Keya’s passing left the Das family adrift when dealing with their grief. The story follows family and friends trying to navigate this new reality and what the discovery of Keya’s unfinished play might mean in their healing.

This was a very beautiful book about grief and forgiveness.

Keya Das's Second Act is about a Bengali American family still suffering from the loss of 17-year old Keya five years after her death. Her parents, Shantanu and Chaitali have divorced; and her now 25-year old sister Mitali is on her own, but a bit adrift. Before her death, Keya came out to her family, but didn't receive acceptance like she expected. Tragically, she passed away in a car accident before her family reconciled with her. They have felt the burden of failing her ever since.

The story largely takes place five years later after Shantanu discovers a play that Keya and her girlfriend wrote while in high school. We do see glimpses into the past of the main characters, which really helped illustrate events and character growth. The book is a little slow-going at first, but really picked up in the second act. The characters really drew me in. I loved how the family came together and began truly healing. It's a beautiful testament to how we can move on and heal even when we do things we regret and suffer unimaginable loss.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for providing this book. All thoughts are my own.

A heartwarming look at grief, loss, and moving on from the perspective of an estranged Bengali family. I loved the plot of this book and thought that the portrayal of everyone's own way of processing and healing from the loss of Keya was beautiful. However, the inclusion of so many Bengali words did make it more challenging to read through the novel, and I would've liked more from the ending.

A story of redemption and forgiveness. I enjoyed it! It was slow and subtle with humor sprinkled in. Poignant and heartwarming.

3.5 stars, rounded up

This novel follows the family of Keya after her death, with a focus on how they decide to honor Keya by putting on a play that she had written before her death. Family dynamics, death, and being gay in South Asian culture are a few of the themes highlighted in this novel.

There is a side story that follows Neesh and his friend and family dynamics. This storyline also alluded to and blatantly mentioned gun violence. While I thought these storylines were interesting and important, I felt that they did not add as much to the story, and I had hoped that there was more a focus on Keya's family and their grief.

The way that this novel highlights how families cope with death in differing ways was a strong point of this novel - everyone copes with death and grief in their own way and sometimes that causes families to tear apart. Throughout the novel, we get glimpses of the family's grief, but I felt that it would have been a stronger novel if we were able to dive deeper into the grief and other feelings associated with it. At times, it felt as if the characters were doing things and no further reflection or feelings were explained. The writing style is more of a tell what happens rather than following the inner workings of the characters. Maybe it is just me and not being used to reading books for the plot, but rather for character building. Overall, this was an interesting read that I enjoyed but had some quibbles with.

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted physical copy and NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the gifted e-book in exchange for an honest opinion!

3.5 stars, rounded up

This novel follows the family of Keya after her death, with a focus on how they decide to honor Keya by putting on a play that she had written before her death. Family dynamics, death, and being gay in South Asian culture are a few of the themes highlighted in this novel.

There is a side story that follows Neesh and his friend and family dynamics. This storyline also alluded to and blatantly mentioned gun violence. While I thought these storylines were interesting and important, I felt that they did not add as much to the story, and I had hoped that there was more a focus on Keya's family and their grief.

The way that this novel highlights how families cope with death in differing ways was a strong point of this novel - everyone copes with death and grief in their own way and sometimes that causes families to tear apart. Throughout the novel, we get glimpses of the family's grief, but I felt that it would have been a stronger novel if we were able to dive deeper into the grief and other feelings associated with it. At times, it felt as if the characters were doing things and no further reflection or feelings were explained. The writing style is more of a tell what happens rather than following the inner workings of the characters. Maybe it is just me and not being used to reading books for the plot, but rather for character building. Overall, this was an interesting read that I enjoyed but had some quibbles with.

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted physical copy and NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the gifted e-book in exchange for an honest opinion!

Keya Das’s Second Act by Sopan Deb is a poignant novel about grief and forgiveness that follows a Bengali American family reeling from the sudden loss of their daughter and sister, titular character Keya Das. Each member of the family regrets not being more supportive when Keya came out, and now it’s too late to do anything about it…or is it? The novel picks up when Shantanu, Keya’s father, discovers a box containing a play Keya was writing with her girlfriend. It briefly brings Keya back to life for them, so her family embarks on a mission to stage the play to honor her memory and make amends.

With loss of a child and implied homophobia at the forefront of this novel, this is an emotional read. Grief impacts different people in different ways, and that makes Deb’s cast of characters even more important as they are vehicles through which readers can experience the central themes in this story. Following Keya’s death, Shantanu isolates himself from his family, his wife Chaitali tries to move forward with her own life, and their eldest daughter Mitali tries to distance herself from her sorrow — all very relatable coping mechanisms. But because their journeys are so disparate, it’s a little challenging to keep up with the various side characters that help to bring the family back together. None of them are developed enough, which sometimes makes their heavy influence on our key characters a little difficult to understand. The ultimate message is to encourage leaning on community to help assuage and process the big feelings that occur during times of grief, but the poignancy of that takeaway sometimes gets lost in Deb’s delivery.

I particularly enjoyed the Bengali words interspersed throughout otherwise English language sentences. As a Bengali American who grew up in a bilingual household within a diaspora community, that is exactly how we speak! I’ve seen criticism about the lack of a glossary or sufficient context clues to decode the meaning of select Bengali phrases in other reviews for this novel; however, I like to view this creative choice as a postcolonial resistance to the residual effects of Orientalist policies that defined English as the medium of instruction and the language of knowledge itself. Deb’s language choice — his refusal to translate, sanitize, or suppress the story he wanted to elevate — empowers him to seize back control of how he defines himself in a postcolonial reality still very much influenced by the lingering aftereffects of imperialism.

The one thing I really struggled with in this novel was lack of LGBTQ+ representation. Yes, Keya is gay, but her identity felt like a plot device for characters who didn’t want to accept her sexuality when she was still alive. They took her manuscript, interpreted it for the stage as they saw fit, and essentially used it for their own devices. For lack of a better term, the allyship after the fact felt performative. I realize with a tragedy like this, catharsis just might be the best we can hope to achieve since it’s too late to apologize to Keya or treat her the way she deserves. Still, I expected to see more positive and normalized representation. Keya’s lack of voice in this aspect of the novel has me going back and forth with classifying this novel within the LGBTQ+ category.

For all the heavy themes that form the foundation of this novel, it is surprisingly heartwarming and hopeful. Keya Das’s Second Act begins with characters weighed down by grief, regret, and trauma, and Deb navigates them through a healing journey that leaves them in a better place. This novel reminds readers it isn’t too late for us to take the time to listen and carefully consider how our actions affect the people in our lives. And even if it is too late — like it was for Keya — her family demonstrates it’s never too late to learn and grow from mistakes.

"Keya Das's Second Act" by Sopan Deb is a poignant and heartwarming novel. The characters are beautifully developed and relatable, and the family dynamics are realistic and touching. The author's writing style is warm, humorous, and engaging. Additionally, the cultural references and traditions are expertly woven into the story. Overall, "Keya Das's Second Act" is a beautiful and heartwarming novel that will leave readers feeling uplifted and hopeful. It is a must-read for anyone looking for a touching story about family, love, and the power of second chances.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I was not able to finish so won't be leaving a full review at this time.

Keya Das’s Second Act is a beautifully written book. Unfamiliar with the Bengali culture, it was interesting to learn and look up some of the traditions. A family with tragedy, grief, and new beginnings has many things I related to. There were many funny parts to the book as well. The efforts to take regrets and turn them into a way to honor their lost family member was what I was drawn to. The characters are very well written and fun. The New Jersey setting, the surprise manuscript, and the hilarious efforts to stage the play kept me engaged. I found myself cheering for everyone in Deb’s novel. It is a creative story of love and second chances. The ending left me questioning the conclusion and slowly I realized it was perfect. I can’t wait to read Sopan Deb’s next book!

Touching story about a family dealing with their late daughter's legacy. Ending may leave some readers wanting more, but it's perfect for the story.

Overall, I liked it mostly. It was alright. I didn’t love it and that comes down to something that’s more about me personally as an individual than with the writing and the ending.

The book is definitely well-written and I was surprised by how much I connected with characters that I don’t have a single thing in common with. I did really care to see what happened to them throughout the story (particularly the father and Neesh). I was surprised at how long it took to get to the actual premise of the novel (the staging of a play) but I wasn’t bored at all by getting to know the characters for that page length.

I will say that the ending left me disappointed. It was really abrupt which I didn’t expect considering the pacing of the rest of the story and I didn’t like how there wasn’t as much closure as I wanted as far as knowing what happened after the play’s end and into the future for them all. Between my personal views on how a family should react when a member comes out of the closet and this lack of an ending, I will come down on the side of good but not great.


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is a great family drama novel. It covers memories, regrets, aging, expectations, secrets and culture. Everyone has regrets but sometimes it’s too late to do anything about them. This is a deeply moving story that
You won’t soon forget.

This book was an ok attempt, but it fell flat for me. I just couldn’t get into it and the story & characters felt like I had seen/read their story before. Not quite original.

Interesting story with a unique premise, and I am glad that I tried a book outside of my normal genres! This is a great one to discuss with others.

When Keya Das was a teenager, she told her family a secret she’d been keeping: she was in love with her best friend, Pamela. It didn’t go well.

Soon after, Keya died in a car accident. Since then, her family has struggled with their mistake. When they find a box in the attic with a play that Keya and Pamela wrote, they decide that it might just be a way to honor Keya.

While I enjoyed the growth and storyline of Santanu, Keya’s father, I found the character development of the other family members lacking–especially of Keya herself. I would have liked to know more about her and less about the criminal past of Mitali’s new boyfriend, Neesh. This had a slow start and while I saw it through, I would have cared more about Keya’s play getting made if I cared more about Keya herself.

After discovering a box in the attic, this debut novel takes us through a stunning and heartwarming journey to find the meaning of family, even when all hope seems lost.

Taking us into the Bengali community, Sopan Deb does an incredible job of bringing the culture and spirit of the community to life for the reader. I walked away from this book truly feeling like I was engaged in the story and like I learned something not only about this family and their journey, but about the greater culture as well. Being able to write the story, maintain attention, and teach me something is a trait I truly enjoy in books and this one navigated that quite well.

Throughout the story I felt a connection building with the characters, and although flawed I really wanted to see them find themselves and each other again. I was engaged in rooting for their success. All in all this was a really enjoyable book, and I would certainly recommend and read more of Sopan Deb's work in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the gifted ARC!

Excellent book by a great author. I was excited to read Deb's novel after thoroughly enjoying his memoir last year and it did not disappoint. Keya is relatable and funny and the story is charming and thought provoking.

A very memorable and beautiful story, the writing flowed for me. The characters were very much people who will stay with me. It talks about pain and acceptance and finding answers in the unknown. Beautifully written.

If you're looking for a novel that will stand out in your memory, may I suggest Keya Da's Second Act, written by Sopan Deb. This novel is every bit as heartwarming as it promised to be, if not more so.

Shantanu Das has been living with ghosts for years now. One could say he is used to it – but that isn't quite the truth. It's been years since he and his wife spoke to their eldest daughter – and given her death, that will never change.

When going through Keya's things, he finds a manuscript she had written but never released. Perhaps now is the time to honor her memory and to right the wrongs that haunt the family.

“What is peace but just another precursor to war?”

Keya Da's Second Act is quite an emotional read, so you better prepare yourself for what lies ahead. This book tackles many heavy subjects, predominantly grief, homophobia, and LGBT/what it takes to be an ally.

The thing I love the most about Keya Da's Second Act is the critical conversation this book brings up. We all know somebody who regrets an action in their past. Maybe they said something horrible. Or maybe they didn't back a friend the way they should have. Either way, they're carrying that weight now and are trying to find a way to make amends.

Most of us have the option to reach out and apologize to those we've done wrong. But sometimes that isn't possible – and it will never be possible. That is the situation our main character is in. He let homophobia and familial expectations get between him and his daughter, and her death removed any opportunity to make things right.

Well, not in a direct sense. He can still do something; it just won't be an apology that she can hear. That's what makes this story hit so hard. The loss, the regrets, the (admittedly late) determination to stand up and do something about it.