A review by thorbrand
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • 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

I was wondering what makes a five star read for me. I've read some good books this year but not given our any 5-stars yet, even though I've read some things I can't really fault and massively enjoyed. I was thinking, what really is a 5-star book for me, then? Maybe I'll never rate a book 5/5. I've also been reading a lot of audiobooks and I was wondering if that's having an impact on how much I enjoy books, that maybe I'll never LOVE a fiction audiobook.

THEN THIS BOOK CAME ALONG.

TEN OUT OF TEN FIVE STARS NO NOTES. SOMEONE MAKE THIS GORGEOUS, HILARIOUS, HEARTBREAKING, BEAUTIFUL BOOK INTO A FILM RIGHT NOW!!!!!

This just blew me away. It's GENUINELY funny, not the kind of smile-to-yourself amusing that I usually mean when I call a book funny. It's so warm and tender, especially on female friendship, whilst also touching on some really big, difficult, dark issues like racism, caste, domestic abuse and rape. I felt like I learned a lot about India (or at least, a certain part of India) and had a rollicking good time while I was at it. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
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