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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
Engaging book set in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and is primarily a coming of age story of a gay boy in a society that is largely not-accepting of the LGBTQ community. There are more to the stories than just that storyline however, giving a beautiful and layered portrait of Sri Lanka at that time. The novel is lacking a strong through narrative, but reads well if you consider each chapter as an independent, closely linked, short story.
emotional
reflective
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Violence
Moderate: Torture, Police brutality, Murder
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
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:
No
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An absolutely stunning read and look and queerness, race and masculinity
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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:
Yes
Shyam Selvadurai's books tend to be pretty hit or miss for me, but this was definitely a hit. It really expands the idea of what a coming of age story can be-- weaving personal growth and development together with the broader national conflict and the protagonist's growing understanding of it. Overall, it was a beautifully written, incredibly emotional and vivid book.