Beauty and the Besharam

Gr 9 Up–Seventeen-year-old Indian American high school student Kavya Joshi is eager to win everything. Her competitive nature regularly puts her at odds with her classmates, soon-to-be ex-boyfriends, family, and especially her Desi aunties, who think she is besharam, “too much.” Ian Jun, a Korean American classmate and former friend (now rival), is never besharam despite his own competitive streak. The two come in opposition all summer long—competing for the top prize in the summer reading program and being forced to work together as costumed princess and prince for local children’s parties. Their friends also put forth a series of competitions to declare who is superior once and for all. Won’t they be surprised when they realize the prize is one another? Vale crafts a delightful rivals to romance in this YA Beauty and the Beast-inspired tale featuring recognizable characters who face realistic challenges. The characters openly discuss a variety of sexual identities as well as conflicting emotions of not feeling like enough as first- and second-generation families, while also feeling like too much.