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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars was some of the cheesiness, repetitiveness, and cliched writing. But the rich story, the depth of the characters, and the beauty with which Ramisetti writes about death are incredible. Sometimes the flashbacks got a little confusing, and I almost wish we had gotten more time in the present with the siblings. I loved all of the music references and the South Asian content, although they did misspell Telugu :( Overall, though, this book was an honest, complicated, beautiful endeavor to try to encapsulate the struggles of life, death, and dying.
I very much enjoyed Dava Shastri's Last Day, this month's book club pick. I am very glad that this book was suggested; it was not one that was on my radar. (It is a GMA book club pick, though.) Dava Shastri is a successful business person and a philanthropist. She is also 70-ish widow and mother of four adult children with a terminal illness. As her family gathers on her island around the Christmas holiday, Dava shares the fact of her illness and what she plans to do about it.
Her children, Arvie, Sita, Kali, and Rev (two males and two females) each have their own unique issues and throughout the book we learn about Dava and her children, past and present. They all have secrets and flaws, yet I did not hate any of them. There is a lot going on and many different perspectives, and I thought the author kept it all together and interesting. Although I did not know all the songs and musical artists referenced (not even sure if they are all real), I enjoyed how music played a part of the story.
"To Dava, hugging Tom Buck after being married to Arvid was akin to visiting Chicago after years of living in New York City. It was not as great as her hometown but enjoyable for being a different kind of big-city experience. She would never leave New York but did not mind going to Chicago now and then." (153)
"Dava had no idea why her eldest son was so intent in his need to fade into the world, rather than risk anything to make his mark. But this quality in him was why she believed there had always been a coolness to their relationship, which had started in his teen years and fractured into a cordial estrangement once he moved to Stockholm after graduating from college." (283)
"When she had to go through the rituals of grief for each parent and then Arvid, each time was more heartrending than the one before. Whether death visited her suddenly or the visit was a long time coming, the grief also felt the same: heavy, suffocating, impermeable. She did not want that for her children or grandchildren. She did not want to be at the center of a living wake, having them crumple-faced and sobbing as she took her final breaths. She wanted joy." (315)
Her children, Arvie, Sita, Kali, and Rev (two males and two females) each have their own unique issues and throughout the book we learn about Dava and her children, past and present. They all have secrets and flaws, yet I did not hate any of them. There is a lot going on and many different perspectives, and I thought the author kept it all together and interesting. Although I did not know all the songs and musical artists referenced (not even sure if they are all real), I enjoyed how music played a part of the story.
"To Dava, hugging Tom Buck after being married to Arvid was akin to visiting Chicago after years of living in New York City. It was not as great as her hometown but enjoyable for being a different kind of big-city experience. She would never leave New York but did not mind going to Chicago now and then." (153)
"Dava had no idea why her eldest son was so intent in his need to fade into the world, rather than risk anything to make his mark. But this quality in him was why she believed there had always been a coolness to their relationship, which had started in his teen years and fractured into a cordial estrangement once he moved to Stockholm after graduating from college." (283)
"When she had to go through the rituals of grief for each parent and then Arvid, each time was more heartrending than the one before. Whether death visited her suddenly or the visit was a long time coming, the grief also felt the same: heavy, suffocating, impermeable. She did not want that for her children or grandchildren. She did not want to be at the center of a living wake, having them crumple-faced and sobbing as she took her final breaths. She wanted joy." (315)
slow-paced
I’m sure it was a good book, but I didn’t care for it
At the base of this original story is the complexity of family relationships, between parents and children, and siblings. Dava is an Indian American billionaire widow who has dedicated herself to charitable causes. When she finds out she has terminal brain cancer, she gathers her four children and their spouses and families on a remote island off of the Hamptons. Dava is determined to gather her family as she chooses to undergo medically induced suicide, so as not to prolong suffering.
Arvie is the oldest, married to Vincent and with two daughters, facing resentment of his mother, feeling her need for notoriety is what inspired her good works. Sita is seen by the family as Dava Jr., working for the foundation and with her husband, has two sons. Kali is troubled in many ways, with a big heart, while Rev, the youngest, brings his pregnant fiancée.
I loved the scenes between Dava and her grandchildren.
I liked the book more and more as I continued reading, and recommend this very unique novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Arvie is the oldest, married to Vincent and with two daughters, facing resentment of his mother, feeling her need for notoriety is what inspired her good works. Sita is seen by the family as Dava Jr., working for the foundation and with her husband, has two sons. Kali is troubled in many ways, with a big heart, while Rev, the youngest, brings his pregnant fiancée.
I loved the scenes between Dava and her grandchildren.
I liked the book more and more as I continued reading, and recommend this very unique novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The concept behind this book is very interesting and kinda gave me Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes. I think that the author does a great job of setting the atmosphere and showing complicated family dynamics. Since it takes place in 2044, it was interesting to read from the kids perspective of growing up with what we’re going through now. Be warned, there are a lot of characters to keep track of! My main disappointment was that I was hoping for the secrets to be a little juicier… The things that were revealed didn’t seem all that disastrous to me. If you go into this one expecting a family drama rather than a book full of wild secrets and revelations then I think you will definitely enjoy it!
emotional
reflective
slow-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
What a unique story. Thought it was going to be a short story but the author did a great job unfolding all the characters all the way to the end. Would recommend!