strictly literary: instant karma by marissa meyer (audiobook version narrated by rebecca soler)

i'm used to marissa meyer writing more on the science fiction/fantasy spectrum, so i was intrigued by this contemporary story. but instant karma does have a touch of fantasy. i'm just not sure the concept was executed successfully. one big issue is that the story appropriates indian/hindu culture, going so far as to have an illustrated cover that implies the main characters are persons of color when they're actually as white as can be. 

i know there is debate about #ownvoices, but when a white author repeatedly uses diverse perspectives that do not reflect her own experience for her characters' voices that starts to feel exploitative. and maybe if the main character weren't so judgmental and more sympathetic this would all be less problematic, but plotwise it's where the book falls down. 

that being said, the narration here is spot on. rebecca soler does a fantastic job voicing a diverse group of characters and does a great job of distinguishing their voices without issue. i enjoyed listening to the audiobook even if i wasn't all in on the actual story. 

**instant karma will publish on november 3, 2020. i received an advance listening copy courtesy of netgalley/macmillan audio in exchange for my honest review.