Scan barcode
A review by katmackie
Sleeping on Jupiter by Anuradha Roy
3.0
Sleeping on Jupiter is a quick and sharp novel with interconnected stories, but I'm left somewhat dissatisfied with the book as a whole.
The first few chapters of Sleeping on Jupiter are exhilarating and suspenseful. We're introduced to an array of characters each with clear and unique voices. As the story progresses we see how each voice is relevant to the others. I had two favorites, but I think the voice of Nomi tied everything together nicely.
I happen to love stories with connections hidden throughout, but an abundance of this can sour the experience of reading a story. Sleeping on Jupiter surprised me at first when I realized that these characters were not just living alongside each other seperately, but that each plot was furthering the other's. This realization became less pleasant as the story reached the middle point, as new connections became predictable. Practically no one exists in this plot without some connection to the near or distant past of another, and this took it's toll on me as a reader.
With each character, Roy formulated contemporary thoughts on timeless themes. The surprise and aftermath of violence, love, religion, and home all occurred throughout the story. And while perhaps the lives and plots felt too connected, these themes flowed nicely among the differences of each personality. Roy's writing doesn't flinch from the realities of violence and it's many perspectives, and I enjoyed her style.
The first few chapters of Sleeping on Jupiter are exhilarating and suspenseful. We're introduced to an array of characters each with clear and unique voices. As the story progresses we see how each voice is relevant to the others. I had two favorites, but I think the voice of Nomi tied everything together nicely.
I happen to love stories with connections hidden throughout, but an abundance of this can sour the experience of reading a story. Sleeping on Jupiter surprised me at first when I realized that these characters were not just living alongside each other seperately, but that each plot was furthering the other's. This realization became less pleasant as the story reached the middle point, as new connections became predictable. Practically no one exists in this plot without some connection to the near or distant past of another, and this took it's toll on me as a reader.
With each character, Roy formulated contemporary thoughts on timeless themes. The surprise and aftermath of violence, love, religion, and home all occurred throughout the story. And while perhaps the lives and plots felt too connected, these themes flowed nicely among the differences of each personality. Roy's writing doesn't flinch from the realities of violence and it's many perspectives, and I enjoyed her style.