How Opal Mehta Got Kissed Got Wild and Got a Life
Kaavya Viswanathan
(Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
2006 Little, Brown & Co.
ISBN: 0316059889

An overachieving teenager discovers that to get into the college of her dreams she needs to have more fun.

At 16, Opal is her high school's valedictorian, president of three honor societies, & first chair in the regional orchestra. She even took welding classes to appear well-rounded. Her admission to Harvard looks like a sure thing. But at Opal's interview with the Dean of Admissions, he sets aside her impressive resume & asks the one question she never saw coming: “What do you like to do for fun?” Opal flubs the interview.

As an NRI (Non-Resident Indian) from suburban Woodcliff, New Jersey, Opal Mehta is urged to be part of an experiemnt for “young people who want to live and experience life.” She promptly turns to her greatest fans, her mega-involved, equally serious parents, Amal & Meena, who proceed to come up with a plan.

Sr. Associate Reviewer Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

I just had to read this book -- as an aspiring author dreaming of making it big in United “Land of Opportunities” America -- the success of a fellow Indian & one close to my hometown, inspired me -- & I just had to know How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life (I thought of using an abbreviation for the title, but HOMGKGWGL is too long & too weird…).

I finished reading it late at night, & the very next day, the newspapers were full of the plagiarism story. I don't know how far the allegations are true or false... that's another matter -- but the fact remains that How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life is one original read.

In this debut effort, Kaavya beautifully captures the spirit of Indian culture, rather the Indian-ness in the American life of an American-born Indian, the mingling/ crossing of two cultures.

All her life Opal Mehta & her parents dreamed of Harvard, Harvard & Harvard. Life meant getting into Harvard -- & with super grades & super academic qualifications, Opal is just footsteps away from having her dream…when disaster strikes.

Opal doesn't have a clue what ‘fun’ is -- but, given who she & her parents are, they're going to set about answering the Dean's question very seriously. Which means the Mehtas are going to teach their daughter how to have fun. What follows is sublime humor culminating in a charming, truly wonderful, finish.

& Kaavya, if you're reading this, let me tell you in Tamil itself: your book is Joor…rombha joor -- wonderful, absolutely wonderful!
(06/04/06)

Narayan
2006©Narayan Radhakrishnan
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I am a 26 years old lawyer practicing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Along with my legal practice, I have finished post-graduate studies for both Business Law & Human Rights. I am a self proclaimed numero-uno legal thriller lover & am the proud owner of all of Grisham's & Turow's novels. I enjoy John Mortimer's Rumpole & relish an occasional Martini & a rare Scot(ch)t-oline with a Patterson on the side.

My work A FICTION OF LAW is now about 500 pages in length & features 500 lawyer authors & 2000 legal thrillers covering a 300 year period - inclusive of entries from the USA, UK, Asia, Europe, China, Middle East etc. Still in search of a publisher.
www.keralatourism.org