Reviews

Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian

brianlarson's review against another edition

2.0

“Gold Diggers” ranked high on my must-read list of 2021. Sadly, it was a disappointment. I trudged along reading hoping to find a shimmer of a golden nugget but sadly I turned up empty handed. Sathian’s debut tries to be too many things: satire, comedy, coming of age story, historical annal, & even thriller.

In the beginning of the novel I drew a couple comparisons to Ng’s “Little Fires Everywhere” with the neighborhood camaraderie & the gossip that plagues Indian and American neighborhoods alike. These comparisons stopped after the second epoch.

Sathian mentioned in the afterword that she spent a lot of time researching the different gold rushes across the US and integrating traditional Hindu folklore into her novel. While the research definitely aids the novels believability, I never fully understood why the two main characters would do anything to obtain high-quality “wedding gold” even after adolescence.

The chapters could have benefited from the usage of dates. There’s a lot of timeline jumping around with characters aging, de-aging, & dying. The death of Shruti seemed like a small event in the novel but it got dragged on until the every end.

Last, while I am familiar with some Indian wedding ceremony customs and traditional Hindu folklore, this novel could have been benefited greatly by better integrating these customs to allow all readers readily-accessible insights into a culture that is known for its beautiful customs and rituals.

Overall, a disappointing debut.

noble_xoxo's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

shanndelier's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

izbizedgerton's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Honestly just kind rough to get going. Didn’t love all the addiction stuff but it made sense in the end. Not that satisfying of an ending tho. 

megangraddy's review against another edition

3.0

Bizarre lil story with unlikable characters that you oddly rooted for. 

ggrillion's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

evilanchovy's review against another edition

5.0

I really loved this novel. The book contains magical realism, but I would say that overall it tips more toward realism, which I like. I grew up in the suburbs and am just a year or two younger than the main characters, so the first part of this book made me nostalgic in a way that many 90s/Y2K period pieces do not.

rocomama's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

wellredphd's review against another edition

fast-paced

2.75

fromsarahsbooknook's review against another edition

2.0

This book was not for me, but it might be for you. Even though the book wasn’t quite to my taste, I thought the ending was beautiful and very satisfying.

Content warnings for suicide and drug use.