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m_____artha's review against another edition
5.0
"One hand, five homes. A lifetime in a fist." IT WAS HER FIRST NOVEL aaaa
sophieghenke's review against another edition
5.0
This made me so nostalgic and desperate for connection with my parents. Almost made me cry around the middle of the book and at the very end. So simple, not necessarily a happy story, but just a life!
Learning of Bengali customs (so similar to what I’ve heard of Mallhar’s upbringing) was so interesting and finding Gogol finding his own “path” with reverence for his upbringing was heartbreaking even if needed. Good read!
Learning of Bengali customs (so similar to what I’ve heard of Mallhar’s upbringing) was so interesting and finding Gogol finding his own “path” with reverence for his upbringing was heartbreaking even if needed. Good read!
khornstein1's review against another edition
2.0
Spoiler alert: I was so disappointed in this book. Most years, I try to read the summer reading the high school assigns.
The book had great promise at the beginning. Great descriptions of Cambridge, and places I know well. Gogol's father's train accident, and his subsequent naming his son for the author of a book he was reading seemed to portend something exciting that might happen later: Gogol becomes a terrorist, or kills himself, or travels to Russia to unravel his past...
Guess what? Nothing happens the whole rest of the book! The omniscient narration holds your attention and makes the book easy to read (which may be why it's the high school summer book) but there is no plot! At all. None of the characters do anything interesting or have any insight into anything or are even likable.
Lots of food descriptions. But as we know, diversity is more than food! Tell us a story--have Gogol marry the WASP and try to bring up kids in two cultures, have him experience discrimination in trying to become a top architect--anything!! A break-up within a quick marriage, resolved in a few pages. Ugh. Easy to read...
The book had great promise at the beginning. Great descriptions of Cambridge, and places I know well. Gogol's father's train accident, and his subsequent naming his son for the author of a book he was reading seemed to portend something exciting that might happen later: Gogol becomes a terrorist, or kills himself, or travels to Russia to unravel his past...
Guess what? Nothing happens the whole rest of the book! The omniscient narration holds your attention and makes the book easy to read (which may be why it's the high school summer book) but there is no plot! At all. None of the characters do anything interesting or have any insight into anything or are even likable.
Lots of food descriptions. But as we know, diversity is more than food! Tell us a story--have Gogol marry the WASP and try to bring up kids in two cultures, have him experience discrimination in trying to become a top architect--anything!! A break-up within a quick marriage, resolved in a few pages. Ugh. Easy to read...
agrao10's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
diddy_shovel's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
sunpuddles's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
flipd_pages's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
foureyez's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.75