January 9, 2024 by Wednesday Books
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central
In New Jersey, Arya's older sister Alina is getting married to Nikil, and there are huge amounts of preparations being made. Since the family is Indian, there is a wide array of different parties that are expected to be held, including engagement parties. Since Arya is expected to attend all of these, they sometimes get in the way of her high school career. She has good friends, Lisa and Andy, but things have been weird with the three ever since Lisa and Andy dated briefly but then broke up. She also works at Belle's Bookshop, and is involved in student government, although she is upset that Dean Merriweather is president. The two have a rather fraught relationship, and Arya just finds him pushy and annoying. The senior class has to plan a formal, but don't have much money, so are trying to fund raise so that the don't have to use the school for the dance. Arya finds out that Alina might be moving to California after the wedding, and her mother is very depressed, so things are upsetting at home AND at school. The more Arya has to work with Dean, however, the more she finds herself annoying attracted to him. Will Arya be able to maintain her friendships with Lisa and Andy, get the senior formal planned, and survive her sister's wedding.
Since Arya is a senior in high school, there are many facets that make this a solidly Young Adult title, including some more colorful language. She doesn't spend a lot of time at home, and the issue with her m other is never really resolved.
While I am not a huge fan of weddings, this was an interesting look at how some Indian weddings are structured, and it was fun to see the types of food served, different ceremonies, and variety of clothing. It was hard enough for my daughter to find ONE wedding dress; I can't imagine having to have THREE!
Young readers are often captivated by the idea of planning and attending a wedding, so this is a great choice for those who spend a lot of time thinking about what their own wedding day might be like, if that even crosses the mind of modern high schoolers. This is perfect for fans of Bajbai's Sister of the Bollywood Bride or The Meet-Cute Project, and for readers who enjoyed Ziegler's Revenge of the Flower Girls when they were younger. There were many wedding books in the 1950s and 60s, like Cleary's 1963 Sister of the Bride, but I would have thought that modern young women would like career romances more than ones about weddings!
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