About This Book
A parent would reach for this book when their teenager is navigating the tension between honoring family traditions and forging an independent path, or when they want to explore a joyful, lighthearted story about cultural identity and first love. The story follows Dimple, an aspiring web developer, and Rishi, a traditional romantic, as they discover that their parents have already picked them out for each other. While the premise is rooted in the concept of arranged marriage, the narrative is an empowering exploration of agency, consent, and self discovery. It is an ideal pick for older teens who enjoy romantic comedies and are starting to think about how their personal goals fit into their family's expectations. The tone is effervescent and celebratory, offering a refreshing look at South Asian American life that focuses on joy and ambition rather than trauma.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
Bullying/Public Humiliation. There is a scene involving a public prank/humiliation by a group of 'cool' peers, though it is resolved within the narrative.
Ideal Reader
A 15-year-old who loves 'enemies to lovers' tropes and is passionate about STEM, or a teen who feels caught between their own modern ambitions and their family's traditional values.
Parent Prep
This is a safe 'read cold' book. A parent might pick this up if their child has expressed frustration with family expectations or if the child is starting to explore the dating world and needs a healthy, consent-focused model of romance.
Age Experience
Younger teens will focus on the humor and the 'will they/won't they' romance. Older teens will better appreciate the career stakes and the protagonists' efforts to balance professional ambitions with family loyalty.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many YA books that frame tradition as a burden to be escaped, this novel allows Rishi to find genuine strength and comfort in his heritage, providing a balanced perspective on identity.
Read plot summary
Dimple Shah is thrilled to attend Insomnia Con, a summer program for aspiring tech developers, hoping to escape her mother's pressure to find the 'Ideal Indian Husband.' Unknown to her, her parents have coordinated with the Patel family to introduce her to Rishi, a boy who actually embraces the idea of an arranged marriage. When Rishi introduces himself as her future husband, Dimple reacts with a cup of iced coffee to his face. The two are forced to partner for a web development project, leading to a slow-burn romance where they must reconcile their different views on tradition, art, and their own futures.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Dimple and Rishi have very different views on 'arranged' relationships. Why does Rishi find comfort in tradition while Dimple finds it suffocating?
2
How does Dimple's passion for coding help her find her voice throughout the summer?
3
At one point, Rishi gives up his passion for drawing to satisfy his father's expectations. Was he right to do that, and how does his relationship with Dimple change his perspective?
4
The 'Aberzombies' represent a specific type of social pressure. How do Dimple and Rishi handle the bullying from their peers at the competition?
5
Dimple's mother wants her to be a certain way. How do they find a middle ground by the end of the story?
