It took me over a year to read HABITATIONS, and I’m pretty ashamed of that fact, especially considering how much some of my favorite bookstagrammers raved about it! I even took these pictures almost a year ago, during a trip to Utah 😂 Brought the book all the way there and STILL didn’t read it. Mood reading, y’all. It’s a curse.

HABITATIONS is the story of Vega, a young woman who moves from India to New York for grad school. Throughout the novel, we join her as she navigates grief and loss, birth and joy, isolation and love, and a struggle to find her place—and herself—amidst it all.

Even though the narrative was on the slow side, I found myself consistently eager to pick it up, in part because Vega was crafted with such care. I yearned and grieved and pondered alongside her, and throughout it all, I wanted to hold her and help her find her way.

Ultimately, though, I felt like the final portion of the book petered out a bit. I ultimately wanted more from the characters and the narrative and was disappointed at the place where the story concluded. Combined with the slower pacing, it wasn’t a five-star read for me. I think it’s very much a me thing, though, and I’d still recommend checking this story out, especially considering it’s such a fave of so many wonderful bookstagrammers!

I am intrigued by the writer's personal story as much as I was by the synopsis of Habitations. Individuals living and writing in the American South are of particular interest to me, especially when those individuals may exist both in and outside of community. The humor and wit expressed in the pages drew me in, and the poignant writing of the immigrant experience kept me turning the pages.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

"Habitations" by Sheila Sundar offers a poignant exploration of identity, culture, and belonging. The writing is lyrical, with vivid imagery that creates a strong sense of place. The characters are interesting, and their internal struggles with family, tradition, and self-acceptance resonate throughout the novel. However, the pacing can be slow, and some parts of the story feel overly reflective, which may lose some readers' interest. While the themes are powerful, the narrative sometimes lacks focus, making it harder to stay fully engaged. Overall, it's a thoughtful, introspective book with moments of beauty, but it could benefit from tighter storytelling.

This is a beautiful novel, and demonstrates great pace with its story. While some may find it a bit slow, there’s grace in that and it draws the story out in a really wonderful way.

Thanks to Simon Books and NetGalley for the ARC. It was a delight to read.

What I liked about this book:

1. Love finding a new author
2. Great themes in the book which are handled well - Motherhood, loss, family

What I didn't like about the book:
1. Vega - the main character didn't grow at all in the book and it wasn't realistic. She was as self centered and difficult in the end of the book as she was in the beginning.
2. I found the book to be slow paced and tough to stay focused on.


Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

I really expected to like this more than I actually did. I like character driven novels. I like reading about immigrant experiences. I don’t need a fast moving plot. I think what I did not enjoy about this particular work of literary fiction was the academic and intellectual aspect. It mostly went over my head and I found it boring. There were also a lot of characters who weren’t part of the story for very long so I couldn’t get invested in them or even keep track of them after awhile. I do think Sundar is an excellent writer but this was just not the book for this reader.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.”

Thanks Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy - this was high on my excitement list and while there were parts I enjoyed, there were also quite a few that I didn’t care for.

This story takes a look at connection through the eyes of Vega who lost her sister at a young age and this grief impacts all her interactions and choices, leading to some unfortunate content as she explores her sexuality (both ways, some a bit detailed) and infidelity during her marriage. Vega initially came across as timid and aimless, letting others influence her into making decisions as she herself is unsure of what, and who, she wants in life, and her eventual marriage and divorce is proof of this. I was frustrated with her and her behaviors, waiting for when she would do some self-reflection and see how her indecisiveness and selfishness were negatively impacting her and those around her, which left me often feeling disconnected.

Throughout it addresses cultural differences, friendships, family, obligation, education, poverty, sexuality, identity, parenthood, and how unresolved trauma impacts our interactions and choices; how it even, for that matter, stunts our growth. I am glad that Vega eventually recognizes some things, and how her viewing motherhood through the eyes of the loss of her young sister helped her see the power we have in each others’ lives. I just wish it didn’t take so late in the book and through a lot of content for this to occur. Overall, it wasn’t what I hope and though I generally love books of this genre, sadly I didn’t love this one.

Content and trigger warnings include loss of a sibling, medical illnesses, some profanity, a professor seduces a student (it’s vague), some sexual content (brief, kind of detailed), infidelity, divorce, a character watches a short film that includes violence involving children and animals, suicide, and racism.

This was a thoughtful lovely story. The prose was magnificent but for me it didn’t overshadow the storyline. I empathized with the author and this beautiful story but it wasn’t as gripping as I hoped.

Beautiful story, though!

This isn't the "humorous" novel that it's marketed as (though it has its wry moments), but I still enjoyed Vega's meditative, often melancholy journey through the years. It's an impressive undertaking that spans continents and decades and is full of observations about culture, identity, and loss. The insights on motherhood are also insightful and relatable. Though we read about a decent number of Vega's romantic entanglements, my favorite relationships are the ones between her and her friends--and ex-husband--that end up revealing more aspects of Vega's character.

An interesting novel about a young woman from India who is trying to complete her graduate degree, juggle her marriage and unexpected baby.
I think it accurately highlights the connections foreign students make and the extended contacts that help them cope.
I think it’s a realistic look at the experience that thousands of people experience.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for giving me an electronic advanced readers copy of this novel.

Vega Gopalan moves from India to New York to attend Columbia graduate school. Still affected by her sister's death, Vega struggles to find herself in a new country and a new situation. It's a somewhat slow moving tale of a young woman trying to find her place in the world. She deals with culture differences, in both academia and in personal relationships.

Habitations by Shelia Sundar is a character study and a novel about discovering your identity. It was slow moving at times but overall I enjoyed it.

Vega was a really interesting character I really enjoyed getting to know her. Sheila Sundar has a wonderful writing style looking forward to reading more by her. #netgalley#simon&schuster.

I didn't find the book engaging at all, and didn't even finish a single chapter. I don't think that I'll ever read this book for a second time and don't want to bother reading through this book. It's not for me at all.

Thank you for the chance to read this novel. I was not able to connect with the characters so I did not finish.

(Thanks to @simonbooks #gifted.) 𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 by Sheila Sundar is a quiet story of an Indian woman as she tries to navigate her adult life in the U.S. while childhood traumas linger in her memories. Vega lost her sister shortly before starting college, and that devastation is never far away. For her parents, Vega stays close to home for college, a choice that impacts much of her life. Eventually, Vega is accepted to a MA program at Columbia and her life in the U.S. begins.⁣
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Like everyone’s, Vega’s journey takes unexpected paths, but she’s lucky in that people come into her life who care about her deeply; sometimes more than she cares about them, finding solitude to be her comfort zone. Her life moves in ways that are not unusual, except that she’s a woman trying to rise in academic circles, a place that is not always welcoming to anyone different. As an introverted, single, Indian woman, eventually with a child, Vega is different. ⁣
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This was not a dramatic story with a steep arc in its plot. Instead, it was more like one of slow rolling hills. Problems and people came and went, sometimes lingering. I liked that a lot. The book easily kept me engaged, but not on an edge of my seat sort of way. Instead it was a calm reading experience that I truly appreciated and was often touched by. 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 already has me wanting to see what this author does next! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This melancholy debut novel tackles belonging, identity and desire through the point of view of Vega. She is a modern woman who wrestles with her desires, society’s expectations and cultural norms. At times, I found her frustrating and unlikeable, other times sympathetic. Sundar’s writing is lovely and quiet; there’s nothing flashy here. Just a rich character study and the story of a woman trying to find love and self-acceptance. The audiobook narration was excellent and I recommend this story for literary fiction fans who like a slow deep-dive into a character.

"Habitations" by Shelia Sundar is a poignant exploration of identity and the search for belonging that resonates deeply with readers. Sundar's prose is both lyrical and incisive, drawing readers into Vega's world with vivid imagery and emotional depth. Through Vega's journey, the novel delves into themes of loss, longing, and the struggle to forge connections in a fragmented world. Overall, "Habitations" is a thought-provoking and deeply moving novel that offers a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences. Sundar's exquisite prose and keen insight make this a compelling read that will stay with readers long after the final page.

Actual rating 3.5

I struggled with this story and wish I could have liked it better, because on the whole it's an excellent premise. Vega is a very troubled person, not surprising considering she lost her sister at a young age, but through the many years this book takes us through, we never get to a point where Vega seems to be showing any growth, any movement towards letting people into her deeply insular world. That was what sank this story for me, the inability to get even an iota closer to the protagonist. I also found myself getting confused by the sheer number of characters that would flit in and out, and feel that a few could have been removed without any real harm to the story. Sundar's writing is excellent, and she shines a bright light on the issues of family and community, and what it means to be without, both in the Indian diaspora in America and in her homeland. I would be interested in reading more of her work as it becomes available, as her talent is obvious. Vega's story just wasn't the one for me.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

The summary claims this is a "delightful novel" but I found it extremely depressing. I wanted to have at least a tiny glimmer of hope.

This was a very different book than what I usually read. A slow, reflective, character studying novel. The book started a little slow and there were a lot of characters introduced. Vega was not a sympathetic person to me at first. I don’t think I’d even like her. Cold and unwilling to share her life with others. While I did understand her more at the end, she almost read as someone who didn’t really understand social cues. I do feel she had a lot of growth. The book ends hopeful, but nothing is tied up in a pretty bow. Overall, I liked it but it was definitely not a quick and easy read.