The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal

Netflix's Never Have I Ever meets Jenny Han in this debut novel from Ambika Vohra. When a college essay prompt asks play-by-the-rules Aisha Agarwal what she's done to get out of her comfort zone, she desperately enlists the help of a mysterious stranger to create (and chaotically tackle) a wall of sticky notes containing daring, boundary-pushing to-dos.

“How have you gotten out of your comfort zone?”

That’s the Stanford University essay prompt keeping senior Aisha Agarwal up at night. As a daughter of immigrant parents, a scholarship student at a competitive private school, and a shoo-in for valedictorian, Aisha’s straight-and-narrow path has always guaranteed safety and success. But after her longtime crush, fellow brain Brian, stands her up at winter formal, Aisha decides that playing it safe just isn’t worth it anymore. As if on cue, a banged-up Volkswagen arrives at the dance; the driver—a boy—profusely apologizing for being late to pick her up. Does Aisha know him or what he's talking about? No. Does the Stanford essay convince her to take him up on the ride? Maybe…

Soon Aisha is unloading all to her would-be chauffeur, seventeen-year-old Quentin. To her surprise, her easygoing confidante opens up too, leading to a deal: if Aisha helps Quentin pass math, he’ll help push her out of her comfort zone, using a series of sticky note to-dos—dares—that will not only give Aisha something to write about for her Stanford essay, but will create a version of herself that Brian can’t resist.

As the weeks go by, so do the dares. From New Year’s Eve kisses to high school parties, Aisha’s sticky note manifesto is finally putting her in the driver’s seat of her life. But when she ends up falling for the wrong guy, has a falling-out with her best friend, and still can’t quite finish her essay, victory feels far from reach. But is winning worth it if you end up losing yourself in the end?

• Hardcover
• Ages 14+ yrs

Ambika Vohra is an Indian American writer living in San Francisco surrounded by tiny plants and big books. A Michigan native, she spent her childhood in pumpkin patches and cider mills. When not writing, she's making Indian-style chai with concerning levels of cardamom pods. The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal is her first novel. For more on Ambika and her upcoming work, visit ambikavohra.com.