There’s Something About Sweetie was the second book I’ve read from Sandhya Menon, although I have the Of Curses and Kisses ARC (thanks Sandhya!), so I’ll probably read that one next. I checked this one out of my local library and listened to it via audiobook.
Sweetie is an Indian American who sings for fun and runs like the wind. Oh, and she’s also fat. She reminds me a lot about Mirna Valerio — AKA the Mirvinator — a well-known overweight distance runner. Sweetie is okay with her weight, but her mother certainly is not.
Ashish Patel, Rishi’s brother from When Dimple Met Rishi (link is to review) is in a slump. He’s always been a ladies’ man, but after the first girl he really cared about left him, his confidence is gone. He can’t even play basketball the way he used to. In a fit of desperation… he asks his parents to set him up with someone. It worked for his brother, right?
His parents try to set her up with Sweetie, but Sweetie’s mother won’t have it. She thinks that Sweetie is too fat, and people will laugh at her if she dates an athletic boy. So they start seeing each other behind their parents’ backs. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens.
My Thoughts
I really liked There’s Something About Sweetie. It’s lighthearted, funny, and the characters are likeable. At the same time, this book does have a serious message. People are more than their weight. Health and weight are a complicated issue, and just because a person struggles with their weight doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve a person to love, to wear nice clothes, or to enjoy a meal at a restaurant.
The characters were great too. Sweetie and Ashish don’t go to the same school and have different sets of friends. Not only do we get to know Sweetie and Ashish, we get to know their friends. Ms. Menon does a great job in giving both of them supportive friends that have their own interests and problems.
The book does a great job in instilling teenage insecurities into the characters. I love how it tells the story from both Sweetie and Ashish’s points of view. The book also is infused with Indian culture.
Conclusion
I recommend There’s Something About Sweetie, but you should probably read When Dimple Met Rishi first. Both stories are in the same universe, and Dimple happens first. You can read one without the other, but reading them in order brings more depth to the world the characters inhabit. And you’ll definitely want to read both of these before 10 Things I Hate About Pinky comes out (June 2, 2020). There are a lot of great books coming out by this author and you should read them!