Whole Story of Half a Girl

Hiranandani, Veera. THE WHOLE STORY OF HALF A GIRL. Delacort Press. 2012. ISBN: 9780385741286

Sonia is a sixth grader who had been attending a small, private school all of her life. However, when her father loses his job, both Sonia and her sister must attend the local public school. Before changing schools, Sonia never gave much consideration to who she was and what she looked like, despite having an Indian father and Jewish mother. Yet, at her new school, this seems to be a common question asked by her peers. This now makes Sonia more conscious about trying to find her identity and ways to “fit in” (wherever that is). Within the story, the author also presents serious issues that impact many families today, including unemployment and depression. This book will resonate with many middle schoolers who struggle to find where they belong. Hopefully, like Sonia, they will discover that ethnic backgrounds, appearances, and socioeconomics do not matter and instead discover the importance of embracing who they are inside and out.

Reviewers have compared this book to those written by Judy Blume. I would have perhaps liked a little more background about Sonia’s father in terms of what he endured in India and his previous episode with severe depression. Overall, I enjoyed this book and think it will appeal to middle school students grades 5 and up.