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ratingwithears's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
lisettemarie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Abortion
morgydunn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
thereadingrunnner's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 STARS. Was so excited about this book but I struggled to keep reading. Took me about 100pgs to get into it and then once I did, parts were very engaging and then other parts were a snoozefest. The last 150 pgs then take a real turn for the bizarre.
This starts off as the story of Ajay, a boy sold by his poor mother into a servant (slave like) situation. When he is rescued by Sunny, a high rolling gangster type he becomes part of the protected Wahia clan. But he never forgets about his mother and sister that were left behind.
Then the story moves moreso to Neda, the lower class girl for whom Sunny falls in love. But Sunny struggles with his own identity and his obligations to his father from whom he feels he can never escape and his relationship with Neda is not one that can easily be sustained, if at all.
Yet the story switches up there again, focusing more on Sunny and his inability to leave the family clenches. Ajay and Neda become background characters and things begin to get weird. Sunny becomes a drunken, doped up shell of himself and the whole time table of the story becomes difficult to follow. In the end, I'm not even totally sure of all the family was involved in, except the parts of running poor people off their land. You never actually read of any interactions/family business occurring. There are a lot of side characters, many who add little to the story or take it off on a weird/uneccesary tangent.
There was a lot of potential here, but the story never had a good flow and was overall, a real miss for me.
This starts off as the story of Ajay, a boy sold by his poor mother into a servant (slave like) situation. When he is rescued by Sunny, a high rolling gangster type he becomes part of the protected Wahia clan. But he never forgets about his mother and sister that were left behind.
Then the story moves moreso to Neda, the lower class girl for whom Sunny falls in love. But Sunny struggles with his own identity and his obligations to his father from whom he feels he can never escape and his relationship with Neda is not one that can easily be sustained, if at all.
Yet the story switches up there again, focusing more on Sunny and his inability to leave the family clenches. Ajay and Neda become background characters and things begin to get weird. Sunny becomes a drunken, doped up shell of himself and the whole time table of the story becomes difficult to follow. In the end, I'm not even totally sure of all the family was involved in, except the parts of running poor people off their land. You never actually read of any interactions/family business occurring. There are a lot of side characters, many who add little to the story or take it off on a weird/uneccesary tangent.
There was a lot of potential here, but the story never had a good flow and was overall, a real miss for me.
sford7's review against another edition
4.0
This book was out of my comfort zone. I was taken to a new world. It was completely unpredictable, I had no idea what was going to happen and I still don't completely understand the ending, but I think it was left open for the next book. It's long (took me all month to read) because the story is so intense.
ksendy's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at 30%. I just couldn’t get into the story. I was losing track of details and characters.
vanessa10readsbooks's review against another edition
I really struggle with prison violence in books. It is so sad and I hate this is part of our world. I couldn’t get through those parts.
kellee's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5