An interesting story. ( )

Life's not always fair . . .
and neither are we

Auditions are on for the seventh grade annual play. Lina sets her heart and sights on the lead role, but the drama teacher seems to think Lina isn't the right shade for the part. All Lina wants is a #FAIRCHANCE to try out for the role. Will narrow-minded Miss Deepa derail Lina's dream?

Meher finds maths far more interesting, and less dramatic, than Macbeth. When her extroverted BFF Lina suddenly becomes distraught and withdrawn, Meher tries to figure out what she may have done wrong, but things just don't seem to add up. Will their friendship fade or will Meher find a solution to this problem and score #FRIENDSHIPGOALS?

I got the book as a review copy from the author.

“Unfair” by Rasil Ahuja is a story about being discriminated against. But most of all, it’s a story about standing up for yourself and for your friends.

I am not the target group of this book. Neither am I a teenager nor of dark skin color. Nevertheless, I found this book enjoyable and educational at the same time. Being European, I’ve never thought about how Indian teenage girls might consider themselves less beautiful because their skin is not light enough. In Germany, where I come from, we have tanning cream instead of whitening cream. When I grew up, I constantly was told that I am too pale and should go out into the sun more. Therefore, in my perception brown skin is fair.
What shocks me most after reading this book is the realization that girls everywhere might consider themselves not beautiful enough because the beauty ideal is always something which oneself is not.

“Unfair“ by Rasil Ahuja addresses a big issue: How is beauty defined and by whom? I think this is an important book which I would give my daughters to read. It’s unfair to judge anybody on their “hardware”; it’s even unfairer to discriminate against them based on how they look.
I liked how the two girlfriends, Meher and Lina, learn to stand up for themselves. I loved the Shakespeare references that introduce the chapters told from Lina’s perspective—and appreciated that in the very last chapter, the quote is Lina’s own not Shakespeare’s. In the end, Lina finds her voice and stops letting herself being defined by external definitions of beauty. That’s an important lesson I wish every young girl (and boy) would take to heart.

On a different level, I liked the book because it shows a part of the world, I am not familiar with: school (and family) life in India. I found it marvelous that Indian children get classes in Yoga and meditation. I did not quite understand why the boys got detained for two days because they have their hands on their bottoms (or were they exposed?). Anyhow, it was a fun and enlightening read that I would recommend. ( )