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A review by smalltownbookmom
The Most Precious Substance on Earth by Shashi Bhat
3.0
I had some mixed feelings with this book. I wanted to love it soo much but I wasn't the biggest fan of the narrative style or the way the story felt disjointed by jumping forward in time without resolving things until the very end. It was a stylistic choice I just didn't love.
Things I did love:
-The beautiful cover!
-ALL the pop culture references - Nina is able to relate most things in her life back to some 90s or early 2000s tv show (from Fraggle Rock, Dawson's Creek, Saved by the Bell, the Gilmore Girls, Pretty little liars, Being Erica, etc.)
-the diverse main character and all the South Asian culture amidst uber white Halifax
-the very relatable burnout and career dissatisfaction and her misadventures as a high school teacher
-online dating woes
Overall I did enjoy it but there were definitely places I thought the story lagged and I found myself drifting off. I wanted the underage sexual abuse to be taken more seriously but also realize that was the point. Much thanks to @Libro.fm for my ALC!
CW: sexual abuse of a minor, teenage eating disorder
Things I did love:
-The beautiful cover!
-ALL the pop culture references - Nina is able to relate most things in her life back to some 90s or early 2000s tv show (from Fraggle Rock, Dawson's Creek, Saved by the Bell, the Gilmore Girls, Pretty little liars, Being Erica, etc.)
-the diverse main character and all the South Asian culture amidst uber white Halifax
-the very relatable burnout and career dissatisfaction and her misadventures as a high school teacher
-online dating woes
Overall I did enjoy it but there were definitely places I thought the story lagged and I found myself drifting off. I wanted the underage sexual abuse to be taken more seriously but also realize that was the point. Much thanks to @Libro.fm for my ALC!
CW: sexual abuse of a minor, teenage eating disorder