Customer Reviews

What I Meant...

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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 [...]

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

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!

I do not usually write reviews but felt compelled to do so because our experience with this book (and author) was so very positive. We scheduled a live video chat with the author, Marie Lamba, for our Girl Scout Troop which consists of 19 twelve to thirteen year old girls. We purchased the book for all of them to read 1 month before our scheduled video chat. This was somewhat risky....what is they didn't read the book? What is they didn't like it? How would we have a successful chat if this happened? Well, actually what happened surprised us all. The majority of the girls read the book and LOVED it! It was a pleasure to see them sit around and talk about the characters as if they knew them. I think this is the main reason why the book appealed to them so much. They could relate to all the characters from the 15 year old main character with family, boy and best friend challenges to the boy who liked someone who didn't like him back. A comment from some of the girls was, "this was the best book I ever read!" Chatting with the author was a special experience for them. She gave them each one on one attention and answered all their questions with ease. When the found out that she had written a sequel to this book, they all cheered.

Can you imagine coming home after a long day at school and hoping to be comforted by family, but instead coming home to a house full of drama and lies? For my book review I read a book called What I Meant, by Marie Lamba. The main character is Sangeet Jumnal, who is fifteen years old. Sangeet is often surrounded by family and friends, especially her best friend Gina. She lives with her mother, her father, her sister Doodles, and her aunt Chachi. Most of the book takes place in her house and her school.
There's tension between Chachi and Sangeet right from the beginning of the book. Chachi moves in with Sangeet's family after husband passes away and her son goes to college. Sangeet is not happy about this, but she is furious when she sees her aunt steal from her mother. There is another conflict in the book, where Sangeet's parents think that she is bulimic. Sangeet hides in her bathroom for a weekend so, her parents don't ground her. In addition, through out the book, she wants to go out with a guy named Jason, but she can't date until she's sixteen. Sangeet doesn't like this, when he asked her out.
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it because it was really detailed and I could relate to Sangeet some of the time. One connection to my life is that Chachi is from India and I have a cousin that is from India. I would recommend What I Meant to girls around my age and older. The theme in What I Meant is, "Don't lie to your parents or friends".

I just randomly picked up this one at the library and I couldn't put it down after started it. It was refreshingly simple, witty and light.

This was a fun, easy, and entertaining read. Perfect for a young teen or even younger reader, all (no matter what ethnic persuasion) will empathize with the challenges and triumphs of the heroine, Sang. Makes a great gift. Looking forward to a sequel.

I just finished reading this book. I am amazed at how well Marie captures the heart and mind of a young adult - the thoughts, the priorities and the struggles are all very well represented and make the reader really care for Sang, the protagonist. The bi-racial (Italian American and Indian) angle is seamlessly integrated throughout the book. Not only will teenagers find this a page-turner, I think it is a must read for all parents with teenage children as this book offers a unique window into the "complexities" of their lives, all while maintaining a good sense of humor.

It's a great read, and by the end of the book I felt I KNEW the main character. I gave a copy to my it to my niece for her classroom, knowing that it would be a story that would interest her students, get them thinking, and keep them reading.

I really enjoyed this book! As a college student, I was unsure if I would still like reading about the life of a 15-year-old girl. However, I could totally relate to the characters, and this novel was addicting! It's funny yet realistic as well. It also has a surprising amount of action packed in. I would especially recommend 'What I Meant...' to teenagers, but it's great for all ages!