kbairbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-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
Would have DNF‘Ed if I didn’t have my reason.
Graphic: Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child death, and Death
sssssoup's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
I really wanted to like this book, and I think it could’ve been interesting, but ultimately it just wasn’t for me. It had a lot of really pretty description, but the characters and plot fell flat for me. Sheetal’s internal conflict was intriguing and well written, but she often came across as whiny when she interacted with the other characters, though I did appreciate her complicated feelings about her family members. I was also confused by a lot of the terminology and I think the author should’ve included a glossary. Overall, it was pretty mid and I think the right person could really enjoy it, but I know that wasn’t me.
Graphic: Abandonment and Confinement
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, Medical content, Alcohol, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
brookey8888's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-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? Yes
3.0
Sigh I really wish I enjoyed this more. I just felt like it was no big deal going to the star world and it was like normal? I don’t know how to explain it. I did find the myths interesting. I also loved the diversity! If this sounds interesting or you want to read a diverse fantasy I do recommend you try it.
Graphic: Grief, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Blood
iffygeneia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
So the premise sounded amazing: a modern day story laced with Hindu-themed fantasy. And that part of the story was by far the best part.
It did require a bit of foreknowledge about Hindu mythology. Mainly, the book assumes the reader will know several different kinds of mythological creatures from Hindu mythology - it doesn't explain much beyond the most basic visual descriptions.
It's with the characters and the plot that it starts to fall apart though.
This could have been an amazing coming-of-age story, but there was hardly any character growth. Sheetal herself was just very, very shallow. Her main worries are about , or panicking about the currently relevant plot point. As the plot moved around randomly, Sheetal also seemed all over the place. She has a clear goal , but constantly gets distraced by the currently relevant plot point. It made her seem fickle, like she didn't care about when the plot demanded her attention.
The plot did finally come together in the end, but in the most predictable way.
In the end, though a lot did change, Sheetal herself didn't seem much affected by all of it.
All in all: its fine for its Teen target audience, but as an adult I expected more depth.
(Note: I listened to the audiobook version read by Soneela Nankani. She was excellent.)
It did require a bit of foreknowledge about Hindu mythology. Mainly, the book assumes the reader will know several different kinds of mythological creatures from Hindu mythology - it doesn't explain much beyond the most basic visual descriptions.
It's with the characters and the plot that it starts to fall apart though.
This could have been an amazing coming-of-age story, but there was hardly any character growth. Sheetal herself was just very, very shallow. Her main worries are about
Spoiler
her boyfriendSpoiler
(saving her dad)Spoiler
her dadThe plot did finally come together in the end, but in the most predictable way.
In the end, though a lot did change, Sheetal herself didn't seem much affected by all of it.
All in all: its fine for its Teen target audience, but as an adult I expected more depth.
(Note: I listened to the audiobook version read by Soneela Nankani. She was excellent.)
Moderate: Abandonment and Blood
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, and Toxic relationship
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