Of the three books by Menon I’ve read, this one is definitely the best. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s one of my favorite YA contemporaries, alongside I Wish You All The Best, This Is What It Feels Like, and Felix Ever After. There’s Something About Sweetie is a fun, heartwarming story, and there are so many things to love about it.

Sweetie and Ashish are not only greatly written and realistic teenagers, but well-developed, lovable protagonists. I also really liked their respective squads; both characters had loyal friend groups made up of unique, equally well-developed characters. From what I’ve seen of Pinky, I think I’ll like her book when I read it.

As for the romance? I loved it so much! Sweetie and Ashish are an unlikely couple, despite both being amazing athletes, but they’ve got brilliant chemistry. They’re adorable and funny and absolutely perfect for each other. I lost count of how many times I smiled whilst reading their scenes together, or became the physical embodiment of that one emoji everyone uses for things they love. The soft face? The “I’m emotional” face? I’m not sure what it’s called, but whatever.

Another thing I really liked was the lighthearted humor. There’s plenty of jokes and puns that I admired whilst rolling my eyes, the way you (or at least, I) do with most puns. They’re bad, but they’re also great. And that doesn’t even include the top tier banter our lovely couple exchanges. Menon does it all so well.

Menon also does an excellent job incorporating important discussions into her fluffy stories, in a way that makes them feel completely natural. The central discussion in this novel is about Sweetie being fat. She’s not trying to lose weight and she’s completely comfortable how she is. Her struggle lies in getting other people to understand that “fat” isn’t a bad word, nor is it bad to be fat. There’s a lot of talk about body image and societal expectations, balanced out with plenty of body positivity. It was so refreshing to see, and I’d love to read more books featuring characters with similar mindsets.

There’s more depth to the discussion when it shifts specifically to body image in the Indian community, and how it affects Sweetie’s relationship with her mother. However, I won’t attempt to discuss that, as it isn’t my place to do so as a thin, white woman.

I’ll admit, I was skeptical going into this. When I reread When Dimple Met Rishi a couple of years ago, I lowered my rating. I wasn’t a fan of From Twinkle, With Love. I was worried that, as much as I wanted to like Menon’s work, it just wasn’t for me. But There’s Something About Sweetie saved the day, defied all of my expectations, and made a permanent place for itself in my heart. It also single-handedly renewed my interest in Menon’s other books. I look forward to reading them, and recommending this book to everyone.

Representation:
• Sweetie is Indian & fat
• Ashish is Indian
• Kayla is Black
• Elijah & Oliver are Black & queer & in a relationship (for most of the novel)
• Several Indian side characters

CW: fatphobia/body-shaming (challenged on-page)