Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions is a contemporary story that takes place over one night on the one-year anniversary of the death of Sunny's older brother from alcohol poisoning. Mourning loss is a prominent theme, since love interest Mindii is mourning the loss of her grandmother a few years ago. Both characters struggle with grief, and Sunny especially struggles with trying to understand his brother's actions and death. Sunny and Mindii don't drink at all, but alcohol addiction, rehab, and recovery are explored in detail. Teen characters drink to excess and unpleasant behavior is shown. Strong language includes variations of "f--k", "d--k," "s--t," and profanity in Punjabi that's not always translated. There's also some verbal bullying. Sexy stuff includes some romantic feelings and a couple of kisses.
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What's the Story?
SUNNY G'S SERIES OF RASH DECISIONS begins with the one to finally go to prom, even though he doesn't have a date, and even though his family is marking the one-year anniversary of his older brother Goldy's death with a memorial gathering at his house. Other rash decisions include getting on the back of a motorcycle with a girl he just met, driving around town in an ice cream truck he borrowed without asking, and taking a huge bite of super-spicy Hmong sausage. Sunny's real hope is that acting more like Goldy will help him to finally understand his brother's life and tragic death. But is that even possible?
Is It Any Good?
This debut novel manages to perfectly balance fun, adventure, and romance with tragic loss and grief. Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions has a breathless feeling of excitement, wry humor, and a terrific example of romance blossoming from a solid foundation of friendship and understanding. Sunny and Mindii are many things, and their characters are well realized and easy to relate to even as each comes from an underrepresented background.
The early part of the book has a lot of cultural and pop-culture references coming fast, which can be confusing until you figure each one out, and may have some readers frequently looking them up online. The middle slows down when some of Sunny and Mindii's conversations start to feel repetitive. But the large cast of colorful, diverse characters and Sunny's and Mindii's bittersweet memories of lost loves ones are enough to keep readers' interest until the next rash decision comes along. Best for teens who can handle the depictions of alcohol abuse and strong language.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about alcohol addiction in Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions. How does Goldy's addiction affect himself and his loved ones? What did you learn about alcohol addiction that you didn't know?
What about the strong language? Is it realistic? Does that matter? How much is too much?
This novel mixes fun, adventure, and romance with loss and grief. Do think the author did good job of balancing all those elements?
Book Details
- Author: Navdeep Singh Dhillon
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- Topics: Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Communication, Empathy, Integrity, Perseverance
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Dial Books
- Publication date: February 8, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 304
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: June 7, 2022
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