Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'
شقيقة قلبي, by أسماء المطيري, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, شاتيرا بانرجي ديفاكاروني
1 review
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.25
this was sadly a bit of a letdown. sister of my heart does have a lot of heart, but unfortunately its good intentions are smothered by unlikable characters and an unsatisfactory execution.
i'd say the first half is slightly better than the latter, though it's a lil juvenile bc of the 2 main girls' young age. the way various tales are woven into the story can be surprisingly relevant and stirring, as are the familial bonds in the chatterjee household. of course, the surprise reveal at the end's a highlight as well, shedding new light on the whole book.
unfortunately, i find more to dislike than to like in this novel. the bond between anju and sudha - which is the very core of the book - can be touching at times and their devotion to each other is quite sth. however, im also frustrated by how unrealistic it can be, oft rendering both of the girls blind to everything else. individually, both of them can be infuriating - sudha w/ many of her puzzling choices and anju w/ her personality - w/ little growth throughout the book, and what little growth there is, it's replaced by a new frustrating trait.
the last couple chapters particularly irk me, esp w/ how sudha chooses to forego a future w/ [redacted]; i simply dont think it's the best decision, that there's a better way for her to have it both ways, both her love and sister. it's like divakaruni goes w/ her route just to reiterate her themes, despite there being better ways to do so. old problems still fester for anju as well, and how they're unresolved annoy me. the story and its writing can be predictable at times too, and there isnt enough happy moments for my liking. throughout the book i also feel that things flounder around emotionally, never being fully despairing or happy, there's no peak emotional moments; even the family secrets arent as scandalous or as big a deal to me as the author makes them seem to be.
sister of my heart is a novel w/ a sincere heart - i totally get what the author tries to do - but the execution and characters' seeming choice to be miserable are simply not for me.
i'd say the first half is slightly better than the latter, though it's a lil juvenile bc of the 2 main girls' young age. the way various tales are woven into the story can be surprisingly relevant and stirring, as are the familial bonds in the chatterjee household. of course, the surprise reveal at the end's a highlight as well, shedding new light on the whole book.
unfortunately, i find more to dislike than to like in this novel. the bond between anju and sudha - which is the very core of the book - can be touching at times and their devotion to each other is quite sth. however, im also frustrated by how unrealistic it can be, oft rendering both of the girls blind to everything else. individually, both of them can be infuriating - sudha w/ many of her puzzling choices and anju w/ her personality - w/ little growth throughout the book, and what little growth there is, it's replaced by a new frustrating trait.
the last couple chapters particularly irk me, esp w/ how sudha chooses to forego a future w/ [redacted]; i simply dont think it's the best decision, that there's a better way for her to have it both ways, both her love and sister. it's like divakaruni goes w/ her route just to reiterate her themes, despite there being better ways to do so. old problems still fester for anju as well, and how they're unresolved annoy me. the story and its writing can be predictable at times too, and there isnt enough happy moments for my liking. throughout the book i also feel that things flounder around emotionally, never being fully despairing or happy, there's no peak emotional moments; even the family secrets arent as scandalous or as big a deal to me as the author makes them seem to be.
sister of my heart is a novel w/ a sincere heart - i totally get what the author tries to do - but the execution and characters' seeming choice to be miserable are simply not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Medical content, Death, Chronic illness, Infertility, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent
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