The Whole Story of Half a Girl

The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Hiranandani, Veera. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780385741286.

What greater praise than to be compared to Judy Blume!--"Each [Blume and Hiranandani] excels in charting the fluctuating discomfort zones of adolescent identity with affectionate humor."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred After her father loses his job, Sonia Nadhamuni, half Indian and half Jewish American, finds herself yanked out of private school and thrown into the unfamiliar world of public education. For the first time, Sonias mixed heritage makes her classmates ask questions—questions Sonia doesnt always know how to answer—as she navigates between a group of popular girls who want her to try out for the cheerleading squad and other students who arent part of the "in" crowd. At the same time that Sonia is trying to make new friends, shes dealing with what it means to have an out-of-work parent—its hard for her family to adjust to their changed circumstances. And then, one day, Sonias father goes missing. Now Sonia wonders if she ever really knew him. As she begins to look for answers, she must decide what really matters and who her true friends are—and whether her two halves, no matter how different, can make her a whole.