Reviews

Ellie Pillai is Brown by Christine Pillainayagam

amindneedsbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

raquelescrevecoisas's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

woodsbookclub's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

hollokim's review

emotional funny reflective 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

4.0

bardicbramley's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

alohaliss's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring 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

4.0

hollysreadingcorner's review

4.0

I’d say this was a 3.75, very close to 4 stars. It was such a fun, light-hearted read. I fell in love with Ellie the moment I started the book, she’s such a lovable character. The only thing I will say I struggled with was the text speak in this book. I know it’s a YA book but I feel like some of the slang used was a bit unrealistic and a bit of a stretch. I loved diving into all of Ellie’s relationships and how they all impact her life individually. I think reading this book definitely opened my eyes to some of the barriers that POC have, and cultural differences/barriers that are faced, which people may not even think about. I know when I was growing up there weren’t many YA books that represented POC and different religious backgrounds, so I think the fact that YA fiction is more diverse these days is amazing, and so beneficial to so many children/teens/young adults.

farahchaudry's review

3.0

This was a lovely little book, very nearly a 4-star read for me! It's not often you find South Asian rep in YA fiction, and I could definitely relate to some elements of Ellie's experience. This has a cute premise following Ellie's (highly dramatic!) trials and tribulations at school, with family, friends and potential love interests, interspersed with musical interludes.

My main critique was quite how much was packed in, including themes of dishonesty, low self esteem, grief, sexual assault, alcohol abuse, LGBTQ+ characters, post-child loss pregnancy, teacher crushes (!)...you name it, this had it.

But overall a very enjoyable read and I would thoroughly recommend the audiobook.

nietnoah's review

5.0

I dont get why people rate this book low. It’s not very common to read a book with a main character of colour which reads like a romcom. I loved it and I even cried

vaishsviews's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

3.5

This was so incredibly young-adult (YA) and thus, the perfect palate cleanser after all the heavy dystopian books.

Ellie Pillai is your average high-schooler: desperate to fit in despite standing out. She’s incredibly introverted and stuck in her own world, ruled by albums and artists before her time. But this year, things are changing. There’s a boy who makes her heart jump out of her chest and a new drama teacher who finally sees Ellie for all of her potential. Ellie knows it’s time to step into the limelight and not stay hidden in the shadows

There were so many times I was cringing but I think that’s just because I’m not the target audience. I’m sure when I was 15, I thought and acted the same way so I can’t really judge. Miscommunication is one of my least favourite tropes in books but I think it fits well within the genre and this book, in particular. It’s not overdone but still makes the point.

I loved the representation in this book and I can only imagine how Ellie feels, being one of the few people of colour in a predominantly white neighbourhood. She tackles the topic of racism and presentation in mainstream media very deftly whilst also ensuring that it’s still very accessible to a younger audience.