Scan barcode
red_magpie's review
5.0
Everything you want a novel to be: compelling story, intriguing characters, fascinating location. I could not put this one down.
paulap's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.5
The characters were a bit flat, but the story was interesting enough and there were touches of the everyday and history of Nepal that I appreciated. Overall a good book.
siixteen's review against another edition
3.0
I like books like this because they seem to be stories for the sake of the stories themselves, following the course of lives and how they turn out. That said, there wasn't anything in particular that sparked my passion in this book except for the title, which is spectacular, and the fact that there were unexplained jumps forward in time without explanation, which was interesting.
ktn2390's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
dil_emma's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
bucket's review against another edition
4.0
This book alternately hooked me and lost me. Most of the characters are great, particularly Nilu. The plotting is excellent in Part 1 and then meanders a bit too slowly in Part 2 (even for me, and I don't need a brisk pace to feel engaged). I think the slowness bugged me because the writing felt like it was anticipating a big reveal, but we know enough about the characters and the way history twistedly repeats itself in this family to pretty much know what was coming from the start of Part 2.
The writing was pretty good - I especially enjoyed the way Upadhyay would often move from one character's perspective to another slowly and seamlessly. He'd start describing a character's thoughts on what another might be experiencing and would end up in that second character's actual experience and thoughts with no clear moment where the switch was flipped.
Some great cultural and historical insight about Nepal here too.
The writing was pretty good - I especially enjoyed the way Upadhyay would often move from one character's perspective to another slowly and seamlessly. He'd start describing a character's thoughts on what another might be experiencing and would end up in that second character's actual experience and thoughts with no clear moment where the switch was flipped.
Some great cultural and historical insight about Nepal here too.
erino4dad6's review against another edition
3.0
I'd like to give this 3.5. Pretty good. Not amazing.
More...