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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book and all its messy and complicated and real people in relationships with each other. There was a transportative quality to this book, too. I felt capable of being in the places the author described and experiencing them with my own senses. I felt hopeful at the end of this book—hopeful about the human potential for redemption and renewal. Overall, a wonderful read.
dark
sad
medium-paced
I couldn’t get into it, especially after a book published in 2024 explained basic social media marketing as groundbreaking.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you ever wanted to know just how messy land/property disputes are after a patriarch’s death in India, this is the book for you. Coupled with all the inner workings of a multi-generational cycle of trauma, emotional abuse, misogyny, and violence, there are all the ingredients you need to describe a dysfunctional Indian family. The layers of dysfunction, emotional manipulation, gaslighting, passive aggressivity, and betrayal in this novel were not just messy but in an odd way validating for me to read. It feels like almost every Indian person I know has a dysfunctional family unit and a contentious relationship with one or both of their parents. And at a time when my personal life and relationships with my parents are at a massive turning point, this work felt like a comfort to me.
It makes sense that the author used to be with screenwriter for a major television company in the UK and India, as this novel has some of the Indian melodrama I would see in the soaps that my grandmother still watches to this day.There’s familial drama, extramarital affairs, gossip, backbiting, flashbacks to the past, murder, political intrigue, and more. There were parts of this novel where I struggled a bit to keep focused as the story seems to stretch a bit into waxing poetic or reflecting too long on the past, but looking back on it I can say that overall I found it necessary for the plot. While there is no happy ending and the major conflict between mothers and daughters is not fully resolved, there is at least an attempt on both sides to try and rectify a generations long cycle of abuse and trauma. And I think that perhaps is the most realistic picture of life one can hope for.
It makes sense that the author used to be with screenwriter for a major television company in the UK and India, as this novel has some of the Indian melodrama I would see in the soaps that my grandmother still watches to this day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Classism
emotional
reflective
sad
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
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an intriguing story of a family with generational trauma and familial love. It also showcased Indian, specifically Bengali culture. It is a very long read so great for a long road trip or travel via audiobook.
Otherwise, this probably is a better read when reading a physical copy or ebook.
Otherwise, this probably is a better read when reading a physical copy or ebook.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Violence, Grief