Thursday, August 22, 2024

The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra - ADVISABLE

The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra, 368 pages. Quill Tree Books (HarperCollins), 2024. $20.

Language: PG-13 (15 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Aisha is plagued by the essay question for her Stanford college application asking how she has gotten out of her comfort zone. A question she can’t answer because everything about her life has been about staying in her comfort zone of studying and school extracurriculars, like crochet club. But then Aisha ends up crying in another student’s car and convinces him to help her cross things off her new manifesto list of things outside her comfort zone.

Full of funny scenarios and brilliant metaphors, Aisha’s story captures a piece of every reader that struggles to find a place to belong. It’s easy to think that everything will be better if we are better, if we are more, if we could just be like so-and-so. But just because something isn’t on your manifesto list doesn’t mean it isn’t a good thing—and something being on the list doesn’t mean it is the only absolutely right thing. Aisha’s story is about learning to be happy with being the best version of yourself who can weather the storms of life and find joy in both rain and sunshine.

Aisha is Indian, Brian is Chinese, Quentin is Filipino-Italian, and Kevin is Black. Also, Marcy is bi. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, mentions of drugs and nudity, kissing, and mild innuendo. The violence rating is for a joke about murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

No comments: