A review by readwithbells
A Burning by Megha Majumdar

challenging dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I don’t have a lot of words for this book. Megha Majumdar writes a short and powerful piece that grabbed my attention immediately  and didn’t let go until I finished. This is a sad story and one that deserves to be told. Jivan’s downfall is heartbreaking, and watching Lovely and PT Sir succeed because of it was so hard to experience. I am in awe. I can’t believe this is a debut. 

I do wish Lovely’s POV hadn’t been written in broken English. I don’t see why that was necessary, since she likely thinks in Bengali. And I do think her character, and PT Sir’s character, are a little stereotypical though I enjoyed their character arcs. This book is very pointed (and definitely written for a Western audience which isn’t a bad thing) and I will definitely recommend it to anyone. 
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