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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
2.75….not quite a 3. I enjoyed the first half of the book but the second half lost my attention. It was kind of all other the place and I felt unfulfilled by the ending. I would’ve liked it more if it was all about Ajay. I think the author is very talented though.
Finished this one forever ago and forgot to write a review. Overall, I was into this epic family saga. I didn’t go in expecting it to be a mafia story, Indian style. It ended up being pretty brutal but the story did really keep me hooked. This is supposed to be the first in a series but I am not sure I will go back for seconds.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I wasn’t fully engrossed in this one until I was about 40% of the way through it, but whoa I am glad I stuck with it. This is an epic tale of family, wealth, power, and betrayal set in India. One night, five pedestrians are killed by the car of a powerful man’s son. But the man who takes the fall is the servant of another powerful man in Delhi. So begins the unraveling of their stories, coming to a head when things get out of hand. It’s like The Godfather, but in India, and with way more drugs and violence. I couldn’t put it down (after the 40% mark).
~What stories can he tell when he barely knows how to speak?~
~"What happened to her?"
"What happens to all girls when the men go away."~
~"What do you know about Maypole dancing?"
"Pardon me?"
"Maypole dancing."
He takes a moment, frowns, and shakes his head. "Nothing."
She lights the cigarette. "Then what the fuck do I know about Krishnamurti?"~
~"I'm not fucking him," she said. "I'm not fucking anyone." Then she added, "At least not today."
Why did she do that?
Because it sounded cool. She always liked men to think she was cool.~
~"And you don't even need money. You have it rooted into you. Look at this shitty car."
"What about it?"
"I bet you can drive it right up to a five-star and jump out and swan inside and no one bats an eyelid."
~Without warning the bulldozers fired up. People started to scream, back and forth. And this is what you do to us?! Where can we go?! Who'll work for you now?! The bulldozers drove their unerring path, crushing everything ahead. Homes of tarp and bamboo and metal sheeting and loose brick were crushed, entire livelihoods and lives summarily erased. Then a scream of a different kind ripped the air. It was so loud and sickening that everything stopped.~
What a depressing book about the under belly of India. The Nobel is all sex, violence and drugs. It’s hard to connect with anyone in the text. The last 200 pages are just gross and pretty pointless.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very involving, I always wanted to know what was next, and I wanted to punch the appropriate characters. HOWEVER the end was a little less than I wanted - it felt like it trailed a bit at the end for the inevitable ending and at that point I had already lost a bit of interest and it no longer had any effect on me. If that part had been slightly faster paced it would have been 100%. Very good read :)
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-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