A review by hugogp
Circa by Devi S. Laskar

emotional reflective

3.0

From the very first paragraph this work is forceful. Its narrative style is incredibly aggressive, demanding that the reader be introspective, and attentive: chapters are short, zappy and we quickly understand our protagonist. The second person narration took a long time to get use to, but once I had settled into the book I enjoyed feeling the sense of confidence and self assuredness of the narrator - as they told me how I felt, reacted and what I needed. This could have become incredibly annoying, and at times it was frustrating to have been given such little trust by the author, but I think it is warranted when the protagonist is Indian American and the book centres around the intricacies of that experience. Laskar guides us through her lived experience using this narration style. 

Loss is also a large component of the work and I think this book does a good job conveying the aching, longing that we feel for those who have passed; an unquenchable thirst. 

The ending was the most disappointing part of this book for me, it felt rushed and careless. Characters suddenly changed without any explanation, themes - like loyalty - suddenly disappeared from the page, and key relationships were left in ambiguity. I think Laskar tries to do this to empower the reader to imagine our own reading, but when for the entirety of the book we have not been given the freedom to imagine, it seems like an easy out.