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missmelissarae's review against another edition
- 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
I’m not even curious how it ends because it just drones on for so long.
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
naireeb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Animal death, Hate crime, Death, Classism, Child abuse, Body horror, Abandonment, Murder, Grief, Car accident, Trafficking, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Mass/school shootings, Drug abuse, Cursing, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Abortion, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Violence
bethanneguc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Addiction, Bullying, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Violence
lindsayerin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Classism, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Torture, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Rape, Violence, Alcohol, Gore, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, and Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
maregred'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? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Car accident, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Trafficking, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Cursing, Violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Infidelity, Grief, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism, Pregnancy, and Death
egmamaril's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Drug use, Gun violence, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Misogyny and Fatphobia
Minor: Abortion, Alcoholism, and Pregnancy
There is also some ableist language and a lot of inter-caste racism.hilaryreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Sexual violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Cursing, Confinement, Rape, Gun violence, Drug use, Death, Self harm, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
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: Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Addiction
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
TL;DR REVIEW:
Age of Vice is a super-readable literary crime novel set in India. While I didn’t love it as much as some others (crime isn’t my genre), I definitely read it quickly and enjoyed it.
For you if: You like gangster movies like The Sopranos or The Godfather (but this time, make the story written by a woman!).
FULL REVIEW:
First, big thanks to Riverhead for sending me an advanced copy of this book — it comes out in January, and the amount of early hype that’s being built around it tells you just how successful they think it’s going to be. I’m inclined to agree with them — Age of Vice is a super-bingeable, decadent, brutal read.
This book is set mostly in Delhi, India in the early 2000s. The story revolves around the Wadias, a powerful gangster family who run pretty much everything. We have three main characters: Ajay, who ends up working for them; Sunny, son of the patriarch; and Neda, a journalist who gets herself very personally involved. There’s a deadly car crash at the beginning, and we flash back and forth to not only learn what happened but also see how it shaped what will come next for these characters.
A couple things to know about this book: First, it’s book one of a planned trilogy, which I didn't know until later, but was very glad to hear after I finished it. Second, this kind of crime novel set in India and written a woman is a rare thing, and the kind of attention this book is getting is an excellent, boundary-pushing thing. We love to see it, and it’s well-deserved.
While I don’t think I fell quite as head over heels for this one as much as some other early reviewers — simply because this kind of antihero crime fiction is not my genre; I don’t really like things like The Sopranos or The Godfather — I did really like it, and I did read it very quickly. To me, the three main characters make the book especially notable; they are beautifully, exceptionally morally gray. Some of them are better people than others, and their degree of goodness changes wonderfully over the course of the novel, but Kapoor has made sure that we always at least nugget of sympathy for all three of them.
I’m eager for more readers to get their hands on this book and to see what they think, and I’m definitely looking forward to book two!
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape