Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Burnt Sugar

Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

28 reviews

leahb88's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A reflection on motherhood - the relationship between mothers and daughters, familial obligations, and the intergenerational impacts of parenting. I loved the writing style and the introspective, stream of consciousness narration.

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catandherbooks's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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liesbethvv's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm having a hard time rating this book. On the one hand, it took me quite some time to get into it, had a relatively slow start for me. There were no loveable characters to get attached to, but this made the reading experience more interesting and nuanced. I'm not convinced that the changed title (from 'Girl in White Cotton') was a good choice contentwise, although I agree it is more enticing. I don't really love

open endings, but it felt quite good in this book.

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spinesinaline's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

Possibly the most shocking opening line after that beautiful cover, “I would be lying if I say my mother’s misery has never given me pleasure”. I knew this would not be a lighthearted read from that start but this was a very intense, visceral read.

Antara has an incredibly complicated relationship with her mother, who appears to be developing dementia. As Antara struggles to care for her, and get her family and medical team to believe her worsening condition, we flash through Antara and Tara’s past, often flitting through memories at random and out of order.

The author does an excellent job at disorienting the reader and each time I thought I had a read on the MC, she would reveal something new that would twist everything I thought I knew! It’s a tricky story, dark and emotional and a little sinister and I was absolutely hooked.

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grace_cr1's review against another edition

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sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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sunnymushroom's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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franceselsie's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

“We are all unreliable.” This is the line that really resonates with me having completed this book. Overall the novel is quite slow paced and follows a daughter reflecting on her complicated relationship with her mother. The last quarter of this book is particularly gripping, and makes you question a lot of what has been presented previously.

I found one or two of the chapters a bit jarring (such as the chapter when Tara and Antara first visit the Ashram) as they seemed to break the flow of the narrative a bit, but the conclusion and ending is great. I think this novel will stay with me for some time.

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