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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
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
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
tense
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:
Complicated
Title: A Great Country
Author: Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 26, 2024
I received a complimentary eARC from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Timely • Accessible • Realistic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Pacific Hills, California: Gated communities, ocean views, well-tended lawns, serene pools, and now the new home of the Shah family. For the Shah parents, who came to America twenty years earlier with little more than an education and their new marriage, this move represents the culmination of years of hard work and dreaming. For their children, born and raised in America, success is not so simple.
For the most part, these differences among the five members of the Shah family are minor irritants, arguments between parents and children, older and younger siblings. But one Saturday night, the twelve-year-old son is arrested. The fallout from that event will shake each family member's perception of themselves as individuals, as community members, as Americans, and will lead each to consider: how do we define success? At what cost comes ambition? And what is our role and responsibility in the cultural mosaic of modern America?
💭 T H O U G H T S
I have previously read another book by Shilpi Somaya Gowda and also have another one on my TBR, so adding A Great Country to my list of anticipated 2024 releases was a no-brainer. I chose to go in blind without having read the synopsis because that has been working for me over the past few months.
This narrative dives deep into themes of immigration, generational conflict, social class, privilege, and the American Dream. It unpacks a lot of current events in a fictional manner and requires the reader to suspend their own personal biases. With such vivid development, the characters really come to life and each character's perspective serves a purpose.
One of the things I really appreciated about how this story unfolds is getting to see how each of the family members handles the crisis differently. There's also neurodiverse representation that plays an important role in the story and shows showcases how there are systemic issues in how police handle differences. It also shows how small incidents can lead to monumental consequences and get blown out of proportion when more and more people get involved.
A Great Country is a thought provoking and timely novel with great pacing and character development. There could easily be a little more depth, which is what kept it from being a standout. There is no doubt this would definitely be a great option for bookclub discussion.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• family dramas
• bookclub fiction
• Celeste Ng
⚠️ CW: xenophobia, racism, Islamophobia, police brutality, physical abuse, violence, sexual assault, classism, injury/injury detail, bullying
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"An immigrant-rich country like ours makes for a complex fabric."
Author: Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 26, 2024
I received a complimentary eARC from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Timely • Accessible • Realistic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Pacific Hills, California: Gated communities, ocean views, well-tended lawns, serene pools, and now the new home of the Shah family. For the Shah parents, who came to America twenty years earlier with little more than an education and their new marriage, this move represents the culmination of years of hard work and dreaming. For their children, born and raised in America, success is not so simple.
For the most part, these differences among the five members of the Shah family are minor irritants, arguments between parents and children, older and younger siblings. But one Saturday night, the twelve-year-old son is arrested. The fallout from that event will shake each family member's perception of themselves as individuals, as community members, as Americans, and will lead each to consider: how do we define success? At what cost comes ambition? And what is our role and responsibility in the cultural mosaic of modern America?
💭 T H O U G H T S
I have previously read another book by Shilpi Somaya Gowda and also have another one on my TBR, so adding A Great Country to my list of anticipated 2024 releases was a no-brainer. I chose to go in blind without having read the synopsis because that has been working for me over the past few months.
This narrative dives deep into themes of immigration, generational conflict, social class, privilege, and the American Dream. It unpacks a lot of current events in a fictional manner and requires the reader to suspend their own personal biases. With such vivid development, the characters really come to life and each character's perspective serves a purpose.
One of the things I really appreciated about how this story unfolds is getting to see how each of the family members handles the crisis differently. There's also neurodiverse representation that plays an important role in the story and shows showcases how there are systemic issues in how police handle differences. It also shows how small incidents can lead to monumental consequences and get blown out of proportion when more and more people get involved.
A Great Country is a thought provoking and timely novel with great pacing and character development. There could easily be a little more depth, which is what kept it from being a standout. There is no doubt this would definitely be a great option for bookclub discussion.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• family dramas
• bookclub fiction
• Celeste Ng
⚠️ CW: xenophobia, racism, Islamophobia, police brutality, physical abuse, violence, sexual assault, classism, injury/injury detail, bullying
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"An immigrant-rich country like ours makes for a complex fabric."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Islamophobia
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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:
No
I received a copy of this novel in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Heavy and discouraging look at how little our society has advanced when it comes to pre-concieved notions, and racial profiling and prejudices. This novel is hard to read at times, but so very important. It's definitely one of the more thought-provoking novels I've ever read that is worthy of discussion on many levels.
As mentioned in her author's note, Gowda was influenced to write this novel following the police brutality and death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a town and police agency she once had the opportunity to intern with and attend police ride-alongs. From her experiences, she crafted a story surrounding an Indian American family and their desires to fit in, live the "American dream," and provide the very best for their family, even if it meant stretching their finances thin and swallowing their pride at times, recognizing it often took extra hard work as an immigrant family to get ahead.
But things change when their 12 year old son is picked up by police for flying his homemade drone in a restricted area. The story that follows is an important one that causes the family to reflect on what it means to be a minority in America, who your true friends are, and how change can possibly be enacted in a society so fraught with ingrained predjudices.
Heavy and discouraging look at how little our society has advanced when it comes to pre-concieved notions, and racial profiling and prejudices. This novel is hard to read at times, but so very important. It's definitely one of the more thought-provoking novels I've ever read that is worthy of discussion on many levels.
As mentioned in her author's note, Gowda was influenced to write this novel following the police brutality and death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a town and police agency she once had the opportunity to intern with and attend police ride-alongs. From her experiences, she crafted a story surrounding an Indian American family and their desires to fit in, live the "American dream," and provide the very best for their family, even if it meant stretching their finances thin and swallowing their pride at times, recognizing it often took extra hard work as an immigrant family to get ahead.
But things change when their 12 year old son is picked up by police for flying his homemade drone in a restricted area. The story that follows is an important one that causes the family to reflect on what it means to be a minority in America, who your true friends are, and how change can possibly be enacted in a society so fraught with ingrained predjudices.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
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:
Complicated
A GREAT COUNTRY by Shilpi Somaya Gowda was a fantastic read as the eclipse passed over.
Another huge thanks to #partner @bibliolifestyle & @marinerbooks for this #gifted book.
I absolutely loved it.
A family drama for sure, with many of the angsts of coming-of-age teens, this is set in the context of an Indian-American family, bringing different layers of cultural pressures, racism, and expectations of the "model minority."
I definitely recommend this book. It gave me new insights into the nuanced experiences of multi-generational immigrants in America. I can never know exactly what someone else feels, but hearing stories like this hopefully expands my understanding of unique human stories and increases my desire to continue to listen and learn. It also felt so familiar in ways that showed the absolute unification of being human. This was beautifully done, and I am sad to have so quickly exited the Shah family.
I also wish I could have some of family friend, Archie rub off on me as she was the exact representation of friendship and love.
Another huge thanks to #partner @bibliolifestyle & @marinerbooks for this #gifted book.
I absolutely loved it.
A family drama for sure, with many of the angsts of coming-of-age teens, this is set in the context of an Indian-American family, bringing different layers of cultural pressures, racism, and expectations of the "model minority."
I definitely recommend this book. It gave me new insights into the nuanced experiences of multi-generational immigrants in America. I can never know exactly what someone else feels, but hearing stories like this hopefully expands my understanding of unique human stories and increases my desire to continue to listen and learn. It also felt so familiar in ways that showed the absolute unification of being human. This was beautifully done, and I am sad to have so quickly exited the Shah family.
I also wish I could have some of family friend, Archie rub off on me as she was the exact representation of friendship and love.
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated