Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - In Flammen

It took me a couple days to get into this book but once I got sucked in I read most of it in one day. Tense is one word, the depiction of corruption and betrayal was visceral at times. Sometimes the one-time interludes really added to the narrative and other times distracted from our primary characters. This book involves graphic depictions of religiously motivated violence and murder, as well as state sanctioned violence- definitely check the content warnings.

Content Warnings

bluejeepbaby's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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skudiklier's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was deeply upsetting. Well-written, with some beautiful prose at times, but wow. My heart is heavy and angry and sad and frustrated. A really intricate and thoughtful tale of corruption.

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nalandajo's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-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? No

4.0

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tpantozzi's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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rickieskidmore's review against another edition

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informative medium-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

4.0

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tomato_bisque's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-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? Yes

3.5

"When the crowd disperses, they fill buses where they hang from open doorways, and return to homes where the pride of the year is a new refrigerator. They will bend in the fields, earning two rupees for crops that will sell in the city for forty, and stand by roadsides hawking stacks of dinnerware which will chip at first wash. They will watch, wide-eyed, the one movie that plays in the theater on their half day off carpentry or construction or cleaning bathrooms, while PT Sir, in the government office's special elecator, moves upward."

I felt the book was hard to get into, it wasn't until the last 2/3rds of the book I was able to fully immerse myself. The short chapers and shifting perspectives made if difficult to latch on to the story. However, the last few chapters are definately the strongest in the entire book. The overall message is beautifully weaved together

into a tragic ending. As Lovely said, there can only be one of them that climb the ranks to the top of society. The system doesn't allow comfort and equality for everyone, some of them must be stomped down. Jivan serves as a scapegoat to wider society. Her case becomes less about her own guilt and more about the projections of political leaders, the community at large, and the ones closest to her. It was also very interesting to see Lovely and PT Sir struggle with the morality of what they were doing, but in the end choosing to do things for their own benefit.

Readers will be able to reflect on the ending and what goes on in their own countries. This is not just a novel about contemporary India, its about a system we all live under.

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becksusername's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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