A review by 5aru
Azúcar quemado, by Avni Doshi
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A strong, raw exploration of motherhood and trauma through Antara's troubled eyes. Even though the book is very specifically focused on her individual struggle with her past and her complex, toxic relationship with her mother, there is much about her experience that is universal. The description of those feelings - of insufficiency, of stagnation, of bottled anger and unmet needs, of desperation and entrapment - is really what makes this novel, and drives it directly to the heart.
Graphic: Dementia and Pregnancy
Moderate: Vomit, Excrement, Dysphoria, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Injury/injury detail, Infidelity, and Body shaming