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leahrosiee's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Suicide
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Pregnancy
katyisreading's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Death, and Death of parent
2treads's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
What will be said about you when you die? How will you know? Maybe you could tweak the date of your death, as long as you had the opportunity and the power/money.
That's all Dava Shastri wants, pioneering music mogul and feminist philanthropist, so when the opportunity presents itself, she takes it. But then secrets start emerging and we get to see the real Dava, and she has definitely been untruthful and deceptive to those she loves.
I enjoyed the idea behind this narrative, I just wish it had been less self-serving, but then again wanting to know what the world thinks of you points to what seemed to me self-esteem issues. Which as a very successful mature woman, Dava should have moved beyond by now. But then again she is human and vulnerable.
What I disliked was the constant squabbling of the siblings, I wanted to smack the back of their heads and even though you could see sibling support, most times their interactions started out with snide jabs. And the fallout from their mother's announcement seemed to only enhance it.
What was done brilliantly was the opulent lifestyle and the privilege of never having wanted for anything. And although Dava had every right to provide for her kids, she never let them experience life without their cushions of wealth.
That's all Dava Shastri wants, pioneering music mogul and feminist philanthropist, so when the opportunity presents itself, she takes it. But then secrets start emerging and we get to see the real Dava, and she has definitely been untruthful and deceptive to those she loves.
I enjoyed the idea behind this narrative, I just wish it had been less self-serving, but then again wanting to know what the world thinks of you points to what seemed to me self-esteem issues. Which as a very successful mature woman, Dava should have moved beyond by now. But then again she is human and vulnerable.
What I disliked was the constant squabbling of the siblings, I wanted to smack the back of their heads and even though you could see sibling support, most times their interactions started out with snide jabs. And the fallout from their mother's announcement seemed to only enhance it.
What was done brilliantly was the opulent lifestyle and the privilege of never having wanted for anything. And although Dava had every right to provide for her kids, she never let them experience life without their cushions of wealth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Terminal illness
Minor: Domestic abuse
storieswithsonya's review against another edition
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness and Cancer
spinesinaline's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
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
3.75
Officially the first book I've read with a brief mention of the pandemic. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for an ARC! Full review at spinesinaline.wordpress.com
This one has been comped to Crazy Rich Asians and while I’ve only watched the movie, not read the book, I could immediately see the connections. An incredibly rich family and the son’s new partner who’s introduced into their world. However, the ‘newcomer’ is not the main focus of the story here, which I appreciated not only because it would be too similar. Here, the title character is the most important one in the story to watch as we learn her patterns, beliefs, and failures.
The switch between multiple perspectives was a surprise at first but it does give us a good understanding of each family member. The family has more problems to deal with at the moment than usual and seeing the way that each of them reacts to the news, along with the additional context we gain from their 3rd person narration, makes for a much more well-rounded cast of characters.
From the blurb and in my initial reading, I started to expect more of an The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibe, especially as each of the main characters are high-profile celebrities, enjoying for the most part the fame that their careers have brought them. I found it interesting that the author has a media and pop culture background as I’m sure that informed the way she wrote her main character.
Unfortunately, there weren’t the same thrilling reveals in Dava. I thought we’d get big surprising reveals, especially based on the blurb, but the book is instead a quieter family drama and it is emotional if predictable.
I did enjoy following this family even if I could see where it was going and it makes for a great holiday read (though it’s sad!) as it all takes place around Christmas in the middle of a snowstorm.
This one has been comped to Crazy Rich Asians and while I’ve only watched the movie, not read the book, I could immediately see the connections. An incredibly rich family and the son’s new partner who’s introduced into their world. However, the ‘newcomer’ is not the main focus of the story here, which I appreciated not only because it would be too similar. Here, the title character is the most important one in the story to watch as we learn her patterns, beliefs, and failures.
The switch between multiple perspectives was a surprise at first but it does give us a good understanding of each family member. The family has more problems to deal with at the moment than usual and seeing the way that each of them reacts to the news, along with the additional context we gain from their 3rd person narration, makes for a much more well-rounded cast of characters.
From the blurb and in my initial reading, I started to expect more of an The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibe, especially as each of the main characters are high-profile celebrities, enjoying for the most part the fame that their careers have brought them. I found it interesting that the author has a media and pop culture background as I’m sure that informed the way she wrote her main character.
Unfortunately, there weren’t the same thrilling reveals in Dava. I thought we’d get big surprising reveals, especially based on the blurb, but the book is instead a quieter family drama and it is emotional if predictable.
I did enjoy following this family even if I could see where it was going and it makes for a great holiday read (though it’s sad!) as it all takes place around Christmas in the middle of a snowstorm.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Physical abuse
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