Follow Your Heart

by Tasha Nathan

Nisha has always been a good Tamil daughter. She tries to keep her grades up to meet her parents' high expectations to become a doctor. And of course she's not allowed to be in a romantic relationship while she's still a teenager.

But Nisha discovers what she really loves is writing. As she devotes more of her time and attention to her creative writing class, she also finds that who she really loves is her classmate Todd. Can love conquer obligation?

Genres: Young Adult

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2017

Reviews

[Tiffany Heywood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so cute! This book is such a quick read, I read it under 2 hours and really, really liked it. I love Nisha as the main character, i liked that she had a blog and was into creative writing. I like reading about Tamli culture,i felt that it was very educational and allowed us to see what teen in the culture have to deal with. I also liked how we see her develop in the book considering how short it is. Todd was such a sweet character and i instantly fell in love with him. I liked how caring and humble he is and how he does what he believes is right.

i gave this book 4 stars as it was so cute and fluffy and i wished it was longer.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This YA novel provided insight into challenges faced by a South Asian immigrant children, as they navigate cultures of origin in new countries, while exploring their sense of independence.

[Akilnathan Logeswaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Follow Your Heart' is a beautiful book which I can recommend to anyone interested in the struggles of Tamil teenagers growing up in a Western country.

It's been a long time since I have read a book which drew me in like this, so I couldn't stop reading and finished it within 24 hours. It creates this special moment, when you don't want to finish a book, because that would mean the end of the story while you still crave for more, but you just can't stop reading either.

I always believed that stories ought to be told by those who lived them. Growing up within the Tamil and the German community, I haven't read a single book on this topic until now. This book is crafted so well, that it feels autobiographical at times, which it actually isn't. With the headlines of every chapter chosen with perfection, I'm left to say, if you're just slightly into love stories and insterested in the struggles of Tamil kids in the West, it's definitely worth a read.

[Jada Coburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a really great book. Really showed others are loved and cared about.

[vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5/5

Follow Your Heart was an incredibly quick and fun read, perfect for fans of YA contemporary. If you're ever in a reading slump or suffering of a book hangover, check out this novella.

I adored reading about Nisha and Tamil culture. If her blog was real, I would definitely be reading it right now. Sadly, I had never heard about the Tamil ethnic group, but I learned a lot and I'm motivated to do some research. Reading about different ethnicities and cultures always makes me very happy. Now, Nisha is the kind of character who I look up to. She always stood up for herself and the fact that she didn't let her parents dictate her future inspires me to no end. And the way that she tackled prejudice, sexism, and relationships made my heart sing. We need more teens like her in YA.

Unfortunately, I didn't love the romance as much as I loved Nisha. It was cute, but there wasn't enough character depth to Todd and I didn't have many reasons to swoon over him. I did like that they had been crushing on each other mutually for years, which gives it a more realistic feel. It felt rushed, even if the book took place only over a couple of months.

If Follow Your Heart was a 300-page novel, it'd be one of my all-time favorites. There was so much potential, but the characters felt like plot devices and the pacing and writing were not very good. The only one with a real background was Nisha, and it felt wrong not to know more about her family. I would give anything to read more about her since she's so interesting, but I assume I'll just have to guess how her journey ends.

All in all, I recommend this book because of the Tamil representation that I'm sure many will appreciate. I had a lot of fun reading it and learning about this South Asian group, and I'm certain a lot of people will like it as much as I did.

Thank you to James Lorimer & Company for providing me this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[Isaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.

I got an ARC in return for an honest review from NetGalley.

So I love this publisher, everything I have read from them has been fantastic. This book is no exception. My main issue with the book is it doesn’t go far enough.

The major plot is Nisha feels stifled by her parents. They control everything down to what classes she takes and what colleges she is applying for. So she starts to rebel. However, for how controlling her parents are they give in to her immediately. The conflict lasted seconds. I felt like that parents that have that much control wouldn’t give it up that easily especially from what I have seen in Indian families towards the daughters.

The dating was pretty tame too. I didn’t feel the connection. Both Todd and Nisha say they were into each other but too nervous to do anything about it. The issue I have is that Nisha immediately jumps into the relationship, barely knowing Todd. His race is barely addressed either. He is a white kid and her parents are vehemently against her dating, especially outside of her race. When her mother finds out about the relationship, she denies that they are anything but friends. Then a few pages later they are in a relationship and kissing in public. There is no real resolution to that plot line.

The story reads quickly and is really fun. I love how the topics that the smart main character writes about are actually things that a smart girl would write about. It felt more authentic than just saying she was smart (though the plot around what she writes about also feels unfinished).

So if you want to just read something fluffy and fun, this book is great. If you want plots that feel completely airtight, then I would steer clear. I was in the mood for fluff so I enjoyed the book and I can see myself reading it again.

[a🌙 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because as an Indian-American person myself living in the Bay Area, I connect with the main character. The author paints an accurate representation of the lives of some Indian-Americans in the U.S. While my family wasn't really like the character's, I knew many people going through some of the same struggles. The author managed to relay a realistic Indian-American life to the public, a feat that has not been successfully accomplished by many. While that is something that the book has going for it, I would say it doesn't have much else. The book was mostly very bland and lacked real depth or exciting moments. You could feel how the author wanted to excite emotion in the readers, but she failed to do so. The characters were all bland and one-dimensional and while her life – her family, friends, school – are pretty accurate in terms of what being an Indian-American person is like, the main character herself really didn't have much else going for her except for her apparent skill in writing and her heritage.

I feel like this book really could have explored the idea of an interracial relationship much deeper by involving interesting and truly unique characters, but was largely unsatsifying.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable YA novel, short, clean and very fun to read when you are in a reading slump. It provides insight about how challenging it is for immigrant children to juggle their culture of origin versus the culture in their new country, on top of trying to keep a sense of independence.

Nisha is such a good role model right now because even if she wanted to please her parents and be true to her culture, she also was true to herself standing up to defend her own future.

I would've love it to be a bit longer to learn more about the Tamil culture and for Todd to be more curious about her culture to try to understand it as well as her situation with her parents, who were pretty accommodating, if you ask me, and hardly opposed her when she wanted to choose her own courses... didn't feel quite real!

Anyway, I love that this novel got me out of the doldrums and I’m so glad to have received it from Netgalley so, thank you very much!

Check out my full review on my blog: https://ravenclawbookgeek.wordpress.c...

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nisha is a teen girl living in Canada. She secretly writes a blog Confessions of a Sri Lankan girl. Her family is part of the Tamil community, and among their typical behaviors is gossiping/criticizing girls for PDA and dating out of their culture. Nisha does her best to stand up for girls whose reputations are besmirched, but her parents and aunts are hard to convince. She tries to honor the expectations of her family, but feels there is a double standard, and that since they moved to Canada they should be open to social norms there. Nisha has a relationship with Todd her senior year. It is slow to start and has some miscommunication, but they finally realize that each admires the other. The story gives you a nice glimpse into Sri Lankan Hindu culture and the challenges immigrants face in adapting to their new home. The book is on the small side with bright white pages and easy to read print. A good choice for a reluctant YA reader.

[Siena Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although enjoyable, this book was very much a fad book. As I just finished the book American Panda, the story of a Taiwanese girl fighting for freedom from her parents, this seemed extremely similar. Nisha is a good Tamil girl and she tries to follow her parents wishes. She’s a writer and although the back of the book says that she has been a good daughter, the whole book is spent with Nisha challenging her parents. Nisha and Todd get together quickly and don’t necessarily have any kind of deep connection, but he’s hot and nice. So yea. The book in general lacks in plot and development, and there is very little exploration of the Sri Lankan culture aside from the brief civil war entry at the beginning.

I really wanted to like this book, but the execution left a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, it was a well spent hour.

[Amy (novelteahappyme) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aimed at a teen audience but written at a middle-school reading level, this hi-lo fiction book is sure to be popular with those looking for a short contemporary romance read. Although off-putting by a one note romance, Follow Your Heart is to be applauded for presenting an authentic Tamil Canadian voice in young adult fiction. This diversity, only starting to be seen in contemporary teen novels, is a much-needed story that belongs on our bookshelves.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure there was anything original about this book. Honestly, most YA contemporaries aren't original--that's why there is a trope for every sort of love story. But I read them for the characters, for the writing, and for the oft included humor. I love seeing friendships and families and, of course, the guy. But for me to care, they have to be interesting and dynamic characters. And Nisha and Todd and co. weren't.

[Sabira Husein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well penned..a very realistic view of a South east Asian family ..the challenges portrayed are true to life..i read it in one go..Tasha must continue on this journey..waiting for the 4th !!!

[Beth Bryden-miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unclear character development, author seems unsure of the audience.

[Lyndsay MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wholesome middle-grade novel about a South Asian girl in high school reaching for her dreams... even if they aren't *exactly* what her parents had in mind.

[The Bookie Rookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book! The book starts off with showing how much of a double standard there is especially in the Asian/desi world. Many parts in Follow Your Heart had me saying "so true!" "GIRL YES!" "🙌🏼". I really do recommend reading the book! Also they referenced books in a book! Who else loves that? ✨

[Aradhna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something about this resonated with me, but at the same time...

*EDITED*

I received this copy in exchange for an honest review from James Lorimer & Company publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Lorimer!

It is so rare to see novels with South Asian MCs. Even rarer to find one with a Tamil MC. And this was a novel that resonated with me in a few ways.

I am a South Asian who grew up away from South Asia myself, so I understood the parental and societal pressures Nisha was facing in the novel. A number of her conversations with her parents struck a chord with me. Being told no dating and the double standards of the society are things I have experienced firsthand.

However, there are many instances where the novel seemed very unrealistic to me. For a teenager who claims that her parents believe in spanking and slapping if she put a toe out of line, there was a lack of actual punishment - be it just in the form of grounding - in regards to her yelling at her parents. The plot was rushed, and there was a lot of telling and less showing.

There was zero actual consequences for her actions towards her parents. No South Asian family would let backtalk like that go, and definitely no strict family would simply just accept their child dating outside of the culture. For all Nisha’s fears, there was no actual consequence. Like I said, a lot of telling in Nisha’s exposition, and not much if any showing.

I had high hopes about this novel, especially as the ratings were pretty good. However, not only were the points above working against it, there was something about the writing that did not mesh with me.

The fact that it was a quick read worked for it, though, and I’m pretty sure it would help to drag someone out of a reading slump. If you are not a part of the culture being portrayed, it is a decent enough view into some parts of the society.

[Sarayu Anand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow Your Heart is a book that every middle schooler and teen must read. This novel was honestly an extremely interesting and a super relatable one. Anyone with South Asian parents can relate to this.

This book is about a teenage Eelam (Sri Lankan) Tamil girl named Nisha who tries her hardest just because of her parents expectations. Her parents are just casual Asian parents who always want the best from her. They want her to go to a good college, be a doctor, make her follow their expectations. However, this has never stopped Nisha from her passion about writing, and how writing has made her become the person she is today.

Something that I liked about this book was how Nisha wasn't this "stereotypical South Asian girl" with the basic South Asian storyline about how she wants to be a doctor. Instead, she follows her own tempo and not let anyone, even her parents disrupt her for it.

Because of how much her parents make her angry, she has made a blog called "Confessions of a Sri Lankan girl". There, she talks about her South Asian problems, and she talks about things going on in her life. Like crushes, restrictions, strict rules from her parents.

Nisha's friend Todd was my favorite character. Todd has always been there for Nisha ever since they were in the same writing class. They always help each other with writing, and they have developed a small romantic relationship. Nisha has been crushing on Todd for years, and it would make her go crazy if her parents found out she had a crush.

Now to finish, Follow Your Heart is a book that every middle schooler and teen must read, because it talks about problems growing up with crushes and relations, and it can be really relatable for people with Asian parents, specifically South Asian parents since it talks about problems growing up in a South Asian household!

[Sage Thoughts]

Content Rating

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[sohani]

This book was really good, I enjoyed reading it this book is about a girl name nisha. indian girl who's life is being controlled by her parent. I want you guys to read this book because this book will motivate you to follow your heart. In the future you don't have to be what you parents wants. you can do what we are good at, whatever you want to be. Nisha did a same thing.it took while to convince her parent. but at the end she finally her heart.

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.