Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

26 reviews

maregred's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

noble_editorial's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

This author is a superb talent, so it truly saddens me to withhold my review until HarperCollins agrees to meet with its employees and negotiate a fair deal with the union. A living wage and diversity in publishing are critical issues that HC is choosing to ignore.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Drug use, Gun violence, Car accident, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Child abuse, and Addiction

15ash's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This is a much more violent read than I am use to, but I couldn’t get enough of it. The end has me wanting more!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Classism, Drug use, Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, Trafficking, Rape, Sexual content, Abortion, Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

okiecozyreader's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I loved this book so much until the last couple of hours. I was completely engrossed in the lives of Ajay, Sunny and Neda, I felt like I wouldn’t want it to end. It kind of took a dark and brutal turn (heavy on drug use and violence, not to say there wasn’t violence before). But the bulk of the book I truly loved. Such great storytelling; it kind of reminded me of the worlds Kristin Hannah creates, in which you miss the worlds and characters when they are gone.

From the first page, the story is gripping. They find Ajay in an expensive car, wrecked, which killed people. He is sent to prison, when he beats up some gang members who attack him, the warden tells him:

“ There’s been a mistake. I wasn’t told,” he says. “If I’d been told, this would never have happened. Really, no one knew, not even your friends. But things will be different. You’ll be taken to your friends here now. You’ll be free, within reason. And this unfortunate business with those other men, this will be forgotten….  You should have said something. You should have made it clear. You should have let us know. Why didn’t you let us know?” 
Ajay stares at the food, at the cigarette pack. “Know what?” 
The warden smiles. “That you’re a Wadia man.”

So then, we go back in time, to learn what it means that he’s a Wadia man. Later, we meet the infamous and wealthy Sunny Wadia, and Neda, the reporter; and how their lives all intersect. I loved each of these characters (until the end). 

Part One

“…no one abuses him or threatens to kill him. It’s a better life than any he’s ever hoped for or known.” New Delhi 2004 / 4

“And he discovers something else: It gives him pleasure to please, it gives him pleasure to anticipate every possible need, not just Mummy’s and Daddy’s but everyone’s, the farm workers’, the animals’, the shopkeepers’ pleasure. Not just pleasure, not really, more like the stanching of a wound, more like the holding of a tide, a sacrifice, negating the trauma of his birth.” Maharajganj 1991 / 5

“The girls often ask about him. But he’s too shy; he recoils. He cannot conceive of it, his own body terrifies him, his own needs. He likes to set himself within limits; those limits keep him strong.” Maharajganj 1991 / 6

“Madam,” he replies. “Don’t tell us about our culture. We’re not zoo animals for your pleasure, not the smiling native to accessorize your enlightenment. The simplicity and honesty you think you know is simply your eyes deceiving your brain. …If you knew our culture, you’d know respect is one currency, but at the end of the day, money talks. Finally, understand this one thing. India is our country, not yours. You are guests here. We are great hosts, but don’t disrespect us in our own home.” Ch 7

“I’m tired. I’m stuck between the shit my father does and the things I can’t do.” Ch 15

“…she understood in that moment how the sources of strength are illusory.” Ch 15

“The chains of existence … have to be weak enough to break.” Ch 15

“Remember, nothing will change, this is Kali Yuga, the losing age, the age of vice.” Ch 16

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol

Moderate: Physical abuse, Abortion, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Abandonment, and Death

cc_shelflove's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Oh, Ajay. Sweet, complacent Ajay. What have you done?

Can we just talk about the fact that I finished this beast in 36 hours? Who am I? Kapoor’s writing makes it so easy for the reader to picture everything in his or her head so vividly. I was flying through pages because I felt like I was literally watching everything unfold before my eyes. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I heard this was already selected by FX to be a television series. There will also be two more books in the saga… sign me up! In short, Age of Vice is like Sons of Anarchy without the motorcycles (but maybe there are just a few motorcycles sprinkled in…). 

I started getting serious Anakin vibes about a quarter of the way through the novel. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you know what I mean. The reader faces a man who will go to any means to get his revenge. Actually, several of these men. These people are pretty fucked up. 

If I had to pick one thing that made this book stand out to me, it would be the multiple points of view. Instead of alternating chapters between characters as is typical of this writing style, Kapoor writes the same events through different eyes. Very interesting! 

Another book I likely never would have read if not for Book of the Month. A juicy delight.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Murder, Drug use, and Gun violence

Moderate: Trafficking, Abortion, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicide

meganwhitis's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Car accident, Animal death, Gore, Kidnapping, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Addiction, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Death, Murder, and Rape