When Stars Fell into My Soup is a unique book that primarily delves into the life of Spencer Diaz, a young man who lies in a coma after experiencing a fatal accident, accompanied by a collection of separate, diverse stories that are sometimes loosely related to one another.

Initially, the length of the book slightly daunted me; it is a 369-page book, and I rarely read such lengthy books. However, as I navigated the pages, the simple, lucid writing and the relatable stories ensured that my reading experience was smooth.

The prologue was overwhelming, though. Imagine reading one paragraph of the mental state of 20-25 characters at once. It was a bad idea, and I left it midway to begin the first chapter.

I liked the majority of the stories and even thoroughly enjoyed some of them. The characters are relatable, likable, and worth rooting for, and the relationships are beautifully developed. A couple of stories were so poignant that I almost teared up. Mr. Gupta’s writing shines in the short stories. Despite the shorter length, he manages to create nuanced, layered characters and wholesome, complicated relationships. Those stories were a treat to read, especially ‘Noelle finds a memory box’, ‘The Brown Shawl’, ‘Leo Makes a Plan’, ‘Jugs writes Jimmy a letter’, and ‘Sam and Nathan go camping’. However, some stories like ‘Elena, Lost and Found’ and ‘Alex is Home Alone’ didn’t strike a chord with me.

I also appreciate the variety in the genres of stories (thriller, drama, sci-fi, and many others) and the way they explore different facets of queer identity (asexual, transgender).

And coming back to the main character, Spencer, whose story appears in trickles throughout the book. I have mixed feelings regarding Spencer. It is difficult not to feel for a geeky, stammering, comatose youngster with a broken family. However, unfortunately, I couldn’t fully warm up to him. Perhaps it was his ill-timed remarks (supposed to be funny, but I didn’t get the humor), especially when they appear in serious and potentially poignant sections. I can understand the author’s intention – to show how a cool teenager might be thinking. But it alienated me from him, and the emotional punches towards the end didn’t quite land for me (although the character does show significant development throughout the book).

The writing is good throughout, and I couldn’t find any major grammatical or punctuation errors.

Overall, When Stars Fell into my Soup is a great read, and I recommend it to all fiction enthusiasts who enjoy well-written, emotional, thought-provoking drama.

4.2 stars from my side.