Review Detail

All That Chandni Knows

Middle Grade Fiction 244

Family problems in verse

February 08, 2026 (Updated: July 26, 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.