Sunny and Mindii don't drink alcohol, but the premise of the story is that Sunny is mourning the death of his older brother Goldy from alcohol poisoning after years of struggling with addiction to alcohol. Many incidents of Goldy's excess in the past, including a brief description of finding Goldy unconscious from an overdose of alcohol and Goldy's death a short time later in the hospital. Teens plan to have a torpedo keg at a prom after-party. Teens drink to excess at parties and negative drunken behavior is described.
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"F--k" and variations, "bulls--t" and "s--t," "d--k," "ass," "goddamn," and "Jesus Falafel Christ." Strong words in Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu like "harami" (bastard) and "madarchod" (motherf----r).
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Lots of references to pop culture franchises in a group of friends who cosplay. Franchises include video games, movies, comics, anime, manga, and more. References to lots of popular social media and tech products. A few incidental references to retail outlets and food or beverage brands.
Violence & Scariness
very little
Sunny mentions wanting to hit people or getting hit by someone else, mostly for comedy with no actual hostility or danger. A few mentions of corporal punishment from parents, also mostly for comedy with no actual violent incidents.
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Sunny's parents and grandmother are Sikhs who came to the U.S. from Punjab, India. His neighborhood is a blend of Mexican, Hmong, and Punjabi families. Sunny stutters. He also crochets and is very interested in other fiber arts like embroidery. His friend group includes teens with Cambodian, Japanese, and Iranian heritage. Mindii's family are Hmong who fled the war in Vietnam. Sunny's best friend is Nigerian and Ghanaian. Several positive representations of same-sex attraction and romance. Two minor characters are trans women.
Insights into Sikh, Punjabi, and Hmong cultures, beliefs, foods, and traditions. Words and phrases in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, and Hmong, some translated, some with context clues. What the Secret War in Laos was. The Punjabi immigrant experience of the early 1900s. The history of California's many Cambodian-owned donut shops. Alcohol addiction, rehab, and recovery. A lot of events and people missing from high school history curricula. What jollof rice is, and some variations and friendly rivalries over which country's version is best.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Sunny is a good model for empathy and perseverance. He's sometimes self-conscious about his stuttering, but he sees it as a part of him, doesn't feel like he's broken in some way. Mindii is a good model for communication and integrity. She's very self-confident and demands respect. She's not afraid to speak her mind or speak up for others. The large cast of characters model different behaviors, but there are no villains, except an antagonist who verbally bullies Sunny.
Positive Messages
some
Don't get too obsessed over finding an answer because not every question is answerable. Just go through your process of discovery and allow yourself to fully experience the emotions that come up along the way.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions is a contemporary story that takes place over one night on the one-year anniversary of the death of Sunny's older brother from alcohol poisoning. Mourning loss is a prominent theme, since love interest Mindii is mourning the loss of her grandmother a few years ago. Both characters struggle with grief, and Sunny especially struggles with trying to understand his brother's actions and death. Sunny and Mindii don't drink at all, but alcohol addiction, rehab, and recovery are explored in detail. Teen characters drink to excess and unpleasant behavior is shown. Strong language includes variations of "f--k", "d--k," "s--t," and profanity in Punjabi that's not always translated. There's also some verbal bullying. Sexy stuff includes some romantic feelings and a couple of kisses.
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What's the Story?
SUNNY G'S SERIES OF RASH DECISIONS begins with the one to finally go to prom, even though he doesn't have a date, and even though his family is marking the one-year anniversary of his older brother Goldy's death with a memorial gathering at his house. Other rash decisions include getting on the back of a motorcycle with a girl he just met, driving around town in an ice cream truck he borrowed without asking, and taking a huge bite of super-spicy Hmong sausage. Sunny's real hope is that acting more like Goldy will help him to finally understand his brother's life and tragic death. But is that even possible?
This debut novel manages to perfectly balance fun, adventure, and romance with tragic loss and grief. Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions has a breathless feeling of excitement, wry humor, and a terrific example of romance blossoming from a solid foundation of friendship and understanding. Sunny and Mindii are many things, and their characters are well realized and easy to relate to even as each comes from an underrepresented background.
The early part of the book has a lot of cultural and pop-culture references coming fast, which can be confusing until you figure each one out, and may have some readers frequently looking them up online. The middle slows down when some of Sunny and Mindii's conversations start to feel repetitive. But the large cast of colorful, diverse characters and Sunny's and Mindii's bittersweet memories of lost loves ones are enough to keep readers' interest until the next rash decision comes along. Best for teens who can handle the depictions of alcohol abuse and strong language.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about alcohol addiction in Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions. How does Goldy's addiction affect himself and his loved ones? What did you learn about alcohol addiction that you didn't know?
What about the strong language? Is it realistic? Does that matter? How much is too much?
This novel mixes fun, adventure, and romance with loss and grief. Do think the author did good job of balancing all those elements?
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Andrea Beach
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