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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
the marketing copy really buried the lede on this book! IT TAKES PLACE ON A PRIVATE ISLAND WHERE NOBODY CAN LEAVE. it was fun watching all the different family members work out their feelings about each other, and things ended up being really warm and lovely.
emotional
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
I love a complicated matriarch and Dava Shastri delivered on that front! Her obsession with legacy and her devotion to her philanthropic mission made her an equal parts admirable and frustrating figure. It was fascinating to see her last days through the eyes of her large, messy family and understand the ripple effects of her decisions—both ones she made years ago and ones she made in the months leading up to her death. I also appreciated this look at medically-assisted death and how every member of the family processed her choice in their own way. The audiobook was read by a talented narrator and included a little clip of the song "Dava," which was a lovely and unexpected treat.
Personally, I didn't have a problem keeping track of the characters because I found their personalities to be very distinctive. But I agree with reviewers who point out that all of the other family members were shallowly developed in comparison to Dava. I also thought this book was longer than it needed to be, especially given the aforementioned critique. All in all, this was a strong debut and I'm looking forward to Ramisetti's next book!
Personally, I didn't have a problem keeping track of the characters because I found their personalities to be very distinctive. But I agree with reviewers who point out that all of the other family members were shallowly developed in comparison to Dava. I also thought this book was longer than it needed to be, especially given the aforementioned critique. All in all, this was a strong debut and I'm looking forward to Ramisetti's next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity
Minor: Domestic abuse
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
Not what I thought it would be, and not very good
3.5. This is a pretty good book, but it would have been better if certain characters were 10% to 40% less annoying.
challenging
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
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There were a lot of aspects of the premise I was interested to see play out. A billionaire facing death choosing assisted suicide. Announcing her death beforehand so she can see herself eulogized by the media. What happens when she is remembered for the more salacious parts of her life, rather than her philanthropic work. Ultimately, what happens when control is taken away from a control freak.
Dava Shastri is a character who subverts what women are expected to do in fiction (and real life). A mother more focused on her career than her family, who sees her children in terms of how they can carry on her legacy, and who initially doesn't consider how her choices will impact anyone close to her. Even her work itself, while it's benefitted so many lives, seems like it's all organized around curating a perception of her that is generous and giving. It's refreshing to see a woman, especially a mother, make choices solely for her, and it's hard to write a self-centered billionaire that readers won't absolutely hate.
Would have liked to see the premise fleshed out a little more, namely the idea that we all want to, but can't, control public perceptions of ourselves. The cast of characters is large and not developed enough or very realistically. It's about rich people, so entirely unrelatable to most of us (which is fine, but ugh, rich people, lol). It's also set a couple decades in the future but doesn't do enough to address climate change, healthcare, the billionaire class's effect on society, class privilege etc. Read for the premise, not for the story or characters.
Dava Shastri is a character who subverts what women are expected to do in fiction (and real life). A mother more focused on her career than her family, who sees her children in terms of how they can carry on her legacy, and who initially doesn't consider how her choices will impact anyone close to her. Even her work itself, while it's benefitted so many lives, seems like it's all organized around curating a perception of her that is generous and giving. It's refreshing to see a woman, especially a mother, make choices solely for her, and it's hard to write a self-centered billionaire that readers won't absolutely hate.
Would have liked to see the premise fleshed out a little more, namely the idea that we all want to, but can't, control public perceptions of ourselves. The cast of characters is large and not developed enough or very realistically. It's about rich people, so entirely unrelatable to most of us (which is fine, but ugh, rich people, lol). It's also set a couple decades in the future but doesn't do enough to address climate change, healthcare, the billionaire class's effect on society, class privilege etc. Read for the premise, not for the story or characters.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced