I’d discovered that I did have time for a fuller life. Because it was other people that made life meaningful.
– Serena Singh Flips the Script
Summary and Thoughts
Serena Singh is tired of everyone telling her what she should want–and she is ready to prove to her mother, her sister, and the aunties in her community that a woman does not need domestic bliss to have a happy life.
Things are going according to plan for Serena. She’s smart, confident, and just got a kick-ass new job at a top advertising firm in Washington, D.C. Even before her younger sister gets married in a big, traditional wedding, Serena knows her own dreams don’t include marriage or children. But with her mother constantly encouraging her to be more like her sister, Serena can’t understand why her parents refuse to recognize that she and her sister want completely different experiences out of life.
A new friendship with her co-worker, Ainsley, comes as a breath of fresh air, challenging Serena’s long-held beliefs about the importance of self-reliance. She’s been so focused on career success that she’s let all of her hobbies and close friendships fall by the wayside. As Serena reconnects with her family and friends–including her ex-boyfriend–she learns letting people in can make her happier than standing all on her own.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I connected with Serena as a character (an ambitious woman with no social life and no desire for children lol), I liked her friendship with Ainsley and how this relationship was such a main focus in the novel. In comparison to many other romances in the contemporary genre, this book seemed to veer more so on general fiction as opposed to romance due to its central theme of isolation in one’s 30s. Though there definitely is romance, this aspect isn’t the most important part of Serena’s life, which was a really unique and refreshing take. If you enjoy character studies but want to dive into romance, this may be a good contender. For this reason, unlike others, I actually found the plot pacing and romance well-structured. Some people noted that the romance felt tacked on and not well-developed, but for me, it made sense in relation to the book’s focus. My only qualms with the novel occurred towards the end. I felt like the twist with the family wasn’t resolved well and it left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Despite this, I’m still happy to have read Serena Singh Flips the Script and would definitely recommend it to others.
SPOILERS BELOW ——————
I also was a bit confused, if not sad, to see Serena say throughout the novel that she doesn’t want kids . . . and then end up dating a guy with kids . . . I don’t get it. She says that she “fell in love with them” and I’m like . . . so do you actually want children or are you just against pregnancy? Because she seemed to be okay with the prospect of interacting with them for the foreseeable future. Sigh . . . There goes another childfree romance hope . . . lost in the wind.
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Star Rating
3.8/5
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