SUNNY G’S SERIES OF RASH DECISIONS, by Navdeep Singh Dhillon, Dial Books, Feb. 8, 2022, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
Prom night turns into an all-night adventure in Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions, a YA rom-com by Navdeep Singh Dhillon.
Sunny G’s brother left him one thing when he died: His notebook, which Sunny is determined to fill up with a series of rash decisions. Decision number one was a big one: He stopped wearing his turban, cut off his hair, and shaved his beard. He doesn’t look like a Sikh anymore. He doesn’t look like himself anymore. Even his cosplay doesn’t look right without his beard.
Sunny debuts his new look at prom, which he’s stuck going to alone. He’s skipping the big fandom party — the one where he’d normally be in full cosplay, up on stage playing bass with his band and his best friend, Ngozi — in favor of the Very Important Prom Experience. An experience that’s starting to look like a bust.
Enter Mindii Vang, a girl with a penchant for making rash decisions of her own, starting with stealing Sunny’s notebook. When Sunny chases after her, prom turns into an all-night adventure — a night full of rash, wonderful, romantic, stupid, life-changing decisions. —Synopsis provided by Dial Books
Given the synopsis, I thought I would instantly fall in love with Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions.
Instead, I felt lost.
Between the cosplay, anime, fandom, heavy metal and comic book references, I felt like I was reading a foreign language. Navdeep Singh Dhillon’s pacing and tone seemed on point, but everything is so interconnected that my lack of interest in the above ended up overshadowing the true storyline.
I read about 20 percent of the book before moving on to something else. Perhaps if I had been able to get to know the characters better before delving into and the other stuff, I might have liked the novel better. Or maybe it just wasn’t a good fit, which is more likely the case.
Having heard a lot of good things about Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions, I’m including some positive thoughts below. My suggestion is checking the book out from the library or reading the sample pages provided by the publisher on places like Amazon prior to purchase to ensure a good fit.
Kirkus Review has called the book “Poignant and moving, with an undercurrent of romance.”
Booklist gave it a starred review saying: “With a fast-paced plot that packs plenty of action into just a handful of hours, Sunny G makes its title character lovable in his myriad interests and introspective personality, bringing him to life through thoughtful, earnest prose. Readers are treated to culturally specific characters, who represent Sikhism, Hmong people, and others, and who identify across a broad spectrum of gender and sexuality…. Sunny G is a cerebral novel full of heart. It’s not one to miss.”
Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions has 3.96 stars on Goodreads. You can read all those reviews here.
