I’ve been looking forward to Loka by S.B. Divya ever since I finished Meru last year, and much like its predecessor, it did not disappoint. For those who are hesitant about sci-fi because of the language or science-y aspect, never fear: Loka is very readable and the world-building is sprinkled throughout so you don’t feel overwhelmed. This novel has nice pacing and stakes and almost feels a bit like The Amazing Race lol. I appreciate how Akshaya’s journey with her chronic illness and disability is portrayed; there is no toxic “smile and keep going” narrative that is usually stuffed down the throats of those of us with a chronic illness, and I appreciated how she has to learn how to live day-by-day and how to manage the pain. Even though I do not have sickle-cell disease, I could relate to Akshaya’s journey with coming to grips with being chronically ill and navigating life being different than how you once thought it would be in relation to your body. Also, those around her are empathetic and make room for her illness, especially her bestie Somya. Speaking of Somya, the friendship between Akshaya and Sonya is beautiful; it’s full of respect, love, trust, and communication, and I was rooting for this pair to succeed in their endeavor the entire time.

It’s a Privilege Just to Be Here by Emma Sasaki is a funny and engaging read that peers into the gilded veil that is East Coast private schools and dissects the dynamics with a razor sharp scalpel that speaks of lived experience and years of rumination that can only make one chuckle after they’ve sifted through the bizarre experience of an independent school (and I would know - I’m the product of one 😅). Sasaki gets right to the heart of the story’s tension without unnecessary exposition, and it feels like a whirlwind story from start to finish with all the different players and dynamics, but it does an excellent job not getting bogged down by the unnecessary details. I read this book in a day because I couldn’t put it down, and its messy, realistic, and satisfying ending made me want to simultaneously cackle and scream, much like the main character wants to do all throughout the book, so I would say Emma Sasaki did a great job 😂

Tiananmen Square is an engrossing and beautifully told story that holds deep reflections about mother-daughter relationships and their complexities, the meaning of patriotism, youth and revolution, and the subtle power of community among the marginalized. It reads like a memoir or a set of vignettes but very clearly a novel with a distinct path. Wen conveys the naivety, hope, and curiosity of youth in a familiar and respectful manner, and Lai (the protagonist) is a hero in her own way and can stand as a foil for all those who aren’t necessarily the leaders or faces of a movement but part of the force and longetivity of it. Tiananmen Square by Lai Wen was a book that pulled me in and kept me reading, wanting to know what was happening to lead up to the famous Tiananmen Square protests but also how Lai was going to blossom into a young woman amidst the chaos.