Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

53 reviews

maggiecatherine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

laxm's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.0

 "Where is this going?" That was my recurring thought as I read Age of Vice. By the time I hit the final chapters, it became clear that the book was going nowhere. TL;DR: Maybe skip this one and wait for glossy, binge-while-multitasking series that it'll inevitably become. 

The story kicks off with Ajay, whose introduction hints at a thrilling, outsider-takes-on-the-rich narrative. You expect a gripping tale of disruption, revenge, and moral reckoning. Instead, you get a series of overblown caricatures parading as characters. There’s the entitled billionaire brat reimagining India (yawn), the educated love interest reluctantly buying into said brat’s "vision" (eyeroll), the crusading journalist with an unshakable moral compass (predictable), the one-dimensional bad-guy sidekicks (why?), and the underdog with a tragic backstory that’s neither new nor compelling.

When the story focuses on Ajay, it shows glimmers of what it could have been. His time in prison, his internal struggles, his complicated dynamics with Sunny, Prem, and Neda—these are where the book momentarily finds its footing. But just as you start to care, the narrative yanks you back to yet another flat character or, worse, to Sunil Rastogi (seriously, what even was this character?).The violence in the books crosses into gratuitous territory when Rastogi is introduced. These chapters feel like the literary equivalent of shock-value cinema where Kapoor threw in graphic violence and sexual assault simply because she could. The story would’ve been just as disappointing without these disturbing chapters. 

I finished Age of Vice only because I can’t bring myself to abandon books midway and by the end, I hated myself for wasting time I'd never get back. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

Moderate: Gun violence and Misogyny

ionarachel's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

arj's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Abortion, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Death of parent

alleahwebb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Car accident, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual violence and Blood

Minor: Rape, Trafficking, and Abortion

merri217's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child death and Abortion

Minor: Police brutality

cdulce's review against another edition

sad medium-paced

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

2.75

I really felt like this book would have been much better if it were shorter. I understand that some of the meandering was to allow for the different levels of connection between the characters, but it was too much. 

I really did not enjoy the character that shows up at the end who gives us a lengthy villain monologue...


That said, I did enjoy a lot of the author's pros, it just would have benefited from some heavy editing.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence

caillte's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Minor: Abortion

zophiebrown's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Excellently written, with a dark story told through intertwining narratives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, and Kidnapping

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Trafficking, and Abortion

natekka's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Colonisation