Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood

I thought this was a very fun book for my young readers. It was age appropriate and lots of fun.

Fun, fascinating and quirky! Abby's voice is refreshing and witty. While reading this book, I thought Abby should definitely be my friend. I have a feeling we'll get along so well. The fact that her father is a Bollywood superstar is simply a bonus. I love that she's adventurous and willing to try new things. And can I mention just how awesome it is that she has her own imaginary orchestra playing inside her head whenever she experiences something surreal? I also think that she's very wise for her age. Thirteen is a fragile age for most teens, especially if there are father issues involved, but Abby dealt with things without being melodramatic and angsty -- something which I really appreciate.

I also loved reading about Mumbai in this book. Personally, I have only seem Mumbai through movies which alternate between really colorful production ensembles and decrepit shambles of poverty. Yes, admittedly, I have seen a few Bollywood movies. It's hard to see a middle ground between the luxurious city in romantic comedies and the poverty-stricken areas in other movies. While I understand that creative liberties may have been taken, it's still refreshing to read about Mumbai through the eyes of a thirteen year old girl who is practically a stranger.

Another thing I appreciate about this story is that the whole storyline focused on Abby. By the middle of the story, I got a little scared that the storyline might stray from Abby and focus on the reconciliation and eventual happy ending of her parents. While I appreciate a happy ending, I feel that it would have been unrealistic to have her parents reconcile and suddenly find themselves in love with each other again. I'm glad that they left things where they are in the ending and somehow left a glimpse of hope for things to get better between Abby's parents.

Oh, and one more thing! While I was reading this book, I kept picturing bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan in my head! Well, initially, I thought Amir Khan would be perfect as a father figure but as I kept reading, Hrithik Roshan was persistent. Apparently, I have my own imaginary casting director in my head who dictates who I picture as book characters. See! Abby and I should be friends!

All in all, this book was a delight and I highly recommend it for some light reading.