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thatchickengirl23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
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)morybaby's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Forced institutionalization
penguin00000006's review
emotional
reflective
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Body shaming
Moderate: Misogyny and Death of parent
Minor: Incest and Pedophilia
jareadforfilth's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
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
chemicallykat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Thank you to Macmillan for the audio ARC!
I'm conflicted about how to rate this... so I'm going with a 3. This isn't bad - it just didn't work for me, and the MULTIPLE graphic sexual assault scenes were difficult to handle. I found them to be incredibly jarring. I really think this book could have used a content warning because I was wildly unprepared. I almost dnf'd for this reason. If I had known going in this wouldn't have been as much of an issue because I could have prepared myself properly. This probably would have been a 4 star for me without the repetitive graphic SA scenes.
The narrator had a good tone and pace and I felt his voice really fit the story. I enjoyed the cultural aspects of this book. I did genuinely feel for Shagun at multiple points, so I was somewhat invested.
This is a coming-of-age story set in the past centered around a queer man who is struggling to find his place in the world. There is a lot of sexual assault and trauma here... which may be realistic (I wouldn't know), but I was really thrown every time it happened.
This is a valuable story, but it won't be for everyone. This book covers a lot of nuanced topics such as finding your identity, feeling like an outcast amongst your peers, and dealing with abuse and homophobia. There are very complicated relationships in this novel - in particular, the relationship between Shagun and his parents is very complex and interesting.
I don't love how everything was handled, but I do think it was somewhat realistic. The conflicting emotions were done well. I just personally don't like this idea that people who harm you should be forgiven, even at great personal cost. I would literally never forgive someone for SA'ing me. I would never think of them fondly again.
The end of this novel was somewhat satisfying, at least compared to the rest of the book. It wasn't as depressing as the rest.
There are people that will enjoy and find value in this book, but I wouldn't recommend this to everyone. I haven't read "A Little Life" but based on what I know about it, it's somewhat similar to this book. This is not a happy, lighthearted novel. This is about trauma and making a place in the world.
I'm conflicted about how to rate this... so I'm going with a 3. This isn't bad - it just didn't work for me, and the MULTIPLE graphic sexual assault scenes were difficult to handle. I found them to be incredibly jarring. I really think this book could have used a content warning because I was wildly unprepared. I almost dnf'd for this reason. If I had known going in this wouldn't have been as much of an issue because I could have prepared myself properly. This probably would have been a 4 star for me without the repetitive graphic SA scenes.
The narrator had a good tone and pace and I felt his voice really fit the story. I enjoyed the cultural aspects of this book. I did genuinely feel for Shagun at multiple points, so I was somewhat invested.
This is a coming-of-age story set in the past centered around a queer man who is struggling to find his place in the world. There is a lot of sexual assault and trauma here... which may be realistic (I wouldn't know), but I was really thrown every time it happened.
This is a valuable story, but it won't be for everyone. This book covers a lot of nuanced topics such as finding your identity, feeling like an outcast amongst your peers, and dealing with abuse and homophobia. There are very complicated relationships in this novel - in particular, the relationship between Shagun and his parents is very complex and interesting.
I don't love how everything was handled, but I do think it was somewhat realistic. The conflicting emotions were done well. I just personally don't like this idea that people who harm you should be forgiven, even at great personal cost. I would literally never forgive someone for SA'ing me. I would never think of them fondly again.
The end of this novel was somewhat satisfying, at least compared to the rest of the book. It wasn't as depressing as the rest.
There are people that will enjoy and find value in this book, but I wouldn't recommend this to everyone. I haven't read "A Little Life" but based on what I know about it, it's somewhat similar to this book. This is not a happy, lighthearted novel. This is about trauma and making a place in the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Outing, and Sexual harassment
danscoada's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC before publication.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.5
There's so much that happens that it's hard for me to even describe. If you're looking for a lighthearted coming-of-age, this isn't the book for you. The Sea Elephants is, at times, incredibly difficult to read. Shagun's story is propelled by his grief and guilt after the deaths of his twin sisters. His relationship with his remaining family is strained, made even more difficult as Shagun struggles with his sexuality.
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
Content Warnings
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
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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