Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions

Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon

10 reviews

simranpahwa's review against another edition

slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Loved the Sikh representation in this book. It’s not everyday I get to see my name in a novel!! That was super exciting. I wish the author delved more into Sunny’s grief. A lot of the story spent lots of time going into the comics/“nerdy stuff”, but I feel like that space could’ve been better used dissecting Sunny’s grief. I found the ending section (when sunny goes to the Gurudwara and meets his parents at home) to be pretty moving, but I wish it lasted longer!

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thenovelmaura's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC of this book! I'm sad to report that I really disliked it because the premise sounded so fun. You all know I love diverse, contemporary YA stories, but this read like an unfinished first draft. It seemed like the author had a lot of things that he wanted Sunny and Mindii to do, so he mashed them all together into one night with only the thinnest string of plot holding it all together. And I've never been to Fresno, but can someone explain to me why there were at least 4 cosplay events/parties happening there on the same night, for a fictional book series that is a thinly-veiled cover for Harry Potter (Jamie Snollygoster)? Unless San Diego Comic Con was magically transported to Fresno for one night only, this seemed unrealistic. There were tons of discrepancies like this (like how much food they managed to eat in 5 hours) that really took me out of the story.

Look, I love that Sunny was Sikh and Mindii was Hmong. But most of the dialogue in this book was cultural info-dumping with absolutely no subtlety and no relation to how teenagers actually talk to each other. This is an actual excerpt from the book (keep in mind that I have an eARC and some bits could have changed prior to publication):

"Yeah," Mindii says. "Fantastic documentary. The Donut King, by Alice Gu. Plays on a loop here so at least people can get a bit of a history lesson. Ted Bun Tek Ngoy escapes a genocide in Cambodia, learns about the donut business, buys a ton of donut stores across California, and sponsors hundreds of families who now do the same thing. And it wasn't even to get rich, it was literally just to survive in a country that creates all of these messes in other countries, then is all 'why are all these brown people here?'"

Two paragraphs later, Sunny responded:

"It's like those rags-to-riches stories of the first Punjabi immigrants who came to the US in the early 1900s. They worked on railroads and lumber mills and as farm laborers, and had to deal with so many openly racist laws made just so Asians couldn't make it. And still they took their shot, buying up things through white people they hoped they could trust.... Like how is the Alien Land Law not taught in history classes. Or the fact the Ghadar Party-the revolutionary movement to end colonial rule in British India-was started by steel and lumber workers in Astoria, Oregon, in 1913."

Yes, what a totally normal conversation to be having at a donut shop. What regular, unstilted dialogue from two teenagers who are supposedly flirting with each other. I could maybe forgive this if it was the only time it happened, but this social justice info-dumping occurred roughly once per chapter. Even though I agree with the points made, they were so jarring, so distracting, and made the reading experience super unenjoyable.

I do want to give credit to the author for his efforts to celebrate such a diverse array of cultures while exploring the heavy topic of grief, which is why I rated it two stars. This story had heart but was seriously lacking in execution.

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amberinpieces's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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thesapphicbooklover's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

The representation in this book is amazing and I personally loved relating to the main character as a nerdy Sikh as well. I think it is great exposure for young people to other cultures in a short and enjoyable sotry. However, I don't think it would be as enjoyable for someone who does not get all the references. The plot is good but felt very rushed in reality and a bit all over the place. It still tackled a lot of things but could have gone further into depth for each plotline to make the story that bit better.

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libscote's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Sunny's older brother Goldy died about a year ago from an alcohol overdose. Today is a ceremony to honor his death, and it's also prom night. Sunny has removed some of the things that indicate the fact that he's Sikh (the turban, cut his hair, shaved his face) and he isn't ready to talk about why. He's also going to skip the Snollygaster Soiree, a fandom convention where his metal tribute band is supposed to play. During prom, Mindii Ving, a Hmong classmate, steals his journal, the one thing he has left of Goldy. Mindii and Sunny make a series of rash decisions over the course of the evening that bring the two of them closer together, as well as help Sunny make sense of his life as it currently stands.

I enjoyed this book. I learned about Sikh and Hmong customs, as well as some of Sunny's friend Ngozi's family customs (Nigerian/Ghanaian British). I love the way it all blends together. There were also funny moments of being in Sunny's head. I loved the balance of serious parts and funny parts, and I like that it happened over the course of an evening. I also thought the treatment of Goldy's alcoholism was well done.

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utopiastateofmind's review against another edition

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Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

From the premise alone, I loved the idea of Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions. Of a list of all these things we wish we would do. That we hold ourselves back from doing. Those, "If only I had the bravery". And so begins Sunny G's night. Sunny has a unique internal narration which you will have to read to believe me. And he was instantly endearing to me. This desire to want to embrace these decisions we are too afraid of. A desire to just be. And the bravery it takes to be us.

So from a thematic or story perspective, I couldn't wait to see where Sunny's night would go. Where our lives could go if we just took a moment to say yes. All these expectations we have of our life and of experiences. The moment we need to throw them out of the door. To embrace the spontaneity. But in Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions, there's also deep emotional vulnerability. Sunny is still reeling from the grief of his brother. Trying to figure out who his brother was and who he was to him.

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roshreadsandreviews's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.0

• Such a fun debut novel!
• I loved learning about Punjabi culture
• Laughed out loud multiple times
• Perfect for fans of cosplay!
• Not only funny, but has an impactful subplot about grief around alcoholism and death of a family member

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katiemack's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this, and there are parts I genuinely adored. The representation is wonderful (Sink Punjabi, Hmong, British Nigerian, etc.), and as a fan of Bollywood films I internally squealed at the references to the 90s/2000s South Asian flicks. The bits about grief and dealing with a family member with alcoholism are also poignant and emotional. What I couldn't get into was the pacing. Sunny's inner dialogue feels frenetic and confusing, making it tough to follow at times. The romance also feels a little lackluster, though Mindii is a fun character.

Ultimately, the story doesn't quite balance of heavy topics and light pop culture references, but it's still a great read for the representation alone.

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foreverinastory's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a great story, very heartwarming. Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions takes place in the course of one 24 hour ish period. Sunny has decided to reinvent himself after the death of his brother. The only thing he has left is his brother's notebook and he decides he needs to be more like him. To do this he's determined to make several rash decisions since his brother was always more impulsive than him.

He kicks this off by showing up to his high school Prom instead of going to the big fandom event with his best friend Ngozi and playing in their band. But when Mindii steals his notebook, he has to go after her. The two end up on a whirlwind all night adventure.

Y'all this book was so fun. Sunny and Mindii were so cute and so fun together. I loved seeing them get to know each other past the friendly school acquaintances. This was such a fast past book and the time frame of ~24 hours only added to it. This was such a love letter to all things nerd and specifically Avatar: the Last Airbender. Oh my god there were so many references to ATLA and I was living for it!

The ending of this is more open than I normally would prefer, but it really worked for this book. Sunny is still processing his grief, and learning to deal with his brother's alcoholism. He's also stressed because most of his friends are leaving while he still has another year of high school.

I loved this one so much. Between the disability rep and the relationships that develop in this book, it had my whole heart. Also seeing Ngozi make heart eyes at cute girls was such a damn mood. Definitely excited to see what Dhillon writes next.

Rep: Sikh Indian-American cishet male MC with a stutter, Hmong cishet female love interest, Sikh Indian-American gay male alcoholic side character (deceased), Sikh Indian-American gay male side character, multiple Sikh Indian immigrant side characters, Nigerian-British sapphic female side character.

CWs: Alcoholism/Alcohol discussion and consumption, ableism, addiction to alcohol (side characters), bullying, child death, death, death of grandparent, grief, racial slurs, racism, xenophobia.

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marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions is sort of like Nick and Norah meets Scott Pilgrim with a dash of John Green and an incredibly diverse cast, including Sunny, its stuttering Sikh Punjabi leading man. The first of Sunny’s rash decisions is to cut off his beard and lose his turban. He finds himself chatting up Siri at prom when Mindii Vang upends his night in the very best way. They impulsively bounce around Fresno on her motorcycle, bonding over cosplay, cultural foods, and fiber arts, not to mention their respective grief for lost loved ones. Sunny G is an exploration of endings and beginnings, a tender story of contradictions, a cultural kaleidoscope, an up-all-night adventure that I didn’t want to end.

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