It gets bonus points for being set in Halifax and including so many local spots!

I got an advance copy of this from Net Galley for review. It was interesting and very readable, but if you’re looking for a book with a big plot and satisfying ending this isn’t it. If you like stories that are just snapshots of a life - pick this one up! Especially if you’ll recognize the place names.

Somehow this novel felt like reading a memoir. Perhaps it was the self-described creative liberties that Bhat took with real-world events and anecdotes. Or, perhaps that's how realistic fiction is simply meant to feel. Either way, I really enjoyed this quick read, and look forward to Shashi Bhat's next endeavour. Thank you to McLelland and Stewart for the ARC and to Shashi for sharing your talent with the world.

This was a beautifully written book. I really enjoyed the story of Nina and her adventures through life. I was disturbed when the story of Nina getting raped by her teacher was just glossed over. They came back to it toward the end of the story but the therapist wrote it off saying there was consent, Gross! I really want Nina to have found happiness in life and I thought she was great.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin RandomHouse for the chance to read this book.

Rounding up to a 3 for this review because I feel like this story had a lot of potential, but just did not hit the mark for me. I did a mix of reading the digital copy of this, as well as the audio. I liked the premise, but then I felt like I started to lose the point of what this book was really about. It started off strong for me and I was very intrigued, but it did not feel like it flowed smoothly between the different events and all felt somewhat random.

I found this book to be very scattered. Almost felt unfinished. This could be because I read the arc, but it was hard to follow along and get drawn in because I felt like the "mood" was constantly changing. The beginning of the story drew me in, but I felt like a lot of it ended up being just a description of random events or conversations that to me didn't lead to anything. In the end, I have no idea who Nina is or what she is really feeling. I felt like I read everything from inside her head but yet there was no real substance. And even when I thought a scene might actually lead to something it didn't. Not my favourite.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

There's a lot to unpack with this novel. It covers so many difficult and complicated scenarios. For myself though, it was almost too much jammed into the narrative and at times it didn't feel like it had a natural flow. Overall though I enjoyed my time with our MC and acknowledge all she went through and appreciate where she ended up.

This book was funny and strange in the best way possible. I loved how darkly funny this book was. It was such an intense, well-written read with gorgeous prose.

This book kept me laughing from beginning to end--despite the serious subject matter. I also really enjoyed all of the 90s pop culture references!

The Most Precious Substance on Earth is a coming-of-age story, following Nina, an Indian Canada woman from the age of 14, a shy, awkward teenager trying to impress her English teacher, to her mid-30s, a teacher herself, struggling with some of the realities of being a woman in the world.

This book, while laced with dark humor, takes a quiet look at the lasting effects of sexual trauma, and how life and personalities can change with secrets that are kept. Nina is the victim of a sexual assault by her teacher, but she keeps this secret, not wanting to acknowledge it happened, or to upset her conservative parents. But the lingering effects, the avoidance of men, the awkwardness in social settings, the inability to avoid her feelings, all are beautifully and genuinely portrayed through Bhat's writing. I found myself taking breaks with this book, giving myself moments to absorb the stories and pain, before returning. This book may be unsettling for some readers, and caution and self-care should be used.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved reading this book! I found the writing to be very insightful and interesting. I was intrigued by the premise and I enjoyed reading it from start to finish.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was such a good book. I am surprised it's not being talked about everywhere. I loved this, the characters, the developpement. All of it. Great read.

The Most Precious Substance on Earth is told in short vignettes that focus on different times in the life of Nina, a young woman of Asian Descent who lives in Canada (Halifax, Nova Scotia). I thought I wouldn’t enjoy the narrative style, and that I would end up by finding it annoying, but I didn’t because Nina is a very relatable character, and the author does a good job at showing how vulnerable the protagonist really is. I feel like I was reading her journal detailing her life and I really enjoyed the humor. This is a coming of age story filled with trauma that in my opinion will end up becoming a school read.

I did not write a review on this title, because I could not finish it. I read chapter 1, and was about 20% of the way through the book and stopped. It left a very bad taste in my mouth. I'm a teacher in Ontario, Canada and while I am well aware that there are cases of teacher-student sexual misconduct (to put it lightly), to read about it so casually in the first chapter was incredibly upsetting. It felt like it was a "coming-of-age" moment for this student, like it happens to everyone, which is certainly not the case.

a great story that I loved!
As a brown person who lives in Canada, it was definitely more relatable and funny.
Thank you to NetGalley and PUblisher for providing me with an Earc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me a bit to get into because of the narrative style, but then I was hooked and I really enjoyed this coming of age story. This is the story of Nina, a child of immigrants, and is told in her own words, and you feel like you're reading her diary. She grew up in the 90s, in Halifax so the pop culture references felt like a trip down memory lane. Early in story, Nina experiences a traumatic event and tells no one about it (this scene, while perhaps triggering to some, was written with no graphic detail) and then continues to go on living her entire life while never speaking about what happened. But not speaking up about things doesn't make them go away so it was interesting to continue reading about Nina's life and see how this one event really did guide her path in many ways. I loved her parents and their quirkiness and unconditional love for Nina. It's hard to put into words my thoughts on this book, but I'll leave you with it was a delightful surprise and if you enjoy coming of age stories, I think you'll love this one too.

This novel was especially lovely for its prose, and I'm surprised it's not getting more readers! I experienced it better as a series of vignettes from the same person's life, variations on a theme, and less a comprehensive novel. I do struggle with coming-of-age novels for their feeling of aimlessness; the linear passage of time does not quite a story make. This book is unified by themes of silence versus speech, school and responsibility, and by the end we come back to where we start; in these senses it was a novel, but I still had the sense of loose ends never tied back together. Oddly it feels like Amy and Sam had stronger arcs than the protagonist.

That aside, I read this book compulsively and finished it in two sittings, separated only by sleep. It was a wrenching exploration of womanhood and dating and work and finding a place. When I did put it aside last night it was with a sense of deep unease. There were laugh-out-loud moments and moments of profound sorrow. I especially enjoyed Nina's navigation of her relationship with her parents and her reflections on school once she was on the other side of the desk. A good debut, and I'd happily pick up anything else by this author.

Thank you to McLelland & Stewart and NetGalley for the ARC.

I tried multiple times to read the book, The Most Precious Substance on Earth and I didn’t enjoy this reading experience.

This book is written in a stream of consciousness from the point of view of an Indian female (not sure if that's pc these days) living in Halifax, Canada, from the time she's about 14 until she's in her 30s. I felt like I was reading her private journal. Parts of the book were humorous and parts were heartbreaking but it was all captivating to me. I really liked the character of Nina and her habit of daydreaming of the amazing things that were sure to come her way but of course "that didn't happen" as she's fond of saying. Many references to 90s fads, tv shows, music, etc., which rang so many bells as my daughter was growing up during that time. Still, I could also relate to so many of her thoughts from when I was young, like how Prince Charles would be smitten if we could only meet! I also liked Nina's parents even though they seemed pretty oblivious to what was going on in their daughter's life. I wish some sections could've been fleshed out more but I guess that's part of the charm of this book.

This book is classed as young adult but I don't really think it fits neatly into any specific genre. Definitely a coming of age story but adults could learn something important from reading this as well. To be honest I'm not sure I understand what the title refers to; is it silence, something more esoteric or something simpler??

I wish to express my appreciation to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for access to an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed the unique plot of this book. I think it was very different from anything I’ve read before, but I was definitely excited to be branching out from what I usually read.

I think that the conflict in this story was super interesting, but I think that the execution left me wanting a bit more. The idea was amazing, I just felt like it was a bit slow and maybe we could have gotten to know some of the characters a bit better.

Overall it was definitely an interesting read, and worth trying it out!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an e-arc of this book.

The Most Precious Substance On Earth by Shashi Bhat is a very character-driven coming of age story.
Set in the 90's, Nina is a young South Asian teenager growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. There is an incident in high school that Nina won't speak of but it changes the course of her life.
Friendship, family dynamics, teacher/student relationships and much more are explored within the story.
The setting was beautiful and I enjoyed all of the 90's pop culture references.
Nina's parents made the story for me. They were quirky, funny and full of love.
I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada/McClelland & Stewart for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.