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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Just not for me, I guess. I don't care about any of the characters.
This book was incredible! Would have gotten 5 stars if it had been a bit shorter and if the ending had been less abrupt.
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a strong and engrossing perfect start with Ajay and Neda, but the last third totally lost me. Also, it must be the first in a series, because the ending wasn’t an ending.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[NO SPOILERS]
This book is incredible. The author's choice of words and the way she strings sentences together, nothing like I've seen before. The pacing of the story wavers; sometimes necessary sometimes off putting. It starts off pretty fast paced and kind of slows down as the story progresses but wavers at random points. Many have stated this made it hard to keep up. I'd argue it definitely isn't perfect but it added a element to the story that made it more intriguing. This book takes place in India and uses Hindi words and phrases frequently but not so much you don't understand.
Of the 3 main characters, Ajay, Sunny, and Neda, I think Ajay is the best written and has the best story. As you follow his story you understand his character more and more, why he makes the decisions he makes, how he became the person he is, etc. Sunny's character is all over the place, throughout the book and it remains that way all they way to the end. I didn't lack interest in his story but this is where it begins hard to keep up. Neda is... you can tell the Deepti really tried to stick to the point that Neda wavers between morality and selfishness but it becomes annoying as she spends the entire time contemplating EVERYTHING. Neda's character is missing an element I can't put my finger on and it is at her point in the story where I slightly lost interest. I think it's that she lacks a complex story the way Ajay and Sunny do, making her just the annoying love interest. The book starts off with Ajay and in the next chapter moves on to Neda; by the end of Neda's chapter everything ties together pretty well although I think something that was lacking was Ajay and Neda's connection. They seem to be only connected because of Sunny and outside of that don't really have much of a relationship yet Neda seems to feel and kind of care for Ajay despite their minimum interactions. Once Sunny's story starts THAT is sincerely when this book starts to become all over the place. I still don't think I fully understand his character yet everything seems to revolve around him. To be clear he is still very complex... I just never really understood what was going on with him. His relation to his horrible father is mentioned in Neda's part of the story but really isn't dug into until the last portion of this book.
The last about 150 pages of this book starts to introduce too many characters as the story is wrapping up. It was annoying , hard to keep up, chaotic, ALOT. There is one character named Rastogi who takes the time to tell his own story in this portion and I have to say that that was the most unnecessary shit in this entire book. I'll say it was still kind of interesting but random and this story definitely could've gone without. Despite the messy ending, the book wrapped up pretty nice and I think it's set up pretty good for the next one in the series; I'm eager for it.
Overall rating: 4.25 , definitely a good read!
This book is incredible. The author's choice of words and the way she strings sentences together, nothing like I've seen before. The pacing of the story wavers; sometimes necessary sometimes off putting. It starts off pretty fast paced and kind of slows down as the story progresses but wavers at random points. Many have stated this made it hard to keep up. I'd argue it definitely isn't perfect but it added a element to the story that made it more intriguing. This book takes place in India and uses Hindi words and phrases frequently but not so much you don't understand.
Of the 3 main characters, Ajay, Sunny, and Neda, I think Ajay is the best written and has the best story. As you follow his story you understand his character more and more, why he makes the decisions he makes, how he became the person he is, etc. Sunny's character is all over the place, throughout the book and it remains that way all they way to the end. I didn't lack interest in his story but this is where it begins hard to keep up. Neda is... you can tell the Deepti really tried to stick to the point that Neda wavers between morality and selfishness but it becomes annoying as she spends the entire time contemplating EVERYTHING. Neda's character is missing an element I can't put my finger on and it is at her point in the story where I slightly lost interest. I think it's that she lacks a complex story the way Ajay and Sunny do, making her just the annoying love interest. The book starts off with Ajay and in the next chapter moves on to Neda; by the end of Neda's chapter everything ties together pretty well although I think something that was lacking was Ajay and Neda's connection. They seem to be only connected because of Sunny and outside of that don't really have much of a relationship yet Neda seems to feel and kind of care for Ajay despite their minimum interactions. Once Sunny's story starts THAT is sincerely when this book starts to become all over the place. I still don't think I fully understand his character yet everything seems to revolve around him. To be clear he is still very complex... I just never really understood what was going on with him. His relation to his horrible father is mentioned in Neda's part of the story but really isn't dug into until the last portion of this book.
The last about 150 pages of this book starts to introduce too many characters as the story is wrapping up. It was annoying , hard to keep up, chaotic, ALOT. There is one character named Rastogi who takes the time to tell his own story in this portion and I have to say that that was the most unnecessary shit in this entire book. I'll say it was still kind of interesting but random and this story definitely could've gone without. Despite the messy ending, the book wrapped up pretty nice and I think it's set up pretty good for the next one in the series; I'm eager for it.
Overall rating: 4.25 , definitely a good read!
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy
This was a ride. Was 100% worth the last 75 pages. Dark. A new world for me. Exhilarating, detailed - I can see why this is one of the most popular books to start the year.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes