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A review by valandthegianttbr
Circa by Devi S. Laskar
reflective
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
3.0
i feel like this wanted to be more profound/smarter than it was?
i did really appreciate some of the plot lines (the arranged marriage, the disappearance), but there was so much happening in such a short book that i didn’t feel like the emotional fallout of any of the major incidents was ever really explored in depth. i didn’t mind the 2nd person pov but i wonder if it also diminished the emotional impact?
i never felt super connected to or invested in the characters. they felt kind of flat & their relationships didn’t make a ton of sense to me — especially the star-crossed long lost lovers arc, it felt forced & i didn’t really feel any of their chemistry or connection. there were some interesting things to explore in most of the characters (traditional gender roles, different immigrant family dynamics, grief/loss, views on marriage), but that would definitely need to happen off the page. maybe this would be better as a book club book to really read between the lines/pick apart?
my overall feelings are mixed, leaning ever so slightly towards positive because of the interesting themes. it was really giving tumblr john green a là paper towns & looking for alaska, but didn’t seem to reach its full potential
i did really appreciate some of the plot lines (the arranged marriage, the disappearance), but there was so much happening in such a short book that i didn’t feel like the emotional fallout of any of the major incidents was ever really explored in depth. i didn’t mind the 2nd person pov but i wonder if it also diminished the emotional impact?
i never felt super connected to or invested in the characters. they felt kind of flat & their relationships didn’t make a ton of sense to me — especially the star-crossed long lost lovers arc, it felt forced & i didn’t really feel any of their chemistry or connection. there were some interesting things to explore in most of the characters (traditional gender roles, different immigrant family dynamics, grief/loss, views on marriage), but that would definitely need to happen off the page. maybe this would be better as a book club book to really read between the lines/pick apart?
my overall feelings are mixed, leaning ever so slightly towards positive because of the interesting themes. it was really giving tumblr john green a là paper towns & looking for alaska, but didn’t seem to reach its full potential