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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an interesting premise, and I like the way it was written, intermingling past and present and even some future at the end. All the characters are real, as in they are all flawed in certain ways like real humans. I don't know if I liked any of them, but I think I know people like each of them in real life. All the storylines and events made sense, even if Dava is just a little too perfect. I enjoyed it enough that I'd read another book by the same author.
This book was not what I expected made you think about what others will focus about you when you die friends & family and how your kids may not want to continue your legacy when they realize it wasn't there dream
Dava Shastri’s Last Day is a sweeping story about a fiercely ambitious woman who wrote the narrative of her life and then lived it out–right to the very last moment.
It’s Christmas 2044 and news of Dava Shastri’s death is filling up news feeds around the world. On a remote private island, Dava Shastri herself hides under the covers, eyes glued to her tablet as the obituaries start pouring in. Downstairs, her four adult children, their spouses, and Dava’s grandchildren struggle to understand why the world thinks their matriarch is dead.
As Dava reveals her plans and breaks the news of her impending death to her family, each of them must reconcile what they thought they knew about their philanthropic mother with the stories emerging over the closely guarded newswires. Each’s has a uniquely complicated relationship with their mother and must work through myriad emotions and memories in order to support her and connect with her in her final hours.
Meanwhile, Dava herself revisits significant moments of her epic life, lived to its fullest in every way and confesses to her family about two secrets she’s kept hidden for decades.
While some other reviews I read described the characters as unlikable and unrelatable, I didn’t find this to be so. Although I couldn’t, perhaps, relate to their privileged lifestyles and specific circumstances, I think there’s something relatable about each of the characters as they grapple with their identities, which are so closely tied to that of their mother and their place within the Shastri-Persons family.
Ultimately, I found this book to be moving, encouraging, inspirational, and entertaining. It was the perfect way to cap off my 2021 reading journey–a gentle reminder of the fleetingness of life and a nudge to go out and life it to the fullest.
Rating: 5 stars (it was amazing)
It’s Christmas 2044 and news of Dava Shastri’s death is filling up news feeds around the world. On a remote private island, Dava Shastri herself hides under the covers, eyes glued to her tablet as the obituaries start pouring in. Downstairs, her four adult children, their spouses, and Dava’s grandchildren struggle to understand why the world thinks their matriarch is dead.
As Dava reveals her plans and breaks the news of her impending death to her family, each of them must reconcile what they thought they knew about their philanthropic mother with the stories emerging over the closely guarded newswires. Each’s has a uniquely complicated relationship with their mother and must work through myriad emotions and memories in order to support her and connect with her in her final hours.
Meanwhile, Dava herself revisits significant moments of her epic life, lived to its fullest in every way and confesses to her family about two secrets she’s kept hidden for decades.
While some other reviews I read described the characters as unlikable and unrelatable, I didn’t find this to be so. Although I couldn’t, perhaps, relate to their privileged lifestyles and specific circumstances, I think there’s something relatable about each of the characters as they grapple with their identities, which are so closely tied to that of their mother and their place within the Shastri-Persons family.
Ultimately, I found this book to be moving, encouraging, inspirational, and entertaining. It was the perfect way to cap off my 2021 reading journey–a gentle reminder of the fleetingness of life and a nudge to go out and life it to the fullest.
Rating: 5 stars (it was amazing)
This book was definitely more of a slow burn for me, but I enjoyed this exploration of legacy, death, celebrity, and most importantly, family. Tailor-made for book club discussions!
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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.
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.
an interesting premise, but I spent the whole book waiting for Rev and Sandra to break up
It was pretty good I especially liked the end but I found myself wanting more drama
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes