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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i am left utterly breathless by Roy's careful weaving of this story and its setting. it is unebelievable how visceral every paragraph is. this book will stay with me for a long, long, long time
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
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:
No
Undeniably beautiful, unique prose. But it dragged and dragged. And the payoff wasn't totally worth it, I didn't think. I struggled to follow the timeline when it jumped around in places but maybe I'm just not intelligent enough for it.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Despite my limited knowledge regarding the history or culture of India, this book absolutely broke my heart. We witness the implosion of a family in non-linear slow motion, getting to know everyone involved on an intimate, sometimes uncomfortable level. We get broad strokes of the external forces that are helping to shape events as well as evocative writing and flowing imagery from the author that roots us firmly in the lush setting. The author uses a lot of literary devices (alliteration, wordplay, repetition), and for me they really help to reinforce the overall tone rather than distract from the story.
There were moments during this book that I wanted to shout: "Get to the point, for god's sake. I don't care if it's for the god-of-small-things' sake or the god-of-large-things' sake. Just get there!"
When we do get there in the end, it's pretty much worth the journey, although not entirely, hence four stars instead of five.
Roy's writing is gorgeous; an unusual blend of lush and heavy, yet delightful and surprising at the same time. She conveys the children in the book's perceptions by using compound words (stoppit, dustgreen, wetgreen, sariflapping), reminding us continually they they are indeed children. Innocent and without agency.
This is essentially a book about power. It clearly delivers Roy's human rights message without being preachy. Instead, it draws us into the deeply human and personal impacts of power misused and the risks inherent in challenging those who hold it.
When we do get there in the end, it's pretty much worth the journey, although not entirely, hence four stars instead of five.
Roy's writing is gorgeous; an unusual blend of lush and heavy, yet delightful and surprising at the same time. She conveys the children in the book's perceptions by using compound words (stoppit, dustgreen, wetgreen, sariflapping), reminding us continually they they are indeed children. Innocent and without agency.
This is essentially a book about power. It clearly delivers Roy's human rights message without being preachy. Instead, it draws us into the deeply human and personal impacts of power misused and the risks inherent in challenging those who hold it.
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Vomit
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced