Monsoon Summer

Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins

AR Reading Level: 4.8
On the library stacks: YA fiction

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Jasmine Gardner is a 15-year old girl from the Berkeley area. She runs a business with her best friend Steve and she throws shot put on the track team. Her mother was adopted as a toddler from an Indian orphanage by Americans. Her father is Caucasian and Jasmine takes after him--bigger-boned with fairer skin.

Jasmine's mom has a heart of gold. She got a grant for the family to spend the summer in India, setting up a clinic for pregnant women who lives in the slums near the same orphanage she had lived in as a baby. Jasmine doesn't have the best attitude about going. Her feelings for Steve have developed into something more than friendship, and she is reluctant to leave him and their business behind.

I really liked the concept behind this book, but found the execution lacking in some areas. Jasmine was a hard character for me to like. She was whiny and distrustful of others. I did like quite a number of the supporting characters including Jasmine's brother and Danita, an orphan who cooks their meals.

I actually wish the book had gone on a little longer because it didn't quite tie up all the loose ends for me. But I did enjoy the time the family spent in India and the observations on the culture. Overall the book just didn't feel quite as polished as Bamboo People did.

Also reviewed by: Puss Reboots ~ Your link here?
Source: Purchased