A hesitant 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. This is a compelling narrative about our main character, Tara, a Pakistani woman that finds a way to move from the provincial areas of Pakistan into the city. Tara is filled with a desire to continually move “upward.” Societally, capitalistically, and every other way. If one is not careful reading this book, it may seem like all of Tara’s decisions are for gaining her individuality. In reality, it is a cautionary tale of the dangers of being unsatisfied.

i have no words to describe the sensuality and feverish tone of this novel. it grapples with femininity, motherhood, and ambition in a language i am yet to be familiar with. the protagonist, tara, learns how to bend the men in her world to her will, and this is written not with abstractions but with a near-tangible sense of self. this book served its purpose. i am, literally, at lost for words at how gripping this novel was. i read it for straight 3 hours, without stopping, in hopes of finding out what happens in the next pages. it is raw and real—everything i could wish for in a novel. really perfect for fans of elena ferrante like me.

how this novel portrayed ambition was very beguiling and familiar. this book is, in so many ways, a rage awakening for women. that beneath each and every one of us lies a rage suffused by ambition, and the protagonist very much exhibits this rage with her searing voice all throughout the novel. amna’s profound ability to articulate words and write them is inspiring—i especially loved how it’s titled the way it’s titled because it starts to make sense after reading the book. amazing and powerful work! i can’t wait for it to be out in the world.

Dur e Aziz Amna is a gifted storyteller and I have been eagerly awaiting her second novel. A Splintering is virtuosic in setting a gripping tale of ruthless ambition and class mobility against the backdrop of Pakistani society in the throes of political and socio-economic change. I came of age in precisely the time period in which this novel is set in the same cities so the novel was particularly captivating to read. The protagonist Tara, has an electrifying presence on each page and I love how Amna has created a character with a dodgy moral compass, acidic language, unending needs but she is persistent in subverting the patriarchy and making it work for her. I found myself strangely rooting for her despite not finding her particularly likeable. I read A Splintering with avidity and I suggest you do, too.