Genre: Young Adult Fiction
“Be kind, have courage and always believe in a little magic”- Cinderella. Who hasn’t read the evergreen classic love story? Over the years we have seen multiple adaptations of this book. But Author Shilpa Suraj has flipped the sweet romance novel to a new-age novel which is brimming with relatability. ‘Hey Kitty’ is a young adult fiction book centred around Katyayani Shankar (Katya to her friends). Her life had taken a 360° spin after Amma’s death. Her father, the gentle, caring and over-protective Uncle Kannan had then fallen in love with Aunty Sushma who was Misha Banarjee’s mother. Not only did Katya have to adapt to a whole new family right after her mother’s death but she also had to go to the same school as her nemesis Misha, who was determined to make it a living hell for her.
On the outside, Misha was a popular, gorgeous, and snarky girl, but on the inside, all she craved was love and attention. As per her befuddled head, Katya had snatched away her mother, and nobody loved her anymore. So, she sought attention and love from her jerk of a boyfriend, Samar. Samar is the textbook definition of a Casanova. What Misha misunderstood as love was just lust and an ego boost for him.
On the other hand, there is Ashar, a perpetually scowling, good-hearted nerd who is also Katyayani’s bench partner. He consistently rejects Katya’s attempts to be friends but somehow Katya always gets her detested Chemistry and Mathematics sums right. Spoiler Alert! They do become ‘friends’ later on.
This one-of-a-kind teenage novel is written by Shilpa Suraj. She is an Indian author known for her novel “Married in Hate.” Before pursuing her passion for writing, she had a diverse career. 2 She worked at Google, gained experience in the advertising industry, and even ventured into entrepreneurship. Her writing often explores themes of love, family, and societal expectations. “Married in Hate” is a popular work that delves into the complexities of arranged marriages and the challenges couples face in navigating societal pressures.
Beyond her writing career, Suraj cherishes her role as a mother and enjoys spending quality time with her family.
This book addresses different societal issues like peer pressure, cyberbullying, societal pressure and women being sexualised. It also shows that when two parents divorce or fall in love again without proper communication with their hormonal children, there is a high possibility that the child sways in the wrong direction or has bottled-up anger in them like Misha and Katya. This book is like a wake-up call for the section of our society that is still living in the dinosaur era. At the delicate teenage ages, it is crucial that every teen has a confidante in either one of their parents and doesn’t have to go and seek validation from lecherous creeps like Samar.
I personally loved ‘Hey Kitty’ and mourned the end of the book. I loved it for the way it had been written in a way which is relatable to every 13-16-year-old. The story was a contrast to Cinderella but the element of love remained. I would recommend this book to every teenager out there and especially to the ones lost as it will act as an anchor and make you realize that there is always someone who cares about you…
