A review by bites_of_books
Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian took me by surprise. In this book we follow Neil (Neeraj) from his teenage years to his adulthood. As a child of immigrants he is feeling the pressure to succeed academically and make his family proud, their sacrifices "worth it". So, when he discovers that his neighbor, Anita, and her mom, are making a magical lemonade that grants ambition and the focus to succeed on whatever you put your mind to, he is hooked.
The book delves deep into the dark side of ambition, the way that immigrants, especially but not exclusively, can be pressured to achieve things whether we want to or not. A danger of being the best can mean that we lose our true selves in the process.
Overall a good representation of what a lot of immigrant children (and adults) face when trying to meet the ideals presented by a new country.
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