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A review by spinesinaline
Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti
emotional
reflective
tense
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
3.75
Officially the first book I've read with a brief mention of the pandemic. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for an ARC! Full review at spinesinaline.wordpress.com
This one has been comped to Crazy Rich Asians and while I’ve only watched the movie, not read the book, I could immediately see the connections. An incredibly rich family and the son’s new partner who’s introduced into their world. However, the ‘newcomer’ is not the main focus of the story here, which I appreciated not only because it would be too similar. Here, the title character is the most important one in the story to watch as we learn her patterns, beliefs, and failures.
The switch between multiple perspectives was a surprise at first but it does give us a good understanding of each family member. The family has more problems to deal with at the moment than usual and seeing the way that each of them reacts to the news, along with the additional context we gain from their 3rd person narration, makes for a much more well-rounded cast of characters.
From the blurb and in my initial reading, I started to expect more of an The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibe, especially as each of the main characters are high-profile celebrities, enjoying for the most part the fame that their careers have brought them. I found it interesting that the author has a media and pop culture background as I’m sure that informed the way she wrote her main character.
Unfortunately, there weren’t the same thrilling reveals in Dava. I thought we’d get big surprising reveals, especially based on the blurb, but the book is instead a quieter family drama and it is emotional if predictable.
I did enjoy following this family even if I could see where it was going and it makes for a great holiday read (though it’s sad!) as it all takes place around Christmas in the middle of a snowstorm.
This one has been comped to Crazy Rich Asians and while I’ve only watched the movie, not read the book, I could immediately see the connections. An incredibly rich family and the son’s new partner who’s introduced into their world. However, the ‘newcomer’ is not the main focus of the story here, which I appreciated not only because it would be too similar. Here, the title character is the most important one in the story to watch as we learn her patterns, beliefs, and failures.
The switch between multiple perspectives was a surprise at first but it does give us a good understanding of each family member. The family has more problems to deal with at the moment than usual and seeing the way that each of them reacts to the news, along with the additional context we gain from their 3rd person narration, makes for a much more well-rounded cast of characters.
From the blurb and in my initial reading, I started to expect more of an The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibe, especially as each of the main characters are high-profile celebrities, enjoying for the most part the fame that their careers have brought them. I found it interesting that the author has a media and pop culture background as I’m sure that informed the way she wrote her main character.
Unfortunately, there weren’t the same thrilling reveals in Dava. I thought we’d get big surprising reveals, especially based on the blurb, but the book is instead a quieter family drama and it is emotional if predictable.
I did enjoy following this family even if I could see where it was going and it makes for a great holiday read (though it’s sad!) as it all takes place around Christmas in the middle of a snowstorm.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Physical abuse