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· 476 ratings · 107 reviews

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani disappointed me from the beginning. The writing style is plain and has no uniqueness to it at all. Similar to other books about girls of Asian descent, they always fall for guys who are well, not Asian. Kind of disappointing, since every book I read about them has the same outcome. I found the main character Shalini to be really naive and well, stupid. She fell in love with her fiance Vikram but then comes to America and realized what love really is when she meets Toby Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani disappointed me from the beginning. The writing style is plain and has no uniqueness to it at all. Similar to other books about girls of Asian descent, they always fall for guys who are well, not Asian. Kind of disappointing, since every book I read about them has the same outcome. I found the main character Shalini to be really naive and well, stupid. She fell in love with her fiance Vikram but then comes to America and realized what love really is when she meets Toby. I really hoped she would have stuck with Vikram but I guess she liked the boring and monotone Toby more. The ending was pretty abrupt and confusing, like all of a sudden her mom came over her severe depression and they were all a happy family. One thing that really bugged me about this book is the actual school Shalini goes to. I mean first of all kids don't really act like that in high school. The Halloween scenes were really annoying because most of the time only 1/4 of the students actually dress up for Halloween. Also about the teasing of Indians at school for facial hair, dress style, etc ... it doesn't happen as much as she made it seem.

Overall I thought most of the characters in this book were dull and one dimensional. Most of them, including the main character Shalini, lacked personality. Definitely not worth reading again.

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Nov 22, 2012 Si Yun rated it liked it

This is story of a girl from India, named Shalini is engaged to a boy 3 years older than her since she was 3 and really loves him. But because of her father's job, she had to leave him and move to the states. At first she didn't feel too comfortable, but later, she started to have a crush on someone else, a feeling and emotion she has never had before.I gave this book only 3 stars because I think that this book is not too bad, the plot is a bit too normal and simple in which is was not that exci This is story of a girl from India, named Shalini is engaged to a boy 3 years older than her since she was 3 and really loves him. But because of her father's job, she had to leave him and move to the states. At first she didn't feel too comfortable, but later, she started to have a crush on someone else, a feeling and emotion she has never had before.I gave this book only 3 stars because I think that this book is not too bad, the plot is a bit too normal and simple in which is was not that exciting and fun, but what is really good about this book is that it is really meaningful, and can teach people lessons. In this book, I think the theme is for people more mature than others it is because it is talking about relationships and love between 2 people. This book is a great read through to chill with! ...more

Personal Response:
Lovetorn is one of the best books I have ever read. It teaches you a lot about Indian culture and about their everyday lifestyle. It keeps you hooked and is always getting better. My favorite part is when Toby and Shalu are hiking through the woods. I laughed when Toby went running down the hill to catch Shalu's backpack that ended up in the creek. I can relate to Shalu because she has a little sister, and how she is torn between two things. I like how in the end how Shalu's f Personal Response:
Lovetorn is one of the best books I have ever read. It teaches you a lot about Indian culture and about their everyday lifestyle. It keeps you hooked and is always getting better. My favorite part is when Toby and Shalu are hiking through the woods. I laughed when Toby went running down the hill to catch Shalu's backpack that ended up in the creek. I can relate to Shalu because she has a little sister, and how she is torn between two things. I like how in the end how Shalu's family recreates the moment they had years before.

Summary:
It all starts off when Shalu, a sixteen year old girl from India, and her family come to America for two years. Her dad had gotten a better job, but nobody wanted to move. Their first days in America are miserable. Shalu gets picked on at school and her mom won't stop complaining and fighting with her dad. Her mom goes into depression, so the Shalu and her sister have to do all the chores. Shalu is really sad about leaving behind Vikram, her fiance since she was three(arranged by parents). Mr. Jeremy, her dads boss, comes over for dinner one night, The next day Shalu, her dad, and her sister go meet Mr. Jeremy's family. Renuka is his daughter that is Shalu's age. They end up becoming best friends, and Ranuka persuades Shalu to get involved with school. Shalu joins Food4Life, an organization that raises money for women to raise their families. They organize a concert to raise money, and she meets Toby. Toby is a flute player and the leader of the orchestra. Shalu develops a major crush on Toby, but almost doesn't like it because of Vikram. Toby and Shalu become close friends and go to summer school together. On the last day a group of people go hiking. Toby and Shalu walk together, and then Toby brings her off to his special place. He ends up kissing her, but she pulls back and tells him about Vikram. Four days later Vikram shows up in America and surprises Shalu for a week. She shows him her new life, but he ends up seeing her with Toby at school. When she gets home they talk and he ends up saying that she is not engaged until she is ready to be. He leaves that night, and the next time she sees Toby she tells him. A week later her father brings the family to an ocean shore where they have been when they were little. Everyone is happy for the first time since they moved.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone thirteen on up. There are cultural things that would be hard to understand if you were younger. If you like a romance or a culture book then this would be a good read. I give Lovetorn five out of five stars.

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Feb 18, 2021 Rachel Paller rated it really liked it

Ib100% judged this book by its cover. I thought it was was going to be this super cute, light and fluffy little highschool "love" story. But there is so much more to this book. I was very pleasantly surprised by the deep topics it touched on. Very well done.
Definitely written for a middle school audience and I hope many middle schoolers enjoy it. But don't let that stop you, I thoroughly enjoyed it at the age of 25! Ib100% judged this book by its cover. I thought it was was going to be this super cute, light and fluffy little highschool "love" story. But there is so much more to this book. I was very pleasantly surprised by the deep topics it touched on. Very well done.
Definitely written for a middle school audience and I hope many middle schoolers enjoy it. But don't let that stop you, I thoroughly enjoyed it at the age of 25! ...more

Resub
Name: Faith Wisniewski

Book title: Lovetorn

Personal Response:
Personally I did not like Lovetorn. It was very boring and it felt like it took me forever just to read one page. I also did not relate to this book at all. There is no romance or big drama in the book, also the author is not very descriptive.

Summary:
Lovetorn is a book about a fifteen year old girl named Shalini. Shalini moved to America from India because of her father's job. Shalini and her family have to spend a year in America

Resub
Name: Faith Wisniewski

Book title: Lovetorn

Summary:
Lovetorn is a book about a fifteen year old girl named Shalini. Shalini moved to America from India because of her father's job. Shalini and her family have to spend a year in America.(view spoiler)[ Which eventually gets lengthened to three years. (hide spoiler)] Sent Shalini eventually has to attend school, where she really stands out. Because of her different culture, the kids in her class constantly pick on her and make her miserable. Along the way, Shalini makes a friend through her dad. Even though they were set up the girls get along very well and Renuka helps Shalini become more American. Shalini never mentioned her fiance. Shalini was promised to marry Vikram. Their parents worked out the deal when Shalini was three. Moving to America opened up a new window. Boys and girls date can talk freely with one another. Shalini met a boy that she now thinks she might be in love with. (view spoiler)[ The boy likes Shalini back and they start talking and hanging out. In the end, Shalini ends up breaking up with Vikram and dating the other boy. (hide spoiler)]

Recommendation:
I would recommend Lovetorn to a younger audience of girls. There is nothing graphic or too descriptive in this book. The most they do is hold hands.

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Sep 23, 2018 Clara rated it liked it

Personal Response
Lovetorn was not exactly the type of book that I thought it was going to be. Even though it was a pretty easy book to follow, it seemed to be a very basic romance. One of the things that I did not expect was that the characters were mainly from India. With that being said, the novel gave me some perspective on the Indian life that I did not know from the beginning. Altogether, Lovetorn was a fairly decent book, but it is not something that I would like to read again.

Plot Summar

Plot Summary
Lovetorn's characters cause the book to have separate places in the world to explore. Shalini and her family are originally from India but they moved to America due to her father's job change. Starting in India, Shalini lived in a house with about 30 of her relatives. This meant that finding a friend in school would not be very difficult due to the fact that she lives with most of her classmates. By the age of 3, she was already engaged to a family friend's son who was 6 at the time. When Shalini, her sister, and her parents moved to America, she was farther away from her relatives than she has ever been in her life. Throughout the book, Shalini could not seem to find a good friend, but her sister got along easily with her classmates. Later on though she finds a lovely guy that plays the flute and is semi-popular. She finds him when planning a fundraiser for the poor back in India. Eventually her fiance found out about the flutist and flipped out. Though the children in the novel could possibly find someone to get along with, their mother is a whole different story. Shalini's mother did not want to move to America in the first place, which caused her to hate it upon first glance. She had depression from the move and was not adapting to it whatsoever. After taking multiple prescriptions and going to therapy sessions, nothing had seemed to work. Altogether, Lovetorn had plenty of ups and downs to make it interesting.

Recommendation
I would recommend this book to eighth graders and up, but in the end I would not recommend this novel to many people. It would not be my first choice of a romance novel. Also, if you were to read this book having very basic knowledge about the Indian culture helps. This would allow you to sort of follow the parts where they talk about India. Overall, Lovetorn was not my favorite book, but if someone wants a basic romance with some cultural parts to it, this novel would qualify.

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Nov 14, 2011 Chrissy rated it liked it

I became interested in reading Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani because of the multicultural aspect. I love reading about other cultures and I think it's important to have more YA books on the market that incorporate diverse characters. For that reason, I was super excited to read Lovetorn. Unfortunately, I wasn't completely satisfied with it. It has some great aspects, but overall, I wanted a little more.

I'll discuss the good points first. The multicultural aspect was very well done. I have basic kn

I'll discuss the good points first. The multicultural aspect was very well done. I have basic knowledge of some Indian customs and culture, but this book provided a lot more information without sounding like a tutorial. I thought the storyline itself was an interesting idea. An Indian teenage girl who is already engaged moves to America and begins to wonder about her future and her options. This seems natural and plays out organically. Her relationships with friends, family, and loved ones change at a reasonable pace.

I also appreciated how Daswani describes the reactions to the move of all family members. Each member has a different experience transitioning, and I think they are all reasonable given the circumstances and ages of each person. They all go through a journey which impacts each other. Unlike some other YA novels, each family member is important to the plot and overall story. No Disappearing Parent Syndrome here.

Clearly, there's lots of good stuff in this novel. Unfortunately, there were also aspects I didn't like. First, I thought some of the relationships between the smaller characters developed unrealistically. While changes in the family members were gradual and organic, the friendships, social enemies, and crush relationships did not develop at a natural pace (in my opinion). This might sound strange, but the characters turned out too nice. Even the mean girls, who were really mean, came out sounding too nice by the end. The crush was the most realistic in my view.

Second, I didn't know who to root for. Maybe it's just me, but when there's going to be some kind of love triangle, I like to know who I should be rooting for and the reasons why. I had a sense that maybe I should root for the new guy because he's a new guy, but I really liked what I'd read about Vikram. Part of me really wanted her to stay with him, even though I wasn't sure how that would turn out. This is purely personal preference, so it may not bother other readers.

Third, and this is really, really nitpicky, there was misinformation about the psychologist. Psychologists can't prescribe medications. Psychiatrists can. This very small distinction bothers me purely because it's a common misconception and I'm in the field of psychology. By all means, this did not ruin the book for me, but it is irritating when the facts aren't right.

So, overall, Lovetorn was an enjoyable read. I just wish I'd gotten a little more from the novel. It's definitely worth the read, especially if you're interested in reading about other cultures.

>b?Final thoughts: Borrow.

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Lovetorn on the surface sounds like a romance with a love triangle however the novel focuses more on Shalini and her family than on romantic relationships. Toby doesn't even appear until more than halfway through the story. When he does show up, he does not make enough of an impression. Readers who pick up this book solely for the romantic aspect might find themselves disappointed but I am glad that the author chose to spend so much time on other things. The portrayal of the culture shock and th Lovetorn on the surface sounds like a romance with a love triangle however the novel focuses more on Shalini and her family than on romantic relationships. Toby doesn't even appear until more than halfway through the story. When he does show up, he does not make enough of an impression. Readers who pick up this book solely for the romantic aspect might find themselves disappointed but I am glad that the author chose to spend so much time on other things. The portrayal of the culture shock and the adjustments her family must make are well portrayed. I liked seeing how Shalini grew and changed from the dutiful girl she was in India to someone who makes her own decisions.

Readers may not agree with arranged marriages for children but the author does a good job of making sure it is written with sensitivity. I also liked how Vikram was not painted as a bad option. He genuinely cares for Shalini and loves her. The immigrant experience is central to the novel and I think it was depicted believably with both the exciting opportunities as well as the fears and the struggles to fit in. I was also pleased with the ending which felt realistic. The one weakness of the book is Shalini's relationship with Toby. It might serve as an important catalyst in Shalini's growth as a person but it seemed like instant infatuation and I didn't like seeing Shalini become so boy crazy for Toby after months of pining for Vikram. Thankfully the strengths of the novel outweighed the weaknesses for me. I would suggest this to fans of Neesha Meminger, Anjali Banerjee, and Mitali Perkins.

Readalikes: Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger, Blue Jasmine by Kashmira Sheth, Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger, Maya Running by Anjali Banerjee, Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth

Note: I read an ARC of this book courtesy of Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review

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Jan 04, 2012 Peg rated it liked it

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani was provided to me free-of-charge as an Uncorrected Proof from GoodReads, FirstReads. This is a young adult novel which presents an educational opportunity to learn about the customs and traditions of India. I found it to be interesting since I know very little about India. A nice touch was the glossary found at the back of the book which was very helpful since some, but not a lot, of the words in the book were not in English. It was also refreshing that not a single c Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani was provided to me free-of-charge as an Uncorrected Proof from GoodReads, FirstReads. This is a young adult novel which presents an educational opportunity to learn about the customs and traditions of India. I found it to be interesting since I know very little about India. A nice touch was the glossary found at the back of the book which was very helpful since some, but not a lot, of the words in the book were not in English. It was also refreshing that not a single character was a vampire, a werewolf or a demon!

The main character, Shalini, a 16-year-old high school student, is the narrator. She tells her story of moving to Los Angeles with her family and how hard it is to fit in at the new school, make new friends, know how to dress, and to cope with all the other changes she and her family must go through. Her 11-year-old sister does well but her mother is unable to adjust and descends into clinical depression which is extremely hard on the rest of the family. Her father tries to take charge but it is difficult for him since he has a new job, a sick wife and two daughters. Shalini has to learn to make her own choices and decisions which had always been made for her in the past. She has been engaged to Vikram since she was 3-years-old and misses him very much even though they are in constant contact. When Shalini meets Toby, she starts to doubt her love for Vikram. She questions her future - exactly what a 16-year-old girl should do!

This novel is more about a teenager learning to live in a new country and putting aside some of Indian ways than it is about her romantic life. The ending seemed rushed and left the way open for a follow-up novel.

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Mar 09, 2012 Pamela Kramer rated it it was amazing

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani is the young adult book for those whose mothers love books by Shobhan Bantwal, the wonderful author of books (like The Full Moon Bride) about love that either are set in India or feature families from India.

In Lovetorn, Shalini, her mother and her sister have just arrived in the United States to be with their father. He is excited and proud of the job he was hired to do, and he plans to live and work in the USA for two years and then return to India to success and much

Shalini's younger sister has no problem acclimating and making friends. It's not so easy for Shalini, and her first few weeks in high school are very unpleasant. Other students make fun of her clothes, her accent, and her unibrow.

It's only when she meets a girl of Indian descent (whose father is friends with Shalini's father's boss) that Shalini makes a true friend. Renuka helps Shalini adjust to American customs and encourages her to find her own niche at school.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani - Chicago Young Adult Fiction | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/young-adult-f...

Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/young-adult-f...

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Shalini is a girl that was born into a traditional indian family and was enganged to hey fianc'e at the age of three. When her dad gets a job in Los angeles , her life crumbles. her mom becomes depressed and she is having a hard time at school and mostly of all, she misses her love . Over the months life gets better until she meets Toby, A prodigious flute player and she instantly falls in love but she goes into the most toughest decision of her life,disappoint her family over a boy or stay with Shalini is a girl that was born into a traditional indian family and was enganged to hey fianc'e at the age of three. When her dad gets a job in Los angeles , her life crumbles. her mom becomes depressed and she is having a hard time at school and mostly of all, she misses her love . Over the months life gets better until she meets Toby, A prodigious flute player and she instantly falls in love but she goes into the most toughest decision of her life,disappoint her family over a boy or stay with her first love.

I thought was ok. It was not really a love story because Toby does not come in until the last ten chapters and it was mostly focused on her family and her. My favorite thing about this book is that over the book her feelings change for her fiance and later she realizes that what her life has she becomes and she quotes "I hate what has become of my sane, planned, prepaired life" . In the beginning, she depends on her fianc'e and her family but once she moves to America hse becomes more independent and less reliable on people. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys watching people going throu a quiet transition .

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Mar 25, 2015 Aura rated it really liked it

Extremely sweet , written pretty well -the reason I love kavita daswanis work .
<3

This was a cute book. I read it not for my own enjoyment or choice, but to preview it for my students before putting it in my classroom library. I'm always trying to find diverse characters, and I feel like my romance genre books are lacking in diversity.

I enjoyed the immigrant experience in this book. I think that is the book's best quality. The way Kavita Daswani writes about India makes me feel like I am there. Then, the way she writes about leaving India makes me feel as if I have left a bel

The romance in this book is very soft and understated. There's nothing more than a quick kiss, so I feel very comfortable with this book in my classroom library. I look forward to recommending it when I teach about India and to my romance readers in general.

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Jan 13, 2020 Liz rated it really liked it

This was a very pleasant and quick read. My high school readers love romance, which I normally detest, but this story has a multicultural component with a layer of parental depression that makes the plot more interesting. Seeing California through the eyes of teen girls fresh from India was described well. The book is a 'gentle read', fine for younger students to read, too, while engaging for mature readers. I bought a box full of copies at a book sale to give to my high school girls' book club This was a very pleasant and quick read. My high school readers love romance, which I normally detest, but this story has a multicultural component with a layer of parental depression that makes the plot more interesting. Seeing California through the eyes of teen girls fresh from India was described well. The book is a 'gentle read', fine for younger students to read, too, while engaging for mature readers. I bought a box full of copies at a book sale to give to my high school girls' book club at the end of the year. ...more

Nov 27, 2018 Jennifer Wrage rated it really liked it

Through this book I learned a lot about Indian culture in a simple, unobtrusive way. The protagonist, Shalini, struggled with first love as many 16 year olds do. Her thoughts and feelings were believable. It also touched on what it is like to live with someone with depression. Students who have moved and had trouble fitting in could certainly identify with Shalini.

Sep 11, 2019 Toney rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Could be more romantic

3.5 Stars, really good!

I got this book free as an uncorrected proof from Goodreads Giveaways, it's actual release date is 1-17-12.

Shalini has lived in India her whole life, she was born, raised, and engaged there. Her father gets a once-in-a-lifetime job in Los Angeles, America, where she moves along with her sister, and mother.
Shalini's been engaged since she was three years old, to her handsome Indian friend/love Vikram.

The beginning and middle of the book is quite depressing, to say th

3.5 Stars, really good!

I got this book free as an uncorrected proof from Goodreads Giveaways, it's actual release date is 1-17-12.

The beginning and middle of the book is quite depressing, to say the least. Shalini is missing her fiance, she doesn't fit in at her new school, her mother is depressed and homesick...Joining Food4Life, a charity at her school, seems like her last resort.

In Food4Life, not only does she finally fit in somewhere, she meets the shmexy flute player, Toby. She finds herself torn (pun intended) between her fiance who's over nine thousand miles away, but still talks to several times a week, and the new boy who she can't get out of her mind.

I found Toby and Shalini's relationship too fast, like why is she falling for this boy so fast? She's been in America (Los Angeles!) for eight months, and she suddenly sees a rich and cute boy? Half of the male population in Los Angeles must be rich and cute! Anyways...

A lot of the book is about Shalini and her family, her supporting father, her depressed mother, and her sister, who's adjusting much more than Shalini is. Her mother's homesickness got really old towards the end of the book, I felt myself wanting to grab her mother by the shoulders and say "Get. Over. It. It's been almost a year!" Maybe I don't understand because I've never been thrust away from my culture and home, being forced to move into another country.

When Toby finally started to like Shalini, it was kinda weird, because some of the things he said weren't things a teenage boy would say. Like randomly saying that Shalini's 'cute' in the middle of a conversation, and the reason she is, is because she 'cares about things'.
His exact words "You care about people. I think that's kinda hot."
Okay. Shalini feels embarrassed at that point, which I don't blame her.

Alright, the good marks;
It was really refreshing to get away from the werewolves, demons, and dystopias of the modern-day YA novel. This book felt real, not imaginary and magical. It was real in the way it was kind of depressing...okay, A LOT depressing at times.
I learned a lot about Indian culture and many different words and their meanings. (thanks to the glossary at the end of the book)

*Slight Spoilers in here*

The ending was my favorite part, because it was really interesting compared to the rest of the book, which mostly felt like 'The daily life of Shalini'. For some reason, I really liked the ending. No, she doesn't get swept off her feet by her beloved Vikram, or get a romantic kiss from her secret love Toby. I felt so bad for Vikram in the end, when he leaves heartbroken. Well, he also left Shalini heartbroken, but she got over it...after three days of crying into her pillow. She still remained friends with Toby, and that about wraps it up. It leaves room for expansion, I almost wish it were longer, but since Vikram is gone again, it would have probably gotten boring and back to the 'Daily Life of Shalini'. Except with Toby making more appearances.

Personally, I wish she would stay with Vikram. He's so sweet, and he loves her. They've been together for thirteen years, she shouldn't throw all that away over one rich L.A. boy, who has a whole lot of girls he could happily date. Toby's sweet too, but I just like Vikram. ;)

Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and HarperTeen for my ARC copy of the book!

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Apr 25, 2013 Ally rated it liked it

Lovetorn...

description

This book was very short for me. The average of pages of books I read is usually around four hundred.

So go ahead and say NERD out loud, punks.

Very loud, I'll say. Anyway, I'll include the synopsis.

Lovetorn...

description

This book was very short for me. The average of pages of books I read is usually around four hundred.

So go ahead and say NERD out loud, punks.

Very loud, I'll say. Anyway, I'll include the synopsis.

"When Shalini's father gets a new job in L.A., she is torn away from her life in India and the boy to whom she's been betrothed since she was three. L.A. is so different, and Shalini dresses and talks all wrong. She isn't sure she'll survive high school in America without her fiancé, Vikram, and now she has to cope with her mom's homesickness and depression. A new friend, chill and confident Renuka, helps Shalini find her way and get up the courage to join the Food4Life club at school. But she gets more than just a friend when she meets Toby—she gets a major crush. Shalini thinks she loves Vikram, but he never made her feel like this.
In Lovetorn, Shalini discovers that your heart ultimately makes its own choices, even when it seems as if your destiny has already been chosen.

Author Kavita Daswani has always been fascinated by child marriages and betrothals, and this story of a traditional girl from India, who is exposed to so many more freedoms and experiences after being dropped in a completely alien culture, is a fresh and contemporary look at the subject."

Okay, let's start criticizing this book. This will be fun for me. Yes, criticizing is fun.

Not criticizing paragraphs:

As promised Shalini is torn from her life. She had trouble blending in with her fellow classmates. Her classmates bully her, tease her, and make fun of her. Shalini has no clue of fashion. She doesn't know what to wear and doesn't know how to act. Back at home, she has trouble with her fiance. People in the US don't get engaged/betrothed till they are like eighteen or nineteen years old. But her? Three years old. Poor girl.

Shalini's mother is depressed. She hates the US. She hates living there. She wants to go home, back to India. She gets more and more depressed and homesick.

The behaviors of the other characters were realistic. *Applauds* Good job Kavita Daswani. You got the minds of the characters down. Excellent. Brilliant. It's a job well done.

Renuka is the rock of Shalini. She helps Shalini cope with the freaky world of America. She helps her learn the basics and attitudes of Americans.

The writing was good. It flows really well for me.

The plot was cute and adorable, but I will talk a lot more about it in the "Criticizing Paragraphs" section.

Criticizing Paragraphs:

First of all, Toby. Yes, he is a cute guy. I could feel the his hotness rolling off the pages of "Lovetorn." That hot. Plus he plays an instrument. Even hotter.

The bad part is that he appears after the halfway mark of the book. AFTER. What the cuss is this author thinking! The hot guy appears at the beginning so you won't bored your reader! OMG! It's THAT SIMPLE.

The plot. UGH! I felt the plot was a little unbelievable. Truly. After being engaged for most of his life, how could he let her go so easily. He loved her so much. It was obvious! The author let Virkam go way too easily. He needs to put up a fight.

*Sigh*

This book's rating: Three out of Five.

BOOM! DONE!

This review is also on my blog.

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Mar 08, 2017 Brooke R rated it it was amazing

I really liked this book. It was more about romance and finding friends after moving someone new. I would recommend this book to anyone, i think anyone would enjoy this book. This is one of the best books i have read in a while.

My Thoughts: When I first heard about Lovetorn, I honestly didn't know if it would interest me or not. It didn't sound like anything I had read before but it was also about a culture I didn't know much about.

But hey it's published by HarperTeen and you can't go wrong with that, right? Did I hear you agree? Yes?

We are introduced to Shalini who has just moved to the United States from India with her father, mother, and little sister. Shalini isn't used to living with only three people. Back at hom

But hey it's published by HarperTeen and you can't go wrong with that, right? Did I hear you agree? Yes?

We are introduced to Shalini who has just moved to the United States from India with her father, mother, and little sister. Shalini isn't used to living with only three people. Back at home, she lived with almost 40 people. There was always someone around doing dishes, chatting, or just in the background making noise. This is so different from what she is used too.

Shalini starts a new school and right away realizes she doesn't fit in. The way she talks, the way she dresses, the way she acts isn't like these American girls. She feels like an outcast. Not only that but her sister is adapting really well and that tugs at Shalini a little bit. She wants to fit in. She wants to feel like she belongs.

Shalini also misses her fiance Vikram. She's been engaged to him since she was 3. How is she going to spend 2 years away from him? This seems impossible.

In time, Shalini makes a new friend Renuka who helps her realize there is more to life than what other people think of you. Shalini starts to be her own person and stops caring what others thinks. She gets involved in a charity project and really helps out. She feels useful. She starts to feel good about herself again.

She only wishes her home life was that great. Her mother is taking a fall. She's depressed. She misses India, she's not herself. She gets put on medication, sees a therapist, nothing helps.

Shalini doesn't know what to do and tries to cope with things day to day.

She also meets a boy. He's a talented flute player and helps with the charity event. She starts to develop feelings for him and starts to question her relationship with Vikram.

Need I say more? Read the book now.

Overall: Honestly, I was a little hesitate going into this book not knowing if I would like it or understand it. Yes, there is a lot of Indian lingo, but I understood it perfectly. It all flowed just right. I really liked reading about Shalini's traditions and I liked reading more of her story. I wasn't sure which boy I wanted her to end up with but this was a realistic novel. No vampires, fairies, or werewolves. Just plain old simple boys. They weren't perfect, they weren't fighting over her, they were real.

I really enjoyed reading Lovetorn. Family was the most important focus in this book, with some relationships thrown into the mix. Culture also came into play. Lovetorn was just what I was in the mood for and if you like these type of books, you won't be disappointed.

Cover: Really like it. It fits. They also don't have completely white skin so its realistic. We also can't see their faces which I like so I can imagine them to look the way I want.

What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
_________________________________

Review Based On Hardcover Edition

Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com

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Oct 28, 2014 Carolina rated it really liked it

Originally published at: A Girl that Likes Books

First impression

I bought this book after Book Riot recommended it in their South Asian YA: 5 titles to read post. It had a very nice premise; a whole family moving from India to the States, the elder girl has been engaged since she was 3 years old and dealing in general with being a teenager. The book does all this things but I was disappointed with the end.

Final thoughts

Shalini is the main character of this book and she is telling the story of how

Originally published at: A Girl that Likes Books

First impression

Final thoughts

Shalini is the main character of this book and she is telling the story of how her father found a new job in Los Angeles. As a dutiful daughter, she acts exited and supportive, but the truth is that she is not that thrilled of leaving everything she knew behind, including Vikram her fiancé. Arriving to LA and learning a whole different culture would be hard enough on her, but as it turns out her mother isn't taking the move so well and soon Shalini is taking care of the household, trying to deal with bullies in her class and, for the first time in her life, questioning what for so long was supposed to be her life plan with Vikram, even more so, when Toby comes to the picture.

There are a lot of things I liked about this book and they are all related to Shalini and her family being in foreign land. The amusement of finding a place that sells the food you grew up with; the sort of challenge of explaining to others things that you've grown accustomed to; the fear of changing and losing your roots and at the same time, of not changing and losing your mind. All of these things are so real when you leave your comfort and yet they are so great to help you grow as a person.

Shalini's mom goes into a deep depression due to this move; her father tries to work hard but is afraid of what might have come of his family. Her little sister on the other hand, seems to adapt very well to her new life. All of these perspectives made the book even more enjoyable.

However it was the love story that made me hesitant to give this book a 4...for most of the book the only love interest is Vikram, and while I was interested in the idea of Shalini questioning this relationship now that they were no longer together all the time I wish it wouldn't because another boy. This made her look like a girl whose decisions revolve solely around boys and I can't like that, sorry. I think I would've rather her questioning the whole idea of being engage at 3 when being exposed to other views; if at the end of it all she felt that this was what made her happy, great! It is not? also great.

And then we have the ending. Don't worry; I will not give away spoilers. All I can say is that it felt extremely abrupt and rushed. What is worst, it felt like there was not conclusion at all. I still gave it a 4 because going to it gave me what it promised. To quote Book Riot: This is great because there aren't a lot of South Asian YA novels that deal with this transitional period, coming to the United States as a teenager and trying to figure things out.

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Sep 21, 2011 Grace Fonseca rated it really liked it

Title: Lovetorn
Author: Kavita Daswani
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pub Date: January 17, 2012
Pages: 250 pages
My Edition: Advanced Reader Copy provided to me by publisher for an honest review. Thanks to Harper Collins.

Book Synopsis:

When Shalini's father gets a new job in L.A. , she is torn away from her life in India and the boy to whom she's been betrothed since she was three. L.A. is so different, and Shalini dresses and talks all wrong. She isn't sure she'll survive high school in America without her fiance, Vikram, and now she has to cope with her mom's homesickness and depression. A new friend, chill and confident Renuka, helps Shalini find her way and get up the courage to join the Food 4 Life club at school. But she gets more than just a friend when she meets Toby-she gets a major crush. Shalini thinks she loves Vikram, but he never made her feel like this.

In this Bollywood twist on a Sarah Dessen novel, Shalini discovers that your heart ultimately makes its own choices, even when it seems like your destiny has already been chosen.

Book Review:

An utterly charming book. I really enjoyed this book. Usually I don't read a book like this, but was glad that I took the chance on this book. This book was a great fun read, it also at times took some serious undertones, it was a very well written book.

I thought that the attitude of Shalini when she first arrived was so well written and handled well. I mean the adjustment that she had to go through is what a lot of teenagers have to go through when they change schools or neighborhoods. Yet she moved from a country where people are very different and come from different school. I just hated the mean girls agenda. I guess you get that in every school.

Another thing that was a little serious, but was done well, was the fact that her mother's depression. I think we saw it progressing nicely. This is a woman who is very sad and upset that she was uprooted from the world she knew. Shalini's mother is angry that her husband did this. She wants to go back to India.

Thought the growing attraction that Shalini and Toby was handled well. You really feel that these two people connect on a different level than her relationship with Vikram. It's a very difficult thing to make relationships work with people that come from different cultures. Yet Kavita Daswani makes it work through the two characters need to help others. I thought it was beautifully crafted and done.

Also like how Vikram let her go, when he came to visit. He's a character that's not in the book that much and usually it's just to say hello. Yet what was unexpected was the way he handled himself. It was just so not what I thought would happened.

This book was a sweet book to read. I sometimes like a book that is a sweet read. If you are looking for a sweet, but light read. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:

Four Hearts

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Jul 21, 2011 Jessi rated it really liked it

Life is about choices. And they aren't always your choices--sometimes it's the choices of others and how they can change your life. Take Shalini for example. She's perfectly happy living in India with her extended family and her fiance since she was 3, Vikram. She's sure that she loves Vikram and looks forward to a happy future with him and the rest of her family in India. Then, in what seems like a chance decision, her father moves the family to the United States and they are all forced to embr Life is about choices. And they aren't always your choices--sometimes it's the choices of others and how they can change your life. Take Shalini for example. She's perfectly happy living in India with her extended family and her fiance since she was 3, Vikram. She's sure that she loves Vikram and looks forward to a happy future with him and the rest of her family in India. Then, in what seems like a chance decision, her father moves the family to the United States and they are all forced to embrace a life-changing move.

Shalini's voice in this novel is authentic and relateable. She's a teenage girl who was perfectly content with her life in India and then it was all pulled out from under her. I think that any teen who ever felt like an outcast in high school can relate to her story. She's forced into a world where people don't accept her exactly the way she is and she has to learn to adapt to find happiness. At times it is difficult to watch Shalini struggle through school and I was SO happy when she decided to join the Food4Life club because you finally felt like she was really making an attempt to "fit in" (or at least to find happiness).

Shalini's new American friends and her first real crush are a fun and realistic addition to the story. While you don't see much of her Food4Life friends, you do get the sense that's what they are--friends, the first ones Shalini has found since coming to America. Also, watching Shalini develop her first crush on Toby, the orchestra's flutist, was so cute. Ms. Daswani truly captured the enraptured feeling that comes with that first crush when you're young, even though Shalini is a bit older than most girls experiencing that feeling. It was something that really pulled me closer to the MC.

Shalini's family is a great mixture of success and frustration, portraying the range of emotions that can come with moving to a foreign place. Shalini's sister fits right in and seems to immediately find her place in this new world, while Shalini's mom holes herself up in her room and refuses to even truly attempt to adjust. It's a very realistic situation and your heart really goes out to her mom, although by the end I have to admit that there were moments when I was so frustrated that she wouldn't even TRY for the sake of her daughters.

Overall, this was a very engaging read that I highly recommend to contemporary YA fans. It is a story of love, loss, and the challenges of being a teenager, something we can all relate to, packaged in a world that many of us can't quite imagine.

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May 11, 2014 Jordyn rated it it was ok

I really wanted to love this book. The premise is incredibly unique and it's on my wishlist of culturally diverse books. But sadly, though there are a lot of really good things about this book, on the whole it was a bit of a disappointment. Shalini is an Indian girl whose family just moved to Los Angeles; she's been engaged to Vikram since she was three years old; he's her best friend, her true love. Everything. And she's surprised when she finds herself falling for a very American boy at her ne I really wanted to love this book. The premise is incredibly unique and it's on my wishlist of culturally diverse books. But sadly, though there are a lot of really good things about this book, on the whole it was a bit of a disappointment. Shalini is an Indian girl whose family just moved to Los Angeles; she's been engaged to Vikram since she was three years old; he's her best friend, her true love. Everything. And she's surprised when she finds herself falling for a very American boy at her new school in L.A.

The main problem with this as the premise for the book is that the American boy, Toby, doesn't show up until after the book's halfway point. This is much more a book about Shalini being torn between two cultures than between two boys. Which is fine, of course, but not what I was expecting.

So now that we know what the book is really about, there was quite a lot to like about this book. The culture shock that Shalini experiences when her very traditional Indian family moves from India to the United States was painful and accurate to read about. The depression that takes hold of Shalini's mother, who misses India terribly and resents not being a part of the decision-making process, is one of the more interesting parts of the book and I wish there had been a bit more detail given because her mother's predicament really got to the heart of what this book was about: family, culture, and change. I wanted more of that.

Shalini's story is really about the push and pull between her Indian life and her new American life, and as interesting as the subject matter was, sadly none of the characters came to life for me. The writing style here is flat and formal; it felt as if there was a wall between the reader and the characters of the story because of this. Shalini is a nice and relatable character, but stiff -- just like the rest of the cast. This means that when the central conflict (Shalini's loyalty to her fiancé vs. her new feelings for Toby) comes into play, it's hard to really have an emotional attachment. That said, her personal conflict over what she saw as "right" as opposed to what she wanted was the part of the book I enjoyed most and I wish it had been a bigger part of the story.

On the whole, I liked this book despite its faults, (view spoiler)[ but the rushed (and fairly inconclusive) ending was a big disappointment to me. (hide spoiler)]

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I was excited to read a book with a main character from India, I've always been curious about its fascinating culture, we don't have many out there and this one seemed like it would be a great contemporary. I think the Sarah Dessen comparison gave me high expectations which was probably the first mistake I made because unfortunately this one didn't live up to them. At the beginning I thought I would be able to form a connection with Shalini, I felt awful for what she was going through, being new I was excited to read a book with a main character from India, I've always been curious about its fascinating culture, we don't have many out there and this one seemed like it would be a great contemporary. I think the Sarah Dessen comparison gave me high expectations which was probably the first mistake I made because unfortunately this one didn't live up to them. At the beginning I thought I would be able to form a connection with Shalini, I felt awful for what she was going through, being new at school and getting made fun and not being able to help with her mother's depression. As the story progresses I didn't really feel like it was going anywhere for me and I knew then that I was not going to love it.

The writing was very plain to me, it was very simple, choppy and not descriptive at all, I couldn't really picture anything, not even the many characters who never really had a chance to develop. There was a lot of repetitiveness, like to describe Shalini's feelings and the two guys she was in love with. I think the story could've been a great one but the whole time I was reading it felt more like I was reading a summary of a story instead of a novel and not a very detailed one. Now for the two love interests in this one, I did not see the appeal at all. We barely get a glimpse of them and they weren't that memorable, all we get to know about them is from Shalini constantly reminding us how cute and sweet they were over and over. It bothered me how easily she fell in and out of love with these two guys.

The book is a very quick read which is probably the only reason why I finished reading it, even though I didn't feel anything for the characters I still wanted to see how it would end, hoping that it would be a good enough ending to make up for the rest of it. Unfortunately even at the end I didn't feel anything, there was just no room for a connection with the characters who felt very flat to me and never really developed. Maybe the book needed to be a bit longer to give time to the many things in Shalini's life that needed to resolve or maybe it was just the writing, but this one just wasn't for me.

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Dec 01, 2011 Laci rated it really liked it

When I received this book from the publisher I thought to myself that I really loved the cover. I am a sucker for what the cover looks like. I know you are not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I do. I loved the design on the side of the book. I was interested in knowing more. I had to know more.

You meet Shalini. She and her family are moving to L.A. from India. All she has known is India. She doesn't know what people do here, she doesn't know what they wear, or even where they buy the

You meet Shalini. She and her family are moving to L.A. from India. All she has known is India. She doesn't know what people do here, she doesn't know what they wear, or even where they buy their groceries. So when her family gets to the states it is a real experience. So she goes to the local high school, but she is having a hard fitting in. People don't like her because she is different. She is having a hard time meeting friends and just being a normal teenager. Which is very sad because I have some of my best memories in high school. I met some of my best friends there(which I am still friends with), and I met my husband there(yes we are high school sweethearts). High school was awesome....most of the time. :)

While there she meets this guy Toby. Toby is in the school orchestra, he is popular, and not to mention extremely good looking. So she develops a major crush on him. But there is one thing holding her back. Her boyfriend that is still in India. Yeah that is defiantly a problem. So she is torn between to guys that she is madly and deeply crushing over. How awesome does this book seem????

At first I didn't know how I would feel about this book. I thought it was just another contemporary novel to go along with the many others. Boy was I wrong. This book showed a girl not only dealing with the issues that she is facing. But it also showed the issues that her family was dealing with as a whole. Sometimes books don't do that. And I really liked that this one did. To me it kind of made the book stand out even more. This will defiantly be a book that I would recommend to someone that want a really great easy read.

Thank you Kavita Daswani for such an awesome and heart felt book. You are amazing. This book had everything it needed, love, sadness, and adventure all in one!

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Jan 02, 2012 Lucy rated it liked it

I was inspired to pick up Lovetorn to read more about the Indian culture, and to read about how the family transitions from Bangalore to LA. Seems like quite the culture shock. The forbidden love aspect and how that relates to the arranged marriage also caught my interest.

I liked the story overall. It's a quick light read with a lot of great ideas. However, I just wished that some of them were explored a little more fully. The length of the book is short, to the expense of some of the character and story development. It didn't have the depth I was looking for, though the story itself is refreshing.

The protagonist Shalini is really bullied in school for her appearance and manner of dress. Some of the behavior is appallingly mean, so much so that I was impressed that she even made it to school everyday. She has a lot on her plate considering school and picking up the slack at home now that her mother is suffering depression from the move. Only her father and little sister Sangita seem to be thriving in their new life. She does find her place eventually, as her friendships and experiences evolve over the course of the book.

The family dynamics are explored and bring up interesting points about gender equality, culture and traditions, and mental health issues. I liked seeing how the family reacted to their new surroundings in different ways, and how they adjusted over time. Sangita the little sister is a standout character and I would have liked to learn more about her.

The transition to life in LA ended up being more interesting to me than the love triangle. I didn't feel strongly for one choice over the other, even though Vikram does seem like a great guy and support system to Shalini. It makes sense that she would question her match to him through this forced separation. I wished there was more time in the book devoted to her decision making process, instead of it feeling somewhat rushed.

Even though I'm not head over heels in love with this book, Lovetorn is an enjoyable read. Contemporary fans looking for a refreshing read about Indian culture and family life should give this book a try.

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Oct 22, 2012 Wendy rated it it was ok

The copy I read was a hand-me-down ARC, so I can't be too definite about my complaints.
Let me start by saying that the narrator is likable, as are several supporting characters. The cultural flavor of the book is highly interesting as well as educational for an American of European descent. It is also refreshing, in fiction written for teen girls, to hear from a narrator who is very clear on her passions, and they aren't even too cliché.

However.

The cover and summaries are misleading. Sure, she's

However.

The cover and summaries are misleading. Sure, she's "lovetorn," but mostly about her home country and her various allegiances to family, fiancé, etc. The other boy doesn't even enter the story till halfway through the book, and even then the relationship takes a while to build up enough steam to consider it a threat to her engagement.
And, for that matter, the boys are sort of flat characters. Fiancé is sweet and devoted and a model student and dream son-in-law. Crush plays the flute and acts sort of stereotypically Californian. I'm not even sure why he's supposed to be such hot stuff, but that's okay; real crushes don't always make sense.
But then, when it all comes to a head at the end of the book, our heroine keeps finding herself in tears. She can't pull herself together for five minutes. That's irritating enough - but, I suppose, understandable, given she's still going through a lot of stress from the move and her mom and she's at an emotional age - but the way she keeps mentioning it is irritating! She tells you the exact moment she realizes there are tears in her eyes, and it happens maybe five times within the span of a few pages. There are other ways to get the point across that you are upset, sweetheart. I was pretty forgiving toward this book until that part, but that sent me over the edge. I know it's a small thing, but it broke the fourth wall because it was like the author just slapped the ending together in time to meet a deadline without much editing.

If you are looking for a piece of fun fiction to educate a girl about Indian-American culture, this is a nice option.
If you are simply looking for a piece of fun fiction, you will likely be frustrated by this book. Move on.

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Nov 29, 2011 Lecea rated it liked it

Shalini has been engaged to her childhood friend, Vikram, since she was three. So when her father gets a new job in Los Angeles, she is clearly miserable. At her high school, she is teased due to her Indian accent, for example, and everyday she comes back from school to see that her mother is depressed (for homesickness). When Shalini joins the Food 4 Life club at school, she finds new friends and slowly develops a crush on a flautist, Toby , who is connected to the charity club.

I have friends l

I have friends like Shalini, who initially experienced a culture shock when coming to the U.S. When Shalini stands (instead of remaining seated) to answer a question, she instantly reminded me of someone at my school who had done just that. So, Shalini, after some effort, adjusts to her high school, befriending a girl outside of her school and tutoring someone. Naturally, I thought that her situation seemed very realistic, as were her reactions. She always had the comfort of Vikram's friendship and love, but after meeting Toby, she wonders what would have happened if she wrote her own destiny (as opposed to her father arranging her marriage). Toby and Shalini's interest in each other develops at a reasonable pace, but I thought the relationship could have been explored a bit more. Also, by the end of the book, I was wondering if Shalini's mother ever feels "at home."

The decision Shalini makes at the end is predictable, even though the progression of the novel is entertaining. The scene where Vikram watches Toby and Shalini, then proceeds to cry, is heartbreaking, but, in the rest of the novel, the writing feels rather dull. The author does an excellent job of creating a diverse cast of characters (about whom I wanted to learn more), although the plot, at some parts, seems rushed. Otherwise, Lovetorn is an enjoyable read.

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Kavita Daswani is an American author who started her career as a journalist for South China Morning Post when she only seventeen. She lived in Hong Kong before moving to Los Angeles.

Now in her thirties, she has written several novels for grown-ups and young adults that represent her passion and love for the Indian culture. In her books, we see how young Indian girls are trying to break away from their tradition in pursuit of their dreams. She also brings some of her own life's experiences into her books.

She has been a fashion correspondent for CNN, CNBC Asia, and Women's Wear Daily, has written for the Los Angeles Times and the International Herald Tribune, among many other publications, and has been the fashion editor for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong.

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