Reviews

She of the Mountains by Vivek Shraya

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cutlet's review against another edition

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emotional fast-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

4.5

desireeslibrary's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 stars
such a cute reimagination of Hindu mythology told through the lens of a queer man's identity journey. I listened to this as an audiobook and just learned that it is an illustrated novel? got to get my hands on that. But even without the illustrations I loved this so much!

amaldae's review against another edition

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medium-paced

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

2.0

Biphobia and -erasure is so tiresome. Fatphobia is not much better. This whole book is an exercise in self-hatred and the main character's internalized white supremacist ideals. All intentional and fitting the setting, but I am tired. I'm sad I did not enjoy my two-day stay in Shraya's work.

ratgrrrl's review against another edition

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5.0

This is an incredibly beautiful and important work that weaves the trauma of policing gender and sexuality, as well the struggle of growing up a POC in a majority white country, through a beautiful modern coming of age and significant relationships story with a retelling of Hindu mythology to create a work that is simultaneously vulnerable; delicate; and exquisite, and bombastic, mighty, and indomitable in its exploration and exclamation that our bodies, experiences, wants, needs; our selves are beautiful, and the constraints and castigation of society and the small-minded that make us monstrous.

I can't personally speak to the cultural or racial elements, but the Queer pain, trauma, liberation, and exultation hit me where I live! I'm non-binary trans femme bisexual panromantic lesbian who's disabled and fat who was denigrated and repressed nearly all my life and the bodily struggles and the heartbreak when Queer and Transphobia, and archaic binary thinking comes from within our own communities that echoes throughout this book truly struck a chord with me and my experiences.

I cannot recommend the audiobook read by the author more strongly for just how powerful differently inflected each of the repeated words and phrases that permeate the text like mantras are. It's really something else. The listing of house items alone nearly brought me to tears from the impact of the reading.

I am absolutely blown away and will absolutely seek out more from this author!