Growing Pains

by Kanika G.

Thirteen-year-old Tara, is in a new school in a new town, and she is feeling very sick. It turns out that she needs an emergency appendectomy. This is a story about her anxiety before the surgery, the hurdles she faces during recovery, and amusing visits from quirky friends and well wishers.


At the same time, Tara finds herself attracted to a boy from her class. It's the first time she has ever had a crush. Plagued by confusing emotions and hormones, Tara tries to figure out this new, befuddling and complicated world.

ebook

Published July 9, 2018

About the author

I have a 2 year old daughter. I write ebooks to entertain her. When she likes one I self publish it.

Reviews

[Pooja Jagtiaani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Categorised as a young adult book, Growing Pains by Kanika G is a book that will enthral teenagers and adults alike. I picked up this book because I love the author's writing style. I have been following her blog for sometime now and I love the simple and scientific feel of all her articles.

Growing Pains is her debut novella, about thirteen year old Tara, who finds herself in a medical emergency at her new school and needs immediate surgery for appendicitis. What follows are the emotions of a typical teenager battling raging hormones preparing herself for surgery and her quirky friends and family.

A fast paced simple read with the perfect dose of humour, the story keeps the reader gripped right from the start. Kanika G has woven an intricate tale covering important topics of sexism and female foeticide among others. With the right amount of scientific information about the appendicitis which is self explanatory and easy for everyone to understand, the author seamlessly takes us through the intricate relationship between Tara and her twin Rashi, the openness between the parents and the twins, the peskiness of some neighbours and support of their friends who all come together to get Tara through her surgery.

A relatable book where the author has dealt with the difficult teenage years with much ease. All in all a great book for everyone.

[Akshata · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for this debut book in the teenager category. It’s a delightful read for adults as well. The author knows how to keep her audience glued. A simple story line which captures the adolescent stage in a girl’s life when she is suddenly taken ill. It takes the readers back to the good old teenage days - the mayhem, raging hormones, friendships and confused emotions. I liked the way the author deals with gender neutral upbringing, female foeticide, sexism by bringing in these topics in the story effortlessly. Her conversational tone strikes an instant chord. This is a perfect read for teenagers and adults alike.

[Aesha Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went back in time to my teenage years as I read the book. The characters in the story are very relatable. What I loved the most in the book is the right dose of playful humour. Kanika has dealt with every aspect of the teen life so beautifully and with a lot of care while writing this book for teenagers.
It is a fun fast paced read so will not bore the teenagers.