Reviews with content warning for Rape - L'età del male

I loved this book. I don’t really read crime/mystery thrillers so it was a nice change, and going into it blind I was really able to watch the story unfold. The characters were so well fleshed out and engaging and sympathetic while also being horrible, and the story itself took a lot of twists and turns. There were some parts that made me uncomfortable to the point of needing to put the book down, but that’s kind of the intention and she achieved it. I do wish the story was a little more evenly paced, it was very slow at the beginning and fast at the end, but overall a super enjoyable and unique book.

Content Warnings

elmtreebooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.75

This was a five star book for the first 70% but then absolutely fell apart in the end. The introduction of Sunil’s character as a catch-all super evil invincible bogeyman ground the story to a halt.
The first half of the book is richly detailed and immersive , and I really enjoyed the multiple POVs of the MC Ajay, Neha, and Sunny. They all frustrate and disappoint but it feels authentic to their dark story.
But then, after all that build up, the story just kind of… stops. And I get the intentional parallel of the ending to the accident at the beginning of the book but ugh. To spend so long in this world only for the story to be incomplete is so unsatisfying.
It was only after reading reviews that I realized this is going to be the first book in a trilogy. Ok, fine. But even in a series, each book should have a complete and satisfying arc that stands alone.
I won’t be returning to this world for book 2. I’m more disappointed because so much about this book was amazing, and now I feel let down, instead of it just being mediocre the whole way through.

Content Warnings

carolinemb's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

deagaric's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Enthralling story with a wide array of characters and POVs. This is a multifaceted story about dirty money and the people behind it in the cities and backcountry of India in the 1990s and early 2000s. Very unique setting and a (mostly) fast-paced, insane plot filled with mind-numbing wealth, deception, violence, and forbidden love.

I loved the unpredictable story line and the family saga aspect of the tale. Though I strongly recommend glancing at the trigger warnings before starting this book (the continued rape and sodomy of a minor is very explicit and highly disturbing and I genuinely wish I had skipped reading those chapters), Kapoor also adds in details about the strengths of human bonds and the need for secure attachment to others even when raised around violence and neglect. Quite a few comedic moments as well, particularly from Sunny's assistant, Eli, towards the end.

I also liked learning about India's geography and spent a decent amount of time googling up the places so I can imagine the setting more clearly. The author was born and raised in northern India and I think brings a special expertise to capturing it as a backdrop to the story.

The reason I give this a 4 rather than 5 is the weird pacing; it'll be 100mph for dozens of pages, and then slow down into a school-zone pace for a 100 more. Particularly around the point of Book/Section 3 and 4, the story became a slog, and took willpower to push through to the end. I assume a lot of the seemling unnecessary backstory will become important in the second and third book of this trilogy, so keeping my eyes peeled for that!

Content Warnings

spongebobbiii's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was beautifully written! It has been a LONG time since I have truly read something so beautifully written. The prose and cadence of the writing was wonderful. Overall though, the book was a tad long, which made some parts drag a little. The content and plot of the story was fascinating and kept me coming back.

Content Warnings

dan047's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

eringl's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

missmelissarae's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This book awkwardly jumps timelines for multiple characters. That was fine until the “All Glory Must Go To Gods” section. Some guy in an awfully monotone and self praising monologue goes on for over an hour!! It became insufferable and I returned the book to the library despite finishing 86% of the 19 hours audiobook.

I’m not even curious how it ends because it just drones on for so long.

Content Warnings

More...