What I Meant... [Hardcover]

Marie Lamba (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

After 15 years of being a good daughter and loyal friend, wouldn't you expect the people closest to you to believe you? To at least try to understand what you mean? Since my evil aunt moved in, everything has gone wrong.

My little sister thinks I'm a thief.

My best friend thinks I'm a jerk.

My parents think I'm bulimic.

And the boy I love thinks I'm not into him at all.

Somehow I have to set the record straight before I totally lose my mind.

Marie Lamba's debut novel tells the story of how 15-year-old Sangeet Jumnal's sleepy suburban life suddenly gets super complicated.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Sangeet Jumnal, 15, has a crush on gorgeous Jason in her high school in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She knows he has noticed her and thinks she is "exotic," but even if Jason asks her out, her strict Sikh dad forbids her to date until she is 16. But why does her American mom go along with that? Then Sang's best friend, Gina, suddenly stops speaking to her. Is Gina bulimic? Worst of all, Dad's demonic, widowed sister-in-law, Chachi, has moved in, and she spies and steals and gets Sang into big trouble. Everything blows up when Sang tries for a secret date. That is just part of what is going on in this packed first novel, which gets too long and repetitive, with some awkward plot contrivances, including when Sang stumbles on Mom's teenage diaries. But spies and secrets make for great drama, and many readers will not be able to get enough of Sang's hilarious, angry, hip narrative about her diverse family and friends. Rochman, Hazel

Review

Lamba makes an impressive debut with this contemporary novel ... readers will find much to like in Lamba's heroine, who ultimately survives a set of trials worthy of Job with grace and humor. --Publisher's Weekly

The teen's family life and struggles will resonate with readers of all backgrounds...teens will enjoy the interesting cast of characters and the book will have broad appeal, leaving readers wanting more. --School Library Journal

readers become intimate with Sang through her thoughts...adding detail and depth to the text is the influence of Sang's father's Indian heritage...Realistic and well-paced. --Kirkus Reviews

funny and touching...Beleaguered Sang will evoke sympathy and amusement of teenaged girls...refreshing to see a biracial family at center stage...ring true in endearing ways. --Children's Literature

a stunning debut novel... a hilarious account of teen life in a bicultural family that young readers will easily relate to. Her characters and plot lines are convincingly honest and realistic. --The Witchita Eagle

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (July 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375840915
• ISBN-13: 978-0375840913
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marie Lamba (www.marielamba.com) is author of the humorous young adult novel What I Meant... (Random House), which Publisher's Weekly dubbed "an impressive debut." She's also author of the summery YA novel Over My Head about a girl who has either met the love of her life or a player out to break her heart. Marie's newest novel is a paranormal YA titled Drawn, which is about a teen artist who falls for a hot medieval ghost with a sketchy past. Her short story "What I Did..." is in the Philadelphia Liars Club anthology Liar Liar (Mendacity Press).

In addition to her fiction, Marie has published numerous articles in national magazines, and her essay "The View from the Outside" is in the anthology Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering (Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing). She lives in Pennsylvania and is a proud member of the Liars Club.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars hometown heroine rocks, October 1, 2007

By 

Linda C. Wisniewski (Bucks County, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What I Meant... (Hardcover)

What do you do when your parents think you're bulimic, your little sister thinks you're a thief, the boy you love thinks you're not into him at all--and they're all wrong?

Sangeet Jumnal, the heroine of What I Meant..., is a fifteen-year-old who can't get her family to believe her. In this debut young adult novel, she pulls through with humor and courage.

Some of the main characters are ethnic and the book includes interesting touches of Indian culture, but it's not about being Indian or even about being bi-racial. Sang is a normal American teenager, with an Indian father, and that's one of the book's strongest points. The author skillfully weaves modern young adult problems with colorful detail about family life in a small town. The town, however, is not fictional. It's Doylestown, where I live with my family, another reason I loved this book. My kids hung out there, just like Sang and her pals Gina (who is Chinese-American,) Dalton and Jason. They wrestle with issues like grades, popularity and high school cliques. They worry about the myriad of bewildering choices facing teens today, including alcohol, Goth attire and body piercing. The girls, especially, are fully-developed characters with brains and personality. When they devote too much time to teen gossip magazines and worry about getting boyfriends, some of them even think it's funny. In other words, they are real and likeable young women.

After the first few pages, I couldn't put the book down. It's easy reading while still leaving you with thought-provoking questions. Can the "stuff they believe in India," as Sang says, "like respecting your elders even if they're complete jerks," cause problems? Can wanting to rescue a friend land you in unforeseen danger?

You might guess that this is exactly what happens to Sang. Her evil aunt moves in and plants evidence against her that's hard to disprove. And after lying to her parents once, Sang gets in deeper as she hides in the bathroom to avoid them. Like many adults, they misinterpret the actions of teens. This time they suspect she's bulimic. Now she can't ask for a second helping of dinner without being sent to a psychologist for evaluation, who happens to be the mother of her friend Gina. Gina has some observations herself about being the daughter of two psychologists. The situation is written with humor and respect for all parties, young, old and in between.

The author clearly knows her stuff. She writes from the first person point of view. Nobody under 18 uses the phone, and all plans are made on the computer, via e-mail or instant messaging. The author has two daughters close in age to the two sisters in the novel, and is married to a native of India. She has traveled widely in the Indian subcontinent, and her book is enriched by her intimate knowledge of family structure and tradition.

If you have a young teen or were one yourself, pick up a copy. It's fun, it's fast and it will leave you with some questions you'll want to discuss with the nearest young adult.

Linda C. Wisniewski, Author of Off Kilter: A Woman's Journey to Peace with Scoliosis, Her Mother, and Her Polish Heritage

Previously posted at [...]

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite thirteen-year-old loved it, August 3, 2007

By 

Jeanne Denault (Doylestown, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What I Meant... (Hardcover)

I enjoyed the book and gave a copy to my favorite thirteen-year-old. An avid reader, she was already laughing out loud before she finished the first page. We had trouble getting her to put the book down long enough to eat dinner--and this is a kid who likes to eat. She thought the book was so great, she got a copy to give her best friend for her birthday. Mrs. Lamba has a great ear for teen-age vernacular and a terrific feel for the twists and turns of their thoughts and feelings. I highly recommend it

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, August 2, 2007

By 

Lize - See all my reviews

This review is from: What I Meant... (Hardcover)

This was a really great book! I couldn't put it down and I'm hoping there is a sequel coming out soon! I highly recommend this book, especially for teen girls and their moms!