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sxndaze's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The second half of the book is what really captured me. The writing is gorgeous and really draws you in. Reading about Sneha’s experiences and the micro aggressions and the struggles and racism is all too relatable as someone who is starting out in the world. But it’s hard to get past the transphobia and fatphobia and centering of whiteness. I don’t care for Marina. But the found family aspect is lovely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Racism, Alcoholism, Deportation, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, Sexual assault, and Misogyny
rachaelwho's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Pacing was off for me. It took me a long time to get invested, and even once I had, the first act felt so long that I was surprised to find more acts beyond it. But the author had a lot to say. It's not 5 stars bc it's perfect, but because there's nothing worth faulting it for, if that makes sense. A very caring, thoughtful book. Excellent voice acting from the narrator.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Drug use, Incest, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Outing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Deportation, Fatphobia, and Sexual violence
bodiesinbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, Transphobia, Chronic illness, and Police brutality
readswithcocktails's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book is full of gorgeous prose, well developed characters, and powerful themes. Ultimately, though, it wasn't my cup of tea. I feel weird saying it's too literary, but I'm definitely a genre girl. I like my social commentary through futuristic scifi worlds and fantasy realms. I can see why a lot of people love it though. I appreciated this book and will definitely check out the author's next novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Racism
Minor: Drug use and Drug abuse
mmcloe's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Sensational.
A Jamesian novel of manners for the 21st century. Anthropological in its detail, devastating in its prose, baffling in its psychological depth. This novel is generation-defining. I could wax on it for hours and hours and hours.
A Jamesian novel of manners for the 21st century. Anthropological in its detail, devastating in its prose, baffling in its psychological depth. This novel is generation-defining. I could wax on it for hours and hours and hours.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Drug use, Transphobia, and Fatphobia
lenny002's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book is an insane ride through the mind and the relationships of the protagonist. It's a story of a twenty-something Indian immigrant trying to make herself a life in the foreign land of America. The book discusses the politics of being an immigrant, a queer person, a person of color, etc trying to deal with internalized racism and homophobia, and make a space for herself in the so-called "land of the free".
I did not like the protagonist in the beginning because she was a bit of a bitch and was not very open-minded about the variety of gender and sexual queerness people experience. But she starts to learn to be a better friend and a better person and I really like the development she goes through. She's not very politically active, her main goal is the safety of herself and the ones she loves, and I think that's a very true experience amongst groups who have been colonized and continue to be marginalized. And as a young person of color with a desire to change the world, that was a very valid experience for me to learn about without shaming or patronizing the protagonist for being politically passive.
It has a very interesting ending, which I liked best about this book. It's neither happy nor sad; the ending hints that endings aren't really endings, rather the story is a continuous process of dealing with the present and the past and the uncertainty of the future. I really liked that the protagonist is one hot mess in denial of her wounds and her flaws until shit explodes in her face. She has managed to build herself a small community of friends-turned-family who help her clean up after herself.
I did not like the protagonist in the beginning because she was a bit of a bitch and was not very open-minded about the variety of gender and sexual queerness people experience. But she starts to learn to be a better friend and a better person and I really like the development she goes through. She's not very politically active, her main goal is the safety of herself and the ones she loves, and I think that's a very true experience amongst groups who have been colonized and continue to be marginalized. And as a young person of color with a desire to change the world, that was a very valid experience for me to learn about without shaming or patronizing the protagonist for being politically passive.
It has a very interesting ending, which I liked best about this book. It's neither happy nor sad; the ending hints that endings aren't really endings, rather the story is a continuous process of dealing with the present and the past and the uncertainty of the future. I really liked that the protagonist is one hot mess in denial of her wounds and her flaws until shit explodes in her face. She has managed to build herself a small community of friends-turned-family who help her clean up after herself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Pedophilia, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcoholism
queergoth_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I got this as an eARC from NetGalley but all thoughts are my own.
I read this book a few days ago but its taken some time for me to gather my thoughts on it.
This books is very different from what I normally read bit from the blurb I was very intrigued and knew I needed to read it. Once I started I couldn't put it down. It's characters are so real, so human, so flawed and above all so relatable. It doesn't shy away from showing who these characters really are, in all aspects.
I'm definitely not the right person to discuss this in detail but it portrays, what seems to me, based on my limited knowledge, a very authentic narrative of what it can be like for a queer, first generation/immigrant Asian American. It is really a beautiful put together piece of art.
Given the central character is Indian American and a lesbian, this book contains depictions of racism (heavy on the micro aggressions) and some homophobia. One thing that I do also want to point out is that there is one section where the main character says something transphobic. I feel like it was resolved in a natural, if dissatisfying way, later in the book but since this was an ARC and I couldn't find any trigger warnings I just wanted to mention that it is there.
I read this book a few days ago but its taken some time for me to gather my thoughts on it.
This books is very different from what I normally read bit from the blurb I was very intrigued and knew I needed to read it. Once I started I couldn't put it down. It's characters are so real, so human, so flawed and above all so relatable. It doesn't shy away from showing who these characters really are, in all aspects.
I'm definitely not the right person to discuss this in detail but it portrays, what seems to me, based on my limited knowledge, a very authentic narrative of what it can be like for a queer, first generation/immigrant Asian American. It is really a beautiful put together piece of art.
Given the central character is Indian American and a lesbian, this book contains depictions of racism (heavy on the micro aggressions) and some homophobia. One thing that I do also want to point out is that there is one section where the main character says something transphobic. I feel like it was resolved in a natural, if dissatisfying way, later in the book but since this was an ARC and I couldn't find any trigger warnings I just wanted to mention that it is there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Racism, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Fatphobia, and Police brutality
Minor: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Drug use
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