FORWARD ME BACK TO YOU: a perfect balance of grit and heart
I love it when books written for young adults tackle serious topics. While I am of the opinion that there should, of course, be a clear delineation of content, I am also very aware that teens and young adults should know about the serious stuff that happens in the world. Books like „The Hate U Give” or „A Girl in Pieces” do a stellar job with acquainting young people with the heavy topics of police brutality and self-harm, respectively.
Ms. Mitali Perkins does a stellar job of her own tackling the grim issue of human trafficking in a novel that manages to also be about a lot more. I loved the bond between Kat and Ravi(Robin), I loved the multiple references to comic books and superheroes, loved the martial arts angle, loved the fact that faith played a central part. This heartfelt, gritty exploration of faith, social unrest, popular culture and identity deserves five out of five!

Perkins has another winner. I work at a school with a majority Asian population and her titles are quite popular, as the kids really love seeing themselves in her books.

This is a good "clean" read (I hate that term but so many people use it) but it's boring. I usually like Mitali Perkins' work but this wasn't up to what I expect from her.

After getting attacked by a guy at school, jujitsu champ Kat has trouble coping with her fee!ings about men, so her mother decides to send her to a friend in Boston, ultimately giving her the opportunity to travel to India to help and learn from young women who have also been victimized. Ravi was born in India and adopted in the U.S. after his mother gave him up. He wants to know why, so he joins the trip to India too. One might think that Perkins would have these two characters fall in love, but that's pleasantly not the case. Readers will learn a lot about human trafficking and the many ways women are victimized, even when they are strong, but also that we have many types of strength. I was bothered by the use of setting instructions at the beginnings of chapters, as if we are reading a script. It's not necessary. There's also a persistent plotline about how Ravi looks like an Indian film star that goes absolutely nowhere. Overall, a good read that will expose teens to another culture and some serious issues that supersede culture. Review from e-galley.

*I received a free e-arc of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Sadly, I ran out of time to finish this one but I certainly plan to finish it.
This one took me a little while to get into. Told in alternating viewpoints of Kat and Robin, who do not know each other at first, I had a hard time connecting with either character. That had began to change when I ran out of time as the characters, both a bit closed off, start to open up a little.

Looking forward to finishing this one in the near future!

Wonderful portrayal of a diverse group of high school seniors, some who travel to India on a service project, and others, including the adults in their lives, who remain behind in support. This contemporary plot explores past and current traumas, and will keep the reader turning the pages.

When three teens from different backgrounds, facing different challenges, go on a service trip to India, they each hope to find the solution to their worries and problems but they discover new friendships instead.

Perkins has great characters and they are fully fleshed out. Kat is recovering after a sexual assault by throwing herself into jujitsu; Robin is struggling with who he is and where he belongs while facing questions about his adoption from India. I liked that this was not a romance - that is becoming more and more rare in YA contemporaries. Instead Robin and Kat's relationship is strictly a friendship as they slowly become more comfortable confiding in each other and their other travel mate Gracie. Also, the characters were so diverse and the book offered a nice glimpse into everyday life in India, while also showing the dark side of human trafficking. Unfortunately though, I felt overall like there was something lacking in the story and that it felt a little rushed. The ending tied everything up very quickly, but at the same time left many things unanswered. I appreciate this book for what it tries to do and the fact that it is diverse (the 3 main characters were biracial, latina, and Indian) and is mostly set outside of the US. Still, I was left wanting more from it.

Katina is sent to her grandmother after stopping a classmate from sexually assaulting her. While there she meets Robin, an Indian adopted by an American family curious about his birth family. On a volunteer trip to India to help sex trafficking victims they start to face their hopes and fears. In alternating chapters readers learn get a glimpse of how each teen is dealing with what’s going on in their lives. Unlike many books using technique these chapters are in the third person which the author to provide the thoughts of the other characters in the scene. Central to this story is the Christian faith of the characters as they are part of a Christian church group. Christian precepts like “golden ruling” are mentioned frequently throughout the book. Some readers may be turned off by such strong Christian messages. While this novel does deal with heavy themes like sexual assault, sex trafficking, and child abandonment, the relatable characters, fast moving narrative, and some recurring gags prevent the narrative from feeling too maudlin. Overall this novel is recommended for libraries that want to diversify their realistic fiction collections.

Overall, I felt this was a good read. At times, it was a little slow, but the character development and the beauty in the details made up for that. What I love about Mitali Perkins is that she educates her reader in a such a way that she doesn't realize the significant information she has retained because she is lost in the story. India and its beauty, along with its dark secret, became more of a reality for me, rather than an abstract concept. Perkins is able to do that through the eyes of her very real characters and their journeys.

Riveting ~ Heartwarming ~ Challenging

tl;dr: Strength is much more than about muscles

This book is a whole lot of trigger warnings probed and examined, including attempted rape, abandonment, poverty, and racism. Mitali Perkins is a well-known author, presenting balance and well-rounded multi-cultural characters. She uses all those skills here. The quick read, with fast moving short chapters, is hard to read in parts, thanks to the strong, and unflinching writing. In general, I definitely recommend this read, and I would love to see boys reading this one. I will say, there was that edge of PSA to it, at the parts where Human trafficking is discussed (a bit more didactic than literary). But overall, very strong book.

I liked the characters and the varied settings. I also appreciated the way each character's plans for the mission trip were subverted by reality and they had to find better ways to be of service. It makes clear that sometimes the best way to help is not what you assume it will be. While all characters were interesting to me, I felt like there were a few too many people and places to keep track of, and that the two main characters didn't connect much. A few more scenes between the two of them would have better solidified the relationship they seem to have at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this. It covers some very important topics in a tasteful and honest way.

Another honest and hopeful story by Mitali Perkins, author of You Bring The Distance Near. Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an opportunity to review this e-galley.

I will definitely be purchasing and recommending this to teen readers. I have to admit, when I read that the topic included attempted rape and human trafficking I was hesitant to start it. I've read so many heavy books lately I didn't know if I could handle another one. But I'm so glad I did because now I can reassure teens and parents that this is appropriate for teens, even younger teens. Mitali doesn't sugar coat any issues but she is careful not to dig too deep into the horrors that could push this into another age bracket or require trigger warnings.

This book provides a great context to discuss cross-cultural service. I would recommend it to anyone going on service trips to read and discuss volunteerism vs toxic charity. What it means to go to another culture and provide what they need vs. what you think they need. Hope resources will be included in final copy.

I always rejoice when there is a new Mitali Perkins book. She tells good stories with real diverse, global characters. This one is no exception. From the riveting beginning with the after effect of Katina's sexual assault to an ending where neither Kat nor Robin achieve their desires and yet where both find a way forward that brings them hope, this book doesn't shy away from difficult topics like human trafficking, but still manages to have grace shine through. I especially like how the American students had to confront the fact that the Indians they work with know better than they do what is needed and how they are called to different roles.

Why 4 stars and not 5? Occasionally, when presenting information about trafficking, the book feels a bit didactic. So it's not perfect, but that's a small quibble. Highly recommended for ages 12 and up. Review based on an ARC through NetGalley.