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thatchickengirl23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death, Grief, Child death, Homophobia, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Death of parent, Body shaming, Bullying, Outing, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical trauma, Abandonment, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexism, Misogyny, and Alcohol
Minor: Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Racism
maxierosalee's review
- 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
3.75
Please note that this is a book that covers many triggering topics. I've done my best to list all of them accurately.
This is more of an expression of my thoughts than an actual review.
This is definitely not the kind of book that I usually read. I read it on a whim; it was part of a fiction sampler I was reading, and I kept becoming curious about what happened next.
I feel like I mostly suffer from not being the kind of person who usually reads these kinds of books? It's a coming-of-age story about a boy struggling with his sexuality and feminity in 1990s India, where LGBTQ+ behavior is outlawed. It details the main character growing up with their family, going through boarding school, joining the circus, and falling in love with another man. I don't consider this plot outline too much of a spoiler, because for these kinds of books, these kinds of settings are only a small portion of the story. The real meat of the story is the trials and tribulations of the main character, his emotional trauma, and his journey throughout. There are a lot of events in the book that seem more symbolic than anything else.
This is an emotionally heavy book, and some parts affected me heavily, especially regarding his family relationships. There were a few parts that I skimmed when I began to get bored of it when it seemed too repetitive with what the conflict was. But the parts that got me hooked (will not say due to spoilers) kept me going. This wasn't a book I wanted to put down or considered leaving unfinished when I got to the parts that hooked me and kept my interest. And I feel like a book that has me thinking about it and considering it after I've finished and put it down has done a good job of making an impression on me.
The reason it's not a full 3.75 stars is mostly due to some repetitive parts where I was losing some of my interest. Some of the narrative threads felt like they wandered a bit to me with not a lot of connection, almost like a train of thought that kind of goes on without being reigned in. It wasn't a steady ride throughout my reading of it; I had highs and lows as I was going through it. But it's an emotionally devastating book, equal parts tragic and beautiful, and I'm glad I took the random chance to read it.
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Rape, Hate crime, Body shaming, and Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Police brutality
More potentially triggering things below (please note that this is a pretty big spoiler in the later portion of the book near the end)morybaby's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Forced institutionalization
skitch41's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Child abuse
jareadforfilth's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Outing, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Confinement, and Bullying
danscoada's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Shastri Akella's The Sea Elephants follows a young man named Shagun during his most pivotal development years. We see his rocky relationship with his absent father, grief after his twin sisters tragically pass away, Shagun grappling with his sexuality both mentally and physically, and finding romantic and platonic true love. The novel is set in India in the late 1980s to 1990s, and Akella does a fantastic job of incorporating Indian mythology, culture, and sociopolitical issues into this very personal novel.
What I enjoyed most about The Sea Elephants were the relationships that Shagun found for himself. His fellow actors were entertaining and had Shagun's back no matter the circumstances. Marc, mostly, was a swoon-worthy love interest, and his warmhearted friends adopted Shagun so easily. Typical of Indian culture, Shagun's father tries to arrange for him to marry a young woman. Luckily for both of them, neither actually plan on marrying the other and from there another lovely friendship is made.
Parts of The Sea Elephants, especially in the middle, were a bit of a drag; so much so that I often didn't feel motivated to pick it up. For a novel of this length, it took me longer than usual to read. However, this is not a book intended to be devoured at a rapid pace. It reads best when you take your time and take in the mythical stories and atmosphere.
From what I can find, Akella was born in a small Indian town but eventually immigrated to the United States. The Sea Elephants is not a translated work, but at times it feels as though it is. I particularly had an issue with the characters' dialogue throughout. I either found some conversations to feel not entirely natural or simply just confusing. At one point towards the end I had to reread a conversation three times to decipher who said what and also why - their remarks seemed out of left field. Of course, I may have a different opinion of the final published work, but for now the dialogue was the weak link in an otherwise beautifully written novel.
I believe The Sea Elephants has the makings of becoming an important novel in the LGBTQIA+ literary canon. I haven't heard any buzz surrounding it, and at the time of writing this review it publishes in just over a week. I would confidently give this book my recommendation.
Graphic: Police brutality, Child death, Homophobia, Grief, Sexual assault, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming and Death of parent
Minor: Outing, Fatphobia, Self harm, Rape, and Drug use
amobrien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
Graphic: Homophobia, Confinement, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Pedophilia, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, and Bullying
Minor: Police brutality, Hate crime, and Incest