Serena Singh Flips the Script

by Sonya Lalli

"Sonya Lalli's savvy novel puts relationships in all of their forms--family, friends, and romance--on even footing as a young woman works to find happiness."--Shelf Awareness

Serena Singh is tired of everyone telling her what she should want--and she is ready to prove to her mother, her sister, and the aunties in her community that a woman does not need domestic bliss to have a happy life.

Things are going according to plan for Serena. She’s smart, confident, and just got a kick-ass new job at a top advertising firm in Washington, D.C. Even before her younger sister gets married in a big, traditional wedding, Serena knows her own dreams don’t include marriage or children. But with her mother constantly encouraging her to be more like her sister, Serena can’t understand why her parents refuse to recognize that she and her sister want completely different experiences out of life.

A new friendship with her co-worker, Ainsley, comes as a breath of fresh air, challenging Serena’s long-held beliefs about the importance of self-reliance. She’s been so focused on career success that she’s let all of her hobbies and close friendships fall by the wayside. As Serena reconnects with her family and friends--including her ex-boyfriend--she learns letting people in can make her happier than standing all on her own.

• ISBN10: 059310093X
• ISBN13: 9780593100936
• Publish Date: 16 February 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593100936

Reviews

[Angie]

Proceed With Caution:

This book contains alcoholism and domestic abuse.

The Basics:

Serena Singh is 36, happily unmarried, childfree, and at the top of her career! Too bad everyone around her thinks her life is empty because she's 36, unmarried, childless, and busy with work. Serena doesn't see things that way, but she does come to realize that she has no friends or hobbies. Well, that's going to change!

My Thoughts:

Serena Singh Flips the Script is exactly the type of premise I need more of. Not everyone wants to get married and have children. And they don't need to meet "the one" who changes their mind! Before you ask, Serena does not change her mind about marriage or kids. She's perfectly happy with an exclusive boyfriend and hanging out with her best friend's and sister's babies.

Also, we desperately need more books about making friends as adults! This was my favorite part of Serena Singh Flips the Script. At the encouragement of her current boyfriend, Serena joins Bumble to meet some lady friends. It seems harder to find a suitable friend than it is to find a partner! There's some hilarious and cringe-worthy antics when it comes to her going on some first "dates" and I needed more of this! I do wish Serena had tried out some hobbies as well, but there didn't seem to be room for that because...

A few chapters are randomly from Serena's mother's POV. Yes, part of Serena Singh Flips the Script is about her reconnecting with her family, but I don't think that was enough of a focus to randomly give her mom her own chapters. I like Sandeep, and she's not the wilting flower that Serena thinks she is. But also, her chapters didn't add anything for me. There was a family secret that comes out at the end, but this easily could have also been from Serena's perspective.

In the end, I did like Serena Singh Flips the Script a lot. Making friends as an adult is just a struggle, especially with a full-time job and other responsibilities. It's also possible to  live a fulfilled adult life without a legal partner and blood child. It doesn't make you any less than. It's just your choice.