prachidayal's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
4.0
- Long read (10+ hours)
- I hate the way the story wraps up with an unrealistic bow on top; how did Ranjana go from being "just good" to a bestselling author? The pacing was a little too slow in some parts.
- I've never felt so represented. I loved the inclusion of Hindi and Indian culture, food, clothes, and more. I love when very different stories intersect, and this book does it well. The perspectives are so candid and I love how nontraditional love is represented (gay, lesbian, and older couples). The character development is amazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
wenwanzhao's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I was in. I was engrossed in the words, I laughed, and I even gasped. I definitely have a bias towards the storylines in No One Can Pronounce My Name. I mean, a story about the difficulties people face with the immigrant experience (from the parent and child angle) and the messiness of being queer? Even the title is a phrase I have felt my whole life relating to. I can understand the bluntness of the dialogue and prose not working for some people, but I have always admired honesty exploration of flaws in characters. I see myself and the people around me in the missteps and pettiness Satyal writes imbues into his writing. Most of all, I love a happy ending, especially one that doesn't try to be super realistic. I'm really glad I saw this book when browsing and gave it a chance. Five stars!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Homophobia
amandalorianxo's review
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It had a little bit of a slow start but once the characters were established and I had a solid understanding of who the main players were, I eagerly wanted to continue on. The struggles immigrants face coming to America is hard to grasp when you personally haven’t experienced that. However, the author makes the storylines for Harit, Ranjana, Mohan and even Harit’s mother as authentic as possible. The Indian culture isn’t as complex as people make it seem and I’m happy that this book gave me a chance not only to learn more but to also feel how pained those who are outside the Indian status quo (when it comes to sexuality and just general belonging) must feel when they grapple with the choices they must face in being true to themselves. Harit’s struggles as a person in his mid forties can’t fully be fixed in a day but the help of Teddy and Ranjana, he learns to become as close to his authentic self as he can be. I’m also proud of Ranjana too for going after her own wishes. It’s never too late to be who you want to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent
nicolaparty's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Homophobia and Infidelity
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Islamophobia, Sexual content, and Vomit
marrowe's review
funny
informative
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and Animal death
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