The Matchmaker's List - 1 star (would be 0 if I could)

[forsanolim]

This was ABYSMAL.

I found this book incredibly problematic in a way that I don't think is redeemable for me. For a quick spoiler-free version of these problems: if you identify as queer or have people in your life who identify as queer or even just prefer to read books that deal with queerness in a remotely sensitive manner, I cannot recommend highly enough that you do not read this book. Now, to elaborate on that with spoilers: (view spoiler)[our main character Raina spends half the book pining after her objectively really shitty ex but can't bring herself to tell her grandmother that she's still into him, so she pretends to be lesbian and lies about this to her grandmother and the broader community. She gets mad at her best friend when she doesn't support her lies. She continues her lies when a younger kid in the community, who is actually gay, asks her for help in coming out to his parents. For some reason the only other (actual) lesbian character in the book is totally fine with this and goes along with all of it. And somehow, at the end of the book, Raina is a paragon of virtue for helping people in her community to overcome their homophobia? (hide spoiler)] I found this absolutely inexcusable.

But even if that somehow in itself didn't convince you not to pick up this book, let me describe my other thoughts on this book, because I didn't find it remotely enjoyable. It's been a very, very, very long time since I read a book so different from its synopsis. The synopsis makes you think that this book will be a cute story about blind dates and the Indian community. "Sounds great," thought I. But that's really not accurate at all. What actually happens is that the main character, Raina, goes on a few blind dates but really just spends half of the book pining after her truly toxic ex. (Yes, there could be a good story here [albeit not the one on the synopsis] about discovering one's self-worth and moving on from a toxic relationship. But that's not this story.) And all the while, she's an awful person. In addition to the irredeemable actions mentioned above (which I truly cannot overstate), she is childish, unthinking, and grating throughout the book. She also pushes away all of her family and friends (truly, I think she screams at almost all of the other characters at some point or other) while somehow remaining a golden child for whom everything magically works out and who never has to be held accountable for her numerous very bad decisions.

I feel a bit bad panning this book so totally, but I honestly cannot think of anything to redeem it. I appreciate the idea of exploring life as an Indian young woman in a fairly conservative community, but this book was emphatically not a good way to do that.

[Joi]

Eek. Avoid! Avoid! Thanks for the warning.

[Nicole R]

I love a good hate-filled review! Nicely done! And, I will certainly NOT be reading this book.

[forsanolim]

Haha, happy to be of service! It met one of the Popsugar prompts, so I persisted for that and because I kept thinking that it had to get better, but it really didn't.