A review by youshouldreadthisif
Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 Am I glad I read this? Yes. While there are POVs from other members of the family that provide insight into family dynamics through their eyes, this book is as good as it is because of how well Ramisetti constructed Dava's character. She's "unlikeable" and sometimes difficult to sympathize with; she's deeply ambitious to the point of fixation, dismissive of her children, bordering on narcissistic, obsessed with her legacy, controlling, incredibly demanding, and, frankly, unrepentant about all of that. (Though this begs the question of whether we'd call this character unlikeable if she were instead a he, doesn't it?) And that's exactly why I like her character so much. My favorite part was Dava's POV about Tom Buck - she makes, and keeps making, an incredibly selfish and potentially devastating decision. And while my romantic heart hated it, I also understood it. So don't read this book for the juicy secrets revealed; one of them's not all that shocking, anyway. Instead, read it for the incredibly complicated family matriarch and the insight into her choices and how they affected her family. 
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