Deepa > Recent Status Updates

5 stars and it’s not even a surprise. 5 stars because GAD, parents, the long time coming, hostility to impasse to finally getting it right, put it all on the line, player who thinks he’s the only one not going to find Mrs. Right, the girl who thought love for was others, I get you I really do.

5 Starts for thirst traps.

the pressure and properness of her family and the way they communicate that. How painful unfair some of that is to receive as Dom - I felt that in resounding waves. But also the desire to meet expectations. All of it . This is one Soliz’s best books. Very thoughtful as usual.

Which brings me to the Generalized Anxiety Rep. I don’t think I’ve ever seen GAD done so well. You can see how hard she works to work through it and just keep going despite it all. I also think this is strong example parental pressure impact. It’s not rare or coincidence that they’re paired together.

I think Dom and Mariana really had to figure out the broken ends. It’s a really challenging situation and emotionally charged. The way it can feel to be rejected. I was on Dom side 99% of the time. I am also on Mariana’s side when she finally starts to understand what she wants and the way her fears of being rejected from her own family affect her. That’s when I started balance the scales more

Yes this definitely my favorite of the series. The parents and the way they pushed her to not choose love. There’s great explanations for it—loads of empathy and understanding. It’s not cruel estimation But…the scene standing up to them was incredible. Like so strong and well matched. I think I wish South Asian people understood this more. Standing up for ourselves is kinda of an issue esp in this type of context too

I do like that’s she’s not deterred or afraid to wield anger right back at him. Although I’m on his side. I think perhaps I see a lot more truth to his estimation of her family’s behavior toward him. I just think not seeing it is something. I think this high pressure is really well done in terms of depiction. Generational gratefulness and opportunity all of that. can’t speak to upper echelon guilt

I absolutely love Dom putting boundaries. I love his playfulness even before but especially after. The no bar moment is inspired by intentional influences. I for one think Dom is way better dude than that other guy everyone loves I happen to truly not. I think he’s breaks from impassivity because he cannot but help and care for her. Mariana is drawn in more so by attraction,\familiarity

Regardless of her interp, they have a really empathetic moment of closer. ( After a lot of biting, bickering, and clashing. It happens. When it does it’s clear that they are hurt for two different reasons but not in an attempt to disrespect or disregard. That actually starts a true process of being comfortable with each other. ( This might be favorite because it feels like a true mismatch that is still meaningful. )

I feel like his rxn and hurt are things I understand. I admit really understand why Mariana would interpret it as selfish. Did she really think it as manipulative?I think she thought he was trying to change her mind because he didn’t take her seriously at her word. That was less about him and more about her parents not seeing her full potential, perhaps.

This might be a favorite among all other books in the series. There’s lot of backstory. I think there are strong elements of influence of others in terms of Mariana. That’ the persuasion element is how Dom feels about the influence of her family. * I love what we uncover later on in a difference in expectations. It’s not that it wasn’t. real love 6 years ago but incomplete understanding of how deep belief went.

This was just a pure delight. 5 Stars. This was super sweet and warm.

We were so solid until it just went a little stir crazy. It’s just quick and little jumbled for the pace it was moving to what too quickly. Still a 4.5

the quippiest actually delightful banter I’ve read an unfairly long time.

A odd little hilarious town. Like imagine Kirk and the mayor guy in Gilmore Girls. Elliot is appropriately nerdy in the best ways like giving advice about bank fees nerdy. I like Lainey with the 1000 hustles and grifting as she breathes. Not crazy about hearing the word squatter like at all. But the humor is truly worth it.

So where does that lead us: positive good example of health relationship and friendship + chronicles kidney disease rep is 4.5. I’m going to be honest it’s sometimes a bit boring. Consistency tends to be and that’s what we want a non flashy not stressful loves to an extent.

I think I would say its a slow burn. Infinitesimally slow. But good and positive.
Now what really mattered to me is the health neglect convo especially regarding kidney disease. I have lupus. I think about my kidneys often . To find that I had chronic kidney disease and I had brought it up for it to be ignored. I don’t think I would be as graceful. Authors real experience. Much respect and love to Riss.

I am going to be upfront: I liked it . It’s good book. The romance is not the conflict. Her grief, her health, and risking their friendship is. What’s really nice is Isaac is a reassuring and dependable friend first. It’s less tension attraction. It’s attraction but like bloom or garden. Fresh and radiant. Books whole vibe.

If you enjoyed Vaishnavi Patel, Burn the Sea, or Graceling, this will interest equally. IT’s got a great comps. This is a promising story and scale.

There is a q of did Rustom love Tahmineh? Separated loves. hell does she feel real feelings. does she experience later on. It’s all within that structure. It’s fun to go in and feel and experience that type of story and emphasis.

My only neg is I think first person holds back the adult tone but tones of adult books are also written in 1st too.

This story is built on miscommunication, pride, secrecy, and fate. Fate works toward justice but not for individuals. — genre of it.

“She did not want to be saved by a witch.”

Sohrab is so young in this . Foolhardy zeal. He wants so much to be recognized by his father, to be worthy, and lifetime of no communication drives him to act so rashly.

in myths and epics, your lineage is connection. Tahmineh is daeva blessed daughter and Rustom is someone with his own blessings but based on gender, based their kingdoms, she’s a witch and he’s a hero. Sohrab’s blood is strong and powerful. The character wants to be comparable to his father.This kid especially wants his father’s attention. weight you give to their actions.

I’m so new Shahnameh. I can only see from the povs I have. I really liked this. I think if you treat it how you treat similar traditions. idk if I spoke about archetypes, structure and lines. There’s something about woman going against fate itself for her son. larger than any hero. the drama is in the inevitable. depths and echoes.

She talks about being regent. a woman descending from warrior kings. “A woman with magic brimming in her veins.” She talks about how there are days they wish to erase the power she once held. That’s alright because she there are days she wishes to be forgotten too. Then she relives it all again. And wonders how much or little she existed as well.

My first thought when I read the prologue was I wish it was an epilogue. I went back and read the prologue to understand the ending more fully.

at first, I read it as a provocation but not really. it gives you hint about Tahmneh’s unrest. Stories are divided some blame her. Some fate. Some god. Some a mixture of both. They call her a “temptress. conniver. lover, liar.” She calls herself a witch.

Figuring out how to find readers for this book is going to be harder. That is deeply unfair. This is not actually an adventure story. It’s not a tragedy. It is a near flawless almost domestic fiction. 5 stars from me.

What I like more is what we find out about Romit at the end and non-answer ending to the story. It’s not an explanation but it is interesting.

—-

I think this story is great and the writer is great. I’m going to be so honest that is not my wheelhouse. I read fiction like this very occasionally. I misunderstood when I signed up for this. I’m happy I did.

They act as moving actors. All of them do what they want to do. Slight pressure that could build up disperses because of that. I like that a story like this has tension without needing emotional see-saw.

Each of these characters play the part of the stereotypes or what could be expectations, really well. They’re not our “rebels” but they’re not stock either. There is enough tension among each other as well as with the reader given how time is passing in Romit’s disappearance. They’re not dangerous unstable. But we don’t full know that yet.

For example, the husband focus on the shop or Pari.

There are frequent pov changes in this book. I like that facet a lot. The povs are unexpected to the reader. Mehta is not repetitive about whose pov it can be. We get minor character povs and main characters. It keeps story wide. That’s interesting in the context of a missing person.

The actions from siblings, the husband, Romit, and Usha—they’re all a little off. Not odd or strange but unpredictable.

Is their nonchalance dysfunction or is it more sinister? Is the husband more violent than just merely patriarchal? And how do the kids fit into this system as well. Do they use that to control our protagonist, Usha. We are left to wonder this well into the 40% range.

There is observational quality to writing that implies that pov is not casually included. The changing povs push this further.

He’s a writer. It’s not stable and especially in comparison. The stereotypical dissatisfaction from the precararity of it all. Her husband is particularly patriarchal. That shows over and over again. Romit is the hapless wandering child, roaming and trekking alone in a forest.

As I said, we don’t know what kind of story this is and that’s intentional. Who are we judging in this family?