Tanuja Desai Hidier

I read this book because it came in my "read out of your comfort zone" box from Quarterly.com.

The writing got muddled for me a few times in this one but I think that's ok because it tended to mirror the main character's confusion about her place in life.

I thought it painted a full picture of the complexities of teenaged friendships, experimentation with alcohol, sex, drugs and the strangeness of realizing that your parents are fully realized people on top of being your parents.

I liked the glimpse into South Asian culture and the whole ABCD storyline.

My biggest complaint is that I think the characters are a bit too young. This takes place the summer between junior and senior year of high school and I think it all would have made more sense if it was between high school and college.

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Born Confused
(Born Confused #1)
by
Tanuja Desai Hidier


I am not sure why I picked this book up (except I liked the cover). I did not know it was YA and while it had the topics of YA, it did not really read like one. The dialogue and way topics were covered were well-written.
I enjoyed learning parts of the Indian culture and to get inside the head of a young Indian American.
The characters were also well-done. The best friend (Gwyn) of the main character (Dimple) is a obnoxious jerk that does not appreciate Dimple. While this can be overdone in YA, it is important because flaws make a character realistic. And in the end Ms. Hidier does a good job of handling the relationship between the two.
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