Everything Sucks by Andaleeb Wajid (Speaking Tiger) is a fresh new Young Adult novel that peeks into the life of a Kashish Asif, an 18 year old girl, who is popular Instagrammer and Sameer, who is an excellent cook and also an aspiring instagrammer.
Instagram is the meeting point for these two protagonists, a platform where their lives play out for all to see. It is one viral reel that connects them both, and suddenly life is not same anymore. A small error or judgement on a social networking platform, does not always remain small. Something happens and the error of judgment leads to a conflict that is blown out of proportion. And the conflict is for all their followers to see!
But then, they meet in real life. There are no masks here, no retakes and life plays out in a way that it has always done since time immemorial. In short, there is no predictable algorithm to go by! This makes reality quite unreal for them. Kashish has her own trauma- that of losing her mother at a tender age and also having a much older sister who is married and has different priorities now. Sameer is a young boy with an old soul, but who has an easy camaraderie with his college going brother and his young at heart grandmother. When they meet in real life, sparks fly. But will they kindle into a warm flame?
When Sameer and Kashish meet, will their perfect instagrammable lives allow for the messy emotions and the stark realities that lie beneath? What will they discover and uncover about themselves and about life?
The book is a light fiction read that touches upon authentic emotions against the background of modern lives (where Instagram also plays an integral part!). Everything Sucks by Andaleeb Wajid is an easy to read, heartwarming and interesting teenage drama that is sure to connect with the teenage and young adult readers.
