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siriface's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Bullying, Infidelity, Violence, and Miscarriage
vif'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
Graphic: Xenophobia, Addiction, Violence, Homophobia, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
ellenb3's review
- 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
Graphic: Death of parent, Bullying, Racial slurs, Grief, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Racism
Minor: Rape, Vomit, Miscarriage, and Infertility
danaaliyalevinson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Bullying, Classism, Alcoholism, Racism, Death of parent, Alcohol, Addiction, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
brizam's review
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Addiction
serendipitysbooks'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
4.75
One thing I specifically want to mention is Renu’s book club, populated by white women. If you need a lesson in how not to interact with someone from a different cultural background to your own, look no further. Their behaviour was totally cringey and wrong on so many levels. I’d like to hope it was an exaggerated parody, but I fear it wasn’t.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Homophobia
thecharnelraven's review
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Transphobia
twinadam's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Homophobia
Minor: Violence
buttermellow's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Islamophobia, Xenophobia, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Classism
Minor: Fatphobia
taleswithtrix's review against another edition
4.0
We don’t see many stories or novels written about Asian Americans in the LGBTQIA community so I really loved that Neel Patel shined a light here. We get all of the Indian-esc perspective living in a predominantly white community in Illinois, plus the LGBT+ perspective within a non-white community.
It had me feeling all sorts of ways because of the homophobia and racism that is throughout but also from the other side. As a white American married to an Indian man, I really enjoyed Jessica (Akash’s white Sister In Law) and Renu’s relationship; the struggle to not feel judged or misunderstood when two culture and races have different expectations, etc. was very relatable for me. Many things Renu felt about white women rubbed me the wrong way. And I also hated how the book club treated Renu. I think had they lived in a more diverse American community things would’ve been different; I’d be interested to see how he would write it differently set somewhere like Boston or DC.
Akash and Renu’s struggles, feelings, experiences were very raw. While I hated Bijal (Akash’s brother) most of the book, I loved how the family grew and came into their own personally as individuals and as a family.
I also loved all the 90s music references and vibes!
This one is definitely worth a read!
Graphic: Bullying, Alcoholism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Racism