The Rearranged Life

by Annika Sharma

[Angie]

The Rearranged Life is focused on Indian-American, college senior, Nithya. She's been brought up with two totally different cultures, but she embraces them both, even when they're in conflict. Nithya loves her Indian culture with all her heart, but when she meets James, she knows something has to give. Her parents expect her to go to medical school and marry an Indian boy, but as Nithya gets to know James, she has to question how what she wants fits into what her family wants.

I loved learning more about Indian culture in The Rearranged Life. I knew some from having Indian friends, but this is a whole new perspective. There's a big wedding scene, and it sounds incredible! There's a lot of details, but I'm sure it's not at all the same as witnessing it for real. I also liked how the reader gets additional information because Nithya is explaining the ceremony to her younger sister who is now old enough to be interested in this kind of thing. It was also interesting to see Nithya balance keeping to her Indian heritage, but also wanting to explore her own dreams, and the compromises she has to make.

The romance in The Rearranged Life was super sweet. Nithya and James meet in class, and then he saves her at a party that gets out of hand. They hang out, laugh together, do homework, and are just generally super cute and normal. There's no huge, melodrama between them. They do have problems though, because she does let James know that she's expected to have an arranged marriage, something he can't get his head around. I really enjoyed watching them work through it.

The Rearranged Life was just a great read. While it is about the challenges that an Indian-American girl faces, the themes are absolutely universal. Nithya is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, and when her plans are derailed she has to make adjustments. There's also a strong focus on family, because Nithya and James are both extremely close with their parents. It's just all around great book.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.