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I actually did not get a chance to read Big Little Lies before I watched it on Amazon Prime. I think I binged the first season the same day and the second season the following weekend. I have to admit I really liked the show and as a reader I definitely do not want to judge the book by the series, so I will read the book when I get a chance. But that did interested me to go and look for Moriarty's other novels as I liked the genre she writes about. I picked up an used copy of The Husband's  Secret from Powell's in Portland. I took it with me to the coast in our weekend getaway in Oregon, and finished the whole book in almost less than a day. I felt I was reading Big little Lies some kind of spin-off. I liked the book and her writing style. It is great for vacation reading or if you want to read something in the flight, she has the ability to hook you up to the pages. But after watching Big Little Lies I felt this book had almost the similar theme, similar setting and a 3 women perspective (almost similar to BLL)

it was slightly repetitive for me. The ending of the book will give you some longer thoughts and if a series ever made on this book can have multiple alternative endings. The story crafting is otherwise great and you might love it if you haven't read or watched BLL. This slightly fell short of my expectation as I did not do it in the order (I think she wrote this book before BLL). If you read this one before BLL you will probably like both.

I would like to mention I had really a lot of expectations when I started this book. I normally enjoy a Fantasy YA even the story might be poorly conceived. I have gotten through most of the book without judging the story line but by the end of the 2/3 of the book it certainly became a torture. The setting is probably 90's San Francisco (I could not identify with the backdrop partially because  I did not grow up here, but seems like Rock music was at its peak then). The point of view is from 3 different people: First the protagonist of the book a 17 year old Latina girl from some remote place in California hiding away from her own tumultuous past and a dysfunctional family life, second point of view is from the 13 year old girl whom our protagonist befriends and comes to live with her family. The 2 teenage girls constitutes the 2 sides of the coins and one can very well see the parallel drawn between the 2 girl's lives. The third point of view is from a concerned Cat who knows both these girls and the situation they are in. The story takes you through Xochi's life and the complex relationship she had with her family. The story has subtle to vivid description of child abuse, drug abuse, adultery, incest and rape. That is one reason I won't recommend the category to be a YA.

The language of the book is really complex. I would not call it out rightly difficult but I am a very fast reader and it took me a good 7-8 days to get through the book partially due to the language as well. It requires you to slow down your reading speed to really absorb in the essence of the story. It is definitely not one of those books you can read on the beach on a vacation.

As her first book I would say it is a good start, I am pretty sure the author's writing style will evolve over time. Other than that I have not given out any spoilers.

This book definitely was a surprise find. Normally I enjoy a romance when I am in an extremely needy mood myself. This was one of those Sunday afternoons when I thought I would read something lighthearted to read and forget about it but it stayed with me for long.

This is no ordinary romance tale. A prince who is a cross-dresser just for the sheer love of dresses (no gender confusion associated to it) develops a friendship with his dressmaker who harbors this secret of the prince and designs beautiful one of a kind dresses for him to take the city of Paris by storm in the night. This tale is strange and quirky but has an innocent underlying message of acceptance and love that needs no category and is a statement by itself.

I loved the story and the artwork that is so well depicting and literally makes you live the tale. Its a must read Graphic novel for 2019 for the Graphic novel lovers.

I was slightly surprised by how the author actually expressed her political opinion so explicitly which all of us probably harbors within ourselves but never out rightly say it. Its almost like someone is actually speaking on behalf of you. I enjoyed this book not only because I completely identify with her plight: An Indian American, living her life in today's America with so much political uncertainty catering to people of color specifically, and being in a cross-raced marriage and raising a cross-raced kid. 

This book is beyond all of the above factors I stated. Its about educating the next generation who might or might not have some or all of the above features, to treat a fellow person just on the context of being a human and not based on race. class, culture, political opinion. One's skin's melanin concentration should not deter them from being a citizen of this country which I believe is much beyond this petty factor. This country has opportunities for people who actually want to be independent thinkers and not care about how the world see them. This is not just the author's memoir, I believe any person of color currently living in US would think someone is actually speaking their deepest concerns loud and out.

The graphic art is one of my favorite. It uses NY skyline, and real city photographs in the backdrop and uses the graphic figure of the characters alone. It's simplistic but not inadequate. I recommend this book a must read for 2019.

Graphic novels are my newfound love and this one is definitely going to stay in my Bookshelf. I read it during a very boring/rainy Sunday afternoon, traditionally I do not like Sundays as my Husband starts his workweek as well as the impending Monday Blues to go back to work. But this book made my mood happier, fluffier and lighter, kind of a feeling I used to get when I was in my tween and when I  would go catch a new Bollywood Rom-Com with my sister.

This book captures all the essence a diaspora Indian family goes through in a foreign country. Although I moved here in my twenties and I always imagined how it would be to grow up in an Indian Household in America. Tina goes through all these thought process as a growing teen in an Indian American household in California. How she fits into the diaspora Indian community as well as her cosmopolitan American schoolmates while searching for her own identity. Her "Existentialism" project and her daily diary entries dedicated to Jean-Paul Sartre will take the readers through a journey through Tina's lenses.  How the Indian community even in USA is still a closed knit community hanging out with Indian friends and goes through matchmaking process through friends and relatives for their eligible kids. 

All in all this is not just another High school novel, but a lot more than that. I being myself belonging to the same community there is no exaggeration and a pretty acute representation of how it is in reality.

For the artwork is simple and only black and white, I like the simplicity of the artwork but I myself thought may be the book needed a little bit more detailed graphic art.

I recommend this book for all YA lovers and Graphic Novel lovers.