Read-a-thon book 1 review: Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood

Book: Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood by Varsha Bajaj

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: March 1, 2014

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Thirteen year old Abby Spencer has always wondered about her father. She grew up in Houston, TX with just her mom, Meredith who is a co-owner of a bakery. She has always had this constant wonder of what her dad was like and who he was and she had no idea why she didn't know her father.

It wasn't until she had a severe allergic reaction that her mother told her more about her father. After doing a search online, Abby found out that her dad Kabir Kapur (who now goes by the stage name Naveen Kumar) was one of the most popular actors in India. It was a big surprise for both Abby and her mother. Once Abby's mom was able to get in contact with Naveen it was a huge surprise to him because up until that point he had no idea he had a daughter with his former collegiate sweetheart.

With the upcoming Thanksgiving break approaching, Abby was given the opportunity to go to India to get to know her dad and her grandmother who had recently been ill but was recovering. Traveling to India was a new and wonderful experience for Abby but it wasn't all fun because to the world Naveen Kumar was single with no children. But not wanting his daughter to stay a secret he had a plan to introduce her to world. However, despite all the planning the secret was found out.

There was some really cute moments such as Abby first meeting her crush Shaan who just so happens to be from Texas. However, there were also some deeper moments and issues such as Abby's journey of discovery about not only her dad but of herself. She's always felt like something was missing and now she has the chance to meet that other part of herself.

I really like how everything turned out in the end but it left me wondering if there might be a sequel. It definitely had me wanting to know what was going to happen with Abby and her family.

I thought this was a really sweet and lovely story and I think it's engaging and will keep young readers interested.