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cassielaj's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think this book is magnificent. The concept, of a woman so obsessed with legacy that she publicizes her death early to read the coverage and brings her family together on a private island for her final moments, is bizarre at first.
But this story is raw and messy and stunning in so many ways. The extended Shastri-Persson family is made up of characters so complex and flawed that you have to remind yourself it's fiction. As the book progresses, it manages to address some of life's most existential questions about love, family, death, and legacy, but Ramisetti weaves them so expertly into the type of gossipy, can't-look-away, rich people family drama story that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Cancer, Grief, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcoholism and Infidelity
javafenn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Dana is dying so she brings her children to her beloved home to see out the last of her days before she dies by assisted suicide but not before she releases her obituary, before she’s even gone. What culminates is all of her children coming to terms with her death but also her life and her regrets in how she built an empire for them without taking the time to truly know them. This book was so sad but so happy. So fraught with generational trauma but also with care and love. Seeing how each child and their extended families dealt with Dava’s decisions was very interesting. It’s a great story of love and loss and the narrator was excellent.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Death, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Addiction, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, and Infidelity
modryzamek's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief, Death, Racism, Death of parent, Abortion, Infidelity, and Alcoholism
khayes694's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
I heard some rumbling and mumbling about people comparing this book to Evelyn Hugo? Why I thought ? What could these two books possibly have in common ? So I went for it and I am so happy I did. This is a lot better compared to Evelyn (in my opinion) The only similarities between the two ladies involve the theme of death but I think the way Dava handled it was managed better. It was thought out in more ways than one. This book also encompasses the issues of abandonment, adoption, interracial marriages, racism, and other complex family dynamics. Dava’s four children also have their own distinct personalities as well as the grandchildren. Diversity in characters and sexualities was a nice surprise. Dava is of Indian decent. Her children are a blend of her and her husband (who is not Indian.) Her eldest son is gay and we meet his husband & their children. Her youngest daughter is in a poly relationship with a married couple (although it’s revealed not to be a healthy one.) This takes you through a matter of days during the winter month of December as we realize Dava made an important decision and we are met with flashbacks & present day ideas of how everyone feels. A character driven novel that if you listen to the audio, you are welcomed to a short snippet of the song that Dava said was inspired by her !
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Death, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
onmalsshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you Grand Central for an ARC and a finished copy in exchange for a review.
Dava Shastri has ulterior motives.
Dava Shasri is a horrible person.
Dava Shastri's last day was too long.
Dava Shastri did not raise a single decent person.
Dava Shastri traumatized her grandchildren.
Interesting premise that did not deliver. Too many unlikeable people and no one to cheer for except maybe a son-in-law, Colin, and the four grandkids.
Dava basically gathered her family at their family compound to find how what the world would say about her death, but she ended up finding out what her kids thought about her and her actions when they were younger.
For a character driven novel - there was zero character development for anyone minus Dava (and that wasn’t even that great).
I do recommend the audiobook. Soneela Nankani was fantastic and I’d love to dive into other audiobooks she’s done. Plus, there was the song ‘Dava’ at the end.
Dava Shastri has ulterior motives.
Dava Shasri is a horrible person.
Dava Shastri's last day was too long.
Dava Shastri did not raise a single decent person.
Dava Shastri traumatized her grandchildren.
Interesting premise that did not deliver. Too many unlikeable people and no one to cheer for except maybe a son-in-law, Colin, and the four grandkids.
Dava basically gathered her family at their family compound to find how what the world would say about her death, but she ended up finding out what her kids thought about her and her actions when they were younger.
For a character driven novel - there was zero character development for anyone minus Dava (and that wasn’t even that great).
I do recommend the audiobook. Soneela Nankani was fantastic and I’d love to dive into other audiobooks she’s done. Plus, there was the song ‘Dava’ at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Homophobia, Infidelity, Grief, Biphobia, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcoholism
caseythereader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexual content
sleeson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Suicide, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Death of parent
bookswithsoumi's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Do you like messy family dynamics and drama? Ever think that the deceased would care to know what is said about them after they die? Dava Shastri’s Last Day is for you!
Dava is the matriarch of her family as well as CEO of her multiple philanthropic organizations. As one of the most famous people on the planet, she is too curious to read about her own obituary before she dies from terminal brain cancer. Dava is so obsessed with her legacy after she passes that she has her death announced to the media a few days before her actual death from physician-assisted suicide (which is legal in this reality). She then spends the next few days trying to bond with her children and grandchildren in her secluded winter lodge, but what she really does is assign them unwanted projects for them to continue her philanthropist legacy after she dies.
We get to explore Dava and her children’s backstories through a series of flashbacks during Dava’s final days on Earth. Since the media is more interested in Dava’s relationship scandals and possible secret love-child over her philanthropic legacy, her family naturally wants answers, much to Dava’s chagrin. She laments that “no matter what a woman achieves, she is always reduced to her sex life,” (my favorite line from the book!).
The book takes place over the course of a few days, starting from when the family arrives at their vacation home to Dava’s death. Every member of the Shastri-Persson family is incredibly flawed. I would never choose to be friends with any of them, but that’s what makes the book so interesting to read. If you are looking for a book with non-linear character development, Dava could be for you!
Dava’s four children are surprisingly resentful of their mother, but we come to understand their perspectives as well. My favorite character was Dava, because even though she has selfish and obsessive tendencies, starting with her preoccupation regarding her legacy, she definitely cares about empowering women and raising a happy family. Dava’s children on the other hand, who are half-Indian and half-Swedish, are woefully unaware of their privilege
One of the reasons I couldn’t give this book a higher rating was all the 70s and 80s pop song references throughout the book. I guess I am out of the loop on the popularity and importance of some of these songs. I also got a little bored without a change in scenery. Dava and her kids have many flashbacks as they reflect on Dava’s life, but the entirety of the story takes place over a week at the house. Despite all the scene changes, the book still has a slow pace.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Kirthana Ramisetti for a gifted ARC and eARC in exchange for an honest review. As an Indian-American, I really enjoyed reading my first piece of “literary” fiction by a South Asian woman!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy
ashleysbookthoughts's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really didn’t like this book at first. I thought it was kind of boring and that the characters lacked depth. BUT! About 100 pages in, the narrative shifted away from the present and into Dava’s past, giving tons of insight into her business, her relationships, and her flaws. And she was so damn relatable. I adored this part of the book, where I got to really be in Dava’s life and experience the ups and downs through her eyes.
Up until the last 100 pages or so, I was always less invested in the present timeline with Dava’s adult children. They took a long time to get fleshed out and often felt a little one dimensional to me. Though part of me wonders if this was intentional, as until late in the book the siblings really don’t know each other.
By the end, though, the characters learned important truths about each other and themselves, resulting in an emotional, heartwarming read.
All in all, though it has its flaws, this is a solid debut. I’ll definitely check out whatever Ramisetti writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Infidelity
Moderate: Cancer and Emotional abuse