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maxierosalee's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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
3.75/5
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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)aperl1's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Sexual violence
pastelmeganes's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Spoilers ahead:
So i enjoyed the concept of the story but some aspects of execution I felt were a miss. I enjoyed the concept of what the author was going for with the mix of religion as well as the identity of his sexuality playing a part in his craft with acting but I felt the main character wasn’t very likable. Perhaps that was intentional but I felt it hard to enjoy his journey at times.
I was enthralled and captivated immensely more in the beginning up until he left school. I felt saddened for him while at the boarding school that his body imagery was constantly a point of ridicule but I felt it was realistic sadly of boy behavior.
The main character battled a lot with grief; specifically with the lost of his sisters. In a way, he lost everyone in his family but at the cost of him accepting himself which is a sad reality of many LGBT+ individuals specially in countries with strict laws against LGBT folks.
The whole conversion therapy camp situation was incredibly disheartening and very graphic. Im glad his cauldron friend was able to find a median with his identity and family and meet the main character again.
I would give this originally a 4/5 however the middle of the book started to get long winded and i HATE story arcs with misunderstandings personally so I had to knock it down a bit for that.
So i enjoyed the concept of the story but some aspects of execution I felt were a miss. I enjoyed the concept of what the author was going for with the mix of religion as well as the identity of his sexuality playing a part in his craft with acting but I felt the main character wasn’t very likable. Perhaps that was intentional but I felt it hard to enjoy his journey at times.
I was enthralled and captivated immensely more in the beginning up until he left school. I felt saddened for him while at the boarding school that his body imagery was constantly a point of ridicule but I felt it was realistic sadly of boy behavior.
The main character battled a lot with grief; specifically with the lost of his sisters. In a way, he lost everyone in his family but at the cost of him accepting himself which is a sad reality of many LGBT+ individuals specially in countries with strict laws against LGBT folks.
The whole conversion therapy camp situation was incredibly disheartening and very graphic. Im glad his cauldron friend was able to find a median with his identity and family and meet the main character again.
I would give this originally a 4/5 however the middle of the book started to get long winded and i HATE story arcs with misunderstandings personally so I had to knock it down a bit for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Grief, Sexual assault, and Torture
Moderate: Outing, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Death
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