Dear Divya

by Saira Batasar-Johnie

“I still can’t believe I survived my first year of high school without you. We had so many plans. I do think about you and hope you know I haven’t forgotten you. I miss laying in bed pretending to do our makeup because now I actually wear makeup…”

After a challenging year, 14-year-old Anjali Singh is determined to change her reputation and social status as she enters her first year of high school. Growing up in a midtown Toronto “Tkaronto” neighbourhood hasn’t allowed Anjali the opportunity to embrace her Indo-Guyanese and Indian heritage, understand her identity, or process the grief she’s been experiencing. As the school year begins, Anjali finds herself having to navigate a new world of having Brown, Black and Asian friends for the first time, meeting boys, and transitioning from old to new friendships. With a strict mother watching her closely, and a father who’s distant, Anjali proudly looks to her older sister Amara who is breaking intergenerational rules. Anjali soon begins to break some rules when she finds herself crushing on her own Shah Rukh Khan while trying to honour her past.


Book Cover By Stephanie Rambharos

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2022

Reviews

[Tiara Chutkhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Divya follows 14-year-old Anjali Singh throughout her first year of high school. After a challenging year and more than her fair share of middle school bullies, Anjali is determined to change her reputation and social status in ninth grade. As the year goes on, Anjali finds her navigating new friendships, her relationship with her older sister, and a crush she hopes will blossom.

What I love most about this story was that I saw myself in Anjali. Her experiences were mine when I was her age, but at the time there was a book like this that made me feel seen and heard.

Dear Divya is a coming of age story that explores themes of family relationships, friendship, mental health, change, love and much more.

[Neal Johnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Divya is a refreshing story that sheds light on a perspective that has been under-represented and almost non-existent in mainstream story telling. This coming of age story follows Anjali throughout her first year of highschool in Toronto and highlights her experiences through a specific Indo-Caribbean lens. Addressing topics from family relationships, friendships, bullying, mental health, domestic abuse, loss and so much more. This perspective seems to encapsulate the shared experiences of almost every Indo-Caribbean girl living outside of the Caribbean across various generations which is absolutely incredible. Apparently, this is just the first edition of a much longer series to come. Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Nievana Judisthir · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dear Divya" is a beautiful start to a series of books to come. It's an honest take on the Canadian Indo-Caribbean high school experience that is so real and so relatable it had me laughing out loud. The main character, Anjali, and her sister, Amara, reminded me a lot of my cousins when they went to high school in the early 2000's.

I believe there is promise for the books ahead. I can't wait to read more about Anjali and Naraine!

[becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Divya follows 14-year old Anjali as she tackles friends, boys, understanding her identity, and processing grief during her first year of high school. This was a great read, and her grade 9 high school experience is most definitely one I could relate to as I’m Indo-Guyanese myself.

I wish the story was a bit longer, it felt a bit rushed and there was a lot of potential for the side characters to be more fleshed out.

In all, it was a compelling story, my 14-year old self would have loved this representation in literature. I’m really glad more Indo-Caribbean stories are being written, Saira Batasar-Johnie did a great job showing the Indo-Caribbean Canadian experience.

[Ayzha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Divya was a cute book that I completed within less than 24 hours! An easy but nonetheless captivating read, I felt a great sense of nostalgia towards the names of certain songs and technology just as I felt informed about aspects of Indo-Carribean culture. The only thing that prevents me from giving this story five stars is that I felt characters in Anjali's new friend group could have benefitted from being fleshed out more, because the story moves at a relatively quick pace there is not really a chance to sit and get to know these individuals. All the same, I'm looking forward to the next installment!

[Sunita Alves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a Guyanese-Canadian girl entering high school. It's a coming-of-age story told with the authenticity of what it is like growing up brown in Western culture. The character names, dialog, and worries about smelling like curry to your friends are all recognizable. Kudos for writing a heart-warming story and creating a memorable protagonist that has not been told in this voice before.