Reviews with content warning for Blood - The Bandit Queens

There's very little about a book blurb along the lines of "a group of women secretly helping each other kill off their terrible husbands" that doesn't appeal to me. I mean, I don't usually go for thrillers, but that description led me to believe it wouldn't be the traditional "keeps me awake at night" kind of intense that usually makes me steer clear of the genre. So, here we are.

Five years ago, Geeta's husband disappeared. Rumors abound that she killed him, despite all Geeta's assurances to the contrary. Sometimes, those rumors are convenient...people tend to leave her alone, no one threatening or attempting to control her. And it seems that other women have noticed. When a woman in Geeta's micro-loan group approaches her and asks for help getting rid of her own husband, Geeta finds herself helping (against her better judgement and intentions). And things escalate from there, until Geeta finds herself as both legitimate accomplice and murderer, embroiled in the middle of an illegal liquor business/local gangster fiasco, facing the surprise return of a perhaps-not-as-contrite-as-he-acts husband, and fighting to protect the life of freedom that she worked so hard to build.

This book brings it, from the beginning, with the drama and the gossip (small town/village vibes, I see you) and the heavy sarcasm about being a woman, a wife, and the “joys of motherhood.” I really cannot count the number of times that I snort-laughed at it all. It's all quite salacious. And that feeds so smoothly into the first requests that Geeta receives from fellow women, asking for help removing their own no-good husbands from their lives. It's funny and ridiculous and entertaining until...it's not quite, anymore. And the thing is, I can't tell as what point that is, or when the turn happens exactly, but at some point, the hilarity of "bad husbands" turns into very real bad husbands, those who physically and emotionally abuse their wives, rape other women, sexually abuse children, and more. And the juxtaposition was pretty jarring for me. While I understand conceptually dark/gallows humor, and have loved books with it before, the way this novel develops, I found myself feeling kind of guilty for finding some of the drama/interactions funny, in the context of those types of abuse/transgressions. It's a fine line to be walked, and I think that that discomfort means Shroff might have actually walked it really well. But still, it wasn't always a comfortable reading experience as I tried to parse and justify my emotional responses. (Reading the Author's Note afterwards did give me a bit of clarity and grace, on that front, which I do want to mention, for transparency.)

Similarly, somewhere in the first half, I made this note while reading: "It feels fairly surface level, but there is an interrogation of caste and gender and the intersectionality of those as justifications for mistreatment (in this case primarily violence against women) that is an important one to recognize and call out." And it began in that surface level way, for sure. But again, as the novel progressed, that exploration got deeper and a bit more nuanced, though considering the type of story being told, with a little bit of satire and a heavy grounding in the exaggerated drama of this women's group, it was limited in the extent to which it could reach. (Similar to above, there was some insight into Shroff's goals on this front in the Author's Note at the end as well - ones that are thematically in line with some of the intent in The Immortal King Rao, though the genres are quite different). Though I will say, it was quite satisfying to me as a reader, if not an actual fix, to see these “invisible" women - these mothers and wives - use that invisibility to their advantage in getting away with murder (as it were, lolz).

I definitely want to point out a few content warnings. Obviously the violence against women (sexual, physical, emotional, verbal...all of it really) was intense and pervasive. The cycle of abusive relationships - interpersonally and as wrapped up with social standards and expectations - was central to the plot. It was fully and fairly examined, but it was ubiquitous and readers should be aware of that. And there was quite a bit of fat shaming throughout as well. Perhaps that's culturally accurate, but it was still a lot.

Shroff created something really unique here. She presents the danger in questioning masculinity, and the belittling of woman that goes hand-in-hand with that, with an unflinching gaze. At the same time, she declares, in no uncertain terms, that what a person does to survive, and what surviving makes them into, is never something to apologize for. And that's a message I can get behind wholeheartedly. So, basically... This was the strangest mix of hilarity - humorous blackmailing and extortion and murder planning and bumbling gangsters - and very important social messaging and awareness on some heavy AF topics. I both appreciated the entertainment and the complexity of the relationships the women had with each other (which were allowed to be supportive and ugly/flawed in equal, and realistic, turns) and was conflicted by it all. A very singular reading experience.

“Her grapes, whether sour or fair, were her grapes.”

“Bystanders shoulder their own blame.”

“But I think that she was capable of anything because everything had already happened to her. [...] She was fearless because she'd already suffered what the rest of us live in fear of.”

“…just another example of women living within the spaces that others defined.”

“It wasn’t [...] so much that women loved their husbands and couldn't live without them. It was that the outside world made life without them utter shit; you needed a man in the house in order to be left in peace. They didn't really do much, but their simple pulse was a form of protection. Like pimps.”

"We're happy to be accessories. Like jewelry, but way more dangerous..."

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xread_write_repeatx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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rashmig's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

First and foremost, what struck me was the way it captures the complexity of female friendships. Geeta and Saloni, our central characters, have a childhood friendship that’s evolved into something different in adulthood. This dynamic is intriguingly contrasted with Geeta’s relationships with her other women friends, like Farah, Priya, Preeti, and Khushi. The vulnerability that Geeta can share with Saloni is unique and heartwarming, but she fulfills other needs with her adult friendships that bring their own special qualities.

Now, let’s talk about the women in this story and their independent working lives. The book beautifully portrays the way they navigate their careers, sharing experiences and providing support. What’s even more striking is how it delves into the shared traumatic experiences these women endure. The author’s writing truly hits home when it showcases these experiences as an unfortunate reality, highlighting societal issues like acid attacks, domestic abuse, and gender power imbalances.

I also want to mention the heartwarming snippets of the bond between Geeta and Bandit, her dog. Their relationship adds depth and warmth to the story, with Geeta being fiercely protective of her furry companion.

Throughout the novel, we see these women striving to live their lives on their own terms, but they face numerous challenges imposed by society or their circumstances. Geeta’s experience as a single woman with a complicated marital past and Saloni’s juggling act between family, work, and a seat in the village’s senate are just a few examples. The way they support each other through these struggles is a testament to the strength of female bonds.

Now, let’s touch on the theme of male entitlement and the prevalence of abusive behavior. The book doesn’t shy away from portraying the harsh reality that many women face, where most men are perpetrators of emotional, physical, mental, and sexual abuse. However, the story also highlights a few exceptions like Kareem and Sarah, who treat women with respect and empathy.

The novel briefly delves into the issue of caste, which might feel a bit tangential at first, but it soon merges seamlessly with the broader theme of women’s issues, offering a layered perspective on societal challenges.

Despite the heavy themes, Parini Shroff manages to infuse humor into her storytelling, making the book a breeze to read. I found myself chuckling in various places, and the climax of the novel even features some dark comedy at its finest.

In conclusion, “Bandit Queens” is a thought-provoking and brilliantly written book that seamlessly weaves together themes of female friendship, independent working women, vulnerability, shared trauma, humor, and societal challenges. It’s an impressive debut work from Parini Shroff that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone seeking a compelling and impactful read. So, add it to your reading list—you won’t be disappointed!

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kirstinlwx's review

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adventurous challenging dark funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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bugaboobear's review against another edition

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dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I loved the interactions between the women and the way the relationships were portrayed. No one was perfect, they were all flawed and interesting. The story was interesting, but less so than the setting and characters.

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schnaucl's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was a well told story about a woman whose husband left her but the village thinks she murdered him. Consequently she's been socially isolated. But then women trapped in their own abusive marriages come to her for advice on getting rid of their husbands.

The characters were compelling and the setting vivid.

Shroff does a good job of showing how abusers work, systematically isolating people from their support network.

And how easy it is to fall back into old patterns without realizing it. She also does a good job showing how things can be self reinforcing. Geeta is socially isolated by the villagers at first but reinforces it herself in later years. Patterns of all kinds are hard to break.

I could have done without the focus on a Solani's weight at the beginning and throughout though.

She also does a good job showing that when people want to play savior, the consequences of trying to change the system often fall on the very people they're trying to save.

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szraj16's review against another edition

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dark funny medium-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a really solid 4.5 for me! I absolutely loved it, it was dark, humorous, and really entertaining. The way the author was able to intertwine humor with really important (and horrible) societal problems and some really dark moments, while never making light of them, was really well done. I’ll also note that the vocabulary used in this book is 10/10 and I’m so thankful for the dictionary function on my kindle.

The only reason this was not a 5 for me was because I felt like I pieced together the many clues sprinkled in throughout a little more easily than I would’ve liked. It’s not that it was predictable, but maybe it’s just that a little too much was given away if you’re paying attention to the details, in a way that makes a couple moments later on a little less impactful and surprising.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Stories about India will always peak my interest and I’m so happy I read this one. Highly recommend for a murder/thriller book that touches on some really deep topics, and yet somehow stays fun and lighthearted.

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