Title: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky
Author: Sandhya Menon
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster)
Date published: July 21, 2020

A digital copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny-tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.

Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she’s made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy, Samir—who is a total Harvard-bound Mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer. As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they’ll never forget.

⤖ My Review ⬻

Sandhya Menon has done it again! 10 Things I Hate About Pinky was such a fun read! It was especially fun to read during the summer months because the setting is so summer-themed. The setting, Pinky’s family’s summer house in Cape Cod, is actually one of my favourite parts about the book. Menon’s descriptions really took me there, feeling the heat, smelling ice cream, sunscreen, and saltwater, as well as hearing laughter and butterfly wings on the air. Just thinking about it makes me smile.

Especially with COVID-19 still making it close to impossible to go anywhere this summer, I really appreciated getting to travel to somewhere that isn’t here through 10 Things I Hate About Pinky.

Pinky and Samir, as well as Pinky’s cousin and other supporting characters, were also fun to read about! Their interactions and encounters felt very real as if I was at the summer house with them rather than just imagining them in my head while reading words off a page. I really feel like I got to know Pinky and Samir, and even though I didn’t really really feel their chemistry, I still enjoyed the journey I got to join them on as well as all of the sub-plots!

This book, like other Menon books, also has a focus on family—how a teen can interact with and feel about their family, and how older members of the family interact and feel about the teenager. Parts definitely took me back to when I was a teen myself while also making me nod in understanding at some of the things my parents had to go through with me, now that I’m an adult.

I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of 10 Things I Hate About Pinky and I recommend it whether you’re a fan of Sandhya Menon already, or if she’s new to you entirely! Also, if any of her other books weren’t for you, I would recommend 10 Things I Hate About Pinky to you still, because each of Menon’s books is different with new characters, new plots, and new lessons!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Sandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels with lots of kissing, girl power, and swoony boys. Her books have been featured in several cool places, including on The Today Show, Teen Vogue, NPR Book Review, Buzzfeed, and Seventeen. A full-time dog servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado.

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⤖ Let’s Chat ⬻

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS!