Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran

3 reviews

lilaccoconut's review against another edition

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

2.5

It was an easy read. I blew through it to be honest. There were parts that I enjoyed, especially regarding Kavya and her Indian heritage -- though she was generally unlikeable to me, she felt very genuine. In fact, her mother, Uma's, journey was the most compelling for me. The author's exploration of motherhood from different angles was enlightening for me, a childless by choice woman.

The Soli side frustrated me. Her story was (or would be) more moving, but it fell flat. Randomly placed Spanish words for no apparent reason other than to lend "authenticity" but not really (plus simple, infuriating mistakes in Spanish), glossing over important details toward the end, neglecting her in the middle,
not to mention the n instances of rape this poor girl endured. Not that it doesn't happen, not that I even mind witnessing rapes in novels, but it felt like a cheap plot device here
. I could tell the author did a lot of research about the systemic problems that affect migrants, but something about Soli's character and the book's representation of Mexican culture felt... empty. Curated. Like an over-simplified museum exhibition.

The other major issue I had was how heavy-handed everything was. If I'm honest, I'm picky about my books. The language in this one was too flowery for my taste from the beginning, and way too explanatory. As in, the author had a message she wanted to get across and she didn't want readers to misunderstand it, so she spelled it out. Multiple times. With quippy, cliché lines. It felt like I was being looked down on. I want authors to trust readers!

However, if you like that, and if you like all the loose ends to be resolved by the end of a novel, give it a shot. You might like it more than I did ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯
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trupiper's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

The blurb on the front of the book says it’s a page turner. But more often than not I found myself setting the book down. Upset and in deep rumination about the events unfolding. About the emotional connection I was gaining with these characters. I felt they were becoming part of my story, too. It’s a story of motherhood—complicated, loving, and messy. It’s a story of people. It’s a story of hope. But most importantly, it’s a story of heartache and pain. A story of love.
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skudiklier's review

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

Oh my god this book was amazing. Heartbreaking, and terrible, and complicated, but so so amazing. I'd recommend it to anyone. It was devastating and beautiful and I don't have better words to describe it. 
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