The story of a young South Asian girl growing up in England, her struggles with her family, with schooling, etc. Overall, it was an engaging story, which I liked. But there was just a little something missing that kept me from loving it. It seemed slightly derivative of some other similar books

I tried a couple of different times to read this book, but could not get into it; the writing was too dense and the plot line moved too slowly, especially for a young adult novel. The story seems interesting in concept, but the execution was not there. I think this would be more suited to adult readers than YA readers.

Gifted is the story of young Rumika, a maths prodigy living in Cardiff, who must deal with the pressure put on her by her parents not only to be a proper Indian girl, but to pass the entrance exams for Oxford before she turns fifteen.

Despite her brilliance at maths, Rumi is absolutely clueless about life. Her world is restricted to school, study time at the library and home. Her father, a maths professor at Swansea, devises a strict schedule which she must adhere to. Naturally, Rumi wants to rebel against these restrictions, but she isn't sure how. As a coping mechanism, she becomes addicted to cumin seeds, eating them almost constantly until her mouth develops sores from the spiny seeds.

This is also the story of Rumi's parents and their own assimilation into British society after growing up in India. They find it hard to imagine why their daughter would not be compliant to their wishes.

Vividly written, this book brings you inside the home and minds of the Vasi family as events gradually build to the breaking point.

Review by Ms. DuVall

This is the story of Rumika Vasani a 9 year kid living in Cardiff. Her family comprises of a professor father (Mahesh), a working Mom (Shreene) and a 9 year younger brother (Nimbu). Rumi’s lives the life of an average child till the day, her teacher Mrs. Gold comes to her home and tells her parents that their child is Gifted, A gifted Mathematician to be precise. Thereon starts the struggle of this kid, a struggle to fulfill her father’s dream. He wants Rumi to finish her A Levels at the age of 15 years (would like somebody to clarify the education system). Her father wants to prove that despite being an Asian he can get his daughter admitted to Oxford on her own merit and without any help from anybody. The story is about 

• Rumi’s struggle to prove her father that she is focused enough. 
• About Rumi’s life being centered around studies & Math’s per se. 
• It is about the kid having normal fantasies for her age but them being curbed.
• About Rum’s mother who thinks that she should instill the cultural values which should be there in an Indian girl. 
• About Rumi’s kid brother who wants to play with her sister but is not allowed to, so how he snatches moments with her is quite endearing. 

   Few disturbing excerpts from the book   “The absence of Mahesh left her off centre, nervous and hungry for the rush of feelings that crept into her unmonitored heart with each new stimulus. She was freed from the guiding signals of his face, the expressions of affirmation, suspicion & disapproval that had been her barometer for so long.”These are the thoughts of Rumi and sadly show how dependent on her father she is and a clear lack of confidence.   ‘I’ll do it’, she said, standing behind Mahesh, viewing his back with venom. You, disgust me, not just the other way round, she thought. You didn’t even have the guts to close the deal, tighten your grip when you put your hands round my neck….Is anything in this world worthy enough if it generates this much hatred from your own kid?   The book is quite slow in parts but there is an undercurrent of sadness in the whole story which affects you. Things which I carried back with me** Is putting pressure on a kid the right way to make her perform? ** How fair is it to isolate your kid from a normal life just to attain an academic goal? ** We are always creating a hue and cry on racism but, sometimes it is not in the minds of people whom we think are being racist but its in our minds & imagination that it is being practiced on us.** Being frank with your kids and creating a balance between education and other activities is a must. ** Her mother’s character is also very disturbing. I carried it back with me for a long time. Her frustrations of not being able to do anything for daughter are captured very well. He rsadness on her daughter drifting away from her is heart wrenching.  I’ll recommend this book specially to people who have kids and to everyone in general . The debutant author has very beautifully captured the mind of a 15 year old kid. Who is not being allowed  to behave like a teenager.  It somehow is very close to  reality, the reality of ever increasing competion in education and a strive to leave everyone behind to reach the top. But when you reach at the top you realise you are not only alone but bitter too..... ( )

Gifted is the moving and compelling tale of a young girl named Rumika Vasi - affectionately known to those around her as Rumi. At just 5 years old, Rumi was recognised by her teachers as being mathematically gifted and her parents were advised to get in touch with Mensa. Rumi’s father sees this as a fantastic opportunity for their family but decides that he is better qualified to deal with the nurturing of his daughter’s gift and devlops a strict program to help Rumi.

The reader looks on as Rumi struggles with self-discipline and the pressures that surround her. She soon begins to navigate her teen years which, often troubling enough, are especially difficult for a child with parents who are trying to raise her with Indian values.

This book was a joy to read. It’s not difficult to fall in love with this book from the beginning. The writing style is both fluid and poetic, while the characters are very distinct and complex. The book also has an intensity that is obvious from the start. I especially like the mathematical sprinklings throughout.

When we first meet Rumi she is growing up with a multitude of challenges. At school she doesn’t fit in as her skin colour, awkward social skills, and seemingly strange family all become things for other children to mock. As she grows, she seems to blossom a little but her parents seem to fight her at every turn as if afraid of what, or who she will become. I found myself often feeling sad for Rumi. While other children were attending parties, playing outside and regular kid stuff, Rumi was studying and had limited access to pleasurable activities and even then, the activities were things that her father believed would be more valuable to her educational development.

Though Rumi is the main character in this book, her father plays a very strong part throughout. His identity seems to be in a form of limbo. Wanting so much to be accepted in his adoptive country, yet shying away from all things western. He is very strong-minded and expects everything to be done his way, with no exception and very little thought given to the emotional cost. He is also a person who is unable to express his softer side. I felt wistful and sorry for him at points in the book but at the same time I wanted to reach into the pages and shake some sense into him.

Her mother is different again. Raised in Indian ways and then brought to the UK with the understanding that it was only for 3 years, she is constantly homesick for her homeland. She rarely fights or argues with her husband but when she does, it’s always about wanting to go back home. She worries about Rumi a lot and feels that Rumi is growing too bold, too shameless. An incident that really hit home with me was when Rumi asked her mum for a bra. Her mum turned on her, told her she shouldn’t be thinking of such things and that she was shameless for even thinking about it, much less talking about it. Rumi argued that she wasn’t saying anything wrong, that it was a natural thing to talk about but that, along with other incidents seemed to distance the mother/daughter bond still further.

The dynamics are often awkward between the characters, but never more so than when Rumi is accepted into university at a young age. Faced with a sense of freedom she has never known before, she begins a journey of self-discovery and it’s hard to tell if the Rumi, or her family, will survive.

A great read. I adored it for the most part. The ending was a tad frustrating but it was still an enjoyable experience. ( )