deborahdelaurell 's review for:

Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti

3.0

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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How I felt about this book changed as I read it. It was engrossing I’ll say and the story, presented in the first 100 pages or so, unfolds so nicely. Dava, changes, which I hoped she would in ways, but still remains so fierce. The characters could’ve been developed more (I still didn’t feel like I knew them, with the exception of Rev) but I did like what was developed. There was a trueness to them (with the exception of Arvid and Dava’s relationship, but I wonder if this was intentional, as seen through the veil of grief and time), their varied relationships and responses to their mothers death. Again I felt her trying to show not tell, which wasn’t always successful and made the writing sometimes clunky, but what a well told story all the same. I said to a friend around page 180 that the premise was more interesting than the story, and I’m happy to report I changed my mind. The premise was, in the end, the way our characters were able to change and grow and, though I was grateful for it, the characters themselves shown through in the end! A lovely, enjoyable read.