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mycouscous's review against another edition
3.0
The endless tragedies that Savitha and Poornima endure felt gratuitous and exhausting. It was excruciating to read and presented without much art to it. I didn't buy the plotline of ongoing coincidence in their situations despite a months and years stretching in between their routes. Yet it's a compelling portrait of friendship and determination when the deck is stacked set against you.
roseeholliday's review against another edition
4.0
⭐️4.5 stars ⭐️
I am a different person for reading this book. It is a tough read, and it will destroy certain parts of you that will then again be resurrected in a more tender way. It is a shattering of any illusion that the world is safe, kind, fair or honest. That love will come freely. That people (all but especially women) are valued for more than their skin and flesh. It an absolute decimation of shallow hope and thoughtless acknowledgment.
These two women endure hell over and over with no reason to survive it other than the *thought* of each other. However, without the horrifying backdrop with which they are placed, it would be difficult to appreciate the depth of their love story. Not appreciate. Burn. Burn for their love story. Be reduced to ash for that singular hope. I can't thoughtlessly recommend that you (or anyone)
should read this because it will burn. All of it just burns.
I am a different person for reading this book. It is a tough read, and it will destroy certain parts of you that will then again be resurrected in a more tender way. It is a shattering of any illusion that the world is safe, kind, fair or honest. That love will come freely. That people (all but especially women) are valued for more than their skin and flesh. It an absolute decimation of shallow hope and thoughtless acknowledgment.
These two women endure hell over and over with no reason to survive it other than the *thought* of each other. However, without the horrifying backdrop with which they are placed, it would be difficult to appreciate the depth of their love story. Not appreciate. Burn. Burn for their love story. Be reduced to ash for that singular hope. I can't thoughtlessly recommend that you (or anyone)
should read this because it will burn. All of it just burns.
calstar's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh god, what a bummer. Bummertown, USA by way of Bummertown India. The writing was ok, not bad but the story was pure misery with no redemption. The reader is forced to hope for and believe that a redemptive ending will come and is robbed of it just like the two characters are robbed literally and figuratively of every shred of joy at every turn. If you want to feel like crap, this is the book for you!
elizabethhmartha's review against another edition
2.0
This was shaping up to be a 4 star but that ending really killed it.
katseye116's review against another edition
3.0
"Girls Burn Brighter" by Shobha Rao is a good book. If you're looking to immerse yourself in Indian culture from the viewpoint of young women born into the poor caste rather than the upper class which is normally written about, this is the book for you.
Without too much moralizing, the author paints a picture of how few rights women have in India and how little their lives are valued by their families and society at large. Their futures are bleak at best, fully dependent on the whims of their fathers and future husbands. When the characters end up in America, their situations aren't much improved, although in the end, while not specifically stated, happiness seems to be within their grasp.
Rao does a very credible job with her writing. While the events depicted in the story are tragic and traumatic, there is surprisingly little self-pity from the characters. They remain hopeful and keep striving for a better life, even if only in their imaginations. I can't say the book is particularly realistic. Everything, from the amazing string of bad luck experienced by both girls, to the incredibly strong bond between them, to their final reunion, stretches the bounds of credulity. The innocence of young girls can be taken for granted but at times their naivete is a bit much. No matter how back-country your village is, I just don't believe there's anyplace left in the world where the occasional plane doesn't fly overhead. Too many coincidences can detract from any story, no matter how well-written. The very thinly veiled coincidences leading to their reunion in particular smack of heavy-handed deus ex machina. Despite these admittedly negative aspects, the book manages to be very well-written and readable.
I chose to read this as an audio book, which is a decision I heartily regret. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, has a nice voice but ruins the whole experience by her overly dramatic rendering of nearly every line. Everything comes out as a whine. I know she could read it in a normal voice because in rare parts (far too rare) she speaks like a normal person. It's a shame too, because it really detracts from the impression the listener gets of the characters. While both Poornima and Savitha are written as characters with strength of will and courage, the constant whimpering of Nankani reduces both characters to immature and sniveling caricatures.
In short, I do recommend this book. Rao should have a great career ahead of her as a writer. But don't, under any circumstances, listen to the audio version. Three stars, but I would have given it four if not for the narrator.
Without too much moralizing, the author paints a picture of how few rights women have in India and how little their lives are valued by their families and society at large. Their futures are bleak at best, fully dependent on the whims of their fathers and future husbands. When the characters end up in America, their situations aren't much improved, although in the end, while not specifically stated, happiness seems to be within their grasp.
Rao does a very credible job with her writing. While the events depicted in the story are tragic and traumatic, there is surprisingly little self-pity from the characters. They remain hopeful and keep striving for a better life, even if only in their imaginations. I can't say the book is particularly realistic. Everything, from the amazing string of bad luck experienced by both girls, to the incredibly strong bond between them, to their final reunion, stretches the bounds of credulity. The innocence of young girls can be taken for granted but at times their naivete is a bit much. No matter how back-country your village is, I just don't believe there's anyplace left in the world where the occasional plane doesn't fly overhead. Too many coincidences can detract from any story, no matter how well-written. The very thinly veiled coincidences leading to their reunion in particular smack of heavy-handed deus ex machina. Despite these admittedly negative aspects, the book manages to be very well-written and readable.
I chose to read this as an audio book, which is a decision I heartily regret. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, has a nice voice but ruins the whole experience by her overly dramatic rendering of nearly every line. Everything comes out as a whine. I know she could read it in a normal voice because in rare parts (far too rare) she speaks like a normal person. It's a shame too, because it really detracts from the impression the listener gets of the characters. While both Poornima and Savitha are written as characters with strength of will and courage, the constant whimpering of Nankani reduces both characters to immature and sniveling caricatures.
In short, I do recommend this book. Rao should have a great career ahead of her as a writer. But don't, under any circumstances, listen to the audio version. Three stars, but I would have given it four if not for the narrator.
jassimyn's review against another edition
3.0
Dark. So. Fucking. Dark. Not the beautiful story of Indian feminist friends I was told to expect.
hollyven's review against another edition
4.0
There is something truly magical about this book. It is brutal, harsh, and unrelenting. At the same time it is wondrous, beautiful, and mystical.
You will fall in love with the two protagonists, Savitha and Poornima, which makes their tragic experiences even more difficult to bear. That love is also what makes this book impossible to put down.
I’ve seen some complain about how some instances seem too coincidental, but to me that is the magic of the story. The fates of these two women are woven into each other in such a cosmic way. Their love is achingly beautiful.
The only reason I took a star off is the ending. It was lovely, but I couldn’t help but feel some disappointment. The story races and builds towards a specific moment and then you don’t get to actually witness it. Just one more sentence and I would have been satisfied.
That being said this book is still 100% worth reading. The journey is far more important than the ending.
Trigger warning for the book: sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, ableist language.
You will fall in love with the two protagonists, Savitha and Poornima, which makes their tragic experiences even more difficult to bear. That love is also what makes this book impossible to put down.
I’ve seen some complain about how some instances seem too coincidental, but to me that is the magic of the story. The fates of these two women are woven into each other in such a cosmic way. Their love is achingly beautiful.
The only reason I took a star off is the ending. It was lovely, but I couldn’t help but feel some disappointment. The story races and builds towards a specific moment and then you don’t get to actually witness it. Just one more sentence and I would have been satisfied.
That being said this book is still 100% worth reading. The journey is far more important than the ending.
Trigger warning for the book: sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, ableist language.
dirtbag_k2's review against another edition
5.0
A tragic story of life struggle I cannot even fathom and the power of friendship. Could not put this down.
merete's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to love this book so badly. But I just couldn't get into it. The first half of the book is great, I loved the character development and that the two girls got so close despite their circumstances. But after they were separated, I just didn't like it as much. It took me forever to finish it because of that. Maybe like a 3.8-4/5. I think I liked the idea of the book more than the actual book.