Reviews

Circa by Devi S. Laskar

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This book is so specific in certain fine details; the types of indian sweets each friend prefers---the particular color of shalwar kameez the mother wears day to day---and yet very hazy to me in other ways.

Do times change so radically and so quickly, or is the suburban south so different from where I grew up, that this book, set in teenagerhood five years before my own, seems to take place in no specific era but definitely one earlier than the early to late 90s, one on the edge of the era of yoga pants? The book ends in 2001, but until the World Trade Center is mentioned I was sure it was still the 80s.
I don't think this is because of the cocoon of the traditional family that is a major part of the book, but maybe it is? The attraction between the main love interests seems preordained but blurry for the middle 80% of the book, and that's probably the real thing that disoriented me most.

nevertheless_she_reads's review

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4.0

This book is told in second-person narrative format, a perspective I don't recall having read before. It definitely made for a unique experience, and I found myself further immersed in the story because of this.⁣
⁣
𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐚 is a story about finding your way through the muddy waters of grief. The book's protagonist, Heera, experiences an immense loss at a young age, which influences her path moving forward. I was rooting for her, as she tries to find her identity outside the confines of family. I appreciated how the author balanced Heera's coming-of-age with her culture. And I loved how this story took place in the late 90s/early 2000s, which was also a poignant time for my own self-discovery.⁣

maybe_perhaps's review

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

cianarae's review

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emotional sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

reilytribble's review

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emotional reflective fast-paced

2.5

felt incomplete. the characters could have been lovable, but i didn’t get to know them well enough. i didn’t hate the second-person point of view, but it did take me out of the story at times.

karapaes's review

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4.0

Devi Laskar has quickly become one of my favorite writers. Her lyrical and poetic style make her books so compulsive to read. I always find myself wishing there were more and more to read. Circa certainly lived up to all of my expectations. Heera, Marco and Marie were incredibly likable characters whose lived I was immediately invested in. All of the supporting characters, like Heera's parents, Neel, Neel's parents, the Grimaldis and Katrina felt like incredibly real, fleshed out characters despite the focus not being on them. I really enjoyed feeling as though I knew everyone incredibly well.

The ending was beautiful even though I wished I could have kept reading about what happens next. Overall, I enjoyed this the whole way through and can't wait to read what Devi writes next.