Neesha MemingerRezensionen

Indian American high school student Samar starts to learn about her heritage in the post-9/11 period. She experiences prejudice rsthand in the treatment of her uncle, a Sikh who wears a turban, and in her own social interactions.

Recommended at The Angry Black Woman here.

The writing in this book reminded me a bit of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but if Laini Taylor uses bold and vivid colours, Neesha Meminger's tones are muted, pastel-like.

The ideas of the book were gorgeous - time travel to the mysterious ancient civilisation of Zanum, talented individuals able to manipulate the Dark, an evil mastermind who's been catching Ables and harvesting their energy through the ages...

...but I could not for the life of me immerse myself into the plot completely. Pammi's inner voice is wry and clever, but it's detached enough that whatever happens to her you don't feel much. Does it make any sense?

She is a lovely Indian girl with a caring misguided mom. What she experienced in the past when her mom took her to the psychologist concerned for her mental health makes a great impact on her present when she starts working with the girls who suffer from similar "mental problems". The girls are an interesting bunch, but again their personalities are muted enough that you don't feel much for them. I would say that Pammi is at her strongest with her boyfriend in Zanum. There you feel some connection.

The writing is really simplistic, and there is a certain charm in it. Overall, I liked the book, but it did not take me by storm as they say. However, the plot is interesting and refreshing, so don't let my imressions turn you away from this novel.

Jazz just wants to be a normal teen that makes her own mistakes on her own terms....which is exactly what she does. She is Punjabi and Sikh. Her parents are pretty strict and want her to live a life of a good Indian girl. In other words...don't embarrass them. So far Jazz has made her parents proud but when she first lays eyes on Tyler R. at school all of that goes out of the window. She decides she'll do whatever it takes to have him.
There's also the story of her Aunt Kinder who has been abused by her ex-husband who's now trying to take her daughter away. Apparently her parents had arranged that marriage after seeing her in a "compromising position" with who she felt was her soulmate. Jazz finds this story heartbreaking and devotes her time and a chunk of this book trying to get them two together.

After being seen hugging her good friend Jeeves, Jazz' parents decide to arrange a guided dating plan. This pretty much involves them setting her up with suitable Indian guys. When she gets set up with Mit, it's not exactly love at first sight but works for the both of them. This leaves her more time to devote to Tyler R. There were many time I wanted to grab Jazz and just shake her because she was doing some crazy things that made me gasp.

It also brought up some underlying issues regarding Indians and West Indians that I didn't even know existed. The rules for the Punjabi girls/women were also put out there. I can imagine it must be pretty difficult to live the life of a typical American teenage girl with all of these rules you have to follow.

This was a refreshing book to read. There were no drugs or poverty issues involved therefore giving us a different story. One that makes me smile instead of cringe.

Jazz In Love was one of the first books I read this year, and honestly set the tone for me for the rest of my reads. It is a light, fun read that really opens your eyes into the Indian culture. Honestly, to dive into a culturally driven book that wasn't about an immigrant or about fighting blatant racism was really refreshing. It's not that I dislike books like that, not at all really. It's just nice to have a light and fun read about a girl who comes from another background. I fell in love with Jazz, and the rest was history.

Jazz, or Jasbir, is one of those characters that is so easy to relate to. Growing up in a very strict Punjabi family means Jazz isn't allowed to hug a boy in public, much less actually be attracted to one. Her future husband, because that's what she should be looking for, needs to meet all the requirements that her mom sets forth in the "Guided Dating Plan". After all, Jazz needs to have the structured life that her family sets forth. Right? Not according to Jazz. With heaping helping of wise-cracking and lots of sneaking around, Jazz is determined to live her own life. When Jazz sets her sights on the very UNsuitable hottie, I think that was my favorite part! Watching her grow and change was fabulous.

There are a lot of underlying messages in this story. Of course on the surface we watch Jazz as she learns to deal with (and bend) her parents very strict rules. She tackles figuring out what parts of what they say she should follow, and which parts she needs to forge her own opinion on. However there is also commentary on friendship here, as well as that battle that all adolescents fight: what is love? Jazz goes through what every teen girl or boy has at some point. An endless crush that seems like the real thing, but is it?

Honestly I loved every single part of Jazz In Love! I wish I could share more, but I failed to write my review right after I read the book and that book is on a tour. Yes my friends, I'm going off of pure memory right here. I can tell you that watching Jazz navigate her love life, her home life, and just the pitfalls of being a teenager was so much fun! I found myself completely in love with all the characters and their lives. This is one of those books that is so much fun to read that you'll breeze right through it! Quick, refreshingly sweet and amazing. Enjoy!

I was so happy to read this book. There aren’t many YA authors painting stories with the color brown, and this author has clearly increased in confidence and skill with this book.

Jazz, short for Jasbir, is seventeen, and despondent because her strict Punjabi Sikh parents want to start the process of fixing her up with a “suitable boy” as determined by family matchmakers. Jazz, however, is an all-American girl, and wants to date, and have boyfriends, and then fall madly in love, like in the bodice-ripper romances she is so fond of reading.

She gets lucky when one of her aunts proposes a young handsome boy from Canada who comes down to meet Jazz. He confides in her that he is gay, and suggests they pretend to like each other so that their respective parents will leave them alone. In time, Jazz and “Mit” become good friends, and the ruse seems to be working.

Meanwhile, Jazz, her best friend Cindy, and her childhood friend Jeevan (“Jeeves”), all members of the Future Stars and Leaders (FSL) Program at their high school, scheme to help find true love for Jazz’s Auntie Kinder.

When both Jazz and Mit become smitten for real, however, all the deceptions implode and seem to lead to disasters. Jazz’s parents threaten to send her to India, and Jazz isn’t sure anymore what love really is:

“Was I too busy looking for the giant, all-consuming love I’d read about; the one that woke sleeping beauties out of eternal sleep and whisked lovely maidens away from their wicked stepmothers, transforming them into princesses in glittering ball gowns? A love that sent my heart racing and made my tongue go numb; that made an FSL – Future Star and Leader – student like me do stupid things despite knowing better?

…What if Love wasn’t all that? What if it was quieter, like a whisper on a breeze that you had to listen real hard for? Or smaller, like a cardamom seed that’s soothing and pungent and explosive all at once?....”

Evaluation: In some ways, this story is similar to others involving high school girls finding out about the realities of romance. But it mixes in the wonderful flavor of Indian Punjabi culture to distinguish it from that and other YA books. The teens are basically good kids: they want to make their parents proud, but they want to be true to themselves as well. This book is charming and funny and poignant, and gets high school talk absolutely perfect. I definitely recommend this enjoyable read.

A “coconut” is slang for someone who is brown on the outside, but white on the inside. After 9/11, seventeen-year-old Samar Ahluwahlia (“Sam” or “Wally” to her friends) finds out that living as a “coconut” doesn’t protect you from the prejudice of ignorant, small-minded people.

Sam and her mom Sharan have been on their own in Linton, New Jersey since Sam was two. Because Sharan refuses any contact with her Indian relatives, Sam has always taken part in the big family gatherings of her best friend Molly. Sam loves these celebrations because they feel warm and welcoming, but hates the way they accentuate the lonely dyad of her and her mother.

Everything changes when, a week after 9/11, her mother’s turbaned younger brother shows up on their doorstep. Although they hadn’t communicated for fifteen years, Uncle Sandeep looked at the turmoil in the world and decided he wanted to be close to the ones he loves. Suddenly, Sam has “family.” And suddenly, with the help of the very charming and loveable Uncle Sandeep, Sam learns about the Sikhism that is as much a part of her heritage as the hard-core atheism of her mom. But Uncle Sandeep wants Sam to be happy with whomever she ends up being. He tells her:

"The coconut is also a symbol of resilience, Samar. Even in conditions where there’s very little nourishment and even less nurturance, it flourishes, growing taller than most of the plants around it.”

Sam convinces her mother (after a struggle) to take her to meet her grandparents, who live only ninety minutes away, and finds out why her mother has resisted taking her all this time. But now she feels more torn than ever.

When white bigots, stirred up by the post-9/11 atmosphere of bigotry, target Uncle Sandeep as an “Osama bin Laden,” Sam experiences first-hand the “politics of identity.” In the wake of what happens, she knows she must decide which parts of herself to let go, and which are the most radiant parts that she should keep.

Discussion: Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world. There are over 20 million followers worldwide (estimates range from 20-27 million), with some three-fourths located in the Punjab province of India. There are approximately 650,000 Sikhs in the United States.

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, there was an upsurge in anti-Sikh discrimination across the United States, including a number of incidents that involved physical attacks on Sikhs who were wearing turbans. (In addition, the long beards that many Sikh men keep have also been confounded with those of terrorists seen in the media.)

Although this book offers a small taste of what Sikhism involves, there are many interesting websites that have additional information, such as All About Sikhs and Sikhism Guide.

Evaluation: I appreciate books for young people about the problems of trying to fit into a culture when you feel torn inside about a “double” identity. Such kids can experience intolerance from both sides, and it can be very rough. But I didn’t connect well to Sam. I think that on some level I could pick up the authorial voice as well as Sam's. There was a sense of: well, being half American and half Sikh isn’t enough, so let’s throw in 9/11. And in case that isn’t enough, let’s add skinheads. And don’t forget to drop a single mom in the equation, with her own alienation problems. Irish girlfriend? Check. Black girlfriend? Check. Indian girlfriend you never talked to before? Check. And for the pièce de résistance, let’s have the perfectly fine boyfriend of one year suddenly morph into not only a racist but also a stalker!

All of these plot strands don't seem well blended together. This story’s issues were just stacked up, instead of coalescing into a symphony. Nevertheless, there is much to recommend in this book.½

I liked the book well enough. It accurately portrayed the friendships of teenage girls, and it gave me a window into a culture I'm unfamiliar with. However I thought it was a bit too "problem novel" for me. We never really learn anything about Samar's uncle or grandparents other than that they're Sikhs and were estranged from her mom for a long time. I found myself wanting more than that, though I could see why the author chose to focus on the ethnicity issue, as that was her principal message.½

I’ll admit, at first I was worried that Shine, Coconut Moon was going to be a little bit too after-school special for my tastes. But considering the dearth, Mitali Perkins aside, of really good books about Southeast Asian American teens, I was willing to give it a try. And while it does sometimes feel like a laundry-list of after-school special issues are being addressed (Discovering your personal history and identity, prejudice from friends and bullies, AND 9/11? That’s hitting the trifecta right there!), Neesha Meminger does the one thing that can raise an “issues book” above feeling like a Lifetime movie: she writes it very well. The characters are complex, the writing is tight, and the situations build on each other in a way that keeps them from being preachy or unbelievable.Apart from her mother, Sameera has never met any of her family. Sam’s mother is estranged from her parents and is determined to raise Sam as a “normal” American girl. Sam has never learned about her Sikh heritage, met her uncle and grandparents, or learned even a word of Punjabi. She has no Indian friends at school. And while Sam has always wanted to meet her family, she has never given much thought to her heritage. But like many Americans, Sam’s way of looking at the world changes after September 11th. She experiences prejudice for the first time since she was a small child – sometimes from unexpected places. And her Uncle Sandeep reaches out to Sam’s mother, bringing family and all the complications that come with it into Sam’s life.The characterizations are a strong point in Meminger’s novel, and Sam’s two closest family members are perhaps the most interesting, especially in terms of their changing relationships with Sam. Sam’s mother, Sharan, is conflicted about her own heritage because of controlling treatment by her parents. She has tried desperately to shield Sam from their influence, and in doing so she has completely seperated Sam from her history and heritage. But this treatment from her mother leaves Sam feeling just as controlled and unfairly treated as Sharan did as a child. Sam’s mother must come to terms with her daughter embracing the family and culture that Sharan has turned her back on. And as her mother’s attempt at protection backfires, Sam’s relationship with her Uncle Sandeep grows. He acts as a catalyst for her attempts to learn about her heritage, and to reconcile her family’s culture with her own life. Their relationship is a very sweet one, which makes the extreme prejudice that Sam witnesses against her turban-wearing uncle even more affecting.Sam’s search for self also affects her relationship with her best friend, her boyfriend, and others from her school in very realistic ways. Sam’s growth is often difficult for the people who are closest to her, and I love that Meminger acknowledges and explores that side of her journey. In some cases Sam comes to very difficult realizations about people who she cares about, and in other cases the relationships eventually grow stronger. Sam also starts tentative relationships with other Indian girls at her school, one of whom demonstrates for Sam that unlike her mother, she does not have to definitively chose either her Sikh heritage or her American culture – she can learn to balance both.I did find the first half of the book a bit difficult to get through – I didn’t warm up to Sam until her growth arc was really moving along. But by the second half of the book, after she has met Uncle Sandeep and become curious about her family and her heritage, I was hooked. Sam goes through the search for identity that every teenager experiences, but because of her estrangement from her family and her complete lack of knowledge about her family’s culture, Sam’s journey is condensed into a short, intense period of time, making it especially powerful for the reader.

Following 9/11 Samar opens the door to find a turbaned man who happends to be her Uncle Sandeep. She doesn't know much about her Sikh culture as her mom has spearated herself and Samar from her parents and heritage. Now Samar yearns to have roots and a family like her best friend Molly. At the same time,Sikhs and Muslims are being attacked in the rage following 9/11. It's a great book about identity and multiple belongings, but it often turns preachy instead of letting the plot carry the theme.

17-year-old Samar (known as Sam to her friends) knows very little of her Indian culture or Sikh religion. Her single mother has raised her to fit in as an American teen; her mother has also kept her from getting to know her uncle and “old-fashioned” grandparents. That was all before 9/11.

Shortly after that, a stranger arrives at her front door in a turban, startling Sam at first glance. It turns out he is her Uncle Sandeep, and he is eager to reconnect with Samar and her mother. When Uncle Sandeep drives Sam home from school and their car is pelted with bottles by Sam’s classmates who chant “go back home Osama,” her worldview begins to shift. Then Sam is at her best friend Molly’s house with Molly’s large, extended family, and Uncle Sandeep comes to pick her up. When he enters the house, Sam is acutely aware of the stares, of assumptions made about her uncle in his brown skin and turban.

Feeling adrift, Sam decides to learn about Sikhism, about her heritage, and spends time with her uncle and grandparents in spite of the differences between them and her mother. As she explores and questions her identity, she no longer wants to be a coconut — brown on the outside, white on the inside.

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

The cover of SHINE, COCONUT MOON should be enough to draw readers to the contents of Ms. Meminger's story. But if the cover doesn't pull you in, then the story should capture your attention.

Samar has always considered herself American. She had a few incidents when she was younger of being treated as an outsider, but when Molly befriended her, Sam was accepted without any problems.

It isn't until after September 11, 2001, that life changes for Sam. A strange man in a turban shows up at her door claiming to be her long lost uncle - Uncle Sandeep. Her mom had severed all ties to her family, so the man on their porch is a stranger to Sam. Sam's curiosity is piqued and she wants Sandeep to be a part of her life.

But in the days post-9/11, anyone that even remotely looks like a terrorist is instantly regarded with suspicion, and Uncle Sandeep in his turban stands out in town. By association, people start looking at Sam differently. Sam knows nothing of her Indian heritage, and seeks out other girls like her at school for guidance.

Sam begs her uncle to take her to her maternal grandparents. But when her grandparents realize that Sam's mother knows nothing of the trip, they cut the visit short. They insist they want to get to know Sam, but will only do so with Sharan's blessing.

The novel shares the struggles of Samar coming to terms with who she is in a new post-9/11 society. Having been denied her heritage, she's hungry for knowledge of who she is and what her mother is running away from. Samar wants to fit in without controversy, but she also wants to be true to herself.

SHINE, COCONUT MOON will make you angry with the way innocent people were put under scrutiny in the days following September 11, 2001, but it will also make you think about the way you consider those who are different from you.

Meminger takes sensitive, emotional topics like post 9/11 America and writes about them beautifully. The characters' honesty in regards to their feelings will definitely resonate with teens and adults. I thought Sam's character really showcased a teenager in the throes of discovering her heritage and the background of her family. A great novel to give to any teenager.

Seventeen year old Samar has been described by a friend as being a coconut; brown on the outside and white on the inside. She doesn't know how she feels about this since, until her uncle Sandeep showed up on her doorstep, she never really thought much about her heritage. However, the arrival of her uncle makes her yearn for contact with even more of her extended family members, and she tries to find a way to convince her mother to reconnect with her estranged family. Things do not go as smoothly as Samar had hoped. Complicating her self examination of her life are the complicated feelings she has for Mike, a boy who she's been dating for almost a year, but someone who seems to have started to change. He, however, claims that it is Samar who is actually doing the changing.
I really enjoyed this story, and will definitely be looking for more books published by this author.½

Shine, Coconut Moon really appealed to me because of the topics that it deals with. What does it mean to be an American? Can you be an American but still keep your old family traditions? I really liked how Neesha handles these topics. Samar knows nothing about her mother's family until her uncle steps back into her life. Along the way she learns that she can be an American while still following some of her family’s traditions. I really enjoyed how Samar grows and learns about her mother's side of the family. She has always tried to just fit in with her mostly white classmates but now she takes the time to speak with some other Indian students. This was really my favorite part of the book because it is so nice to see Samar expanding her world view. In the past she would always ignore her Indian classmates.Some of the secondary characters were also pretty interesting. I really loved Samar's uncle. He was such a kind and sweet man. I really want him to be my uncle. I thought that Samar's boyfriend was a real trip. He starts off as this nice guy but the second she starts to learn about her Indian culture he turns into a maniac. This was one of the things that bothered me about Shine, Coconut Moon. Mike seems to go from the sweet boyfriend to a stalker idiot in a matter of minutes. It seemed really rushed. I think that Shine, Coconut Moon would have a high rating from me had it been a bit longer.I enjoyed Shine, Coconut Moon and despite the fact that it seemed rushed the ending did wrap up nicely. I was able to kind of easy guess what was going to happen but I did get a little misty eyed a few times. I always enjoy a book that can make me that emotional.This was Neesha Meminger's first book and I really hope she writes more books. Especially books focusing on Indian culture. I also wish that she could come over here and make me some of the food described in Shine, Coconut Moon. I could really go for some Mutter Paneer right about now! Kudos to Neesha for the food cravings.

This is a thoughtful and well-structured book about family, culture, and identity in the aftermath of 9/11. Samar is a very believable teenager, and her family members are both flawed and human. The way in which Sammy's quest to learn more about her South Asian origins affected her perception of herself and her relationships with various schoolmates, family and friends kept me engaged until the end.