I literally cried at the end. It's not every a sad story. I don't know why it brought me to tears. I think it's because of the way the author wrote about the main character's uncertainty in the end.
So the story is about a young girl who is half Indian and half Jewish. She has to move to a public school after her father loses his job. She used to go to a monastery type school so it is a big switch. The new school is divided between white kids and Black kids. She doesn't fit in because she is neither. She's traversing new school with mean girls, grades, cheer leading, and loosing her connection with her old school. And losing her connection with her dad.
I think it's something everyone could relate to, not knowing where you fit in but so desperately wanting to, parents arguing, feeling alone and lost.
Overall a grand read. (A reminder that the book is not sad. I am just feeling rather sensitive I think)

"Four decades separate Sonia Nadhamuni and Judy Blume’s Margaret Simon, but these feisty, funny offspring of Jewish interfaith marriages are sisters under the skin.

Perched on the uncertain cusp of adulthood, each grapples with perplexing cultural identity issues, but in very different worlds. While Margaret’s grandparents pressure her to label herself as they wish, it’s Sonia’s peers who expect her to define herself racially and culturally. Having a nominally Hindu, Indian-immigrant dad and Jewish-American mom wasn’t a big deal until her father lost his job. Now Sonia must leave her comfortably small private school behind and—with Dad sinking into clinical depression and Mom taking on more work—chart her own course at Maplewood Middle School. Where does she fit? With the cheerleaders like pretty, blonde Kate or the bussed-in, city kids like Alisha, who’s writing a novel? Sonia’s the only cheerleader not invited to Peter Hanson’s birthday party. Is racism the cause? As in real life, her challenges don’t come neatly compartmentalized; Sonia will have to work out her mixed-heritage identity while contending with stressed-out parents, financial woes and vexing social uncertainties. Multifaceted characters, especially Sonia—astute, observant and original—provide depth.

Like Blume, Hiranandani resists simplistic, tidy solutions. Each excels in charting the fluctuating discomfort zones of adolescent identity with affectionate humor. (Fiction. 9-13)" A Kirkus Starred Review, www.kirkusreviews.com

diverse children's middlegrade realistic fiction (half-Indian/half-Jewish 6th grader is new in school and also has to deal with her father's depression).

I felt Sonia was kinda whiny--but realistically so, and her story is significant because of her diverse background (which we definitely need to see more of in kids' lit) and because of the situation with her dad (which I think is also important for kids to read about and be able to talk about). ( )

Kirkus compares it to [b:Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret|37732|Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret|Judy Blume|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388356524s/37732.jpg|4121], which I think is apt. Sonia, like Margaret, is trying to figure out what it means for her to be "half and half" (Jewish and Indian), to be a good friend, to be a good daughter. Sonia's dad suffers from depression, so add this to the "parents have problems too" collection along with [b:My Life in Dioramas|22928873|My Life in Dioramas|Tara Altebrando|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424750542s/22928873.jpg|41361552] and many others. Other questions this book asks include: what does it mean for a family to have money, or not, and how does that look different in different families? How do you figure out who you want to be as you move from child to teenager, and how do you keep other people from choosing for you? How do you talk to your parents when they and you all suddenly seem like different people? The writing is deft, the characters are real, the questions have no easy answers -- it's a just about perfect middle grade growing-up book that I can't wait to booktalk to my 6th graders. ( )

"the whole story of half a girl" was written by veera hiranandani, who apparently has no upper case on her computer. Sonia, our protagonist, sees herself as half Indian (Asian Indian) and half Jewish. Now I believe Judaism is a religion, not an ethnic description of oneself. She is American on her mother's side, Indian on her dad's. Her religion: Jewish, kind of. Except fpr her maternal grandparents there's little tradition-observing or Jewish learning. There's my problem.
As for the story, Sonia's dad loses his job and life changes - a lot. She now must go to a public school, among other changes. Worries about old friends and new are resolved although often with tears, which is to be expected. New teachers, clothes that are different from other kids her age, eating habits - all kinds of areas are explored as Sonia learns to cope with change. The book is very readable and I'm sure many kids will be able to identify with a strict, tired mother and a depressed father and making the cheer leader squad and all of the other adventures Sonia experiences. New friendships and old, lots and lots of tears and Life goes on. (I like her little sister.)
Forget my unhappiness with the premise and you'll find a satisfied reader...
- Betty S. ( )