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leahrosiee's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Pregnancy
caitcosentino's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Death of parent
bookswithsoumi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy
katyisreading's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
ashleysbookthoughts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer and Emotional abuse
soobooksalot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy for review.
Dava Shastri is one of the richest women in the world, having carved out a name for herself in the music tech world. She is a well-known philanthropist and holds her share of secrets from her storied life.
Her five children and extended family gather for Christmas at her estate on her private island, and are presented with news - Dava is dying of a brain tumour and the public announcement of her death precedes her actual death.
She wishes to control not only how she passes, but how the world presents information about her from past and present.
Readers are treated to the portrait of this unique and strong woman of colour, in a story with tinges of humour and many a pop culture reference. It's of a life lived, a life about to be lost, and a legacy left.
The one element I didn't quite feel was necessary was the setting of the story in the year 2044.
Regardless, debut author Kirthana Ramisetti has created a detailed, well-crafted world of characters. I look forward to reading her future work. Recommended!
Released on Nov. 30.
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Medical content, and Death of parent
katiemack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The premise alone was enough to intrigue me--a powerful matriarch from a multicultural family who isolates her relatives at her giant private island residence for the holidays and fakes her own death? Count me in!--and the execution certainly delivers. Ramisetti's writing reminds me a bit of Taylor Jenkins' (specifically, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo). She's great at establishing family drama and intrigue while ensuring that her characters are still relatable and have depth and development. While Dava isn't a likeable character (and I cringed at some of her attributes), Ramisetti establishes enough sympathy for her that I was invested in her and her family.
This is a strong debut and well worth your time, especially if you enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Moderate: Infidelity and Death of parent
spinesinaline's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Physical abuse