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savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- 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
A Mercedes runs over five people on the streets of New Delhi, setting in motion an epic family saga involving three characters from very different backgrounds and families.
Everyone in the world seems to be reading this book recently, and it’s easy to see why—it’s unique and captivating, with beautifully written prose and insightful commentary on class and colonialism. And as literary fiction and a family saga but with a crime fiction edge, Age of Vice has something to offer fans of many different genres.
Still, while I absolutely understand the appeal, I also felt that the book was a bit over-long: it’s nearly 600 pages, but most of that is dedicated to providing a level of deep background into the characters that I didn’t always find necessary. The story is clearly meant to be a slow burn, but I occasionally found it a bit *too* slow, and wanted more plot and action, especially after such an explosive beginning.
All of that said, this book has a lot of positives that outweigh the negatives. The writing is incredibly cinematic and I know that it will make for an incredible miniseries or movie (rights were sold in a bidding war years before publication!) And, the payoff of the ending was big enough that I’ll definitely pick up the second book in the planned trilogy when it releases.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: epic family sagas; The Godfather but set in India; cinematic novels
CW: Sexual assault/rape; child abuse; murder/death/death of parent; drug abuse/use; torture; classism; violence generally
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
noble_editorial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Car accident, Murder, and Classism
smileitsfree's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, Trafficking, and Car accident
Moderate: Rape
15ash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Car accident, Abortion, Murder, and Classism
booksbeyondthebinary's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
It takes place in India and features the main characters of Ajay, Sunny and Neda. They all have their own stories but are all intrinsically linked and it follows their lives as they all navigate the social and political tensions stemming from Sunny’s family and their dealings with organized crime.
This book reminded me of Succession in some ways, in regards to Sunny being the heir to his fathers wealth and not always being worthy of that from the viewpoint of his father.
I heard that this is the first book of a trilogy and I will absolutely be waiting for the next two books because I am dying to see what happens next with these characters.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Alcohol
Moderate: Trafficking and Abortion
hilaryreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
briij's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Car accident, and Abortion
goosebump420's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Trafficking
cc_shelflove's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Can we just talk about the fact that I finished this beast in 36 hours? Who am I? Kapoor’s writing makes it so easy for the reader to picture everything in his or her head so vividly. I was flying through pages because I felt like I was literally watching everything unfold before my eyes. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I heard this was already selected by FX to be a television series. There will also be two more books in the saga… sign me up! In short, Age of Vice is like Sons of Anarchy without the motorcycles (but maybe there are just a few motorcycles sprinkled in…).
I started getting serious Anakin vibes about a quarter of the way through the novel. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you know what I mean. The reader faces a man who will go to any means to get his revenge. Actually, several of these men. These people are pretty fucked up.
If I had to pick one thing that made this book stand out to me, it would be the multiple points of view. Instead of alternating chapters between characters as is typical of this writing style, Kapoor writes the same events through different eyes. Very interesting!
Another book I likely never would have read if not for Book of the Month. A juicy delight.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Abortion
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicide