All That Chandni Knows

Patel (Stolen Colors) draws on personal experience, as addressed in an author’s note, to deliver an immersive 1999-set verse novel, her middle grade debut. Since the strict social mores of 12-year-old Chandni Desai’s Vadodara, Gujarat, India home dictate that traditional households be comprised of a mother, a father, and two sons, Chandni knows her family is considered unusual, especially because her mother’s sister, Diya Masi, lives with Chandni, her older brother, and her parents. Because Chandni shares a bedroom with her aunt, the tween is privy to a terrible secret: her father and Diya Masi are having an affair. As the only one in the know, Chandni believes it’s her responsibility to stop the liaisons. With her departure for a prestigious boarding school fast approaching, Chandni also contends with shifting friendships; her half Tamilian and half Muslim bestie is moving away, and she’s unsure if her crush reciprocates her feelings. Straightforward free verse portrays raw emotions (“I come back to what is/ real,/ and that makes me seethe/ as I wait”) as, via Chandni’s keen perspective and a vividly rendered setting, this forthright read showcases how religious, gender, and cultural expectations, among other sociopolitical topics, impact relationships and self-perception. Ages 10–up. Agent: Joyce Sweeney, Seymour Agency. (Mar.)