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clovetra's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
this was an incredibly addictive book. damani is so witty, and the short chapters drew me in (me and my homies LOVE books with short chapters fr)
i will say the first half of the book i defo thought this was going to be a 5-star book, but tbh the ending lost me a bit. maybe it would make more sense if i'd seen taxi driver (1976)? but im also a believer in if your book cant explain it to me without outside sources im sorry im not going to seek out supplemental works. and i shouldn't have to! the ending really felt like a massive tonal change from a romcom to a thriller? which was insane. a lot of things came out of left field which i didnt love but hey. the last chapter was quite sweet. except literally the last sentence. i still cant work out wtf damani was actually trying to do!
other than that tho i loved this book. i loved that one of the key themes was "white activism" (if theres a better term forgive me for not remembering it.... my ass is tired). i liked seeing the big differences between jo & damani - jo, who is extremely left-wing and an activist, but does not see the intersectionality of activism and being a person of colour, and damani, who is really apolitical, just focused on keeping a roof over her & her mother's head, but also knows jo is being a bit of a pompous dick.
i did really enjoy the chemistry between jo & damani even with how their "relationship" ends (its not a spoiler if its in the blurb shut up). god they were so dazzling to read about.
what else can i say? i liked reading about damai & her mum. seeing her be this bad ass brazen vulgar woman by profession and then coming to care for her mum was really sweet to read. i love reading books about people who are carers (me when i enjoy books similar to my own circumstances 🤯).
what else did i love? the pacing. god was it SO FAST!!! i love me a fast-paced book god theyre orgasmic.
like i said the ending was a bit.... out of place? i feel like im gonna have to read other reviews to know wtf was going on there. but doesnt mean i hated it! my ass binged this book and god i had a fun time.
i dont really know what else to say because tbh i didnt have many thoughts about this book! like i fully was just enjoying the ride. i was live laugh loving reading this and most times my thoughts did not go deeper!
and you know i love me a bi/lesbian pairing! i also loved seeing damani so comfortable in her own skin!!!! we love to see it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anyways damani makes me want to speed the next time i get behind the wheel (which is in 30 minutes..... lets pray i have self-control) (i wont speed i cannot afford a fine my ass is financially ruined from purchasing car insurance)
Graphic: Deportation, Classism, Death of parent, Police brutality, Racism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Islamophobia, Violence, Vomit, Hate crime, Alcohol, Car accident, and Drug use
Minor: Colonisation and Cultural appropriation
binevolentbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
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.
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 against another edition
4.5
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
muddymind's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Islamophobia, Mental illness, Violence, Death of parent, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual content and Stalking
lucylou's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Vomit
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Deportation, Death of parent, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Racism
katiemack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is a short book that I enjoyed, but I had to get used to the pacing. I was drawn to the biting, sarcastic, dry satirical take on the gig economy, urban life, and white allyship that Priya Guns employs in this book--I can see the connection to Taxi Driver, though this protagonist is slightly less unhinged, more sincere, and participates in a romance that didn't lend as much to the story as I thought it would. (Also, I started skimming the parts when Damani talked about her body and her YouTube therapist.) The buildup of social commentary leads to an explosive climax, though, and the ending is somehow both cynical and hopeful at the same time.
Moderate: Violence and Islamophobia
Minor: Sexual content