PositiveBookreporter... it’s difficult to continue reading, but the temptation is too high not to keep turning pages. Each chapter disorients and disturbs but also entices ... Kupersmith juggles a lot of people, places and events, and the details within them always connect to other characters, the mysterious conflict and additional plot points. For the vast majority of the book, \'what does this have to do with anything?\' is not on the reader’s mind; bizarre, terror-inducing events are promptly contextualized in later chapters. The novel develops its characters with relatable and sympathetic plights and thickens its supernatural mystery with carefully placed hints and literary breadcrumbs. However, the trail leads to an out-of-place resolution that distracts from an otherwise well-woven story ... an A- novel that would’ve earned an A+ if it weren’t for its final 50 pages. But its 300 or so preceding pages are a testament to a talented author who knows how to frighten her readers and intertwine a wide-ranging story. Kupersmith’s ability to balance character development with a thickening plot, conflict and suspense is extraordinary. There are still questions after finishing the book, but they lend to the mysteriousness and horror of the tale’s supernatural elements, and make a second reading just as exciting as the first.
Sanjena Sathian
RaveBookreporterHere is a superb example of modern magical realism ... picks up a wonderful pace, and its plot and characters mature exponentially ... Sathian employs gold to represent the ambitious perseverance of Indian American families, but she doesn’t shy away from criticizing the high-pressure environment that’s often inherent with Indian American communities ... Aside from a stagnating exposition and an unremarkable closing, Gold Diggers is an excellent debut, offering insight into the Indian American experience and how to channel ambition through time.
