Anita and Me

Oh how I enjoyed this one my dad asked me to read it and I absolutley adored this book about the Kumar's living in the 1900's or so and racism she endured. It was hilarious at SSR I would be laughing my heart out, and everyone would look at me funny. It was sad, but enjoyable. Meena is not accepted into the English world, but doesn't seem to fit in with her Indian family. You can relate if you are a kid who lies a lot trying to make your life exciting. Meena is a very enjoyable character she's smart, funny, imaginitive, creative (same thing i guess), charming, and witty. This is a book as a kid I reccomend for everyone!

A very wonderful and touching tale of a young Indian girl growing up in a small Midlands town in 1960s England. The book succeeds on two levels, both as the coming of age tale of young girl, dealing with her "differentness" and desire to assimilate, and as the story of a whole generation of immigrants from the subcontinent. In many ways it has that "young adult" book feel to it, lots of familiar clichéd plot devices and characters, but the nicely drawn setting makes it very different from what American readers may be used to. In particular, the use of slang stand out as particularly well-written. The only quibble I have is the jumbling of pop-culture references which don't seem to make any sense: 1960's "To Kill A Mockingbird" is called a "new" book from America, whereas fashion references seem to place it as late 60s, whereas teen heartthrob references (Donny Osmond, Shaun Cassidy) seem to place it in the 70s, and skinhead fashions are of the 1968-9 era. These are minor annoyances though, and barely distract from the touching and sometimes gut wrenching story of a little girl learning about herself.

The story of a few years in the childhood of Meena, an Indian girl growing up in a Midland's village in the early 70's. The clashes and harmonies of the Indian and English cultures are the backdrop and the simple style describing life through the innocent eyes of a child make this a joy to read. There is a beautiful mixture of humour and pathos. The little girl who wants to join the Girls Gang led by Anita who slowly grows up to be the friend Anita needs and rejects. My only criticism is that the book had to end.

touching story that is sincere and funny. through the eyes of a girl, we see the racist poverty-stricken English suburb with immaculate clarity. syal blends in issues of second generation immigrant, adolescence, race, sexuality and culture effortlessly. I found myself wrapped around the book for hours on end, forgetting everything around me and remembering my own adolescence.

This is truly one of the best books I have read in a very long time. Syal's prose is not meerly proficient but utterly engaging. In Meena she creates a character who is so utterly charming that even her darkest deeds (like losing her mother's diamond necklace) seem excusable lapses in a temperament which is essentially both good and clever. Meena's cheeky and almost achingly accurate narrative of what it is like to be young and growing up in a small village when all you want to do is grow up and get away will strike a long-buried chord in many readers, it certainly did in me. In this extemely funny novel Syal's political agenda is suitably both understated and omnipresent, never overshadowing Meena's hilarious antics and inevitable (and literal) fall from grace. I will be recommending this book to anyone who will listen, buy it now - its fantastic.Angie Ryan.