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Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot
This laugh-out-loud debut romance introduces perfectly imperfect Payal Mehta, whose plan to get her longtime crush to finally notice her is destined for success, but only if she ignores her budding feelings for her archnemesis...
Payal Mehta has had a crush on popular, athletic, all-around perfect Jonathan Slate ever since he smiled at her in freshman–year Spanish class. At a party during spring break of her junior year, Payal finally works up the courage to ask Jon to hang out. However, her romantic plans are derailed when he vomits on her Keds. Twice. But when Jon offers to take her out to lunch as an apology, Payal is convinced this is the start of their love story.
Over chalupas and burritos at Taco Bell, Payal's best jokes are landing as planned. Jon is basically choking on his Coke—and then it happens. "Do you have a boyfriend?" Payal is (finally) about to get the guy. And then he tries to set her up with his Indian friend. Payal's best friends, Neil Patel and Divya Bhatt, are just as mad about the microagression as Payal is, but they think she’s a little too hung up on him.
Determined to teach Jon a lesson by making him fall for her, Payal ropes in her archnemesis, Philip Kim, to help. It’s the perfect plan. Minus Philip’s snarky, annoying quips and lack of faith in its success. But as Payal lies to the people she loves, hides the too-Indian parts of herself in front of her crush, and learns that maybe Philip isn't the worst, she starts to wonder if what she's been looking for has been scowling at her all along...
Payal Mehta has had a crush on popular, athletic, all-around perfect Jonathan Slate ever since he smiled at her in freshman–year Spanish class. At a party during spring break of her junior year, Payal finally works up the courage to ask Jon to hang out. However, her romantic plans are derailed when he vomits on her Keds. Twice. But when Jon offers to take her out to lunch as an apology, Payal is convinced this is the start of their love story.
Over chalupas and burritos at Taco Bell, Payal's best jokes are landing as planned. Jon is basically choking on his Coke—and then it happens. "Do you have a boyfriend?" Payal is (finally) about to get the guy. And then he tries to set her up with his Indian friend. Payal's best friends, Neil Patel and Divya Bhatt, are just as mad about the microagression as Payal is, but they think she’s a little too hung up on him.
Determined to teach Jon a lesson by making him fall for her, Payal ropes in her archnemesis, Philip Kim, to help. It’s the perfect plan. Minus Philip’s snarky, annoying quips and lack of faith in its success. But as Payal lies to the people she loves, hides the too-Indian parts of herself in front of her crush, and learns that maybe Philip isn't the worst, she starts to wonder if what she's been looking for has been scowling at her all along...
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First published September 24, 2024
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About the author
Preeti Chhibber
62 books168 followersPreeti Chhibber is a huge nerd. She usually spends her time reading a ridiculous amount of Young Adult, but is also ready to jump into most fandoms at a moment’s notice. You can follow her on Twitter @runwithskizzers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
November 16, 2024
When the guy Payal Mehta has been crushing on for years turns out to finally notice her (through a series of unfortunate, vomit-related incidences), she thinks it’s finally her chance at an epic love story. That is, until he tells her that she should totally date his Southeast Asian because she’s so cool. Armed with hurt and annoyance, Payal teams up with Philip, her academic rival, to “solve racism with love.” It goes about how you would expect. Chhibber does an excellent job balancing the cute romcom vibes with the more intense discussions on racism and the casual microaggressions that Payal, as a young and impressionable girl, begins to tie to her own self-worth. This is a really great story about not watering yourself down for other people and embracing who you are; the people that you’ll want to spend your life with will love you for your full self. At times it was a bit young for me, but this is a young adult high school romcom and I can’t knock the book for being what it was advertised as. I do wish that this could’ve been a little longer so that all of the plots could get a little bit more fleshed out, but overall this was a very cute read!
3.5/5
3.5/5
dnf
December 19, 2024dnf @15%, I'm too old for this
July 2, 2024
THANKS TO KOKILA AND PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE FOR THIS PHYSICAL ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
Payal Mehta is your typical Desi, more specifically an Indian-American, teenager. Both of her best friends are also Indian-American. Although, her long-term (three years is long enough) crush (Jon) is a white-kinda popular-athletic boy. She got to interact with her crush after he threw up on her twice (uniquely embarrassing right?). After more interaction, she is uneasy as Jon (the crush) turns out to be a baby racist or unintentionally racist. She wants to prove to Jon that she is more than only being Indian and for that needs a partner. It's already not a good time, to add on this she got paired up with her nemesis-Phillip Kim- for a school project. Why not make him a double partner?
I love it when books have texts and other formats, It just gives a lot of the character. I was looking forward to all the chat and group chat parts in the book. Payal was as usual not-so-smart teenager who's so involved in the one-sided crush to point out the racism. The story was not really unique but the main theme was interesting. I liked the way the author highlighted how the spectrum of racism is vast and why it is necessary to always point out things that bothered you. It was an average read until I reached the end, I liked the way the author concluded the book which definitely bumped my rating. Things I didn't like were less involvement of friends in Payal's life, she easily let her best friends get estranged. Her final treatment with Jon was lacking, I was hoping for something more. The last thing, I didn't like is the title of this book.
Payal Mehta is your typical Desi, more specifically an Indian-American, teenager. Both of her best friends are also Indian-American. Although, her long-term (three years is long enough) crush (Jon) is a white-kinda popular-athletic boy. She got to interact with her crush after he threw up on her twice (uniquely embarrassing right?). After more interaction, she is uneasy as Jon (the crush) turns out to be a baby racist or unintentionally racist. She wants to prove to Jon that she is more than only being Indian and for that needs a partner. It's already not a good time, to add on this she got paired up with her nemesis-Phillip Kim- for a school project. Why not make him a double partner?
I love it when books have texts and other formats, It just gives a lot of the character. I was looking forward to all the chat and group chat parts in the book. Payal was as usual not-so-smart teenager who's so involved in the one-sided crush to point out the racism. The story was not really unique but the main theme was interesting. I liked the way the author highlighted how the spectrum of racism is vast and why it is necessary to always point out things that bothered you. It was an average read until I reached the end, I liked the way the author concluded the book which definitely bumped my rating. Things I didn't like were less involvement of friends in Payal's life, she easily let her best friends get estranged. Her final treatment with Jon was lacking, I was hoping for something more. The last thing, I didn't like is the title of this book.
December 13, 2024
cute!!!! but the insistence of Payal’s obsession with a racist white boy really rubbed under my skin lol but i also understand teenage crushes!!
October 13, 2024
after a painful rejection, girl teams up with her rival to make the guy fall in love with her. but she ends up falling for the other person?
thank you so much to colored pages book tours, kokila books, penguin teen and preeti chhibber for this opportunity to be part of the book tour and the eARC! this does not affect my reviews in any way. you can find my edits for the book here and here
AHHH, THIS BOOK IS SUCH A SWEET AND CUTE AND ADORABLE STORY!!! this debut young adult book is one of the most adorable love stories ever 🥹🎀✨
now i'll be honest, payal's revenge plan felt like a stupid idea to me, and I'd never have the guts to pull it off. but we all process our experiences differently, and if this was the closure she needed, go for it, girl!
and for the first time probably, i understood all the references!! (that's a marvel reference 🤭) all the bollywood songs and movies, i understood 🥹 and the SIDE NOTES?!? they were my fav bit of extra lore about payal and philip, and i adore it 🫶
then there's our awkward lil philip, who's so hopelessly in love with payal, he can't say no to her 🥹😌 he tried to help her out the way he could and ahhh he's the sweetest 💗
this book is a romance, but the best part about it is the wholesome friendship between payal, neil and divya. their bond and comfort in each other really warmed my heart 🥹 the fact that it showed how all relationships change and evolve at times and how that changes you as a person was very special (very important to me as someone in long distance friendships rn) id like to say the romance was like a summer breeze, while the friendships were the summer heat 💌
the discussion about the microaggression and racism people of color always face, and i felt it was very well written and integrated to the story. love might not fix it, but it can teach you to not settle for less!
you should definitely read this book if you love:
💗 rivals to lovers
🫖 asian mcs
🪻wholesome friendships
💌 immigrant child experience
anyways PMRRP is out in stores now and go grab your copies asap!! i love you miss preeti!! you have a new fan, who can't wait to read everything else you've written 🫶🫶
———————
incoherent review: AHH THIS IS SUCH A SWEET AND CUTE AND ADORABLE STORY!!! these characters are so painstakingly real and flawed, and i love them with my whole heart 🥹💜🎀✨️ i could relate to so much that was being said in this as a third culture kid myself, and ALL THE REFERENCES?!? i get it!!! the writing style is also one of my fav ever! especially with those small little side notes 🤭😂 oh and this book single handedly revived me from my reading slump so ilove you more ♡ full rtc [5 stars]
thank you so much to colored pages book tours, kokila books, penguin teen and preeti chhibber for this opportunity to be part of the book tour and the eARC! this does not affect my reviews in any way. you can find my edits for the book here and here
AHHH, THIS BOOK IS SUCH A SWEET AND CUTE AND ADORABLE STORY!!! this debut young adult book is one of the most adorable love stories ever 🥹🎀✨
now i'll be honest, payal's revenge plan felt like a stupid idea to me, and I'd never have the guts to pull it off. but we all process our experiences differently, and if this was the closure she needed, go for it, girl!
and for the first time probably, i understood all the references!! (that's a marvel reference 🤭) all the bollywood songs and movies, i understood 🥹 and the SIDE NOTES?!? they were my fav bit of extra lore about payal and philip, and i adore it 🫶
“Against you? I’m not your enemy, Mehta.”
then there's our awkward lil philip, who's so hopelessly in love with payal, he can't say no to her 🥹😌 he tried to help her out the way he could and ahhh he's the sweetest 💗
this book is a romance, but the best part about it is the wholesome friendship between payal, neil and divya. their bond and comfort in each other really warmed my heart 🥹 the fact that it showed how all relationships change and evolve at times and how that changes you as a person was very special (very important to me as someone in long distance friendships rn) id like to say the romance was like a summer breeze, while the friendships were the summer heat 💌
the discussion about the microaggression and racism people of color always face, and i felt it was very well written and integrated to the story. love might not fix it, but it can teach you to not settle for less!
you should definitely read this book if you love:
💗 rivals to lovers
🫖 asian mcs
🪻wholesome friendships
💌 immigrant child experience
anyways PMRRP is out in stores now and go grab your copies asap!! i love you miss preeti!! you have a new fan, who can't wait to read everything else you've written 🫶🫶
———————
incoherent review: AHH THIS IS SUCH A SWEET AND CUTE AND ADORABLE STORY!!! these characters are so painstakingly real and flawed, and i love them with my whole heart 🥹💜🎀✨️ i could relate to so much that was being said in this as a third culture kid myself, and ALL THE REFERENCES?!? i get it!!! the writing style is also one of my fav ever! especially with those small little side notes 🤭😂 oh and this book single handedly revived me from my reading slump so ilove you more ♡ full rtc [5 stars]
September 3, 2024
I recently read a review that referred to this novel as “Mindy Kaling” -esque. A little reminder to book reviewers, not all Indian female characters are Devi from Never Have I Ever. Believe me I understand why Mindy’s projects and characters are loved. It’s meaningful representation for South Asian audiences. But please, learn a lesson from this book and expand your horizons a bit.
In Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot, I see an author with her own voice creating her own path in a genre that’s slowly opening up to South Asian authors. Preeti should be given more credit for writing a book that hasn’t existed for fellow readers like myself. Now, onto my review!
I wish I could’ve read this book when I was a teenager. I’m so happy for all the South Asian readers that will pick this book up and get to meet Payal, Neil, Divya. I also want to give a special shoutout to Phillip, what a glorious cinnamon roll. You get good laughs, a hilarious revenge plot, and a cute romance. For me, the diaspora commentary is something I will always appreciate while reading and cherish.
It. Never. Gets. Old.
Also to see bharatnatyam, a Devdas movie reference, Bollywood song references? *heart eyes*. Books like Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot make me happy and know will make so many readers smile with joy.
Most importantly, I hope non-readers of colour get some real take-aways about micro-aggressions, prejudice, and racism. This really stayed with me and gave me flashbacks to my younger self. To my South Asian readers, it’s a fun book but also take some time. If you need to step away and come back I totally get it.
Thank you Penguin Teen Canada, for providing an ARC. This was a highly anticipated read for me and I can’t wait for audiences to grab it in September.
In Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot, I see an author with her own voice creating her own path in a genre that’s slowly opening up to South Asian authors. Preeti should be given more credit for writing a book that hasn’t existed for fellow readers like myself. Now, onto my review!
I wish I could’ve read this book when I was a teenager. I’m so happy for all the South Asian readers that will pick this book up and get to meet Payal, Neil, Divya. I also want to give a special shoutout to Phillip, what a glorious cinnamon roll. You get good laughs, a hilarious revenge plot, and a cute romance. For me, the diaspora commentary is something I will always appreciate while reading and cherish.
It. Never. Gets. Old.
Also to see bharatnatyam, a Devdas movie reference, Bollywood song references? *heart eyes*. Books like Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot make me happy and know will make so many readers smile with joy.
Most importantly, I hope non-readers of colour get some real take-aways about micro-aggressions, prejudice, and racism. This really stayed with me and gave me flashbacks to my younger self. To my South Asian readers, it’s a fun book but also take some time. If you need to step away and come back I totally get it.
Thank you Penguin Teen Canada, for providing an ARC. This was a highly anticipated read for me and I can’t wait for audiences to grab it in September.
November 11, 2024
Smart, funny and soooo relatable. I will NEVER be able to get over ROHIT. iykyk.
October 15, 2024
Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot is an absolute gem of a YA book! I loved how it tackled important themes like racism and self-worth while being super cute and fun. Payal’s character growth is one of my favorite parts—watching her learn to stand up for herself, especially with her crush Jon, was so empowering. She thinks she can change his biases, and the journey is filled with hard-hitting realizations. I also loved the strong friendships, especially her evolving dynamic with Philip, her rival. The Asian representation was fantastic, and it made the story feel so authentic.
The different formats—like text messages—really added a fresh, modern vibe to the storytelling, and the audiobook was equally excellent. It’s a perfect read for anyone looking for a heartfelt, thoughtful YA romance!
The different formats—like text messages—really added a fresh, modern vibe to the storytelling, and the audiobook was equally excellent. It’s a perfect read for anyone looking for a heartfelt, thoughtful YA romance!
January 14, 2025
listened to this on audiobook and thought it was a sweet and cute story!
May 4, 2024
This was decent? Definitely a really quick read though. I liked the general message but it just felt like something was missing, and it almost fell kind of flat to me. Honestly, it felt like nothing really happened throughout the entire book. Also Neil and Finn are so annoying and I think the whole plot line with them was stupid. It was fine, just exceptionally average and overall not that interesting.
January 16, 2026
I am not the target audience for this book. I'm not a young adult and I only rarely ever read romance. I'm also not Indian American, but I don't think this book can or should only be read by Indian Americans.
I think this book is very good at two things: giving relatable content to teens who have grown up in immigrant families (or perhaps immigrated themselves when they were really young), and also giving non-immigrants a look at what the kids of immigrants can experience. If you went into this book and weren't aware that microaggressions (excuse me, baby racisms) are a thing, I think you'd get it by the time the book was done. You'd have spent some time thinking about identity and culture and the feeling of being stuck between two cultures that keep making you feel like you don't really fully belong to either. All of this is really good.
What is this book ABSOLUTELY GREAT at? The romance. I will try not to be spoilery, but oh man did I enjoy the slow evolution of the romance in this book. I cry-laughed my way through the last quarter of this book, just SO HAPPY at how things went and also laughing so hard because it was hilarious.
Neil and Divya also get extra bonus points for being fantastic friends.
There are a LOT of things in this book that went over my head. There's many untranslated words and bits of conversation between Payal and her family and friends. There's tons of references to Indian pop culture that I did not get at all. And you know what? That's fine. I'm sure there are people who read this book who really appreciated every reference and I can always do some judicious Googling to broaden my horizons! (Like, I know what IST is now! And I have plans to watch PK and a bunch of Bollywood movies.) I have always been a big proponent of when they leave certain words in Japanese in a manga and give them a little footnote to explain, and this is similar (though I wouldn't have minded a LITTLE more explanation. But again, it's not put in there for me!).
I had a wonderful time with this book.
I think this book is very good at two things: giving relatable content to teens who have grown up in immigrant families (or perhaps immigrated themselves when they were really young), and also giving non-immigrants a look at what the kids of immigrants can experience. If you went into this book and weren't aware that microaggressions (excuse me, baby racisms) are a thing, I think you'd get it by the time the book was done. You'd have spent some time thinking about identity and culture and the feeling of being stuck between two cultures that keep making you feel like you don't really fully belong to either. All of this is really good.
What is this book ABSOLUTELY GREAT at? The romance. I will try not to be spoilery, but oh man did I enjoy the slow evolution of the romance in this book. I cry-laughed my way through the last quarter of this book, just SO HAPPY at how things went and also laughing so hard because it was hilarious.
Neil and Divya also get extra bonus points for being fantastic friends.
There are a LOT of things in this book that went over my head. There's many untranslated words and bits of conversation between Payal and her family and friends. There's tons of references to Indian pop culture that I did not get at all. And you know what? That's fine. I'm sure there are people who read this book who really appreciated every reference and I can always do some judicious Googling to broaden my horizons! (Like, I know what IST is now! And I have plans to watch PK and a bunch of Bollywood movies.) I have always been a big proponent of when they leave certain words in Japanese in a manga and give them a little footnote to explain, and this is similar (though I wouldn't have minded a LITTLE more explanation. But again, it's not put in there for me!).
I had a wonderful time with this book.
September 24, 2024
First off, I want to thank Kokila, Penguin Teen and NetGalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
The overall message of the book is great! Being the child of immigrants and trying to navigate being a part of two cultures and feeling like enough of each is tough, so I always appreciate the more books that get published that cover this topic. Payal struggled with this, and she especially felt like she had to prove Jon wrong on what he believed about her and Indian people. But Payal eventually realized that she shouldn’t have to prove anything or hide any parts of herself. He was wrong for the comments he made and should’ve apologized. It felt like a lot of time was spent on her and Jon, where we saw that they had a lot of common interests. I get why since it’s part of the plan, and she does have a crush on him, but it definitely feels like some of that time could’ve been spent on Payal and Philip’s relationship.
I love academic rivals to lovers, but I do think that while the romance was cute, I wanted more. It would’ve been nice to get to know more about Philip to get a better sense of how he is a great match for Payal. We did get to see they have some common interests as well, which is great, and it’s obvious that he already cared about her. However, I think more scenes between them would have made the confession scene hit a lot harder.
The footnotes were an interesting addition! I definitely think it would’ve been better if I had read the book in a physical format, but I do think it adds to the book. It reminds me of confessionals or when a character would break the fourth wall and speak to the audience in shows.
I liked the realizations that Payal made by the end, and I definitely think this book will resonate for younger readers who can relate. I also liked the dynamic that her friend group had (before and after the issue that happened between Payal and Neil). It’s evident that even though Payal messed up, she did care about her friends and wanted to make things right. She wasn't perfect, but you could tell she was trying her best. I also liked the Google Docs scene at the end! There were also some funny moments throughout the book that readers will enjoy as well!
Overall, this was a quick, fun read! 3.75 rounded up to 4 stars!
The overall message of the book is great! Being the child of immigrants and trying to navigate being a part of two cultures and feeling like enough of each is tough, so I always appreciate the more books that get published that cover this topic. Payal struggled with this, and she especially felt like she had to prove Jon wrong on what he believed about her and Indian people. But Payal eventually realized that she shouldn’t have to prove anything or hide any parts of herself. He was wrong for the comments he made and should’ve apologized. It felt like a lot of time was spent on her and Jon, where we saw that they had a lot of common interests. I get why since it’s part of the plan, and she does have a crush on him, but it definitely feels like some of that time could’ve been spent on Payal and Philip’s relationship.
I love academic rivals to lovers, but I do think that while the romance was cute, I wanted more. It would’ve been nice to get to know more about Philip to get a better sense of how he is a great match for Payal. We did get to see they have some common interests as well, which is great, and it’s obvious that he already cared about her. However, I think more scenes between them would have made the confession scene hit a lot harder.
The footnotes were an interesting addition! I definitely think it would’ve been better if I had read the book in a physical format, but I do think it adds to the book. It reminds me of confessionals or when a character would break the fourth wall and speak to the audience in shows.
I liked the realizations that Payal made by the end, and I definitely think this book will resonate for younger readers who can relate. I also liked the dynamic that her friend group had (before and after the issue that happened between Payal and Neil). It’s evident that even though Payal messed up, she did care about her friends and wanted to make things right. She wasn't perfect, but you could tell she was trying her best. I also liked the Google Docs scene at the end! There were also some funny moments throughout the book that readers will enjoy as well!
Overall, this was a quick, fun read! 3.75 rounded up to 4 stars!
September 3, 2024
4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Kokila, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot on September 24, 2024.
This YA romance was SUPER CUTE and very reminiscent of the Netflix show Never Have I Ever. If you enjoy teenage shenanigans, love triangles, and young girls grappling with identity, this is totally the book for you. I loved Preeti Chhibber's voice and how she wove humor in with important issues. I absolutely breezed through this book, and I can't wait for it to hit shelves!
This YA romance was SUPER CUTE and very reminiscent of the Netflix show Never Have I Ever. If you enjoy teenage shenanigans, love triangles, and young girls grappling with identity, this is totally the book for you. I loved Preeti Chhibber's voice and how she wove humor in with important issues. I absolutely breezed through this book, and I can't wait for it to hit shelves!
February 16, 2025
This was a laugh out loud, hilarious coming of age, fake-dating YA romcom featuring a South Asian teen determined to get her white crush, Jon to date her but instead gets set up with Philip Kim, the only other Desi boy at school. Full of secret pining, great South Asian rep and heartwarming side characters. This was good on audio narrated by Mayuri Bhandari and perfect for fans of authors like Nisha Sharma or Mayuri Bhandari. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
October 3, 2024
This was definitely an enjoyable read with cringy moments from that boy Jon but it definitely was worth it to see Payal at the end standing up for herself and getting the right guy in the end because 😬 if she let that boy slide one more time 🤬. Also that acknowledgment section at the end 😂😂.
August 1, 2025
Das mochte ich richtig gerne 😍 Süßes Jugendbuch mit toller Protagonistin und wichtigen Themen!
Read
October 14, 2025Bailed after the 1st chapter--not for me
January 12, 2025
This helped heal my heart of a year of only-white-ppl rom com reads 🫶 very pleasant, light audiobook read that made me giggle
May 9, 2025
Payal Mehta has had a painful, all-consuming crush on Jonathan Slate since freshman year. You would too if you'd seen the way he smiled at her in Spanish class. Happy to pine from a distance, Payal can't believe her luck when she finally has the chance to talk to Jon at a party. Until he vomits on her shoes. Payal is ready to shake it off when it happens again. Although thankfully this time he manages to miss her shoes.
When Jon buys her lunch at Taco Bell as an apology it feels a lot like a first date to Payal and the start of the grand romance she's always known they were destined to have. Until her hopes are crushed like a tortilla chip when Jon offers to set Payal up with his Indian friend.
Payal's best friends Neil Patel and Divya Bhatt share Payal's righteous anger at the microaggression. But they also want her to move on. And Payal isn't ready to do that when she is sure that, given the right approach, she can fix him. Really. Cue Operation End Racism With Love and Payal's foolproof plan to convince Jon that she is cute, funny, and--crucially--dateable.
With her friends telling Payal to draw a line under the whole thing, she has to go to an unlikely source for help to build out her plan: her school rival and longtime nemesis Philip Kim. Figuring out how to make Payal palatable to Jon while also subtly shifting him away from his repeated "baby racisms" has Payal diving into American culture and trying to turn down her usually loud pride for her own Indian culture.
As the lies mount Payal starts to spend more time with Jon and Philip--who actually isn't that annoying, or that much of a nemesis and ... is maybe really cute? With victory in sight, Payal starts to wonder if Operation End Racism With Love might have had the wrong objective all along in Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot (2024) by Preeti Chhibber.
Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot is Chhibber's YA debut but you might recognize her name from her extensive work writing comics, picture books, and middle grade novels for the Marvel-verse and beyond. The novel is narrated by Payal and includes excerpts between chapters from her texts with friends (both in the heated group text and not). Be sure to check out the audiobook read by Mayuri Bhandari who brings Payal and her story to life with her vibrant narration (and pronunciations that might not roll off the tongue of readers unfamiliar with Hindi's linguistic conventions!).
With enthusiasm as vibrant as her brightly colored wardrobe, Payal is a vivacious heroine. She loves being brown and Indian and that pride in her identity comes through on every page. Chhibber combines a genuinely funny take on classic romantic comedy tropes with thoughtful conversations about microaggressions and cultural identity as Payal tries to process everything that happens in the story with Jon and her friends. And to realize she deserves so much more.
Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot is an incredibly fun contemporary romance. Come for the girl falling for the boy she least expected, stay for the thoughtful shadow work and carefully developed supporting cast. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao, Asking For a Friend by Kara HL Chen, Kismat Connection by Ananya Devarajan, This Time It's Real by Ann Liang, There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon, Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto, Beauty and the Besharam by Lillie Vale, The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra, Her Good Side by Rebekah Weatherspoon, Frankly in Love by David Yoon
* An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
When Jon buys her lunch at Taco Bell as an apology it feels a lot like a first date to Payal and the start of the grand romance she's always known they were destined to have. Until her hopes are crushed like a tortilla chip when Jon offers to set Payal up with his Indian friend.
Payal's best friends Neil Patel and Divya Bhatt share Payal's righteous anger at the microaggression. But they also want her to move on. And Payal isn't ready to do that when she is sure that, given the right approach, she can fix him. Really. Cue Operation End Racism With Love and Payal's foolproof plan to convince Jon that she is cute, funny, and--crucially--dateable.
With her friends telling Payal to draw a line under the whole thing, she has to go to an unlikely source for help to build out her plan: her school rival and longtime nemesis Philip Kim. Figuring out how to make Payal palatable to Jon while also subtly shifting him away from his repeated "baby racisms" has Payal diving into American culture and trying to turn down her usually loud pride for her own Indian culture.
As the lies mount Payal starts to spend more time with Jon and Philip--who actually isn't that annoying, or that much of a nemesis and ... is maybe really cute? With victory in sight, Payal starts to wonder if Operation End Racism With Love might have had the wrong objective all along in Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot (2024) by Preeti Chhibber.
Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot is Chhibber's YA debut but you might recognize her name from her extensive work writing comics, picture books, and middle grade novels for the Marvel-verse and beyond. The novel is narrated by Payal and includes excerpts between chapters from her texts with friends (both in the heated group text and not). Be sure to check out the audiobook read by Mayuri Bhandari who brings Payal and her story to life with her vibrant narration (and pronunciations that might not roll off the tongue of readers unfamiliar with Hindi's linguistic conventions!).
With enthusiasm as vibrant as her brightly colored wardrobe, Payal is a vivacious heroine. She loves being brown and Indian and that pride in her identity comes through on every page. Chhibber combines a genuinely funny take on classic romantic comedy tropes with thoughtful conversations about microaggressions and cultural identity as Payal tries to process everything that happens in the story with Jon and her friends. And to realize she deserves so much more.
Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot is an incredibly fun contemporary romance. Come for the girl falling for the boy she least expected, stay for the thoughtful shadow work and carefully developed supporting cast. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao, Asking For a Friend by Kara HL Chen, Kismat Connection by Ananya Devarajan, This Time It's Real by Ann Liang, There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon, Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto, Beauty and the Besharam by Lillie Vale, The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra, Her Good Side by Rebekah Weatherspoon, Frankly in Love by David Yoon
* An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
October 21, 2024
This is a cute, very PG YA romance that focuses on the micro-aggressions kids of color (in this case, Indian) face from their white classmates and the ways they choose to navigate relationships, by either ignoring or confronting what Payal dubs “baby racism.” The entire time I was reading this story, I couldn’t help but picture the main character, Devi, from the TV series Never Have I Ever. In this story, Payal Mehta’s voice and circumstances are very similar. There’s also an awkward love triangle in each of them as the female lead deals with the typical high school drama while also trying to circumvent her family’s overly strict set of rules of conduct.
There were two things in this novel that pulled me out of the story. One was how much of the dialogue between Payal and her family and friends is in Hindi with no translations provided; yet the author chose to add distracting, somewhat irrelevant footnotes that I decided to ignore after a few chapters. The other thing I found disconcerting was the timeline. Payal and her friends are all in their final semester of high school (the book opens during spring break), yet they talk about college interviews and applications as if they’re just juniors. Any teenager reading this book would know that applications are due early in the year and decisions are sent out in mid-April. It’s a glaring mistake that makes me question how the author got it so wrong.
I think this clean, innocent romance will find its audience with younger teens because the characters seem younger than they are. Older teens might find it a bit too tame.
There were two things in this novel that pulled me out of the story. One was how much of the dialogue between Payal and her family and friends is in Hindi with no translations provided; yet the author chose to add distracting, somewhat irrelevant footnotes that I decided to ignore after a few chapters. The other thing I found disconcerting was the timeline. Payal and her friends are all in their final semester of high school (the book opens during spring break), yet they talk about college interviews and applications as if they’re just juniors. Any teenager reading this book would know that applications are due early in the year and decisions are sent out in mid-April. It’s a glaring mistake that makes me question how the author got it so wrong.
I think this clean, innocent romance will find its audience with younger teens because the characters seem younger than they are. Older teens might find it a bit too tame.
May 6, 2024
Seriously LOVED THIS BOOK!! It was such a quick and entertaining read. I found myself cracking up one second and going “omg aww” the next. It was a perfect young adult lit book.
*spoilers*
Things I loved about this book:
It was genuinely so funny and whip smart. The banter between the teens was amazing and I loved all of the Desi culture throughout. I laughed out loud so many times, I lost count.
Payal was such a great character. She was witty and serious, kind and thoughtful, and she was a good friend. I loved how she created the phantom Neil in her mind for advice. It was so fantastic. I loved how she learned about herself and how she stood up for herself in the end.
I loved the friends. Neil and Divya. Even when they made mistakes, you could see why.
I adored Phillip and his incredibly dry, entertaining sense of humor. Effortlessly cool. That bomber jacket though. He was also genuinely so sweet and I loved the Google doc. When you start to see he has feelings for Payal… *sigh*
The footnotes sent me. They were fantastic.
That baseball game.
Payal’s steady gain in confidence.
Oh that magical epic first kiss!!
Phillip’s genuine anguish.
Seriously - the Google doc. I loved it especially at the end.
Payal telling off Jon!!!
The confession at the party!!
That kiss AND hug at the end.
It was soooo good. Keep it on your radar this fall!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*spoilers*
Things I loved about this book:
It was genuinely so funny and whip smart. The banter between the teens was amazing and I loved all of the Desi culture throughout. I laughed out loud so many times, I lost count.
Payal was such a great character. She was witty and serious, kind and thoughtful, and she was a good friend. I loved how she created the phantom Neil in her mind for advice. It was so fantastic. I loved how she learned about herself and how she stood up for herself in the end.
I loved the friends. Neil and Divya. Even when they made mistakes, you could see why.
I adored Phillip and his incredibly dry, entertaining sense of humor. Effortlessly cool. That bomber jacket though. He was also genuinely so sweet and I loved the Google doc. When you start to see he has feelings for Payal… *sigh*
The footnotes sent me. They were fantastic.
That baseball game.
Payal’s steady gain in confidence.
Oh that magical epic first kiss!!
Phillip’s genuine anguish.
Seriously - the Google doc. I loved it especially at the end.
Payal telling off Jon!!!
The confession at the party!!
That kiss AND hug at the end.
It was soooo good. Keep it on your radar this fall!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 4, 2024
MC teams up with her arch-nemesis to cure her long time crush's proclivity towards micro-aggressions.. and in said process, falls for the arch-nemesis :)))
💫 The narration!!! 10/10 for the absolutely humorous and relatable narration, and for the way all the emotions were conveyed so well
💫 I loved the budding friendship/more between the MC and her arch-nemesis so much, they were so cute 🥲 all the snarky banter and passionate, non-arguments about their shared interests and their differing opinions were so well-written! The Google doc conversations were >>>>>>
💫 Also, did you see the COVER? It's so good, it's a perfect rep of the book 😭
-- ty to the author, the publisher and @coloredpagesbt
for an advanced copy!
💫 The narration!!! 10/10 for the absolutely humorous and relatable narration, and for the way all the emotions were conveyed so well
💫 I loved the budding friendship/more between the MC and her arch-nemesis so much, they were so cute 🥲 all the snarky banter and passionate, non-arguments about their shared interests and their differing opinions were so well-written! The Google doc conversations were >>>>>>
💫 Also, did you see the COVER? It's so good, it's a perfect rep of the book 😭
-- ty to the author, the publisher and @coloredpagesbt
for an advanced copy!
May 23, 2025
I’ve read some of the author’s original Spider-Man books and enjoyed them, so I thought I’d give this a try. It was cute. It had an overly dramatic plot with a pretty silly premise (that fell somewhere in between 10 Things I Hate About You and She’s All That, two 90s teen romcoms that are both referenced in the book itself), but the characters were endearing and believable, and I thought the way this book identified micro-aggressions was very well done.
August 17, 2024
This had all the best ingredients to be such a funny and adorable romcom and it looked like it the first 100 pages, however I had some issues with it.
Let's start with the positive stuff. Payal is such a relatable and funny main character! She has a great sense of humor and made me laugh repeatedly throughout the book. The additions of comments as footnotes every now and then was also such an original idea, the first time I've seen it in a fiction book. They were usually pretty short and added so much to Payal's overall character. However because I read a Kindle copy, the footnotes didn't work out great in terms of practicality. Yes, they were hilarious, but because of the format of the book, it threw me off of the story a few times. I feel like this won't be an issue with physical copies if the author decides to put them like regular footnotes, though.
Another element I loved were the chats. I haven't seen many authors use this kind of visual elements so it was a great addition!
The fact that Payal's Desi culture was so present all the time made me so happy as well. I'm not Desi myself, but as a Mexican woman, it annoys me so much when authors use the culture or nationality they assigned to a character in name only but don't bother to incorporate it in the story. That's not the case in this story! Payal's family, heritage and best friends (who are also Desi) are always there, making her story so much more interesting and compelling.
I was so excited to read about Philip Kim, Payal's nemesis. I'm a sucker for the academic rivals to lovers trope so this seemed right up my alley. It pains me to say it, but it fell flat for me. At first it was great. Payal and Philip's chemistry was good since the beginning, their bickering and banter were exactly what I expected, something you can only find in this very specific trope. But then towards the end of the book, everything started to feel... off. Not just their friendship, that's just what I'm focusing on right now. There was this specific scene that felt so anticlimatic that I had to paused and made sure I hadn't skip any other chapter by accident. Philip's actions toward Payal and the way he decided to confess his feelings made me feel uncomfortable. Also the book hints from the synopsis that Philip is clearly the main love interest, but the author decided to spend too much time with Payal and Jon instead of improving Payal and Philip's relationship.
The conclusion of Payal's problem with Jon and his baby racisms left me dissatisfied as well. I expected so mucho more so I was disappointed at how everything played out in the end. In general it was like the plot wasn't really going anywhere and when the author remembered everything she had to check off her list of "Things to do in this book" she just put every single one of them all huddled at the end of the story.
Also what the fuck with Payal's friends? They were so shitty to her, especially Neil. I did understand where he was coming from because Payal also made mistakes, but the way they went about it was annoying.
In the end Payal and her great comedy timing were the things that kept me going while I read this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC <3
Let's start with the positive stuff. Payal is such a relatable and funny main character! She has a great sense of humor and made me laugh repeatedly throughout the book. The additions of comments as footnotes every now and then was also such an original idea, the first time I've seen it in a fiction book. They were usually pretty short and added so much to Payal's overall character. However because I read a Kindle copy, the footnotes didn't work out great in terms of practicality. Yes, they were hilarious, but because of the format of the book, it threw me off of the story a few times. I feel like this won't be an issue with physical copies if the author decides to put them like regular footnotes, though.
Another element I loved were the chats. I haven't seen many authors use this kind of visual elements so it was a great addition!
The fact that Payal's Desi culture was so present all the time made me so happy as well. I'm not Desi myself, but as a Mexican woman, it annoys me so much when authors use the culture or nationality they assigned to a character in name only but don't bother to incorporate it in the story. That's not the case in this story! Payal's family, heritage and best friends (who are also Desi) are always there, making her story so much more interesting and compelling.
I was so excited to read about Philip Kim, Payal's nemesis. I'm a sucker for the academic rivals to lovers trope so this seemed right up my alley. It pains me to say it, but it fell flat for me. At first it was great. Payal and Philip's chemistry was good since the beginning, their bickering and banter were exactly what I expected, something you can only find in this very specific trope. But then towards the end of the book, everything started to feel... off. Not just their friendship, that's just what I'm focusing on right now. There was this specific scene that felt so anticlimatic that I had to paused and made sure I hadn't skip any other chapter by accident. Philip's actions toward Payal and the way he decided to confess his feelings made me feel uncomfortable. Also the book hints from the synopsis that Philip is clearly the main love interest, but the author decided to spend too much time with Payal and Jon instead of improving Payal and Philip's relationship.
The conclusion of Payal's problem with Jon and his baby racisms left me dissatisfied as well. I expected so mucho more so I was disappointed at how everything played out in the end. In general it was like the plot wasn't really going anywhere and when the author remembered everything she had to check off her list of "Things to do in this book" she just put every single one of them all huddled at the end of the story.
Also what the fuck with Payal's friends? They were so shitty to her, especially Neil. I did understand where he was coming from because Payal also made mistakes, but the way they went about it was annoying.
In the end Payal and her great comedy timing were the things that kept me going while I read this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC <3
October 4, 2024
This was a cute YA read. The story is very good and captivating; so much so that I was able to read it all in just a few hours. I really liked the main character, Payal, and I found her to be very funny. I laughed a lot at her antics.
This story is about a 17-year-old Indian American high school girl who, for the past three years, has been in love with a fellow student Jonathan Slate. One day, he asks her to join him for lunch and just when she thinks he is about to ask her to be his girlfriend, he tells her that although she is "cute, funny, and totally, like normal," she is not for him because she is Indian and he is not. What?! Who thinks that this is acceptable to say to someone. So, instead of taking that comment and moving on, Payal decides that she is going to do whatever it takes to make Jonathan jealous and make him like her.
Though I felt a little irritated that Payal went through so much to get this guy to like her and she even tried to be more "American" and less "Indian" just to prove to him that she can be what he needs, I had to remind myself that these are kids in high school. At this age, we are barely able to see the forest from the trees. We have a one track mind. However, I was happy to see that at the end, Payal, with the help of her friends and (friend)mesis Phillip Kim, was able to see that you cannot make someone love you or want you. You have to love and accept every part of you first and find someone who will do the same.
The writing and characters were good. I really liked the way the author, through her writing, spoke about the diverse cultures. She used food and different cultural activities (like the dance recital) to bring the Indian and even the Korean culture to light. I also liked the conversation about how hard it can be to be dual-cultured. As a person with an immigrant background, I was able to relate to Payal and Phillip when they talked about how protective their parents are and how there is a struggle in trying to accept and represent both cultures at once.
I feel like Jonathan got away from having any consequences for his comments and ideals. Also, I was a little confused at how Payal and her friends were so close in the beginning and then all of a sudden they are ignoring her...it was all weird (but again, these are kids so I guess that's understandable).
Overall, this was a good book. I think it would be a great fit for a young adult reader. There are a lot of gems and lessons in the book.
This story is about a 17-year-old Indian American high school girl who, for the past three years, has been in love with a fellow student Jonathan Slate. One day, he asks her to join him for lunch and just when she thinks he is about to ask her to be his girlfriend, he tells her that although she is "cute, funny, and totally, like normal," she is not for him because she is Indian and he is not. What?! Who thinks that this is acceptable to say to someone. So, instead of taking that comment and moving on, Payal decides that she is going to do whatever it takes to make Jonathan jealous and make him like her.
Though I felt a little irritated that Payal went through so much to get this guy to like her and she even tried to be more "American" and less "Indian" just to prove to him that she can be what he needs, I had to remind myself that these are kids in high school. At this age, we are barely able to see the forest from the trees. We have a one track mind. However, I was happy to see that at the end, Payal, with the help of her friends and (friend)mesis Phillip Kim, was able to see that you cannot make someone love you or want you. You have to love and accept every part of you first and find someone who will do the same.
The writing and characters were good. I really liked the way the author, through her writing, spoke about the diverse cultures. She used food and different cultural activities (like the dance recital) to bring the Indian and even the Korean culture to light. I also liked the conversation about how hard it can be to be dual-cultured. As a person with an immigrant background, I was able to relate to Payal and Phillip when they talked about how protective their parents are and how there is a struggle in trying to accept and represent both cultures at once.
I feel like Jonathan got away from having any consequences for his comments and ideals. Also, I was a little confused at how Payal and her friends were so close in the beginning and then all of a sudden they are ignoring her...it was all weird (but again, these are kids so I guess that's understandable).
Overall, this was a good book. I think it would be a great fit for a young adult reader. There are a lot of gems and lessons in the book.
September 28, 2024
\\\\\ 3.5 \\\\\
Right from the start I was pulled in by this very fun writing and absolutely loved that the book included footnotes as if the character was truly talking to us and also text bubbles. It really fitted Payal's personality and made the reading experience more immersive.
She is a relatable teenage character, who's head over heels for her crush, and lets him get away with lots of things, until it really hits her that she doesn't feel good about some of the things he says. Even though the theme of racism is a big part of that story, it was broached in a lighter way, because of our fun main character and how she is a bit clumsy and oh so entertaining. I did kind of hate Jon to be honest.. he was really self absorbed and I don't feel like he got any understanding of what he was doing wrong, which was a bit of a letdown after so much time spent with him on the pages... I was hoping for a bit of redemption, but it all ended so fast he just disappeared from the map.
The cast of characters was super diverse and so interesting! For sure Philip was my favourite character. HE WAS SO DAMN CUTE AND PERFECT. Which made me a bit mad at Payal at times about how she was kind of using him and then getting mad at him. From an outsider POV I'm sorry to inform you we were mad at you, my dear Payal... I would have wished for a bit more from her. She was saying: "sorry, it was not your fault, it was Neil's fault..." how about you acknowledge this was YOUR fault, honey? But hey, she was still funny, quirky and nice so I didn't get mad for a long time.
I did enjoy the friendship in this story, it was so precious. When they all got back together at the end it made me so happy but also made me feel a bit sad that their whole relationship was kind of put on the back burner for a big part of the story, but well, I still appreciated it.
The book makes its point in a beautiful way and I loved the message. Overall a super easy and fun read that will make you smile for sure!
Thanks to the author, PenguinTeen and ColoredPagesBookTours for my copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
Right from the start I was pulled in by this very fun writing and absolutely loved that the book included footnotes as if the character was truly talking to us and also text bubbles. It really fitted Payal's personality and made the reading experience more immersive.
She is a relatable teenage character, who's head over heels for her crush, and lets him get away with lots of things, until it really hits her that she doesn't feel good about some of the things he says. Even though the theme of racism is a big part of that story, it was broached in a lighter way, because of our fun main character and how she is a bit clumsy and oh so entertaining. I did kind of hate Jon to be honest.. he was really self absorbed and I don't feel like he got any understanding of what he was doing wrong, which was a bit of a letdown after so much time spent with him on the pages... I was hoping for a bit of redemption, but it all ended so fast he just disappeared from the map.
The cast of characters was super diverse and so interesting! For sure Philip was my favourite character. HE WAS SO DAMN CUTE AND PERFECT. Which made me a bit mad at Payal at times about how she was kind of using him and then getting mad at him. From an outsider POV I'm sorry to inform you we were mad at you, my dear Payal... I would have wished for a bit more from her. She was saying: "sorry, it was not your fault, it was Neil's fault..." how about you acknowledge this was YOUR fault, honey? But hey, she was still funny, quirky and nice so I didn't get mad for a long time.
I did enjoy the friendship in this story, it was so precious. When they all got back together at the end it made me so happy but also made me feel a bit sad that their whole relationship was kind of put on the back burner for a big part of the story, but well, I still appreciated it.
The book makes its point in a beautiful way and I loved the message. Overall a super easy and fun read that will make you smile for sure!
Thanks to the author, PenguinTeen and ColoredPagesBookTours for my copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
November 27, 2024
"Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot" is a lot like the Bollywood movies its title takes inspiration from: enjoyable, despite its fair share of ridiculousness and errors.
Let's start with the pros. As an Indian American, I am pleased to see representation of this group in YA fiction. Payal is relatable, funny, and awkward (think Devi from "Never Have I Ever"). The references are numerous and familiar to most people in the South Asian diaspora or those who really like Bollywood. The relationships of the three friends, while a bit juvenile, is also relatable for YA audiences. The theme of dealing with microagressions is also strong and important in current culture. Our false romantic lead is also reasonably charming and not overly villainized in the way most YA romances might go. All this is to say that "Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot" does not shy away from what it is, a cute teen romance that explores the immigrant experience to a certain degree.
Now, let's go with the cons. Or, rather the one con that deflates this review from being four or five stars to three: the romance between Payal and Philip. Rather, I should say the lack of it. We don't see all that many interactions between our two protagonists compared to that between Jon and Payal. While again, this is understandable considering the overall plot, it does remove the effect of the climax to some degree. With the amount of plot time these two get, it would have been a lot stronger if the two characters agreed to be friends rather than romantic interests. I just wish that some of the time we spent on the "revenge plot" had instead of gone to building this relationship to enhance the "romance" aspect that Chhibber was obviously going for.
That being said, while I won't likely be revisiting this book anytime soon, I don't regret reading it, and I wouldn't avoid recommending it either for someone who wants some lighthearted YA fiction. There are enough enjoyable bits to make it worth someone's time, even it happens to be just the one time.
Thanks to YABC for allowing me to read a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Let's start with the pros. As an Indian American, I am pleased to see representation of this group in YA fiction. Payal is relatable, funny, and awkward (think Devi from "Never Have I Ever"). The references are numerous and familiar to most people in the South Asian diaspora or those who really like Bollywood. The relationships of the three friends, while a bit juvenile, is also relatable for YA audiences. The theme of dealing with microagressions is also strong and important in current culture. Our false romantic lead is also reasonably charming and not overly villainized in the way most YA romances might go. All this is to say that "Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot" does not shy away from what it is, a cute teen romance that explores the immigrant experience to a certain degree.
Now, let's go with the cons. Or, rather the one con that deflates this review from being four or five stars to three: the romance between Payal and Philip. Rather, I should say the lack of it. We don't see all that many interactions between our two protagonists compared to that between Jon and Payal. While again, this is understandable considering the overall plot, it does remove the effect of the climax to some degree. With the amount of plot time these two get, it would have been a lot stronger if the two characters agreed to be friends rather than romantic interests. I just wish that some of the time we spent on the "revenge plot" had instead of gone to building this relationship to enhance the "romance" aspect that Chhibber was obviously going for.
That being said, while I won't likely be revisiting this book anytime soon, I don't regret reading it, and I wouldn't avoid recommending it either for someone who wants some lighthearted YA fiction. There are enough enjoyable bits to make it worth someone's time, even it happens to be just the one time.
Thanks to YABC for allowing me to read a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read
January 2, 2025disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I hate to use this word because I recognize everyone has a singular experience on this earth, but for lack of a better word, this was deeeeeply relatable to me, as I reminisced on teenage me in 2006. I think people will take issue with the fact that the entire plot is to make a teenage white guy humanize you and see you *beyond* or *more than* just your ethnicity, but I think that speaks to the teenage me who wanted the same thing. Is it embarrassing? Yes. Is it a bit sad? Totally. Do I wish younger me and Payal would have just said, 'Just FYI, that's a racist thing to say, that's a microaggression, & I invite you to interrogate why you feel that way,'? Sure. However, I didn't really have the language nor toolkit I do now in dialogue and in validating my own feelings. I think we gotta give kids grace as they navigate their identities, especially the ones that are marginalized and are made to feel reduced to one single thing about them.
Payal is an Indian-American teenager with two besties (Divya & Neil, also Desi) who thinks of a plan to make her white, popular, athletic crush, Jon, notice her and see her beyond her ethnicity, as he tries to set her up with his Indian friend... yikes. She also teams up with her academic rival Phillip Kim, but their banter and antagonistic behavior towards each other becomes ... something more! :D
I thought this definitely encapsulated a goofy, messy teenage experience. The group chats, the individual texts, the unseriousness of some of these conversations. It was all so casual yet giddy and fully youthful. I have not been a teenager for a while, but I felt like this could've been 16-year-old Brittany and her melodramatic, chaotic thoughts idk. I do wish we spent less time on Payal & Jon and more time with the actual love interest to develop.
Overall, this was a super quick read & I think it'd be fun if it was adapted for tv!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Alcohol
I hate to use this word because I recognize everyone has a singular experience on this earth, but for lack of a better word, this was deeeeeply relatable to me, as I reminisced on teenage me in 2006. I think people will take issue with the fact that the entire plot is to make a teenage white guy humanize you and see you *beyond* or *more than* just your ethnicity, but I think that speaks to the teenage me who wanted the same thing. Is it embarrassing? Yes. Is it a bit sad? Totally. Do I wish younger me and Payal would have just said, 'Just FYI, that's a racist thing to say, that's a microaggression, & I invite you to interrogate why you feel that way,'? Sure. However, I didn't really have the language nor toolkit I do now in dialogue and in validating my own feelings. I think we gotta give kids grace as they navigate their identities, especially the ones that are marginalized and are made to feel reduced to one single thing about them.
Payal is an Indian-American teenager with two besties (Divya & Neil, also Desi) who thinks of a plan to make her white, popular, athletic crush, Jon, notice her and see her beyond her ethnicity, as he tries to set her up with his Indian friend... yikes. She also teams up with her academic rival Phillip Kim, but their banter and antagonistic behavior towards each other becomes ... something more! :D
I thought this definitely encapsulated a goofy, messy teenage experience. The group chats, the individual texts, the unseriousness of some of these conversations. It was all so casual yet giddy and fully youthful. I have not been a teenager for a while, but I felt like this could've been 16-year-old Brittany and her melodramatic, chaotic thoughts idk. I do wish we spent less time on Payal & Jon and more time with the actual love interest to develop.
Overall, this was a super quick read & I think it'd be fun if it was adapted for tv!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Alcohol
September 16, 2024
Thank you to Colored Book Tours and Penguin Young Readers for my advanced electronic copy via NetGalley and my advance copy. My opinions are my own.
It's senior year, and the time has come for Payal Mehta to do something about her three-year-old crush on Jonathan Slate. So when she works up the courage to finally ask him out at a spring break party and he vomits all over her...twice, she decides she'd rather die than ever see him again. But when he asks her out to lunch to apologize and they hit it off big-time, she's stunned when he tries to set her up with his Indian friend. While her friends are furious about the microaggression, Payal decides her best plan is to teach Jon a lesson by making him see past her "Indianness" enough to fall for her. She makes a deal with her nemesis, Phillip Kim, to help her in exchange for control over their big psyc project, but as she keeps hiding more of her Indian parts from Jon to make him comfortable, she is discovering that maybe Phillip isn't so bad. She has to decide if what she's wanted all along is what she really wants, or if something unexpected may be the better way.
This book reminded me all over again how hard it is to be a teenager. And being the child of immigrant parents and straddling multiple cultures (and code switch, and face microaggressions, etc.) makes it all the more complicated. She does stuff that I remember doing as a teenager--we get small but vivid descriptions, like how one holds one's backpack and uses a hoodie to express feelings. This was a powerful and approachable way of exploring code-switching and racism (intentional and unintentional; systemic and individual) and its effects on adolescents. What makes someone "American" and why do both insiders and outsiders equate that with being White? It's sad when anyone is made to feel "less than" for something that they can't (and shouldn't want to) change. My only difficulty was trying to make sense of the cultural references and Hindi phrases, but the internet was my friend in helping me new things!
It's senior year, and the time has come for Payal Mehta to do something about her three-year-old crush on Jonathan Slate. So when she works up the courage to finally ask him out at a spring break party and he vomits all over her...twice, she decides she'd rather die than ever see him again. But when he asks her out to lunch to apologize and they hit it off big-time, she's stunned when he tries to set her up with his Indian friend. While her friends are furious about the microaggression, Payal decides her best plan is to teach Jon a lesson by making him see past her "Indianness" enough to fall for her. She makes a deal with her nemesis, Phillip Kim, to help her in exchange for control over their big psyc project, but as she keeps hiding more of her Indian parts from Jon to make him comfortable, she is discovering that maybe Phillip isn't so bad. She has to decide if what she's wanted all along is what she really wants, or if something unexpected may be the better way.
This book reminded me all over again how hard it is to be a teenager. And being the child of immigrant parents and straddling multiple cultures (and code switch, and face microaggressions, etc.) makes it all the more complicated. She does stuff that I remember doing as a teenager--we get small but vivid descriptions, like how one holds one's backpack and uses a hoodie to express feelings. This was a powerful and approachable way of exploring code-switching and racism (intentional and unintentional; systemic and individual) and its effects on adolescents. What makes someone "American" and why do both insiders and outsiders equate that with being White? It's sad when anyone is made to feel "less than" for something that they can't (and shouldn't want to) change. My only difficulty was trying to make sense of the cultural references and Hindi phrases, but the internet was my friend in helping me new things!
August 15, 2024
At one point during Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot protagonist Payal makes a statement that she’s “a lot”. This is a very accurate statement of the character and also how it makes the book read. I was reminded when reading this that’s it’s been a decent amount of time now since I’ve been a teenager, and hence the amount of drama that is generated is significant, and often unnecessary and exhausting. Payal is reasonably upset when her crush basically tells her he would be interested in her if she wasn’t Indian. And even though Payal seems to be a confident young woman with supportive friends and family, instead of telling her crush that what he said was hurtful, disrespectful and racist and realizing that’s not the type of person she wants to be in a relationship with, she comes up with a plot to make him like her regardless of her skin color by emphasizing things he’s interested in. The development of this “plan” feels tenuous and underdeveloped because Chhibber also has a storyline going about Payal’s evolving relationship with her nemesis Phillip Kim, and Payal’s best friend not speaking to her. In being mad at her crush’s dismissal of her feelings she proceeds to treat her own friends pretty badly herself. It may be realistic to teenagers and their relationships but as an adult a lot of it just seems silly. And while I can occasionally love a book with footnotes, in this one they feel unnecessary with the constant stream of consciousness from Payal within the main story itself. There will probably be readers that will love this book but I felt exasperated by it (and more than a little bit old when a movie from my high school days is described as old by the high school characters. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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