Hello! Today, I will be talking about a book called That Thing about Bollywood. It might be relatable for some people, and others might be able to connect culturally to some of the characters. Either way, it’s an amazing book that represents Indian and Pakistani people. You definitely will enjoy this book!
This book starts with a girl named Sonali. She has parents who don’t exactly get along. You could probably say the opposite. Her parents fight all the time, and sometimes, she just can’t deal with them and her brother. Her brother, Ronak, cries all the time, and she feels annoyed about that. Sonali has always said that it’s fine and she’s okay, but is she really?
6th grade has started, and Sonali and Zara, the two best friends, hang out with each other a lot. However, when Air comes along, she starts hanging out more with Zara, and the two become a bit closer. Sonali barely has time to talk to Zara now because of her new friend. Sonali gets a bit bothered by that. However, the topic that comes up at home is shocking.
Sonali’s parents tell the news, saying that they have decided to separate. It’s not a divorce, but it means that one parent will live in the house for one week, and then the next parent will take care of the children next week. Sonali feels so sad and angered by this inside, but she doesn’t really release any feelings. Her brother, though, is very emotional and crying.
The next day, though, weird things start happening. There are posters of herself on Sonali’s posters, suddenly, everyone has their own soundtrack, and they all act as if it’s normal. Sonali is very confused about what is going on. But she realizes that it could be triggered by her strong emotions.
She has to deal with suddenly singing during classes, getting hurt and hurting her best friend, getting into trouble with her singing and dancing one time, and all of the feelings about her parents and Ronak. And the worst part is that if she doesn’t stop the magic by the time of the sangeet for her family relative’s wedding, she’s going to live in this new Bollywood world forever! Can she find a way to stop the magic? Read the book to find out!
I love this book so much and give it 5 stars. When I had to stop reading sometimes, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen next in the book and whether she would be able to stop the magic. I would recommend it to people age 11 and older, since it can be a bit sad for 10 year olds and below. They might not be mature enough to understand it. This book is clearly eye-catching, and you’d definitely wanna read it. So go ahead and borrow it from your local library or purchase it!
Written by Kruti Patel
