Review by Booklist Review
This debut novel envisions the final days of a powerful woman wrestling for control of her legacy, both public and private. Dava Shastri parlayed early success in tech and the music industry into a foundation that helps people in need. Now she is dying, but is determined to go out on her own terms. She gathers her large, diverse family for a family Christmas on their private island, where they are cut off from the world, and informs them she has arranged medical aid in dying--while the rest of the world thinks she has already died. Dava wants to see what the world has to say about her, but is dismayed as the narrative spins in directions she never intended, and her family struggles with their relationship with her as well as with each other. Set in the 2040s with frequent flashbacks to events the reader will recognize from the recent past, this is a thought-provoking family drama that will appeal to fans of All Adults Here by Emma Straub (2020).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ramisetti's uneven, somewhat overstuffed debut features a family drama suffused with music and media attention. The year is 2044, and 70-year-old billionaire Dava Shastri, recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, has arranged to die by assisted suicide on her private island off the coast of Long Island, surrounded by family members gathered for the winter holidays. Shastri, who got rich as a music industry disrupter but made a name for herself through philanthropy, can't resist knowing what the world will make of her legacy. She leaks news of her death just days before planning to follow through, but to her consternation, news websites fixate on speculation about an Oscar-winning love song written by an old friend, purportedly about her, and on a blog post by a woman who thinks Dava might be her mother. Dava's flashbacks to her younger years are punctuated by revealing conversations with each of her four adult children, who fret about their shares of the estate and struggle with their own inner conflicts. The characters' intense reactions to the media revelations feel out of proportion to their actual import, however, and there's a numbing sameness to the family's interactions with one another, though Ramisetti excels in her portrait of a woman facing the end of a remarkably expansive and generous life. Overall, this feels a bit too digressive. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
At age 70, phenomenally wealthy Dava Shastri learns she has brain cancer and summons her four children to her private island to explain that she will be releasing news of her death prematurely so she can enjoy reading the obituaries. But instead of the glowing praise she expected about her philanthropic works, the obituaries reveal some awful secrets, and she must come to terms with what she has done. From former entertainment reporter Ramisetti; with a 60,000-copy first printing.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An extremely wealthy woman with a terminal illness leaks news of her own death so she can see how she's mourned in the press before the sickness actually takes her life. The year is 2044, and Dava Shastri has summoned her four adult children, as well as their romantic partners and children, to join her for the Christmas holiday on her private island off the coast of eastern Long Island. After everyone arrives and greets the family matriarch, it's a shock to hear the media announcing that their hostess is already dead. When they confront Dava, they learn she's been diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer and she's hired a doctor to euthanize her, which is legal in this futuristic New York. After years of pouring her sweat and tears into her charitable foundation supporting the arts, Dava wants to leave this world on her own terms and in a way that will allow her to see at least some of the beautiful tributes she expects about her life. The news of her death does spur greater media attention than ever before, but instead of accolades, Dava is dismayed to read gossip revealing truths she had long ago buried. Meanwhile, a strong winter storm hits New York, trapping the family on the island, where they have no choice but to confront the issues Dava's predicament has raised. Told from a variety of perspectives, the story is reminiscent of Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave Youin that circumstances force adult children to spend several days together working through years of resentment and regret. The strength of the story lies in its depiction of a strong-willed matriarch who has doggedly pursued success while doing things her own way. Unfortunately, Ramisetti's inclusion of so many side characters and multiple convoluted backstories makes it difficult to invest in any one plotline. The 2044 time frame also adds to the confusion, as the author fails to ground readers in this unknown era through sufficient details or descriptive explanations. Even so, Ramisetti draws nuanced characters who are introspective and entertaining. A solid debut that will appeal to readers who enjoy quirky family stories with a focus on character over action. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
