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A review by katykelly
Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns
4.0
Modern-day female Taxi Driver, the Uber version.
Damani is young, Sri Lankan, ripped. And exhausted. Driving from fare to fare, scraping together money for bills and the occasional chocolate almond, racing back home to her constantly-texting lonely mother, she's barely sleeping and earning less than a year ago. The city is hot and ripe for uprisings. And there's the lovely Jolene, who Damani can't get out of her head.
I did think of De Niro. Damani may not have a gun but she has everything else in her trunk. She has the stories of bodily fluids, the handsy customers, the hard work for little compensation.
It's dark and depressing, though Damani keeps battling through, with dreams of owning the food van she was going to run with her deceased father, her daily increasing pecs, her small moments of happiness with friends and favourite treats.
I wasn't sure where this would take the reader. There's the possibility of a romance, a riot/protest, and plenty of scope for trouble. Damani is hard-working and loyal to friends, she's torn in various directions and has been made hard by life. But you like her. It's just hard to read about her life, despite moments of humour with favourite customers and Damani's own twisted wry amusement at her situation.
It's not a beach read, the images may stay with you. There are a few brutal moments and an ending that doesn't quite answer all your questions or leave you feeling you know where they are all going from here.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
Damani is young, Sri Lankan, ripped. And exhausted. Driving from fare to fare, scraping together money for bills and the occasional chocolate almond, racing back home to her constantly-texting lonely mother, she's barely sleeping and earning less than a year ago. The city is hot and ripe for uprisings. And there's the lovely Jolene, who Damani can't get out of her head.
I did think of De Niro. Damani may not have a gun but she has everything else in her trunk. She has the stories of bodily fluids, the handsy customers, the hard work for little compensation.
It's dark and depressing, though Damani keeps battling through, with dreams of owning the food van she was going to run with her deceased father, her daily increasing pecs, her small moments of happiness with friends and favourite treats.
I wasn't sure where this would take the reader. There's the possibility of a romance, a riot/protest, and plenty of scope for trouble. Damani is hard-working and loyal to friends, she's torn in various directions and has been made hard by life. But you like her. It's just hard to read about her life, despite moments of humour with favourite customers and Damani's own twisted wry amusement at her situation.
It's not a beach read, the images may stay with you. There are a few brutal moments and an ending that doesn't quite answer all your questions or leave you feeling you know where they are all going from here.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.