Reviews

How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina

emsreadingdiary's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense fast-paced

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

4.25

My friend and I saw this title in the bookstore and it immediately caught our eye, but it was definitely not what I was expecting! Raina’s narrative voice in the book is strong and hilarious — he really pushes stereotypes to the limit, with an honesty I feel like a lot of people can appreciate when talking of the flaws of their own country. Ramesh’s commentary is acerbic, a little self-deprecating, but still speaks to that unalienable loyalty to one’s culture that we can never seem to let go of.

lil_em's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

I think I liked the first part better than the second one. The multiple kidnappings became a bit too much and relationships between characters tend to get cheesy. But overall I liked the book and mostly its ironic tone. 

superchemgirl's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.75

ja_aska's review against another edition

dark lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

sanrodsara's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative tense fast-paced

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

4.0

dumbassbry's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-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

3.5

mama_in_melbs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny informative 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

3.5

lousnewchapter's review against another edition

3.0

Set in India we meet Ramesh a self-styled 'examinations consultant' When he takes an exam for Rudi - an intolerably lazy but rich teenager - he accidently scores the highest mark in the country and propels Rudi into stardom. What next? Blackmail. Reality television. Grotesque wealth. And after that? Kidnap. Double-kidnap. Reverse kidnap.

Just from the synopsis alone I was already intrigued, such a fun concept. I've never read a story quite like it. How to Kidnap the Rich is filled with wit and sarcasm, enough to make you giggle as you read along, but it also deals with some quite hard hitting topics when it comes to Ramesh's childhood and the poverty in India. I liked how Raina managed to write a fairly light hearted and funny story yet also be raw and honest underneath.

The first half of the book was a little slow for me as not an awful lot happened but the second half was where it really picked up and I couldn't put it down! None of the characters were really likeable but I didn't mind that because it made them seem alot more real even if the idea of how filthy rich and famous they were was beyond my world hahah the characters themselves seemed real.

Overall an enjoyable read, I've seen it described as 'A satire, a love story and a thriller' and couldn't agree more.

selina__gilbert__'s review against another edition

Just not my vibe. 

8ruby8's review against another edition

funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5