A review by perpetualpages
Nikhil Out Loud by Maulik Pancholy
4.5
CWs: mentions of divorce and parental estrangement; descriptions of racism/xenophobia; experienced homophobia and homophobic protests
Maulik Pancholy has done it again. He has brilliantly followed up on his debut The Best At It by delivering this fun, endearing, complex middle grade story all about change and growing pains, and he does it with equal parts humor and heart.
This story touches on a lot of difficult subjects: moving cities, changing friend groups, navigating the line between visibility and safety as a young queer person, caring for ailing grandparents, healing generational divides, trying to understand puberty, and so much more. And what I really appreciate is that the story gives each of those conflicts their due without subjecting young readers to an overabundance of suffering. Each of those issues has a negative impact on Nikhil, our main character, but the presence of those difficulties never undermine the underlying hope in this story.
That's an incredibly delicate balance to achieve—to address so many complex issues truthfully and in a way that doesn't shield young readers from the pain or discomfort of the real world, but at the same times not making that pain the central focus of the story.
To me, this story is about showing young readers that change is a natural part of life. Yes, there are things that can change for the worse, but change can also lead to better things as well, as scary or uncertain as it may be. It also explores how one of the goals of bigotry is to intimidate marginalized communities in isolation, and how that fear can teach us to then isolate ourselves in turn. Nikhil is experiencing a lot of uncertainty in this story stemming from a lot of different places, and it's only when he's brave enough to share those insecurities with other people—as much as that goes against his instincts of self-preservation—that he can actually face them head on.
This was such a wonderful story about the power of community and connection, whether that's with family, friends, or other like-minded people. It's incredibly and increasingly relevant in the ways it showcases the rising tide of hatred and LGBTQ+ censorship, but it's also unwaveringly hopeful. The author narrates the audiobook as well, and infuses the story with so much personality, brightness, and love. So I highly recommend reading this book in audio format if you can access it!
Maulik Pancholy has done it again. He has brilliantly followed up on his debut The Best At It by delivering this fun, endearing, complex middle grade story all about change and growing pains, and he does it with equal parts humor and heart.
This story touches on a lot of difficult subjects: moving cities, changing friend groups, navigating the line between visibility and safety as a young queer person, caring for ailing grandparents, healing generational divides, trying to understand puberty, and so much more. And what I really appreciate is that the story gives each of those conflicts their due without subjecting young readers to an overabundance of suffering. Each of those issues has a negative impact on Nikhil, our main character, but the presence of those difficulties never undermine the underlying hope in this story.
That's an incredibly delicate balance to achieve—to address so many complex issues truthfully and in a way that doesn't shield young readers from the pain or discomfort of the real world, but at the same times not making that pain the central focus of the story.
To me, this story is about showing young readers that change is a natural part of life. Yes, there are things that can change for the worse, but change can also lead to better things as well, as scary or uncertain as it may be. It also explores how one of the goals of bigotry is to intimidate marginalized communities in isolation, and how that fear can teach us to then isolate ourselves in turn. Nikhil is experiencing a lot of uncertainty in this story stemming from a lot of different places, and it's only when he's brave enough to share those insecurities with other people—as much as that goes against his instincts of self-preservation—that he can actually face them head on.
This was such a wonderful story about the power of community and connection, whether that's with family, friends, or other like-minded people. It's incredibly and increasingly relevant in the ways it showcases the rising tide of hatred and LGBTQ+ censorship, but it's also unwaveringly hopeful. The author narrates the audiobook as well, and infuses the story with so much personality, brightness, and love. So I highly recommend reading this book in audio format if you can access it!