Reviews

A Burning by Megha Majumdar

lottie1803's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

tildahlia's review against another edition

3.0

A quick read that was evocative in parts but lacked depth for me. I was confused by the motivations of the characters and it made parts feel implausible or confusing. The relationship between the characters felt underdone and it was just unclear ultimately what the book was trying to do/say.

giugiufio's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

4.5

cammielawton's review against another edition

mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

bta's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

rides_and_reads's review against another edition

4.0

So hard

carrie_wallace's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

cdacunha's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

dowleyrachel's review against another edition

dark sad medium-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? Yes

3.0

I was hoping that this would take a twist, or create a hero from an unexpected place. But it seems like it's supposed to read like a tragedy, where the desire to escape poverty and live a modern middle class lifestyle will cause all to blur lines of justice and remove themselves from accountability of the neighbor. Would be curious to know more about where the author drew inspiration from and the real life stories they are trying to echo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Rape, Islamophobia, Murder, Police brutality, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Confinement

there's a moment where a group of people at a political rally form a mob and kill 3 daughters, rape their mother, and kill the father of a Muslim family over a supposed rumor that he butchered a cow. The scene was not long but the details were still very vivid.

drewchebaggery's review against another edition

reflective sad fast-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? Yes

3.5