A review by annreadsabook
Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

This was an interesting and overall enjoyable novel—it looks at the experiences of Indian Americans and the many ways that immigrant experiences are filled with striving, dreaming, and dealing with the expectations of one’s family. And here’s the twist: the main character, Neil (Neeraj) has stumbled upon his classmate and her mother cooking up a concoction that gives whoever drinks it the success they desire. 

I think this book is sometimes marketed as being a “fun” read and I’m not sure I agree with that…the magical realism element itself is fun, I suppose, but most of the substance is quite serious and weighty. In general, I found this a creative tale that interweaves magical realism with real lived experiences. I will say that Neil was not a particularly likable character (I feel that was a goal of Sathian’s, though) and there was one early plot point that kind of confused me and felt incredible even when I suspended my disbelief…Ultimately, a solid read but I’m not sure that this “wowed” me in the way I was hoping.

If you’re interested in magical realism, this might be for you! Please do check out the content warnings for this as there is some heavy content.
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