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

4.0

Dava Shastri's Last Day was an interesting read. While I overall really enjoyed it, I do feel that it was slow at parts and left a bit to be desired when it came to the connection to the characters. Dava was such a complex character, but I did not connect to her until well over halfway through the book, which could easily lead other readers to abandon this book. I implore you to keep going if you are feeling a little less than impressed, because once we have the scene with Dava and her grandkids, the connection hits and the end goes quickly and hits hard in the feels.

I really enjoyed the unraveling of Dava's life, her secrets, her decisions, and the impacts of her legacy on her children. It's such a great representation of how much our hearts and lives are a our own and how little we actually know about someone's history and choices. Which is why I loved the scene with the grandchildren where she was so vulnerable and honest with them. It's those moments that really connect us in life.

The interesting part was how unlikable the characters were, which I believe was intentional. You do start to feel for them as you learn more about their relationships and what shaped them, but with so many characters it was hard to dive deep enough into their characters without making the book too long. This would be my biggest disappointment of the book was that I was left wanting more in terms of character development.

Thank you to Grand Central and Netgalley for this eARC.