Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns

22 reviews

mcf's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

partlyclaudia's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

this was such a weird read? i had hopes for it but i feel like guns wanted me to be invested in a relationship that existed for a week? they went on one date and im expected to think that damani would be THAT emotionally invested in a white girl???? also personal preference but the number of times i had to see the word cunt referring to pussy is just so weird… the book was trying to be so .. revolutionary but really it was performative :/. seemed really narrow and had no real conclusion, was weirded out by the fact that damani used jo’s blood money at the end. so fucking weird. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence and Xenophobia

the_lesbrarian's review

challenging dark funny tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Chronic illness, and Grief

Moderate: Xenophobia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Drug use, Racism, and Vomit

binghebun's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

i really liked the start of this book, didn't like the middle, then really liked the last third. this novel has a lot to say and i think it's very successful at it, if a little unsubtle at times. damani is a great protagonist, and her struggles at home, her descriptions of her car and its riders and her strong belief in herself really invested me in her character. i loved her friends too. my main barrier to completely falling in love with this book is the writing style, which i have no way to describe other than 'contemporary first person' — it just really just doesn't work for me as i find things are overexplained when they don't need to be. the writing itself was solid, however, so overall a really good debut by priya guns and i'd be very interested in checking out whatever she writes next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Violence and Stalking

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Sexual content, and Racism

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Animal death

miranda226's review

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Mental illness

amberinpieces's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Car accident, Cursing, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence

Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Racism, Excrement, Animal death, and Stalking

amsswim's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• 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

4.5

 I enjoyed this one a lot, despite the massive amounts of mixed reviews. I love reading and watching content about unhinged women. I think it appeals to me more than the unhinged men trope (i.e. Taxi Driver, which this book is a modern reversal of) is that women are not at the top of the hierarchy of oppression, so it doesn't feel meaningless, unwarranted, and solely dangerous. To me, it feels more justified. Add layers of other injustices like racism and classism, and you start to unpack intersectionality and why this book appeals to me so much more than Taxi Driver does. But maybe I am just an unhinged woman as well..

Short chapters, very funny. I listened to it, which went really quick (6.5 hrs), and was ready by the author. Don't be a Jolene and tip your drivers. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Classism, Car accident, Death of parent, Police brutality, Grief, Blood, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

binevolentbookworm's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

in your driver is waiting, priya guns packs a punch to the gut with an unrelenting, stream of consciousness writing style, examining how resistance can be glorified if, and only if, the resistor fits within the context that is deemed appropriate (i.e. white, peaceful, has “done the work”) by western standards. but if that person doesn’t fit the mold, isn't neatly packed into this box, if they dare to exist in black or brown bodies, if they are angry and organizing, and demanding more than “the work” - then it’s considered violent, threatening, and dangerous. 

i highly recommend listening to the audiobook. guns delivers a fantastic performance, barreling off the page and into the stark reality that this book aims to confront. there is lasting significance in guns social commentary that seems particularly poignant today amidst our current political atmosphere and the global call for a ceasefire in gaza. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Classism, Police brutality, Colonisation, Death of parent, Racism, and Islamophobia

Minor: Antisemitism, Deportation, Vomit, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Stalking, and Trafficking

lynxpardinus's review

dark funny reflective tense

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Police brutality

Moderate: Car accident, Violence, Ableism, Addiction, Blood, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Animal death, Drug use, Confinement, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, and Medical content

Minor: Excrement, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, and Mental illness