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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to review Destination Wedding!
I’d say this is more of a rounded up 3.5 than a true 4, but I enjoyed the book overall.
What I liked about the book most was the older characters’ narratives and love stories. They seemed more authentic, and I personally liked the characters much better than the younger protagonists. In particular, Mr. Das was especially charming, and Radha incredibly relatable. And Nono and her driver were easily the best characters of the novel. I also enjoyed the glimpses into Indian wealth contrasted with its poverty, and the overall tone reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians, minus the obnoxious name dropping from that novel.
What I enjoyed less were Tina and Marianne’s storylines. Tina felt obsessive and neurotic in a very off-putting way, while Marianne’s indecisiveness (while relatable) was exhausting. I wish I had gotten more of Mr. Das, Radha, and Nono than the younger ones, but overall I enjoyed the book and felt that the ending was satisfying. The book as a whole made me laugh, which I always appreciate!
I’d say this is more of a rounded up 3.5 than a true 4, but I enjoyed the book overall.
What I liked about the book most was the older characters’ narratives and love stories. They seemed more authentic, and I personally liked the characters much better than the younger protagonists. In particular, Mr. Das was especially charming, and Radha incredibly relatable. And Nono and her driver were easily the best characters of the novel. I also enjoyed the glimpses into Indian wealth contrasted with its poverty, and the overall tone reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians, minus the obnoxious name dropping from that novel.
What I enjoyed less were Tina and Marianne’s storylines. Tina felt obsessive and neurotic in a very off-putting way, while Marianne’s indecisiveness (while relatable) was exhausting. I wish I had gotten more of Mr. Das, Radha, and Nono than the younger ones, but overall I enjoyed the book and felt that the ending was satisfying. The book as a whole made me laugh, which I always appreciate!
The writing style wasn't working for me. One of the things I really dislike in the prose is when it rapidly skips from one character's POV to another, especially if it's in the same paragraph. That was happening constantly here, and I didn't care enough about the characters and story to push through.
This is hard to review because there were things I loved and things I hated.
Loved - Tina felt very realistic with real struggles, race issues brought up, Indian culture (I learned a lot)
Hated - switch character perspectives so quickly it was confusing, comedy didn’t come across to me
I actually think this would work great as a movie tho!
Loved - Tina felt very realistic with real struggles, race issues brought up, Indian culture (I learned a lot)
Hated - switch character perspectives so quickly it was confusing, comedy didn’t come across to me
I actually think this would work great as a movie tho!
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It had lots of potential but there were just too many characters and too many things going on. It was hard to follow at times since it jumped from each character to the next so quickly.
hopeful
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Destination wedding follows Tina Das and those closest to her on a trip to a wedding in India. Tina is feeling insecure at work and in many other areas of her life, so the trip has come at a very opportune time. This book is rich with Indian culture while keeping a very Bollywood vibe. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. I found it hard to read through and never became invested in any of the characters. By the end, I was completely ambivalent. I loved the premise of the destination wedding in India, but I just didn't connect with this book or the main character.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this publication in exchange for my thoughts.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this publication in exchange for my thoughts.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated