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arkwen452's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
Late Bloomers give readers an in-depth look into the inner most thoughts, fears, worries and regrets of the Raman family.
Lata and Suresh were married for almost forty years after being matched by their parents back in India. Their two children are all grown up and have their lives together or so it would seem. But as the two gave their lives up for their kids and the desires of their parents, the two lost themselves along the way. I chose to say 'it's complicated' for the character development for Late Bloomers because I found that perhaps, Priya and her father Suresh did not fully have a clear direction of where their lives were headed by the end of the book. Whereas, Lata and her son Nikesh are offered the opportunities to move forward with their lives they way they want to.
This might be a nod to the comparison that Suresh makes about how similar Priya is to him but I can't be too sure. I do not normally read family centered books because family drama/stories can be triggering in a number of different ways. However, this book was a book club pick and while I had issues with some of the characters' actions I did find the author delivers the Raman Family drama in a relatable and humorous way.
Out of the four family members, my favorite was Lata; she seemed to always be aware that she was unhappy and was living her life for her children and parents but she eventually had the strength and mental clarity to get out a marriage she was not happy in. I also enjoyed how self aware her character was when it came to her worries and where they manifested from, especially when she realized Len was crushing on her.
The Raman family had a lot of generational and cultural trauma that affected the communication within their family. With Lata and Suresh being used to not talking, discussing or showing their emotions from their Indian upbringing to Nikesh and Priya being used to hiding or telling half truths or no truths being first generation America.
This was my first read by Deepa Varadarajan and I am open to reading my by her.
Lata and Suresh were married for almost forty years after being matched by their parents back in India. Their two children are all grown up and have their lives together or so it would seem. But as the two gave their lives up for their kids and the desires of their parents, the two lost themselves along the way. I chose to say 'it's complicated' for the character development for Late Bloomers because I found that perhaps, Priya and her father Suresh did not fully have a clear direction of where their lives were headed by the end of the book. Whereas, Lata and her son Nikesh are offered the opportunities to move forward with their lives they way they want to.
This might be a nod to the comparison that Suresh makes about how similar Priya is to him but I can't be too sure. I do not normally read family centered books because family drama/stories can be triggering in a number of different ways. However, this book was a book club pick and while I had issues with some of the characters' actions I did find the author delivers the Raman Family drama in a relatable and humorous way.
Out of the four family members, my favorite was Lata; she seemed to always be aware that she was unhappy and was living her life for her children and parents but she eventually had the strength and mental clarity to get out a marriage she was not happy in. I also enjoyed how self aware her character was when it came to her worries and where they manifested from, especially when she realized Len was crushing on her.
The Raman family had a lot of generational and cultural trauma that affected the communication within their family. With Lata and Suresh being used to not talking, discussing or showing their emotions from their Indian upbringing to Nikesh and Priya being used to hiding or telling half truths or no truths being first generation America.
This was my first read by Deepa Varadarajan and I am open to reading my by her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death of parent, Abortion, Infertility, Alcohol, and Classism
machenn's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, Death, and Abortion
sarahsainzz's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.5
✨ 4.5 / 5 Stars ✨
This book was a treat for me! It was witty, and it kept my attention!
The story is about the lives of each individual within Indian family of 4 - parents are post divorce and the children are adults. The story is divided in chapters narrated as each person in the family. It was so vivid to me to read about each complex character - all of them have something they are dealing with, and it was so refreshing to see the story of an immigrant family dealing with issues of marriage, divorce, dating, loss, etc!
I would recommend this book to all my friends!! So different and so real!!!
This book was a treat for me! It was witty, and it kept my attention!
The story is about the lives of each individual within Indian family of 4 - parents are post divorce and the children are adults. The story is divided in chapters narrated as each person in the family. It was so vivid to me to read about each complex character - all of them have something they are dealing with, and it was so refreshing to see the story of an immigrant family dealing with issues of marriage, divorce, dating, loss, etc!
I would recommend this book to all my friends!! So different and so real!!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Abortion, and Cancer
emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is such a good messy family story! Each family member is navigating very challenging romantic relationships while also navigating how to communicate with their own family. On audiobook, there’s a full cast since it’s split between four point of views! I really enjoyed how even when engaging in messy and questionable relationships, each of them had good hearts and good intentions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Abortion and Alcohol
katiemack's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
As a messy, mournful look into the realistic lives of the members of an imperfect family, I thought this was totally fine. While the storyline is refreshing, most of the characters are unlikeable in less interesting ways; the only ones I was really rooting for are matriarch Lata and her coworker Deanna (who, unfortunately, is a side character who doesn't get as much time on the page). I wanted more growth from the characters, but I also understand that true growth isn't always achievable in the way they're living their lives.
As a messy, mournful look into the realistic lives of the members of an imperfect family, I thought this was totally fine. While the storyline is refreshing, most of the characters are unlikeable in less interesting ways; the only ones I was really rooting for are matriarch Lata and her coworker Deanna (who, unfortunately, is a side character who doesn't get as much time on the page). I wanted more growth from the characters, but I also understand that true growth isn't always achievable in the way they're living their lives.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
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