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A review by katseye116
Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao
3.0
"Girls Burn Brighter" by Shobha Rao is a good book. If you're looking to immerse yourself in Indian culture from the viewpoint of young women born into the poor caste rather than the upper class which is normally written about, this is the book for you.
Without too much moralizing, the author paints a picture of how few rights women have in India and how little their lives are valued by their families and society at large. Their futures are bleak at best, fully dependent on the whims of their fathers and future husbands. When the characters end up in America, their situations aren't much improved, although in the end, while not specifically stated, happiness seems to be within their grasp.
Rao does a very credible job with her writing. While the events depicted in the story are tragic and traumatic, there is surprisingly little self-pity from the characters. They remain hopeful and keep striving for a better life, even if only in their imaginations. I can't say the book is particularly realistic. Everything, from the amazing string of bad luck experienced by both girls, to the incredibly strong bond between them, to their final reunion, stretches the bounds of credulity. The innocence of young girls can be taken for granted but at times their naivete is a bit much. No matter how back-country your village is, I just don't believe there's anyplace left in the world where the occasional plane doesn't fly overhead. Too many coincidences can detract from any story, no matter how well-written. The very thinly veiled coincidences leading to their reunion in particular smack of heavy-handed deus ex machina. Despite these admittedly negative aspects, the book manages to be very well-written and readable.
I chose to read this as an audio book, which is a decision I heartily regret. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, has a nice voice but ruins the whole experience by her overly dramatic rendering of nearly every line. Everything comes out as a whine. I know she could read it in a normal voice because in rare parts (far too rare) she speaks like a normal person. It's a shame too, because it really detracts from the impression the listener gets of the characters. While both Poornima and Savitha are written as characters with strength of will and courage, the constant whimpering of Nankani reduces both characters to immature and sniveling caricatures.
In short, I do recommend this book. Rao should have a great career ahead of her as a writer. But don't, under any circumstances, listen to the audio version. Three stars, but I would have given it four if not for the narrator.
Without too much moralizing, the author paints a picture of how few rights women have in India and how little their lives are valued by their families and society at large. Their futures are bleak at best, fully dependent on the whims of their fathers and future husbands. When the characters end up in America, their situations aren't much improved, although in the end, while not specifically stated, happiness seems to be within their grasp.
Rao does a very credible job with her writing. While the events depicted in the story are tragic and traumatic, there is surprisingly little self-pity from the characters. They remain hopeful and keep striving for a better life, even if only in their imaginations. I can't say the book is particularly realistic. Everything, from the amazing string of bad luck experienced by both girls, to the incredibly strong bond between them, to their final reunion, stretches the bounds of credulity. The innocence of young girls can be taken for granted but at times their naivete is a bit much. No matter how back-country your village is, I just don't believe there's anyplace left in the world where the occasional plane doesn't fly overhead. Too many coincidences can detract from any story, no matter how well-written. The very thinly veiled coincidences leading to their reunion in particular smack of heavy-handed deus ex machina. Despite these admittedly negative aspects, the book manages to be very well-written and readable.
I chose to read this as an audio book, which is a decision I heartily regret. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, has a nice voice but ruins the whole experience by her overly dramatic rendering of nearly every line. Everything comes out as a whine. I know she could read it in a normal voice because in rare parts (far too rare) she speaks like a normal person. It's a shame too, because it really detracts from the impression the listener gets of the characters. While both Poornima and Savitha are written as characters with strength of will and courage, the constant whimpering of Nankani reduces both characters to immature and sniveling caricatures.
In short, I do recommend this book. Rao should have a great career ahead of her as a writer. But don't, under any circumstances, listen to the audio version. Three stars, but I would have given it four if not for the narrator.