Scan barcode
A review by mcdermottcecelia
Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Such Big Dreams is a stunning debut from Reema Patel that takes you straight to the streets of Mumbai as you follow the young Rakhi's life. Rakhi is a young woman who works in an office role at an NGO called Justice for All. Earlier in her life, Rakhi experienced a traumatic series of events that led her to meet Gauri Ma'am, who later helped her land a job at Justice for All. This book follows Rakhi's life now in this office role with sprinkles of flashbacks to her earlier life. It explores the ways in which one's lived experiences and personal histories impact their relationships–both personally and professionally–while also depicting a fictionalized journey of a true, historical event in Mumbai.
I really enjoyed reading Such Big Dreams. It felt like a different choice than I'd normally pick up, but the cover is what initially drew me into wanting to learn more about this debut. I think the worldbuilding in this book helped paint a clear picture of what Rakhi's world is like, and it was easy to follow despite the different cultures followed in this book. The writing style definitely fits in with the typical contemporary depictions of things, as it tends to lean towards saying how things were instead of relying on the reader to make great inferences from the text to understand the passages. I say this not as a critique and more as an observation that some readers may or may not connect with. Another element I enjoyed about Such Big Dreams was the flashbacks, which is something I usually don't like to read in books. I think the flashbacks featured in Rakhi's story really helped the reader connect with our main character, and they were relevant, well-timed, and at the perfect length to keep the reader engaged while providing new context to help set the scene. I think Rahki was the perfect character to follow in this book, and her story was one I kept wanting to learn more about. On the other hand, sometimes it felt like the side characters were less developed, but I think this could also reflect the isolation and solitude Rakhi experiences in her character's journey. Patel did an artful job of leading the reader to envision Rakhi's life, and little elements like word choice and sentence structure made the character's voice shine through. At times, I did find myself wishing for a glossary for some of the terms, but it was usually easy to follow without one. My only main critique of this novel was the pacing. It felt very slow, especially in the beginning half of the book, so it took me a while to really become invested in the plot since it was so character-driven. If slower-paced, character-focused stories are your type of read, I'd definitely recommend this.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group's Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed reading Such Big Dreams. It felt like a different choice than I'd normally pick up, but the cover is what initially drew me into wanting to learn more about this debut. I think the worldbuilding in this book helped paint a clear picture of what Rakhi's world is like, and it was easy to follow despite the different cultures followed in this book. The writing style definitely fits in with the typical contemporary depictions of things, as it tends to lean towards saying how things were instead of relying on the reader to make great inferences from the text to understand the passages. I say this not as a critique and more as an observation that some readers may or may not connect with. Another element I enjoyed about Such Big Dreams was the flashbacks, which is something I usually don't like to read in books. I think the flashbacks featured in Rakhi's story really helped the reader connect with our main character, and they were relevant, well-timed, and at the perfect length to keep the reader engaged while providing new context to help set the scene. I think Rahki was the perfect character to follow in this book, and her story was one I kept wanting to learn more about. On the other hand, sometimes it felt like the side characters were less developed, but I think this could also reflect the isolation and solitude Rakhi experiences in her character's journey. Patel did an artful job of leading the reader to envision Rakhi's life, and little elements like word choice and sentence structure made the character's voice shine through. At times, I did find myself wishing for a glossary for some of the terms, but it was usually easy to follow without one. My only main critique of this novel was the pacing. It felt very slow, especially in the beginning half of the book, so it took me a while to really become invested in the plot since it was so character-driven. If slower-paced, character-focused stories are your type of read, I'd definitely recommend this.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group's Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.