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zo__ish's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
poetic, scientific, nostalgic
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
tesslw's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
TW; suicide, substance abuse
Gold Diggers holds a fascinating premise; an Indian-American coming of age tale, seeped in magical realism, and cross cultural myths and legends. Neil Narayan, our central protagonist doesn’t share his parents drive to achieve - he doesn’t particularly care about conquering academia, he just wants and easy life; and Anita, his neighbour and classmate. HOwever, when he discovers that Anita’s mother has a penchant for alchemy, and can brew a potion made from stolen gold that claims to harness the ambition of the original owner… Well, then things get interesting.
In theory, anyway. In reality, this book really did not do it for me. I’m finding it hard to pin down what exactly it was that meant it really didn’t hit home for me. I love magical realism, I loved the idea of exploring the Indian-American experience and learning more about the cultural heritage and mythology of many Asian immigrants, along with the divide between the younger generation’s approach to life, wellbeing and parenting as opposed to their parents and grandparents. All of these things were present as themes in Gold Diggers but somehow it still just felt slow, convoluted and frankly, boring for a large portion of the book.
As soon as we left the section in which both main characters are in high school and skipped forwards, I felt that all pacing and momentum had been lost; so much so that even the promise of a heist could barely drive me to continue turning the pages (well, metaphorically because by this time I had switched to audiobook so that I could listen and not have to make myself focus so hard on not getting distracted). I did enjoy the writing, and there were many really lovely descriptions - however it just wasn’t enough to sustain my interest unfortunately. However I have seen plenty of glowing reviews for this and there a certainly some really interesting elements so check it out if you’re interested!
Gold Diggers holds a fascinating premise; an Indian-American coming of age tale, seeped in magical realism, and cross cultural myths and legends. Neil Narayan, our central protagonist doesn’t share his parents drive to achieve - he doesn’t particularly care about conquering academia, he just wants and easy life; and Anita, his neighbour and classmate. HOwever, when he discovers that Anita’s mother has a penchant for alchemy, and can brew a potion made from stolen gold that claims to harness the ambition of the original owner… Well, then things get interesting.
In theory, anyway. In reality, this book really did not do it for me. I’m finding it hard to pin down what exactly it was that meant it really didn’t hit home for me. I love magical realism, I loved the idea of exploring the Indian-American experience and learning more about the cultural heritage and mythology of many Asian immigrants, along with the divide between the younger generation’s approach to life, wellbeing and parenting as opposed to their parents and grandparents. All of these things were present as themes in Gold Diggers but somehow it still just felt slow, convoluted and frankly, boring for a large portion of the book.
As soon as we left the section in which both main characters are in high school and skipped forwards, I felt that all pacing and momentum had been lost; so much so that even the promise of a heist could barely drive me to continue turning the pages (well, metaphorically because by this time I had switched to audiobook so that I could listen and not have to make myself focus so hard on not getting distracted). I did enjoy the writing, and there were many really lovely descriptions - however it just wasn’t enough to sustain my interest unfortunately. However I have seen plenty of glowing reviews for this and there a certainly some really interesting elements so check it out if you’re interested!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Suicide
madihammond's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Moderate: Suicide
elykeepthefaith's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Every single piece of this book was well thought out and masterfully executed. When you start the book it feels like you several different stories are being told and then Sathian discreetly weaves all these different plot points together to create this emotional and raw telling of the immigrant story. The story dissects so many facets of the American Dream and what that means to the South Asian community. One of the things that really sets this book apart is the use of magical realism. If you are going into this book expecting a full blown fantasy, the magic element will not satisfy. The “alchemy” aspect of the book is a thread in the larger plot of the book. I loved it from begin to end!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Bullying and Gun violence
jeanbpdx's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Engaging, thoughtful story about first-generation immigrant children seeking identity and connection in a coming of age story with magical elements. Some difficult topics, see content warnings
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence
mandkips's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Moderate: Sexual content, Bullying, and Drug use
eli_is_trying's review
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Drug use, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Addiction, Death, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Misogyny, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, and Physical abuse
kazli's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Suicide
kdrummonds's review
lighthearted
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Addiction, and Toxic relationship
anu_wil's review
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Might be my favorite Desi diaspora book, with a perfect combination of comical wit and poignant analysis. I was biased by some interviews with the author in terms of what themes to look for, but seeing South Asian diaspora fiction go beyond the family and the past to roots that are simultaneously ours and not ours is a rare thing I hope to see more. And this is the first time I’ve seen a diaspora novel include mysticism and magic as an embraced part of our lives, rather than a silly falsehood to be rejected and scorned by the American-born second generation; it’s a welcome breath of fresh air
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug use
Moderate: Chronic illness and Addiction