Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

67 reviews

goosebump420's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense 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

5.0


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elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0


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zoeelizaking's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Age of Vice is a searing examination of wealth, corruption, privilege, poverty and politics in Delhi. Spanning multiple narrative styles and voices, this is a fast-paced thrilling book that’ll remain with you. Polemical without being overly didactic, it’s a staggering eye-opener into the real “power” of power, family and money. Be warned it is action packed with lots of graphic, unsettling content; but if you can see past that, it is a stunning read! 

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cc_shelflove's review

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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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meganwhitis's review against another edition

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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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annreadsabook's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Money, corruption, deceit, intrigue, family drama—Deepti Kapoor’s upcoming novel set in contemporary India has it all. AGE OF VICE is a real page turner, and don’t be fooled by its length (almost 600 pages)!

We’re introduced to Ajay, a young man uprooted from his rural childhood village to serve in the homes of the wealthy; Sunny, a young heir in a constant struggle with his powerful father; and Neda, a journalist attempting to break into the story of an infamous and violent family. Leading up to and after a deadly accident, these three characters’ lives are entangled across time, socioeconomic status, and space. This novel is a riveting drama that I think literary fiction and crime thriller fans alike can enjoy.

This book is not a light read by any means, and it is full of antiheroes and villains, but there’s something to be said about the deep complexity with which Kapoor crafts each of the main characters. There is evil, there is corruption, but there is also pain and longing.

Anyway, I think this is one book you’ll absolutely want to have on your radar when it comes out January 2023, especially if you’re looking for a The Godfather-esque read.

Thanks so much to Riverhead Books for the gifted copy!

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rachel_from_avid_bookshop's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Age of Vice is the first in a planned series of books by Deepti Kapoor that explore mafia-controlled corruption in India. Overindulgence, cheating, lying, and emotionally broken characters bring home the need for secrecy and loyalty from employees. Sunny and Neda seemed doomed as a couple from the beginning, and loyal servant Ajay will break your heart. 

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