Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns

15 reviews

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

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

l0v3lu's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Deportation, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Classism, Physical abuse, Drug use, and Racism

Moderate: Stalking and Police brutality

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

oz2021's review

dark tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent

tinytrashqueen's review against another edition

dark 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking

sarah984's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-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

4.0

This modern-day reimagining of Taxi Driver blisters right along Damani's wild, self-destructive path, but I felt like it pulled back a little too much in what should have been its biggest moment. Loved the ending, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Mental illness, Stalking, Violence, Classism, Deportation, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Minor: Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Self harm, Ableism, Alcohol, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Police brutality

muddymind's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I have never in my life read such a tender book. I laughed, I cried, I gasped in horror, I cringed, I cussed out the characters (well, really only one of them…) but most importantly I grew to love Damani because of all her complexities. Priya Guns is a voice all of her own. I’m so excited to see where she goes & what she writes in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Mental illness, Violence, Death of parent, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual content and Stalking

ienbdri's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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

3.25

This felt more like a first draft than a finished novel. I liked the ideas but nothing felt coherent. At times unnecessary stuff was over-explained but important action wasn't described at all. The pacing felt off and I had a hard time figuring out how much time had actually passed between chapters. This book had a lot of ambition and I don't think it achieved what it wanted to achieve. Quick read I don't regret nonetheless.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Classism, Deportation, Grief, and Police brutality