All That Chandni Knows

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Author(s)

Khushboo Patel

Publisher

G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Age Range

10+

Release Date

March 31, 2026

ISBN

979-8217004485

Buy This Book

A powerful middle-grade novel in verse set in India that follows a 12-year-old girl as she navigates new beginnings, difficult truths and a crush.

Perfect for fans of The Night Diary; Red, White and Whole; and Remember Us.

For twelve-year-old Chandni, 1999 is the year everything must be perfect. And why shouldn’t it be?

Her parents are well-respected doctors in the community, she’s the leader of her friend group, and her crush is even hinting at liking her back. She also has her sights set high on a spot at India’s most prestigious boarding school for girls. If she stays focused and works hard, the dream just may be within reach.

But as the boarding school selection deadline looms closer, Chandni is overwhelmed by a devastating secret that’s threatening to tear her family apart. With life and relationships spiraling around her, Chandni will have to decide between pursuing her ambitions and protecting her family.

Set against the vibrant turn of the millennium in India, this debut middle grade novel in verse is a beautiful and vulnerable story about the seismic events that life throws at us and the love that helps us brave it all.

Editor review

1 review

Family problems in verse

February 08, 2026 (Updated: July 22, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Chandni is growing up in Gujarat in 1999 and struggling with a variety of issues: colorism, the struggle to get into a prestigious boarding school, and family difficulties. It's hard enough to be a teenager, but her family situation is complex. Chandni knows her father is having an affair with the mother's sister, Diya Masi. Not only that, but Diya Masi lives in the family home, shares a room with Chandni. To make matters even more difficult, Chandni is told that the mother is okay with the situation. In the end, it turns out that the mother was unaware, and is devastated at the end of the book.

This novel in verse does a good job of disecting all of the difficult emotions that Chandi experiences. The language is very lyrical and heart felt. Even though there are no details at all about any of the father's activity, this would be a better choice for older middle grade readers.

Good Points

The details of daily life in India in the 1990s were very vivid, and I was amazed that there were so many cultural references that are the same in the US!

The combination of teen personal problems and family ones makes for an intriguing story. There are far more young readers dealing with parents who are divorced, so it's good to see this represented in literature, although I can't honestly say I've seen a book set in a country other than the US or Canada that deals with families splitting up. This is somewhat similar to Thayer's Bad Cheerleader, Levy's All the Things We Found, and Willis and Cormarie's Band Nerd.