They were more interested in their wealth and popularity than actual coding, so I’m slightly disappointed in the fact that Insomnia Con could have been the most exciting and fascinating world of intellect, diversity, and nerdery ever and… it just wasn’t. Some of the main side characters didn’t really seem like the types to attend such a long, intensive summer camp. We didn’t even get to see the depths that participants went to in order to complete their apps (including Dimple and Rishi who spent more time dancing than coding), and there were tons of other students in the program who we never really got to meet or understand. Basically there was almost none, outside of the basics of getting started. For a book set in such a fascinating world (in my mind) as Insomnia Con, I would have loved to see some actual world building there. Those of you who know I typically rate high might realize that a 4 can be a bit of a flat rating for me, but this is not a flat book. There are a few things about this delightful book that I felt could have been even better (the pacing, particularly in the last half), which would have made me love it at 5 star power. Needless to say, Dimple’s not very interested in marriage or looking pretty, when she could be coding. The premise: Dimple’s parents allow her to go to a 6 week summer coding class the summer before college only because they want her to meet Rishi, her potential future husband. I would definitely recommend this to others. The audiobook, in particular, is excellent, with two fantastic narrators in Sneha Mathan and Vikas Adam. I read it straight through and didn’t regret a second.

Dimple’s unabashed ambition was refreshing (and sends a strong message to young girls with similar interests), while Rishi’s romanticism was simply endearing. Sneha Mathan and Vikas Adam are perfectly cast as Dimple and Rishi (I’ve already downloaded my next listens from each of them), and I fell in love with these characters as they fell in love with each other.

I was in a listening rut when I stumbled upon this book, and it was exactly what I needed to re-engage. But unbeknownst to her, it’s because they’ve been arranging for her to marry Rishi Patel-who also happens to be attending the same program. When they readily agree to her attending a summer program for aspiring web developers, she thinks it’s because they finally understand her goals. Dimple Shah is strong-willed, ambitious, and at 18 years old, not looking for her IIH (Ideal Indian Husband).

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon marries my two favorite genres: YA and romance.