*I received the physical arc as a giveaway winner during YallFest 2021 via Pique. All reviews are my own*
Let’s be real: the only reason why I picked up Sajni Patel’s, My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding is that I thought it was going to be reminiscent of the 2002 independent movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The name is all there! While the two stories have nothing to do with each other, I get a cultural dosage of Indian festivities, traditions, and *cues in a tiny violin* love and need for music.
"Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri's last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment.
In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?"
I won an advanced copy of MSBFIW during 2021’s YallFest and had the honor of reading, learning, and enjoying the story of Zurika Damani. While this book was not meant for me, I still felt at home with the novel. I loved watching Zurika try and figure out her life plan while also trying to be there for her family. It’s the classic “what’s more important?” arc every teen goes through while figuring out the next phase in their lives. And I think Zurika handled it pretty well under the stressful circumstances. Especially with her mom trying to set her up with the cute hot cousin of the groom’s side.
I also loved the wedding traditions with the modern twist. Last year, I witnessed a portion of an Indian wedding, and let me tell you, it was a production! I’m talking about dancing horses, a DJ, a dance team, lots and lots of colors…. All in the front entrance of the Sheridan! It was a fun cluster of culture, tradition, and good fortune, so I can imagine how epic the Damani wedding turned out!
Overall I rated this book 4-stars. This was a fun read! Pulling from the real-life experience of the wedding she got to attend, I felt at one with Patel and her story. It’s a sweet novel that every Indian and Caribbean girl should read.
My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding debuts April 19, 2022
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