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A review by lizsmall
Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti
2.0
Hmm this fell super flat for me. The concept of faking one’s death by a couple days in order to see how one is memorialized is a super interesting concept. A concept that, in and of itself, speaks to a huge ego- so I don’t know why that darker edge of Dava’s wasn’t explored more? I think this would have been a far more interesting book if the author was more critical of the ultra-wealthy’s philanthropy as a political project and through that lens, explored the more sinister side to Dava’s need to have a legacy instead of always painting her a sympathetic character.
I also just hated the last little scene of Dava struggling to walk without help to her room where she will have the assisted suicide because she didn’t want to be an “invalid” even on the last day of her life— like horrible fucking ableism. Again, this could have been read as a critique on life and the wealthy had the book been willing to criticize Dava even once and not been soooo focused on depicting her as a complex but ultimately super inspiring #girlboss. So instead read to me like we are supposed to understand this a final act of strength and will which is gross.
I also just hated the last little scene of Dava struggling to walk without help to her room where she will have the assisted suicide because she didn’t want to be an “invalid” even on the last day of her life— like horrible fucking ableism. Again, this could have been read as a critique on life and the wealthy had the book been willing to criticize Dava even once and not been soooo focused on depicting her as a complex but ultimately super inspiring #girlboss. So instead read to me like we are supposed to understand this a final act of strength and will which is gross.