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A review by ghostlydreamer
The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, to be honest. Books like this aren't typically up my ally. I suppose I was hoping for a little glimpse into a strong and beautiful culture, but instead I got a story about three women, all of whom I cared little for. While I suppose they all had a unique voice that distinguished one from the other, I found each of their individual problems and the ways in which they went about life to be rather annoying.
I appreciated Bindu most of all, I think, because she chose not to let tradition and expectation take away her fun. But even that was not enough to keep me interested in anything she had to say. Unfortunately, there was absolutely nothing redeeming about Aly in those first several chapters that I read. Her personality was dry and left little for me to root for. She's the kind of character who I've never enjoyed reading about. Cullie, I think, could have been more interesting for me because of her struggles with anxiety, meaning she could have even been the most relatable. But it always seemed to go back to her previous relationship, and I was getting tired of that very early on.
Something about the way all of these characters interacted, even with each other, just didn't leave me wanting to read more. So much of this book read like it was stiff and uninspiring. Perhaps I didn't give it much of a chance, but I'd read a little more than a quarter of the book and if it wasn't doing anything for me by then, I don't think it would do much for me later. And even if it did, I don't think it would be worth it. This would have been a middle of the road read for me at best.
Beyond that, I'm just not sure I'm a fan of Sonali Dev's writing style. I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with it, but I'm not personally a fan of it.
I suppose I can't comment too much on the plot itself, but given that I didn't care much for the characters, whom the plot largely surrounds itself with, I don't think I would have liked any future developments. So I made the decision to DNF. My last book of the year ended up being a DNF, and that's okay with me, because I'd rather DNF than force myself through a book that's not for me. I'm sure others will adore this story. I, unfortunately, found these three women's stories to be rather flat.
I appreciated Bindu most of all, I think, because she chose not to let tradition and expectation take away her fun. But even that was not enough to keep me interested in anything she had to say. Unfortunately, there was absolutely nothing redeeming about Aly in those first several chapters that I read. Her personality was dry and left little for me to root for. She's the kind of character who I've never enjoyed reading about. Cullie, I think, could have been more interesting for me because of her struggles with anxiety, meaning she could have even been the most relatable. But it always seemed to go back to her previous relationship, and I was getting tired of that very early on.
Something about the way all of these characters interacted, even with each other, just didn't leave me wanting to read more. So much of this book read like it was stiff and uninspiring. Perhaps I didn't give it much of a chance, but I'd read a little more than a quarter of the book and if it wasn't doing anything for me by then, I don't think it would do much for me later. And even if it did, I don't think it would be worth it. This would have been a middle of the road read for me at best.
Beyond that, I'm just not sure I'm a fan of Sonali Dev's writing style. I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with it, but I'm not personally a fan of it.
I suppose I can't comment too much on the plot itself, but given that I didn't care much for the characters, whom the plot largely surrounds itself with, I don't think I would have liked any future developments. So I made the decision to DNF. My last book of the year ended up being a DNF, and that's okay with me, because I'd rather DNF than force myself through a book that's not for me. I'm sure others will adore this story. I, unfortunately, found these three women's stories to be rather flat.