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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
The characters were awful people, and I didn’t care what happened to them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
emotional
reflective
sad
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
reflective
slow-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
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
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Review of Dava Shastri’s Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dava Shastri is a self-made wealthy philanthropist who learns that she is terminally ill. Like most areas of her life, she wants to manage what’s within her control - including her death. Dava elects for assisted suicide and wanting to read what everyone has to say about her life and legacy, she arranges to have the news of her death leaked a day early. Dava was expecting to read stories about all of her achievements and and commitment to her philanthropic work but what she didn’t expect, were two secrets she thought she had buried and put behind her. Dava now has to spend her last day confronting those secrets and reconciling the choices she made long ago. A multigenerational story about family and legacy - Dava Shastri’s Last Day is thought-provoking yet full of family drama.
Between leaking news of her death early and dying by assisted suicide, I was so intrigued by this book. And the scandals and secrets that came out were just as intriguing. Wealth aside, Dava’s family isn’t any different from every other family and their drama. I didn’t find any character to be likable as they all had their flaws - especially Dava. I found myself getting frustrated with her preoccupation with her business, family name, and overall legacy. She was so consumed by what the media and others thought about her rather than those closest to her. It took her far too long to come to terms with accepting the narrative - a huge frustration of mine but that drama is exactly why this book was incredibly written. It makes you consider what you would do if you were faced with secrets from your past or how you would reflect on your life if you knew it was ending. Sometimes it’s best to accept that you can’t control everything.
Thank you @GrandCentralPub [#partner] for gifting me with an early readers copy in exchange for an independent and honest review! Definitely a delayed review but this book was well worth the wait and it’s out now!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy of Dava Shastri's Last Day! All opinions in this review are my own.
SUMMARY
When Dava Shastri learns that she is terminally ill, she decides to announce her death before it happens. Dava has spent her life building an empire and giving back. Now she wants to read what people have to say about her. However, when her kids learn of her plan, they struggle to not only deal with their grief, but with their mother's deception as well.
THINGS I LIKED
- Dava seems so put together in the beginning of the novel, but the more you learn about her, the more you realize her life is messy just like everyone else's
- Each chapter begins with a quote or post from someone's remembrance of her
- The novel dealt honestly with grief. Not only are Dava's kids grieving for her, but it also explores Dava's grief for the loss of her husband
- This is truly a family saga and you get the perspective of every character throughout the novel
SUMMARY
When Dava Shastri learns that she is terminally ill, she decides to announce her death before it happens. Dava has spent her life building an empire and giving back. Now she wants to read what people have to say about her. However, when her kids learn of her plan, they struggle to not only deal with their grief, but with their mother's deception as well.
THINGS I LIKED
- Dava seems so put together in the beginning of the novel, but the more you learn about her, the more you realize her life is messy just like everyone else's
- Each chapter begins with a quote or post from someone's remembrance of her
- The novel dealt honestly with grief. Not only are Dava's kids grieving for her, but it also explores Dava's grief for the loss of her husband
- This is truly a family saga and you get the perspective of every character throughout the novel
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Too formulaic. I was not interested in the story of this rich family.
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this book about a “messy matriarch” (thanks Kenz for the phrase) and the ramifications of her ambition for her family. It felt like a mix between “The Most Fun We Ever Had” and “Leave the World Behind.” Definitely left me emotional in a good way, and I really loved all the references to music in the book. I think the book had solid bones, and some of the ideas could have been executed a little better. The children could have been more fully fleshed out, for example. The ending went a little flat for me, but I really liked the journey to get there.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes