I can reread it and re-love this wonderful novel all over again in a few short weeks, and then hopefully for many more years to come. Do yourself a favor and meet Maya, and then stay on the lookout for everything else Malavika Kannan will do in her future. I know I'll be.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
October 14, 2023DNF @10%
Мало бути цікаво: про пошук ідентичності і спротив у мистецтві, але щось не сконектилося. Забагато підліткових розборок. Ну, може, це тому, що я насправді не цільова аудиторія, а тільки прикидаюся.
Мало бути цікаво: про пошук ідентичності і спротив у мистецтві, але щось не сконектилося. Забагато підліткових розборок. Ну, може, це тому, що я насправді не цільова аудиторія, а тільки прикидаюся.
July 4, 2023
Review of the ARC received on behalf of the Dear Asian Youth Book Club
‘All the Yellow Suns’ encapsulates everything I love about a good coming-of-age YA from Kannan’s vibrant prose to the realistic characterisation. Maya, as a protagonist, is driven and passionate in a way that feels achingly similar to 16-year-old me and is what makes her such a compelling character. I loved how the book focuses on her using her art to express her voice and also explores the overarching themes of intersectionality, queer love, “casual” racism, turbulent family dynamics, and just being a young girl in an often hostile world. Reading the book felt like watching a movie set on paper, I could easily see this becoming a YA movie with an unforgettable soundtrack.
On that same note, perhaps because of how similar this novel initially felt to other YA novels, I wasn't quite intrigued to keep going. If I hadn't continued to read the book in spite of that section of stagnant interest at the 40% mark I don't think I would've been able to see just how interesting the plot ended up being. The novel has a very mature execution that still manages to be tender towards its young protagonist, making the overall book quite refreshing yet comforting.
‘All the Yellow Suns’ encapsulates everything I love about a good coming-of-age YA from Kannan’s vibrant prose to the realistic characterisation. Maya, as a protagonist, is driven and passionate in a way that feels achingly similar to 16-year-old me and is what makes her such a compelling character. I loved how the book focuses on her using her art to express her voice and also explores the overarching themes of intersectionality, queer love, “casual” racism, turbulent family dynamics, and just being a young girl in an often hostile world. Reading the book felt like watching a movie set on paper, I could easily see this becoming a YA movie with an unforgettable soundtrack.
On that same note, perhaps because of how similar this novel initially felt to other YA novels, I wasn't quite intrigued to keep going. If I hadn't continued to read the book in spite of that section of stagnant interest at the 40% mark I don't think I would've been able to see just how interesting the plot ended up being. The novel has a very mature execution that still manages to be tender towards its young protagonist, making the overall book quite refreshing yet comforting.
Read
July 18, 2023“All the Yellow Suns” is a literary tour de force, captivating readers from the very beginning and never letting go. Kannan bursts onto the literary scene by transcending the boundaries of young adult fiction, delving into difficult themes with eloquent prose.
Through the eyes of the teenage protagonist, Maya Krishnan, readers embark on a journey of self-discovery and artistic expression. Maya's identity is forged against many relationships: she is the daughter of a single immigrant mother, abandoned by her artistic genius father, and enthralled by the rebellious and enigmatic Juneau Zale, an older classmate. Maya also finds herself drawn into an activist group at her school, adding a new dynamic to her already complex world.
As readers follow along Maya's journey, we cannot help but be reminded of our own adolescent years, with all their attendant angst and confusion. Kannan masterfully captures how Maya discovers love in all its forms: the enduring bonds with immigrant parents, the warmth of fierce friendships, and the enchantment of first love. Amidst the tapestry of cultural identity, queerness, white privilege, authority, racism, and the turmoil of messy teenage romances, Kannan weaves a rich and deeply satisfying plot.
Ultimately, it is Maya's emotional growth that leaves an indelible mark on the reader's heart and mind. Readers of all ages will be captivated by the profound beauty of “All The Yellow Suns”, a testament to the enduring strength found within us all.
Through the eyes of the teenage protagonist, Maya Krishnan, readers embark on a journey of self-discovery and artistic expression. Maya's identity is forged against many relationships: she is the daughter of a single immigrant mother, abandoned by her artistic genius father, and enthralled by the rebellious and enigmatic Juneau Zale, an older classmate. Maya also finds herself drawn into an activist group at her school, adding a new dynamic to her already complex world.
As readers follow along Maya's journey, we cannot help but be reminded of our own adolescent years, with all their attendant angst and confusion. Kannan masterfully captures how Maya discovers love in all its forms: the enduring bonds with immigrant parents, the warmth of fierce friendships, and the enchantment of first love. Amidst the tapestry of cultural identity, queerness, white privilege, authority, racism, and the turmoil of messy teenage romances, Kannan weaves a rich and deeply satisfying plot.
Ultimately, it is Maya's emotional growth that leaves an indelible mark on the reader's heart and mind. Readers of all ages will be captivated by the profound beauty of “All The Yellow Suns”, a testament to the enduring strength found within us all.
July 14, 2023
3.5 I think. Like if Paper Towns, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, & All My Rage had a baby.
April 28, 2022
So grateful and lucky to have the chance to read the book early and to bear witness to Malavika’s endless editing and reflecting. ATYS made me bawl like a baby in the middle of a coffee shop, but at the same time it’s the most comforting book I’ve ever read — an ode to queer daughters of immigrants, and a love letter to art in all its forms.
May 21, 2024
The first page of this book had me so intrigued! I found Maya and all the different parts of her life captivating. The parts when she’d contemplate doing something unhinged and be like well I just have to it had me laughing not at her but because genuinely at 15 when you’re filled with rage and have no where to put it, why the hell not? Seeing kids filled with passion and having no outlet and what it leads them to do was a beautiful story to read. I also loved the representation! A queer Indian-American girl growing up in a single parent household, it was incredibly refreshing to read. Overall, I loved this book and can’t wait to read more from this author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2024
A Messy Ride through a Toxic Relationship
The first half of the story didn’t really captivate me. I was getting a little tired of the performative activism, and how the girls are always so aggressively anti-everything. But it clicked for me; that’s the path you see your main character fall into; and I love how you can tell how the events of the book warped her worldview. It’s heartbreaking to read on about the whirlwind of a relationship Maya falls into, but also so investing.
The first half of the story didn’t really captivate me. I was getting a little tired of the performative activism, and how the girls are always so aggressively anti-everything. But it clicked for me; that’s the path you see your main character fall into; and I love how you can tell how the events of the book warped her worldview. It’s heartbreaking to read on about the whirlwind of a relationship Maya falls into, but also so investing.
May 2, 2024
As soon as I started this book I couldn’t put it down. Finished it in one sitting. I was completely engrossed in the characters and felt the things they were as they were feeling them.
I’ve been in a rough reading rut this year and this book helped get me out of it. Easy read, well developed and imperfect (realistic) characters. Highly recommend!
I’ve been in a rough reading rut this year and this book helped get me out of it. Easy read, well developed and imperfect (realistic) characters. Highly recommend!
January 9, 2024
3.5! gotta love a YA book
January 17, 2024
This was a book unlike anything I've read before and I'm glad it exists for high schoolers today. The plot felt a little muddled in the middle, but the ending was strong and I couldn't put it down.
April 29, 2024
It’s like the author was ALMOST there but couldn’t get over the hump. Tired of the yt savior role but it was especially disappointing that the author couldn’t even call it out all the way
August 17, 2024
Florida.
August 8, 2023
What a beautifully written book, full of so much pain and such frustrating characters. I enjoyed itt a lot, but I would hesitate to reread it unless I was in a very particular mood. It's not a light or happy read. And it doesn't need to be. Maya and her friends are so pure, and Juneau comes in like a wrecking ball, as the song goes, and upends everything. I wanted to root for them because I wanted Maya to have her tender queer coming of age love story, but Juneau made it impossible, and there was very little that was tender about it. The Pugilists felt very juvenile and a little silly to me, despite the seriousness of the issues they were reckoning with. Racism and police violence are incredibly real, their methods just felt absurd and ineffective. Except the mural, I guess. That was powerful.
I recommend this with my full heart, just be aware of what you're getting into, especially if you're a person of color. Especially if you're a girl of color. This book was rough for them. There's hope, but it's hard-won.
I recommend this with my full heart, just be aware of what you're getting into, especially if you're a person of color. Especially if you're a girl of color. This book was rough for them. There's hope, but it's hard-won.
October 10, 2023
When I realized the author is just 21 (or was 21 when she wrote it), this book made a lot more sense to me. This was not my favorite.
July 12, 2023
This sophomore novel from Kannan is dubbed a coming-of-age story about a queer Indian American girl exploring activism and identity through art. It is about all of that but it was even more fixated on the main character, Maya, and her relationship/obsession with Juneau Zale, a rich, angry white girl intend on serving up justice in her Florida hometown. Maya gets swept up in her escapades and everything stems from Juneau. There’s a reason the author compared her book to Euphoria, it’s gritty, full of anger, drugs, manipulation, racism, sexism, etc. There are rays of hope and joy that pierce through and those were my favorite parts: Maya’s mother, her original friend group, the art she creates.
I enjoyed the people in the book, they are all fully fleshed out, with many flaws and this leads to a lot of the confrontation and conflict in the novel. It’s full of drama and heartache, feelings and epiphanies. I recommend for older teens and adults alike.
Thank you to theNOVL for the arc and happy day after release day to this book!
I enjoyed the people in the book, they are all fully fleshed out, with many flaws and this leads to a lot of the confrontation and conflict in the novel. It’s full of drama and heartache, feelings and epiphanies. I recommend for older teens and adults alike.
Thank you to theNOVL for the arc and happy day after release day to this book!
July 16, 2023
Honestly, I didn’t like like the book at first. I was prepared to write a review highlighting the novel’s cheesiness, exaggerated characters and themes, and lack of depth. But I kept reading, and I was nearly in tears by the end of the book (which I binged in a day). The author has such a clear vision and story. The characters are well developed and compelling. I can feel the heartbreak and exhilaration in Maya’s relationship with Juneau. Yes, All The Yellow Suns is cheesy - but it’s a YA novel, and it fits the genre perfectly.
July 17, 2023
My heart is aching and hopeful after finishing All The Yellow Suns. This book touched on so many major themes I love: queerness and discovering sexuality, being a child of immigrants, parent-daughter relationships, activism, and art. Never has my rage been so seen by another - thank you for writing this, Malavika.
July 11, 2024
This book follows the life of Maya a sophomore in high school who is learning how to fight for what she believes in. As an Indian American student who goes to a school in a predominantly white area, with white administrative staff she is left seeing the injustices the students of color face up close.
When she finds herself bravely speaking up seemingly involuntarily at a wrongdoing it pulls her into a new friend group of activists.
I thought this book was ok at speaking out about the injustices that are faced. I found the commentary in a portion of the book about Juneau, a white student, to be rather telling about just how it is. While Juneau was an avid activist she often made choices at the expense of her friends without truly acknowledging how she could walk away unscathed and they could not afford that luxury. While I appreciated the commentary, I found her character to be incredibly selfish (even until the end still warping Maya into her mess by keeping in touch), and I also was mad at Maya for not being more conscious of her choices and blindly following Juneau because of a crush.
Both characters were insufferable at times, and the plot line also seemed to get repetitive. Juneau had a bad idea, others would object, Maya would follow. I wished the ending had more to it as well. I wanted to see a bit more growth in Maya and would have liked to see if systems changed a bit. I felt like the ending of the story ended with a bit too much ambiguity about everyone’s ending and wished the author gave a bit more.
When she finds herself bravely speaking up seemingly involuntarily at a wrongdoing it pulls her into a new friend group of activists.
I thought this book was ok at speaking out about the injustices that are faced. I found the commentary in a portion of the book about Juneau, a white student, to be rather telling about just how it is. While Juneau was an avid activist she often made choices at the expense of her friends without truly acknowledging how she could walk away unscathed and they could not afford that luxury. While I appreciated the commentary, I found her character to be incredibly selfish (even until the end still warping Maya into her mess by keeping in touch), and I also was mad at Maya for not being more conscious of her choices and blindly following Juneau because of a crush.
Both characters were insufferable at times, and the plot line also seemed to get repetitive. Juneau had a bad idea, others would object, Maya would follow. I wished the ending had more to it as well. I wanted to see a bit more growth in Maya and would have liked to see if systems changed a bit. I felt like the ending of the story ended with a bit too much ambiguity about everyone’s ending and wished the author gave a bit more.
August 16, 2023
I love a messy coming of age novel, but there was so much going on in this book (absentee fathers, coming out angst, secret societies, crimes, friend group angst) and it all wrapped up too easily at the end. I’ll definitely check out the author’s next contemporary YA though, I liked enough about this to give her another shot.
March 8, 2023
I have been waiting to read this book for months and it did not disappoint. I loved everything about this book. The characters are so well developed, the dialog is realistic and the writing is beautiful. The author is able to include beautiful metaphors and writing amongst text that is easy to read and understand. This book covers important topics as well that I loved to read about.
July 1, 2023
I read an eARC of All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan. Thank you, NetGalley and Little Brown Books.
This is a book full of emotions. It is the story of Maya, an Indian American who has been a good girl all her life with amazing grades, even getting in Calculus in her Sophomore year of high school, when a fight at school has her on the side of her friend and getting the attention of a group of students who are doing things behind the scenes to try and get justice for their school. Maya, who has found herself instantly infatuated with Juneau, signs up with them, and soon their next step is to make a mural on the football field’s scoreboard.
Soon she finds herself in confrontations with her friends and even the principal of the school and his grandson. She finds people telling her that she’s angry all the time and not doing things correctly to make people see things her way. As she learns to stand up for herself, mixed with her own family problems, and romantic entanglements, things come to a crashing end.
This is book is important and amazing. I loved every moment of it. At first, it does seem to be as black and white as Maya points out, but as the book goes on, it shows how the world has been shaped like this. How it can be more complicated, but in other ways how it was just as simple as she always thought it was. Maya makes mistakes. Other characters are flawed, and while some you can’t see the good qualities of them in this story, others you can see how they crumbled and came to do the actions they did or the ways they now think.
Though there is one character I think gets a little too much of a “he needed to do that”, because no, he just failed to uphold what the others did. I can see why he failed, but also screw him.
As I said, this book provokes emotions. It’s meant to. It does exactly what it was meant to do, and I definitely say give it a read.
This is a book full of emotions. It is the story of Maya, an Indian American who has been a good girl all her life with amazing grades, even getting in Calculus in her Sophomore year of high school, when a fight at school has her on the side of her friend and getting the attention of a group of students who are doing things behind the scenes to try and get justice for their school. Maya, who has found herself instantly infatuated with Juneau, signs up with them, and soon their next step is to make a mural on the football field’s scoreboard.
Soon she finds herself in confrontations with her friends and even the principal of the school and his grandson. She finds people telling her that she’s angry all the time and not doing things correctly to make people see things her way. As she learns to stand up for herself, mixed with her own family problems, and romantic entanglements, things come to a crashing end.
This is book is important and amazing. I loved every moment of it. At first, it does seem to be as black and white as Maya points out, but as the book goes on, it shows how the world has been shaped like this. How it can be more complicated, but in other ways how it was just as simple as she always thought it was. Maya makes mistakes. Other characters are flawed, and while some you can’t see the good qualities of them in this story, others you can see how they crumbled and came to do the actions they did or the ways they now think.
Though there is one character I think gets a little too much of a “he needed to do that”, because no, he just failed to uphold what the others did. I can see why he failed, but also screw him.
As I said, this book provokes emotions. It’s meant to. It does exactly what it was meant to do, and I definitely say give it a read.
September 16, 2023
I don’t know where to start, this book made me feel so so many emotions, it made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me feel seen!
The writing in this book was incredibly done. I instantly felt connected to the book, the characters. The way it discusses the lives of POC, womanhood, racism, and being a teen in a predominantly white area, really hit the nail on the head. It reminded me of stories that my mother used to tell me about growing up in a white area and the assumptions that were placed upon her.
I loved the way this author writes about queerness and first relationships. This book was start to finish beautifully done. I cannot praise Malavika Kannan enough! I felt like i was there in the book, i felt like i could see mayas art, the school, the pugilists and I honestly could’ve sat and read it in a sitting, but i stopped myself and i savoured it. i’m so glad i did, i could really appreciate all the different things that you learn from this book.
I will definitely read this again.
Below are some of my fave/quotes i found powerful.
IDK IF THIS IS CONSIDERED SPOILERS SO DON’T READ AHEAD IF YOU HAVENT READ THE BOOK, JUST INCASE.
“In the sugary predawn, it looks grand and beatific, like a stained glass church window. I felt like if i looked away, the mural would evaporate and I’d wake up in bed like id dreamed the whole thing up”
“Even-if-i-was-a-d*ke-there-is-absolutely-no-shame-in-being-one-so-your-point-is-both-ridiculous-and-laughably-ignorant-in-fact-the-actual-shame-is-being-so-pathetic-that-you-get-off-on-policing-and-threatening-people-and-abusing-whatever-power-you-can-get-and calling-women-gay-in-a-painfully-transparent-attempt-to-cope-with-your-own-fragile-masculinity-in-fact-if-you-haven’t-seen-a therapist-for-that-you-probably-should-you-sad-little-boy-you-will-be-lucky-if-anyone-remembers-your-name-in-a-year.”
“She is the main character of my story, but i was just a subplot in hers”
The writing in this book was incredibly done. I instantly felt connected to the book, the characters. The way it discusses the lives of POC, womanhood, racism, and being a teen in a predominantly white area, really hit the nail on the head. It reminded me of stories that my mother used to tell me about growing up in a white area and the assumptions that were placed upon her.
I loved the way this author writes about queerness and first relationships. This book was start to finish beautifully done. I cannot praise Malavika Kannan enough! I felt like i was there in the book, i felt like i could see mayas art, the school, the pugilists and I honestly could’ve sat and read it in a sitting, but i stopped myself and i savoured it. i’m so glad i did, i could really appreciate all the different things that you learn from this book.
I will definitely read this again.
Below are some of my fave/quotes i found powerful.
IDK IF THIS IS CONSIDERED SPOILERS SO DON’T READ AHEAD IF YOU HAVENT READ THE BOOK, JUST INCASE.
“In the sugary predawn, it looks grand and beatific, like a stained glass church window. I felt like if i looked away, the mural would evaporate and I’d wake up in bed like id dreamed the whole thing up”
“Even-if-i-was-a-d*ke-there-is-absolutely-no-shame-in-being-one-so-your-point-is-both-ridiculous-and-laughably-ignorant-in-fact-the-actual-shame-is-being-so-pathetic-that-you-get-off-on-policing-and-threatening-people-and-abusing-whatever-power-you-can-get-and calling-women-gay-in-a-painfully-transparent-attempt-to-cope-with-your-own-fragile-masculinity-in-fact-if-you-haven’t-seen-a therapist-for-that-you-probably-should-you-sad-little-boy-you-will-be-lucky-if-anyone-remembers-your-name-in-a-year.”
“She is the main character of my story, but i was just a subplot in hers”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews