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The Girl with the Seven Lives
A high-stakes tour-de-force from Vikas Swarup, the internationally bestselling author of Q & A, the book that inspired one of the most memorable films of the twenty-first hit Hollywood, multiple-Oscar-winning film
Slumdog Millionaire.
Devi is a fighter. Growing up in the slums of Delhi, she has learnt that survival comes at a cost – and naturally, that means she's made a few enemies along the way.
Now she's being held captive, her life up for sale in an online auction, where the highest bidder will determine her fate.
With her existence hanging in the balance, Devi proceeds to give her captor 'a confession to beat all confessions' – as over the course of a single night, Devi unveils the secrets of her seven extraordinary lives.
Devi is the ultimate survivor – a girl from the gutters who dares to rewrite her own destiny. But will she survive the longest night of her life?
Devi is a fighter. Growing up in the slums of Delhi, she has learnt that survival comes at a cost – and naturally, that means she's made a few enemies along the way.
Now she's being held captive, her life up for sale in an online auction, where the highest bidder will determine her fate.
With her existence hanging in the balance, Devi proceeds to give her captor 'a confession to beat all confessions' – as over the course of a single night, Devi unveils the secrets of her seven extraordinary lives.
Devi is the ultimate survivor – a girl from the gutters who dares to rewrite her own destiny. But will she survive the longest night of her life?
411 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 16, 2024
About the author
Vikas Swarup
18 books473 followersVikas Swarup was born in Allahabad (India) in a family of lawyers.
After his schooling, Vikas attended Allahabad University and studied History, Psychology and Philosophy. He also made his mark as a champion debater, winning National level competitions. After graduating with distinction, he joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1986, motivated by an interest in international relations and a desire to explore different cultures.
In his diplomatic career, Vikas has been posted to various countries such as Turkey (1987-1990), the United States (1993-1997) Ethiopia (1997-2000) and the United Kingdom (2000-2003). Since August 2006 he has been posted in Pretoria as India’s Deputy High Commissioner.
Vikas has participated in the Oxford Literary Festival, the Turin International Book Fair, the Auckland Writers’ Conference, the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Kitab Festival in New Delhi, the St. Malo International Book & Film Festival in France, the 'Words on Water' Literary Festival at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Apart from reading, Vikas enjoys listening to music and playing cricket, tennis and table tennis.
His wife Aparna is an artist who has held exhibitions in India and abroad. They have two sons Aditya and Varun.
After his schooling, Vikas attended Allahabad University and studied History, Psychology and Philosophy. He also made his mark as a champion debater, winning National level competitions. After graduating with distinction, he joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1986, motivated by an interest in international relations and a desire to explore different cultures.
In his diplomatic career, Vikas has been posted to various countries such as Turkey (1987-1990), the United States (1993-1997) Ethiopia (1997-2000) and the United Kingdom (2000-2003). Since August 2006 he has been posted in Pretoria as India’s Deputy High Commissioner.
Vikas has participated in the Oxford Literary Festival, the Turin International Book Fair, the Auckland Writers’ Conference, the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Kitab Festival in New Delhi, the St. Malo International Book & Film Festival in France, the 'Words on Water' Literary Festival at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Apart from reading, Vikas enjoys listening to music and playing cricket, tennis and table tennis.
His wife Aparna is an artist who has held exhibitions in India and abroad. They have two sons Aditya and Varun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
August 31, 2026
How many times can one woman defy the overwhelming odds before her luck finally runs out?
Devi grew up in the slums of Delhi, where survival often comes at someone else’s expense. Now twenty-five, she has been kidnapped by a masked captor and placed before a camera to confess the crimes of her past. Her life is being sold through an online auction, and the highest bidder will determine her fate. Many people want revenge against Devi. But before anyone can claim her, she must recount the seven extraordinary lives that brought her to this basement.
Devi’s childhood home has a roof weighted down with rocks and debris, yet it still floods whenever it rains. For a time, her family of five receives help from a wealthy American couple after Devi’s mother agrees to serve as their surrogate. But the fragile good fortune of the poor can change in a moment, and Devi eventually finds herself alone and homeless.
From there, she scratches her way toward survival, success, and vengeance. She endures physical pain and grief in equal measure while surrounded by people who almost always have an ulterior motive. Nothing is truly free, and very little is offered as an act of genuine goodwill. In Devi’s world, kindness and trust are frequently rewarded with betrayal, injury, or death.
Through each of her stories, we see society from the perspective of an impoverished girl who can only stare in awe at the wealth and waste surrounding her. She encounters a level of moral depravity in which a person’s life holds little value beyond their social standing or usefulness to someone more powerful. If a vulnerable person can be exploited, someone will attempt to strip them of everything they have. Many of the people Devi meets resemble vultures more than humans, whether they inhabit the slums or occupy the highest levels of society.
Devi learns quickly how to survive and occasionally thrive within this dehumanizing system. She is scrappy, daring, resourceful, and increasingly hardened by experience. She is not always morally admirable, but the novel never allows us to forget the circumstances that shaped her choices. I found the seven lives of this complicated character fascinating, even when her experiences were deeply disturbing.
As Devi’s confession unfolds, it becomes clear that these are not the stories of an ordinary life. Luck, coincidence, and happenstance propel her through extraordinary highs and devastating lows. Some readers may view these coincidences as overly convenient plot devices. I chose to see them as the reason Devi’s seven lives are worthy of being recorded in the first place.
Realistic fiction is often criticized when its events stretch credibility, but this novel establishes from the beginning that Devi has lived an incredible life, not an average one. Had she experienced the ordinary fate of many impoverished and exploited children, she might have succumbed to illness, violence, or treachery long before anyone could place her in an online auction. Devi is remarkable precisely because the odds have repeatedly and remarkably been in her favor. Like a cat with nine lives, she has overcome what should have destroyed her. Although I still had minor qualms about how spectacularly unlikely parts of the plot became, the seven-life structure helped me accept each section as another chapter in an intentionally larger-than-life story.
Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar has the perfect voice for Devi’s seven tales. Through her performance, we hear Devi’s transformation from a naive young girl into a guarded woman. She captures both the character’s lingering vulnerability and the sharp instincts she has developed through years of exploitation, grief, and betrayal.
Readers should be aware that this novel contains graphic and potentially distressing material, including animal cruelty, murder, rape, child abuse, exploitation, human trafficking, caste- and class-based violence, and derogatory language. It also includes dehumanizing language and treatment directed toward a gender-nonconforming or trans-coded character. Readers may interpret this language as part of the novel’s depiction of a morally bankrupt society, but its inclusion and presentation may still warrant criticism.
Across her seven lives, Devi becomes many things: an impoverished child, a wealthy woman’s muse, a violated and vengeful prisoner, a cult member, a bookstore manager, an expert forger, a nurse in a crooked hospital, a beautician seeking an honest living, and an online blackmailer. Now she is a captive whose life has been placed on the auction block. Can the street smarts and serendipity that saved her through seven extraordinary lives save her one more time?
The Girl With Seven Lives is a dark, propulsive, and uncomfortable story about survival in a world where nearly every relationship carries a price. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy morally complicated heroines, twist-filled narratives, high-stakes framing devices, and sweeping stories that blend social commentary with events that are intentionally larger than life.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing an advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Devi grew up in the slums of Delhi, where survival often comes at someone else’s expense. Now twenty-five, she has been kidnapped by a masked captor and placed before a camera to confess the crimes of her past. Her life is being sold through an online auction, and the highest bidder will determine her fate. Many people want revenge against Devi. But before anyone can claim her, she must recount the seven extraordinary lives that brought her to this basement.
Devi’s childhood home has a roof weighted down with rocks and debris, yet it still floods whenever it rains. For a time, her family of five receives help from a wealthy American couple after Devi’s mother agrees to serve as their surrogate. But the fragile good fortune of the poor can change in a moment, and Devi eventually finds herself alone and homeless.
From there, she scratches her way toward survival, success, and vengeance. She endures physical pain and grief in equal measure while surrounded by people who almost always have an ulterior motive. Nothing is truly free, and very little is offered as an act of genuine goodwill. In Devi’s world, kindness and trust are frequently rewarded with betrayal, injury, or death.
Through each of her stories, we see society from the perspective of an impoverished girl who can only stare in awe at the wealth and waste surrounding her. She encounters a level of moral depravity in which a person’s life holds little value beyond their social standing or usefulness to someone more powerful. If a vulnerable person can be exploited, someone will attempt to strip them of everything they have. Many of the people Devi meets resemble vultures more than humans, whether they inhabit the slums or occupy the highest levels of society.
Devi learns quickly how to survive and occasionally thrive within this dehumanizing system. She is scrappy, daring, resourceful, and increasingly hardened by experience. She is not always morally admirable, but the novel never allows us to forget the circumstances that shaped her choices. I found the seven lives of this complicated character fascinating, even when her experiences were deeply disturbing.
As Devi’s confession unfolds, it becomes clear that these are not the stories of an ordinary life. Luck, coincidence, and happenstance propel her through extraordinary highs and devastating lows. Some readers may view these coincidences as overly convenient plot devices. I chose to see them as the reason Devi’s seven lives are worthy of being recorded in the first place.
Realistic fiction is often criticized when its events stretch credibility, but this novel establishes from the beginning that Devi has lived an incredible life, not an average one. Had she experienced the ordinary fate of many impoverished and exploited children, she might have succumbed to illness, violence, or treachery long before anyone could place her in an online auction. Devi is remarkable precisely because the odds have repeatedly and remarkably been in her favor. Like a cat with nine lives, she has overcome what should have destroyed her. Although I still had minor qualms about how spectacularly unlikely parts of the plot became, the seven-life structure helped me accept each section as another chapter in an intentionally larger-than-life story.
Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar has the perfect voice for Devi’s seven tales. Through her performance, we hear Devi’s transformation from a naive young girl into a guarded woman. She captures both the character’s lingering vulnerability and the sharp instincts she has developed through years of exploitation, grief, and betrayal.
Readers should be aware that this novel contains graphic and potentially distressing material, including animal cruelty, murder, rape, child abuse, exploitation, human trafficking, caste- and class-based violence, and derogatory language. It also includes dehumanizing language and treatment directed toward a gender-nonconforming or trans-coded character. Readers may interpret this language as part of the novel’s depiction of a morally bankrupt society, but its inclusion and presentation may still warrant criticism.
Across her seven lives, Devi becomes many things: an impoverished child, a wealthy woman’s muse, a violated and vengeful prisoner, a cult member, a bookstore manager, an expert forger, a nurse in a crooked hospital, a beautician seeking an honest living, and an online blackmailer. Now she is a captive whose life has been placed on the auction block. Can the street smarts and serendipity that saved her through seven extraordinary lives save her one more time?
The Girl With Seven Lives is a dark, propulsive, and uncomfortable story about survival in a world where nearly every relationship carries a price. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy morally complicated heroines, twist-filled narratives, high-stakes framing devices, and sweeping stories that blend social commentary with events that are intentionally larger than life.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing an advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 15, 2026
J’ai absolument adoré ce livre. On se sent vraiment transporté dans l’histoire et en Inde. On suit Devi, le personnage principal, qui raconte sa vie à la personne qui vient de la kidnapper.
À travers son récit, on traverse les bidonvilles, puis on la retrouve dans la maison d’une riche femme, dans un centre pour jeunes filles, dans sa vie de faussaire, puis d’infirmière… c’est souvent un peu rocambolesque, mais j’ai savouré chaque paragraphe.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ : Adoré
À travers son récit, on traverse les bidonvilles, puis on la retrouve dans la maison d’une riche femme, dans un centre pour jeunes filles, dans sa vie de faussaire, puis d’infirmière… c’est souvent un peu rocambolesque, mais j’ai savouré chaque paragraphe.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ : Adoré
December 8, 2024
Cliched plot and writing, way too many coincidences that move the plot forward, the protagonist is just too extraordinary, too episodic a narrative, credulity stretched thin almost throughout the book. Reminded me of those Bollywood films of yore which had everything falling into place through the sheer force of the protagonist's personality. The ending was...oh so predictable in some ways and oh so difficult to digest in others. Wonder if the book would even have been published by a leading publisher if a new writer had written it!
August 5, 2024
There were parts of this book that i really liked and other parts that i didnt. I think the story itsself was very interesting and while reading i could picture it as a movie. I think some of the dialogue was very juvenile and underdeveloped. I thought i had guessed the plot twist but it turns out the twist was more underwhelming than anything i could have predicted. I really like the set up snd structure of the story but feel like some potential was lost here.
July 22, 2024
°book review°
Vikas Swarup's novel The Girl with Seven Lives is a compelling and thought-provoking look at the complexity of human nature as well as the brutal realities of urban life. The plot revolves around Devi, a young woman who is kidnapped and held captive by a masked shooter. As she faces the threat of death, she is forced to recount her life story and confess to various crimes, and to add to this terror, her life is put up for auction to determine her fate.
I am not sure where to start. Vikas Swarup is brilliant, and he has written a binge-worthy book.
He is known for his descriptive prose and immersive narratives, and he masterfully weaves a tale that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The work delves into issues of survival, resilience, perseverance, and the indifference of a bustling city to individual suffering. Devi's character is morally complex, making her both relatable and captivating as she navigates her dangerous circumstances.
It is definitely taking time for me to comprehend this raw, terrifying, gruesome, and nail-biting story with a touch of realism that we ignore. Devi's seven lives were terrifying and challenging, and to survive, she did and took burns at everything, always starting from scratch. She isn't likeable, but you will come to make peace with what she does and why, making her real to the world around her. Shudders passed through my body reading this work.
We come across different cities in her life, like Punjab, Kerala, Mumbai, Goa, and Delhi, that offer a peek into the wrongdoings, the godmen, the juvenile homes, and how everything is not as it looks.
The book's strength lies in its ability to blend suspense with deep emotional and psychological insights. Swarup's portrayal of the city as a character in itself, brimming with life devoid of humanity, gives a dimension of reality to the story. The pacing is quick, and the plot twists are well executed, ensuring that readers remain engaged throughout.
Overall, it is an intriguing read that combines suspense, drama, and introspection. It is a testament to Swarup's storytelling prowess and his ability to create narratives that resonate on multiple levels. If you enjoy novels that challenge your perceptions and keep you hooked from start to finish, this book is definitely worth picking up.
Vikas Swarup's novel The Girl with Seven Lives is a compelling and thought-provoking look at the complexity of human nature as well as the brutal realities of urban life. The plot revolves around Devi, a young woman who is kidnapped and held captive by a masked shooter. As she faces the threat of death, she is forced to recount her life story and confess to various crimes, and to add to this terror, her life is put up for auction to determine her fate.
I am not sure where to start. Vikas Swarup is brilliant, and he has written a binge-worthy book.
He is known for his descriptive prose and immersive narratives, and he masterfully weaves a tale that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The work delves into issues of survival, resilience, perseverance, and the indifference of a bustling city to individual suffering. Devi's character is morally complex, making her both relatable and captivating as she navigates her dangerous circumstances.
It is definitely taking time for me to comprehend this raw, terrifying, gruesome, and nail-biting story with a touch of realism that we ignore. Devi's seven lives were terrifying and challenging, and to survive, she did and took burns at everything, always starting from scratch. She isn't likeable, but you will come to make peace with what she does and why, making her real to the world around her. Shudders passed through my body reading this work.
We come across different cities in her life, like Punjab, Kerala, Mumbai, Goa, and Delhi, that offer a peek into the wrongdoings, the godmen, the juvenile homes, and how everything is not as it looks.
The book's strength lies in its ability to blend suspense with deep emotional and psychological insights. Swarup's portrayal of the city as a character in itself, brimming with life devoid of humanity, gives a dimension of reality to the story. The pacing is quick, and the plot twists are well executed, ensuring that readers remain engaged throughout.
Overall, it is an intriguing read that combines suspense, drama, and introspection. It is a testament to Swarup's storytelling prowess and his ability to create narratives that resonate on multiple levels. If you enjoy novels that challenge your perceptions and keep you hooked from start to finish, this book is definitely worth picking up.
April 6, 2026
J'ai vraiment aimé ce livre. Tellement bien écrit. Histoire fascinante.
March 19, 2026
Incroyable jusqu'à la moitié du livre, puis très pénible à lire. On dirait un devoir d'écriture créative (or whatever we call ce genre d'exercice, je suis vieille, j'ai oublié) donné à un collégien. Je sais que le titre est "Les sept vies extraordinaires de Devi Kumari", mais il faut doser. Les péripéties et leur enchaînement sont juste TROP extraordinaires, tout comme le personnage principal. Le dénouement est cliché à en être ridicule. L'autre option c'était qu'elle se réveillait d'un rêve quoi. C'est dommage car la 1ère moitié du roman est géniale : palpitante, touchante, CRÉDIBLE. Mais l'auteur n'a pas su quand s'arrêter. Il y a par ailleurs un gros souci de colorisme dans ce livre ! Toutes les belles femmes sont claires de peau et on insiste toujours là-dessus. Très dommage car on sent que l'auteur cherche à dénoncer d'autres oppressions (misogynie, classisme...)
Bref, grosse déception.
Le seul point positif, c'est qu'on voyage beaucoup. Je ne connais pas l'Inde du tout, et j'ai maintenant l'impression de mieux me représenter ses principales régions et leurs caractéristiques. On en apprend aussi pas mal sur les tenues et les plats traditionnels.
Bref, grosse déception.
Le seul point positif, c'est qu'on voyage beaucoup. Je ne connais pas l'Inde du tout, et j'ai maintenant l'impression de mieux me représenter ses principales régions et leurs caractéristiques. On en apprend aussi pas mal sur les tenues et les plats traditionnels.
August 30, 2026
I grabbed this audiobook based on the author's previous book, Slumdog Mullionaire. I saw the movie and love it and was intrigued by this book.
Devi is kidnapped and is forced to recant her "lives" and who she has wronged in her young 25 years of life. Each of the "lives" and retrospective and starts at a young life when she becomes an orphan. Between each story, you see a little bit of interaction with her kidnapper.
I enjoyed each of the lives and how she was so resilient and resourceful to survive in difficult situations. I think you have to suspend in belief in some of her earlier lives. The story really exposes how different class of people could be treated.
The twists was something I didn't see coming and I was glad the story ended with hope.
Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar was an excellent narrator. Her use of Indian words sounded spot on. She really brought Devi to life.
Thank you @recordedbooks for the audiobook.
Devi is kidnapped and is forced to recant her "lives" and who she has wronged in her young 25 years of life. Each of the "lives" and retrospective and starts at a young life when she becomes an orphan. Between each story, you see a little bit of interaction with her kidnapper.
I enjoyed each of the lives and how she was so resilient and resourceful to survive in difficult situations. I think you have to suspend in belief in some of her earlier lives. The story really exposes how different class of people could be treated.
The twists was something I didn't see coming and I was glad the story ended with hope.
Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar was an excellent narrator. Her use of Indian words sounded spot on. She really brought Devi to life.
Thank you @recordedbooks for the audiobook.
December 9, 2025
A gorgeous, atmospheric, bittersweet and morally complex read that I did not expect to enjoy from the first page. But love it right away I did. I could not help rooting for Devi all the way through, and I was thoroughly captivated by her many lives and adventures. Her multidimensionality reminded me of that possessed by Amanda Jayatissa’s gritty female protagonists. Devi definitely won me over with her spiritedness, occasional swank and brazenness, courage, empathy and integrity. And Seven Lives was a heartstopper of a psychological thriller indeed. A thought-provoking one at that.
August 28, 2026
L’héroïne est capturée par un tortionnaire anonyme et forcée de raconter son existence absolument rocambolesque. Ses aveux, diffusés en direct, permettent aux gens à qui elle a nuit de miser sur sa tête dans une enchère. Je ne bouderai pas mon plaisir. Même si ça paraît invraisemblable qu’une seule femme ait vécu autant d’aventures, c’est vraiment bien écrit et ça se lit tout seul!
March 24, 2026
Excellent ! J'ai bien aimé ce récit - toute une vie mouvementée pour cette jeune fille !
May 18, 2026
Je crois bien avoir trouvé mon livre préféré!!!!!
June 7, 2026
J'ai bien aimé, les péripéties sont dignes d'un Bollywood par contre je suis un peu déçue par la fin, je trouve le dénouement un peu facile
July 10, 2026
A pesar de que el final arruinó la novela, sigo dándole cinco estrellas.
August 26, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
May 17, 2025
Absolutely loved reading this! Each chapter covered a different identity that Munni had - Whether she's forging degrees or faking her job. And in each chapter, we understand her motive - She did it to survive. She took matters into her own hands, did what she felt was the right thing to do, but the cost of her life? The chapters were long but kept me hooked from the very first page. Easiest 5/5!
June 17, 2026
La mejor novela que he leído este 2026
August 22, 2026
The audiobook narrator did a really good job with the story. It was entertaining and enjoyable. However, I did find it hard to stay engaged with the story as I found the anecdotes and plot lines meandering and long. It made it hard to connect with the main character at times. The overall story was almost fantastical in everything the main character goes through. I did enjoy seeing the struggle Devi went through and how she overcame it.
Thank you to the publisher for the free copy.
Thank you to the publisher for the free copy.
August 10, 2026
Really enjoyed this sweeping tale across India and all the crazy plot twists and situations Devi/Deepa/Deeba/Dasmeet/Deepthi/Diana/Dolly finds herself in!. My only complaint was it went on a little bit towards the end. Also quite harrowing at times but I think that’s to be expected from the author of Slumdog Millionaire. It felt a lot like that story and definitely made me want to go and read it.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an early copy for review.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an early copy for review.
August 9, 2024
“The Girl with the Seven Lives” is the latest from the pen of Indian diplomat-author Vikas Swarup. It is the story of a little girl Devi from the slums of Delhi who goes through a series of adventures- seven to be precise- so that by the time she enters her twenties she has experienced more in life than most of us can imagine. The book moves at a frenetic pace and is hard to put down. Each episode is more gripping than the previous one, keeping the reader riveted. Through the protagonist’s “lives”, Swarup provides a kaleidoscopic view of this unique country called India. Grinding poverty, extreme affluence, dishonest cops, godmen, women’s homes, transsexuals, hospitals- all are captured vividly and portrayed accurately. The story takes us across various regions of India- north, south, and west, and the descriptions conjure up life-like images of each.
All these stories are narrated in a single night by Devi. Her resilience and courage are remarkable. Her moral standards may not match what many readers would expect from a heroine- she is strangely desensitized to her suffering and totally comfortable with using revenge as a tool. Yet, as one peels the layers of her persona, it is evident that in the cruel world of deceit and exploitation that she inhabits, every choice for her is one of life and death. Life has dealt her a bad hand- to survive she has to resort to unconventional and at times violent methods.
Vikas Swarup has an amazing imagination and a wonderful ability to weave a good tale. He writes in the first person about a young girl from the poorest section of society who lives a life far removed from the elite circle of Indian Foreign Service which he was and is part of. This skill was also evident in his first and most famous novel “Q and A” which was made into the Academy Award-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”. I was particularly impressed by the accurate descriptions of hospitals and what goes on inside them. The author has obviously done extensive research.
I will be surprised if we don’t see an OTT/ television series soon. Vikas Swarup is truly a master storyteller.
All these stories are narrated in a single night by Devi. Her resilience and courage are remarkable. Her moral standards may not match what many readers would expect from a heroine- she is strangely desensitized to her suffering and totally comfortable with using revenge as a tool. Yet, as one peels the layers of her persona, it is evident that in the cruel world of deceit and exploitation that she inhabits, every choice for her is one of life and death. Life has dealt her a bad hand- to survive she has to resort to unconventional and at times violent methods.
Vikas Swarup has an amazing imagination and a wonderful ability to weave a good tale. He writes in the first person about a young girl from the poorest section of society who lives a life far removed from the elite circle of Indian Foreign Service which he was and is part of. This skill was also evident in his first and most famous novel “Q and A” which was made into the Academy Award-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”. I was particularly impressed by the accurate descriptions of hospitals and what goes on inside them. The author has obviously done extensive research.
I will be surprised if we don’t see an OTT/ television series soon. Vikas Swarup is truly a master storyteller.
July 17, 2026
3.5 stars. I was immediately drawn into this book with its exciting opening and concept. I felt for the main character and was propulsed by all of the chapters and lives she has lead. All of the settings and places as unique as the names she gave herself.
I felt like the ending was a little too rushed and would have liked to see that part fleshed out more.
Overall though a quick and exciting read!
I felt like the ending was a little too rushed and would have liked to see that part fleshed out more.
Overall though a quick and exciting read!
August 12, 2024
‘The Girl with the Seven Lives’ is an exhilarating thriller that hooks you from the first page. The story follows Devi, who after being kidnapped and forced to confess crimes on camera, embarks on a perilous journey across India. Adopting various identities to survive, Devi’s transformations—from Devi to Deepa, Deeba to Dasmeet, Deepthi to Diana Fernandes, Devi Kumari to Dolly highlight her resilience amid relentless adversity. Swarup’s vivid writing brings to life the darker sides of society, touching on corruption, demonetization and the COVID-19 pandemic. With its relentless twists and cinematic quality, the novel is a must-read for thriller enthusiasts and seems destined for a screen adaptation.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Je remercie les éditions Belfond pour la lecture du dernier livre de #VikasSwarup en version numérique, reçue grâce à #NetGalleyFrance !
Lorsque Devi Kumari, esthéticienne de 25 ans vivant près de Mumbai, se fait enlever et séquestrer par un homme aussi mystérieux qu'effrayant, elle ne s'attend pas à faire défiler les multiples rebondissements qui ont jalonné sa vie... Et pourtant, c'est ce que lui réclame son ravisseur... Elle est obligée de raconter tout son parcours chaotique, de son enfance à son adolescence, jusqu'à son entrée dans la vie "active". Orpheline, vagabonde, muse, résidente en centre de surveillance pour adolescentes, bras droit de gourou, faussaire, infirmière, esthéticienne (et + si aff.)... L'héroïne a dû traverser des situations inextricables, lutter pour sa survie, fuir ses tortionnaires et ses démons pour se retrouver... enfermée dans une salle sombre face à une caméra !
Ce dernier livre de Vikas Swarup m'a rapidement rappelé "Les fabuleuses aventures d'un Indien malchanceux qui devint milliardaire", que j'avais tellement aimé ! Dans sa structure tout d'abord : les chapitres égrainent les épisodes de vie de Devi - entrecoupé d'intermèdes se déroulant durant sa captivité (et non sur un plateau TV) - pour aboutir à l'explication finale. Son objectif n'est pas de devenir riche, mais de survivre aux enchères en livrant ses confidences... Les zones d'ombres s'épaississent autour du ravisseur, faisant planer un suspense latent et plaisant. La foule de péripéties traversée par l'héroïne fait écho à l'Indien malchanceux, autant que la foule de personnages (plus ou moins bienveillants) rencontrés au fil des bouleversements. La force de caractère de Devi est très proche de celle de Ram Mohammad Thomas : leurs intelligences et leurs courages se répondent sans se le dire. Je n'aurai pas été surprise de croiser Ram dans la vie de Devi !
Enfin, on parcourt l'Inde à leurs côtés, dans un mélange de fantaisie, de réalisme, de candeur et de lucidité que j'apprécie énormément. Le panorama du pays aux mille couleurs que nous offre Vikas Swarup est saisissant, sordide, exotique et très contrasté selon que l'on se trouve à Dehli, au Kerala, à Mumbai ou à Goa.
Cependant, cet opus n'est tout de même pas un si grand coup de cœur ni une si grande claque que Les fabuleuses aventures d'un Indien malchanceux qui devint milliardaire... Ce petit goût de remâché m'a quelque peu gênée, comme si l'auteur tentait de reprendre une recette qui a si bien fonctionné il y a près de 20 ans, sans y incorporer le piment, l'originalité et la profondeur qui m'avait tant charmée...
Le style est agréable mais un peu banal (peut-être est-ce lié à la traduction...?) : la lecture qui en découle est plus rapide mais beaucoup moins immersive. J'ai souvent eu la sensation de survoler un peu trop les sujets abordés.
Le personnage principal est très attachant et je me suis laissée emportée par les événements malheureux et malentendus heureux qui changent le cours de sa vie, et de son caractère. J'avais à cœur de découvrir son passé, autant que les raisons de sa séquestration. Même si certaines révélations finales manquent de crédibilité ou sont, au contraire, trop facilement décelables, j'ai passé un bon moment jusqu'au bout en compagnie de Devi, ou Deepa, ou Deeba, ou Dasmeet, ou Deephti, ou Diana, ou Dolly.... et surtout Munni !
#VikasSwarup #LesSeptViesextraordinairesdeDeviKumari #NetGalleyFrance
Lorsque Devi Kumari, esthéticienne de 25 ans vivant près de Mumbai, se fait enlever et séquestrer par un homme aussi mystérieux qu'effrayant, elle ne s'attend pas à faire défiler les multiples rebondissements qui ont jalonné sa vie... Et pourtant, c'est ce que lui réclame son ravisseur... Elle est obligée de raconter tout son parcours chaotique, de son enfance à son adolescence, jusqu'à son entrée dans la vie "active". Orpheline, vagabonde, muse, résidente en centre de surveillance pour adolescentes, bras droit de gourou, faussaire, infirmière, esthéticienne (et + si aff.)... L'héroïne a dû traverser des situations inextricables, lutter pour sa survie, fuir ses tortionnaires et ses démons pour se retrouver... enfermée dans une salle sombre face à une caméra !
Ce dernier livre de Vikas Swarup m'a rapidement rappelé "Les fabuleuses aventures d'un Indien malchanceux qui devint milliardaire", que j'avais tellement aimé ! Dans sa structure tout d'abord : les chapitres égrainent les épisodes de vie de Devi - entrecoupé d'intermèdes se déroulant durant sa captivité (et non sur un plateau TV) - pour aboutir à l'explication finale. Son objectif n'est pas de devenir riche, mais de survivre aux enchères en livrant ses confidences... Les zones d'ombres s'épaississent autour du ravisseur, faisant planer un suspense latent et plaisant. La foule de péripéties traversée par l'héroïne fait écho à l'Indien malchanceux, autant que la foule de personnages (plus ou moins bienveillants) rencontrés au fil des bouleversements. La force de caractère de Devi est très proche de celle de Ram Mohammad Thomas : leurs intelligences et leurs courages se répondent sans se le dire. Je n'aurai pas été surprise de croiser Ram dans la vie de Devi !
Enfin, on parcourt l'Inde à leurs côtés, dans un mélange de fantaisie, de réalisme, de candeur et de lucidité que j'apprécie énormément. Le panorama du pays aux mille couleurs que nous offre Vikas Swarup est saisissant, sordide, exotique et très contrasté selon que l'on se trouve à Dehli, au Kerala, à Mumbai ou à Goa.
Cependant, cet opus n'est tout de même pas un si grand coup de cœur ni une si grande claque que Les fabuleuses aventures d'un Indien malchanceux qui devint milliardaire... Ce petit goût de remâché m'a quelque peu gênée, comme si l'auteur tentait de reprendre une recette qui a si bien fonctionné il y a près de 20 ans, sans y incorporer le piment, l'originalité et la profondeur qui m'avait tant charmée...
Le style est agréable mais un peu banal (peut-être est-ce lié à la traduction...?) : la lecture qui en découle est plus rapide mais beaucoup moins immersive. J'ai souvent eu la sensation de survoler un peu trop les sujets abordés.
Le personnage principal est très attachant et je me suis laissée emportée par les événements malheureux et malentendus heureux qui changent le cours de sa vie, et de son caractère. J'avais à cœur de découvrir son passé, autant que les raisons de sa séquestration. Même si certaines révélations finales manquent de crédibilité ou sont, au contraire, trop facilement décelables, j'ai passé un bon moment jusqu'au bout en compagnie de Devi, ou Deepa, ou Deeba, ou Dasmeet, ou Deephti, ou Diana, ou Dolly.... et surtout Munni !
#VikasSwarup #LesSeptViesextraordinairesdeDeviKumari #NetGalleyFrance
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Devi grew up in the slums of Delhi. She has had to take on several different identities to survive in the twenty-five years she has been on this earth, and has made many enemies along the way.
Now she has been plucked from the streets and is being held captive by a masked man, who plans to auction her to the highest bidder amongst the group of wealthy people looking for vengeance for the wrongs they believe she has done them.
But before the deal is done, Devi must tell the story of her seven lives to her captor. She has one night to reveal her secrets in one more battle for survival...
After more than a decade since his last book, Vikas Swarup, author of Q & A (the debut that spawned the block-buster movie Slumdog Millionaire), returns with a novel that beautifully explores the chaotic and contradictory nature of India through the eyes of his compelling protagonist, Devi.
The novel begins with Devi held captive by an unknown abductor, who forces her to tell the story of her 'seven lives', and bear witness to the 'crimes' that she has committed in the eyes of the buyers who hold her fate in the balance. Each part of the book covers a different identity, beginning with her childhood as Devi, and then cycling through her experiences as Deepa, Deeba, Dasmeet, Deepthi, Diana, and Dolly, which have taken her the length and breadth of her homeland - and from dire poverty on the streets, to the luxury abodes of the India's elite.
Swarup's skill as a master storyteller shows in the moments of love, kinship, stark reality, and horror, and Devi stands proud as the kind of complicated anti-hero it is easy to take to your heart. Some episodes flow better than others, but in each of her guises Swarup does a good job exploring the difficult choices she has made, many of which have led her to stray wildly off the straight and narrow - and the segues connecting them are cleverly handled. I very much enjoyed that the only judgement here comes from the masked man and the gradually-revealed participants in the auction who are after her blood. In most cases it it easy to see that blaming her is much easier than taking responsibility for their own actions, or those of people close to them - but even when the things she has done are in the name of revenge, her reasoning is very clear to understand - and, to my mind, forgive.
Against a backdrop that oozes plotlines rich in heart-rending trauma, abuse of the vulnerable, far-reaching cons, and astonishing corruption, Devi fixes your attention. Golden nuggets of warmth, friendship in adversity, and the kindness of strangers lighten the brutality of the story which I needed at times, but there are many bitter pills to swallow here about modern day India that sent my thoughts spinning.
Intense, immersive, cinematic, and with an entertaining twist, this is a heart-pounding return to the literary stage by Vikas Swarup. I swallowed it whole!
Now she has been plucked from the streets and is being held captive by a masked man, who plans to auction her to the highest bidder amongst the group of wealthy people looking for vengeance for the wrongs they believe she has done them.
But before the deal is done, Devi must tell the story of her seven lives to her captor. She has one night to reveal her secrets in one more battle for survival...
After more than a decade since his last book, Vikas Swarup, author of Q & A (the debut that spawned the block-buster movie Slumdog Millionaire), returns with a novel that beautifully explores the chaotic and contradictory nature of India through the eyes of his compelling protagonist, Devi.
The novel begins with Devi held captive by an unknown abductor, who forces her to tell the story of her 'seven lives', and bear witness to the 'crimes' that she has committed in the eyes of the buyers who hold her fate in the balance. Each part of the book covers a different identity, beginning with her childhood as Devi, and then cycling through her experiences as Deepa, Deeba, Dasmeet, Deepthi, Diana, and Dolly, which have taken her the length and breadth of her homeland - and from dire poverty on the streets, to the luxury abodes of the India's elite.
Swarup's skill as a master storyteller shows in the moments of love, kinship, stark reality, and horror, and Devi stands proud as the kind of complicated anti-hero it is easy to take to your heart. Some episodes flow better than others, but in each of her guises Swarup does a good job exploring the difficult choices she has made, many of which have led her to stray wildly off the straight and narrow - and the segues connecting them are cleverly handled. I very much enjoyed that the only judgement here comes from the masked man and the gradually-revealed participants in the auction who are after her blood. In most cases it it easy to see that blaming her is much easier than taking responsibility for their own actions, or those of people close to them - but even when the things she has done are in the name of revenge, her reasoning is very clear to understand - and, to my mind, forgive.
Against a backdrop that oozes plotlines rich in heart-rending trauma, abuse of the vulnerable, far-reaching cons, and astonishing corruption, Devi fixes your attention. Golden nuggets of warmth, friendship in adversity, and the kindness of strangers lighten the brutality of the story which I needed at times, but there are many bitter pills to swallow here about modern day India that sent my thoughts spinning.
Intense, immersive, cinematic, and with an entertaining twist, this is a heart-pounding return to the literary stage by Vikas Swarup. I swallowed it whole!
August 27, 2026
I have never read or watched Slumdog Millionaire—I know, I know—but I obviously know how successful it was, so when I was fortunate enough to receive an ALC of Vikas Swarup’s newest book, I was really excited to see what I thought.
And WOW, this book wastes absolutely no time. Devi has been kidnapped, her captor is demanding that she confess to everything she has done, and he is quite literally auctioning off her life to the people she has wronged. We are dropped straight into the nightmare from the first few sentences, and from there, Devi starts telling the story of her seven very different lives.
This is a sad, brutally raw story, and there were definitely parts that were difficult to listen to. Devi experiences an almost ridiculous amount of cruelty, but what makes her such an interesting narrator is the way she keeps moving forward. There is this sense that life has handed her another terrible situation, so… fine. She will survive this one too. She is resilient without ever feeling unrealistically untouched by everything that happens to her.
She also has a DELIGHTFUL little streak of revenge. Devi may accept that terrible things happen, but that does not mean she is above making sure the people responsible eventually regret it. Of course, leaving a trail of people who would quite happily return the favour becomes a bit of a problem when someone decides to auction off the opportunity.
I also really liked the structure. Each part of Devi’s life takes us somewhere different and slowly builds this much bigger picture of who she is and how she ended up in that basement. The story is vivid and immersive, and even when it gets incredibly dark, I need to know what happens next.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar, and she did a fantastic job with the emotional side of the story. There is A LOT for her to carry here—fear, grief, anger, exhaustion, humour, and Devi’s sheer determination to survive—and I thought she emoted all of it really well without making the performance feel overdone. She made an already intense story even harder to stop listening to.
This was brutal, compelling, and completely bingeable. Devi is one hell of a survivor, and I spent most of the book simultaneously horrified by what was happening to her and waiting to see exactly how she was going to make someone pay for it.
Thanks to Vikas Swarup, Recorded Books Media & NetGalley for the advance copy!
“The Girl with the Seven Lives” is available for purchase on September 1st 2026!
And WOW, this book wastes absolutely no time. Devi has been kidnapped, her captor is demanding that she confess to everything she has done, and he is quite literally auctioning off her life to the people she has wronged. We are dropped straight into the nightmare from the first few sentences, and from there, Devi starts telling the story of her seven very different lives.
This is a sad, brutally raw story, and there were definitely parts that were difficult to listen to. Devi experiences an almost ridiculous amount of cruelty, but what makes her such an interesting narrator is the way she keeps moving forward. There is this sense that life has handed her another terrible situation, so… fine. She will survive this one too. She is resilient without ever feeling unrealistically untouched by everything that happens to her.
She also has a DELIGHTFUL little streak of revenge. Devi may accept that terrible things happen, but that does not mean she is above making sure the people responsible eventually regret it. Of course, leaving a trail of people who would quite happily return the favour becomes a bit of a problem when someone decides to auction off the opportunity.
I also really liked the structure. Each part of Devi’s life takes us somewhere different and slowly builds this much bigger picture of who she is and how she ended up in that basement. The story is vivid and immersive, and even when it gets incredibly dark, I need to know what happens next.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar, and she did a fantastic job with the emotional side of the story. There is A LOT for her to carry here—fear, grief, anger, exhaustion, humour, and Devi’s sheer determination to survive—and I thought she emoted all of it really well without making the performance feel overdone. She made an already intense story even harder to stop listening to.
This was brutal, compelling, and completely bingeable. Devi is one hell of a survivor, and I spent most of the book simultaneously horrified by what was happening to her and waiting to see exactly how she was going to make someone pay for it.
Thanks to Vikas Swarup, Recorded Books Media & NetGalley for the advance copy!
“The Girl with the Seven Lives” is available for purchase on September 1st 2026!
August 29, 2026
Kidnapped and forced to account for her misdeeds, a 25-year-old orphan from the slums of Delhi bargains for her life by beguiling her kidnapper and his livestream audience with the story of her seven lives. Struggling to survive as she navigates the blatant structural inequalities that keep some people in grinding poverty while others face no consequences for their crimes, she recounts her transformation from Devi to Deepa, Deeba, Dasmeet, then Diana. Through a combination of shrewdness, extraordinary reversals of fortune—both good and bad—and an essentially good heart, Devi makes her away across the subcontinent doing what she must to survive.
From the author of the novel that inspired the film Slumdog Millionaire, Vikas Swarup, The Girl with Seven Lives narrates the story of an essentially likeable young woman while exposing the social conditions for various classes of people, the corruption and the kindness, and the vast religious diversity throughout East Asia. However, because so much of the book is retrospective, it was not as immersive as novels should be. I kept thinking of the writerly adage: show, don’t tell. There was more past tense narration than present tense action. The pacing was also off so that the story dragged in parts. Yet, I still wanted to finish it to find out who the kidnapper was and what happens to Devi in the end. The ending certainly surprised me; it was quite a twist! Swarup incorporates Hindi phrases into Devi’s speech but provides the English translations as part of the dialogue. As someone who enjoys global anglophone literature and reading novels by authors from and about cultures other than my own, I appreciated this and thought that it adds to the novel.
Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar narrated with skill and pathos. She made Devi a sympathetic character, despite some of the morally reprehensible things she does. She seamlessly incorporated the Hindi words and phrases and their English translations so that they didn’t feel disruptive. Mukhtyar voiced Devi the way someone who speaks English in India sounds. Without that, the story would have fallen flat.
The Girl with Seven Lives is a solidly written novel with some pacing and immersion problems but still tells a compelling story that kept me interested and wanting to finish the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for providing me with an advance listener copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review.
From the author of the novel that inspired the film Slumdog Millionaire, Vikas Swarup, The Girl with Seven Lives narrates the story of an essentially likeable young woman while exposing the social conditions for various classes of people, the corruption and the kindness, and the vast religious diversity throughout East Asia. However, because so much of the book is retrospective, it was not as immersive as novels should be. I kept thinking of the writerly adage: show, don’t tell. There was more past tense narration than present tense action. The pacing was also off so that the story dragged in parts. Yet, I still wanted to finish it to find out who the kidnapper was and what happens to Devi in the end. The ending certainly surprised me; it was quite a twist! Swarup incorporates Hindi phrases into Devi’s speech but provides the English translations as part of the dialogue. As someone who enjoys global anglophone literature and reading novels by authors from and about cultures other than my own, I appreciated this and thought that it adds to the novel.
Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar narrated with skill and pathos. She made Devi a sympathetic character, despite some of the morally reprehensible things she does. She seamlessly incorporated the Hindi words and phrases and their English translations so that they didn’t feel disruptive. Mukhtyar voiced Devi the way someone who speaks English in India sounds. Without that, the story would have fallen flat.
The Girl with Seven Lives is a solidly written novel with some pacing and immersion problems but still tells a compelling story that kept me interested and wanting to finish the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for providing me with an advance listener copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review.
October 22, 2025
Munni est née dans une famille pauvre, très pauvre. Sa prime jeunesse s'est passée dans un bidonville à Delhi ... le hasard de la vie , leur situation s'est très légèrement améliorée, mais .. elle se retrouve seule à 8 ans et doit coute que coute survivre... la chance lui sourit -elle?. .. ou n'est-ce que le début d'une course sans fin ?
Munni devient Deepa pour se glisser dans les vies de Deeba , Dasmeet, Deephti, Diana, Dolly .et ....
Aujourd'hui semble le sonner le glas de sa courte vie. Kidnappée en plein jour, elle se réveille , entravée, un pistolet pointé à dix centimètres de son front. Elle est sommée par son ravisseur de raconter en détail sa ou plutôt ses vies. Sa tête est mise à prix que les enchères commencent!
Curieuse de découvrir l'univers de Vikas Swarup je me suis plongée dans son dernier roman : les sept vies extraordinaires de Devi Kumari grâce à l'amabilité des Editions Belfond via Netgalley . Je les en remercie.
#VikasSwarup #NetGalleyFrance !
Mais voilà le page turner made in Bollywood avec ses "Vérités cachées, tromperies et révélations hallucinantes "s'est avéré être pour moi une lecture "poussive" . Certes les vérités cachées, les tromperies sont bien là mais surtout prédominent les manipulations, la perversité, la violence , l'arrogance liée au pouvoir et surtout l'appétit forcené pour l'argent ... alors bien sur ce constat est universel, les gamines qui se font violées à tour de bras ou exploitées sexuellement aussi, la main mise psychologique par des soi-disant divinités réincarnées aussi mais Bollywood , Bollywood !
Vous l'aurez compris je n'ai pas apprécié cette lecture, sans doute ma méconnaissance de la culture indienne n'a rien arrangé mais pas que. J'allais oublier la fin made in Bollywood!!
Ceci n'est bien sur qu'un ressenti personnel qui n'engage que moi.
Munni devient Deepa pour se glisser dans les vies de Deeba , Dasmeet, Deephti, Diana, Dolly .et ....
Aujourd'hui semble le sonner le glas de sa courte vie. Kidnappée en plein jour, elle se réveille , entravée, un pistolet pointé à dix centimètres de son front. Elle est sommée par son ravisseur de raconter en détail sa ou plutôt ses vies. Sa tête est mise à prix que les enchères commencent!
Curieuse de découvrir l'univers de Vikas Swarup je me suis plongée dans son dernier roman : les sept vies extraordinaires de Devi Kumari grâce à l'amabilité des Editions Belfond via Netgalley . Je les en remercie.
#VikasSwarup #NetGalleyFrance !
Mais voilà le page turner made in Bollywood avec ses "Vérités cachées, tromperies et révélations hallucinantes "s'est avéré être pour moi une lecture "poussive" . Certes les vérités cachées, les tromperies sont bien là mais surtout prédominent les manipulations, la perversité, la violence , l'arrogance liée au pouvoir et surtout l'appétit forcené pour l'argent ... alors bien sur ce constat est universel, les gamines qui se font violées à tour de bras ou exploitées sexuellement aussi, la main mise psychologique par des soi-disant divinités réincarnées aussi mais Bollywood , Bollywood !
Vous l'aurez compris je n'ai pas apprécié cette lecture, sans doute ma méconnaissance de la culture indienne n'a rien arrangé mais pas que. J'allais oublier la fin made in Bollywood!!
Ceci n'est bien sur qu'un ressenti personnel qui n'engage que moi.
August 22, 2026
Devi is a 25-year-old woman from the slums of Delhi who has managed to reinvent herself several times over. Or, depending on how you look at it, she has spent her life lying, scheming and doing whatever she needs to survive. When she is kidnapped by a masked gunman and held at gunpoint, she is told that her life is going to be auctioned online, with the highest bidder deciding her fate. Her way of buying time is to tell him the story of her life — or rather, her seven lives.
Each of these lives takes Devi somewhere different, from Delhi to Punjab, Kerala, Goa and Mumbai, and each introduces another version of her. She works for a Maharaj, runs a bookshop, passes herself off as a qualified nurse and eventually moves into a much darker world of seduction, blackmail and scams. As the stories unfold, we gradually discover how one life has led to another and why Devi has acquired quite so many enemies.
It is an entertaining read and Swarup certainly knows how to keep things moving. There are plenty of twists, narrow escapes and revelations, although there are also rather too many coincidences for everything to feel entirely convincing. Devi seems to stumble into exactly the right person at exactly the right moment rather more often than is really plausible.
It is also very reminiscent of Q&A. The structure of someone telling the story of their life while in an increasingly desperate situation is almost impossible not to compare with Swarup’s earlier book, and the similarities are perhaps a little too close for comfort. But, frankly, I didn’t care. It is a fun, easy read, with plenty happening and enough twists to keep me turning the pages.
Not particularly subtle and certainly not entirely believable, but entertaining enough to make those things fairly easy to overlook. Sometimes an uncomplicated, entertaining read is exactly what you need.
Each of these lives takes Devi somewhere different, from Delhi to Punjab, Kerala, Goa and Mumbai, and each introduces another version of her. She works for a Maharaj, runs a bookshop, passes herself off as a qualified nurse and eventually moves into a much darker world of seduction, blackmail and scams. As the stories unfold, we gradually discover how one life has led to another and why Devi has acquired quite so many enemies.
It is an entertaining read and Swarup certainly knows how to keep things moving. There are plenty of twists, narrow escapes and revelations, although there are also rather too many coincidences for everything to feel entirely convincing. Devi seems to stumble into exactly the right person at exactly the right moment rather more often than is really plausible.
It is also very reminiscent of Q&A. The structure of someone telling the story of their life while in an increasingly desperate situation is almost impossible not to compare with Swarup’s earlier book, and the similarities are perhaps a little too close for comfort. But, frankly, I didn’t care. It is a fun, easy read, with plenty happening and enough twists to keep me turning the pages.
Not particularly subtle and certainly not entirely believable, but entertaining enough to make those things fairly easy to overlook. Sometimes an uncomplicated, entertaining read is exactly what you need.
August 9, 2024
The Girl with the Seven Lives hits the reader with action from the very first page and doesn't let up until the very end. Our narrator goes through the traumatic experience of losing her entire family as a child, which forces her onto the streets, fighting for survival. What transpires next over the course of her childhood and early adulthood are a roller coaster of blessings and transgressions that would destroy an average person.
But our narrator isn't average. This little girl moves from one event to the next with the acceptance that these are just the trials life has planned for her and there's nothing to do but move forward. However, she does have a delightful penchant for revenge so she finds a way to pay back those who have inflicted the worst atrocities on her, which also leaves behind a string of enemies desperate to exact their own revenge upon her. And that's how she finds herself being held captive, recounting the story of her life on camera so her captor can extract the highest bid for her torment from those feeling wronged by her acts of revenge.
This story had serious Forrest Gump vibes for me, with an innocent moving from one unbelievable circumstance to the next, but managing to thrive and create a new life out of each one until it ultimately crashes and she moves on to the next. I loved the protagonist, as I knew each time, like a cat, she was going to strike out against the people who took advantage of her most and land right back on her feet to start her next life. The novel provides us with an unlikely heroine and the ending delivers a satisfying and unexpected sense of closure. It's vivid and adventurous–a wild ride you won't forget.
Disclaimer: I work for the publisher of this title, Simon & Schuster. All opinions are my own.
But our narrator isn't average. This little girl moves from one event to the next with the acceptance that these are just the trials life has planned for her and there's nothing to do but move forward. However, she does have a delightful penchant for revenge so she finds a way to pay back those who have inflicted the worst atrocities on her, which also leaves behind a string of enemies desperate to exact their own revenge upon her. And that's how she finds herself being held captive, recounting the story of her life on camera so her captor can extract the highest bid for her torment from those feeling wronged by her acts of revenge.
This story had serious Forrest Gump vibes for me, with an innocent moving from one unbelievable circumstance to the next, but managing to thrive and create a new life out of each one until it ultimately crashes and she moves on to the next. I loved the protagonist, as I knew each time, like a cat, she was going to strike out against the people who took advantage of her most and land right back on her feet to start her next life. The novel provides us with an unlikely heroine and the ending delivers a satisfying and unexpected sense of closure. It's vivid and adventurous–a wild ride you won't forget.
Disclaimer: I work for the publisher of this title, Simon & Schuster. All opinions are my own.
August 13, 2026
Readable and entertaining, familiar narrative structure, relies too much on coincidence.
I loved Q&A and the film, and have also read Six Suspects and the Accidental Apprentice. With that experience, I can see the similarities in structure and pacing by the author. While I did still enjoy this, I did get a little frustrated with a few things along the way.
A sad start to a tale, Dickens-like - girl born in the slums suffers a horrific start to life with multiple deaths around her, leaving Devi needing to survive on her wits. Though not for long. She tells us her tale, not just us, but her kidnapper, as Devi is actually now a 20-something in Delhi, stolen off the streets and taken and bound, filmed by a man in a mask who is filming her every word and sharing her life story with hidden viewers. He's spent time tracking this woman down, and insists on hearing her whole tale, as her listeners are VERY interested in the crimes she may have committed along the way to survive, and he's willing to sell her to the one happy to pay the highest price.
So Devi had better confess to everything. Out falls her story, in neat descriptive detail of course. From place to place, situation to situation. Coincidence to coincidence. There were a lot of those, some harder to swallow than others (one that had me going 'come ON' was when our protagonist randomly gets off the back of a truck and finds herself in a town with just the person she needs to help her, whom she's met before... this is INDIA!).
Accepting that this was how the tale is being told, I still enjoyed the often graphically awful story of poverty, corruption and starting again, even if almost the entire length, we have to remember that the main character is a child or adolescent. Both hard to swallow and hard to read about.
Ending came about a little suddenly, big build to it and again, a little neat and eyebrow-raising.
I did enjoy the read, but it did test my patience with some lazy plotting. Q&A relied on coincidence for the story to make sense, it had to be that way. That felt out of place in this sprawling epic of a life, it's a technique you can't rely on frequently.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
I loved Q&A and the film, and have also read Six Suspects and the Accidental Apprentice. With that experience, I can see the similarities in structure and pacing by the author. While I did still enjoy this, I did get a little frustrated with a few things along the way.
A sad start to a tale, Dickens-like - girl born in the slums suffers a horrific start to life with multiple deaths around her, leaving Devi needing to survive on her wits. Though not for long. She tells us her tale, not just us, but her kidnapper, as Devi is actually now a 20-something in Delhi, stolen off the streets and taken and bound, filmed by a man in a mask who is filming her every word and sharing her life story with hidden viewers. He's spent time tracking this woman down, and insists on hearing her whole tale, as her listeners are VERY interested in the crimes she may have committed along the way to survive, and he's willing to sell her to the one happy to pay the highest price.
So Devi had better confess to everything. Out falls her story, in neat descriptive detail of course. From place to place, situation to situation. Coincidence to coincidence. There were a lot of those, some harder to swallow than others (one that had me going 'come ON' was when our protagonist randomly gets off the back of a truck and finds herself in a town with just the person she needs to help her, whom she's met before... this is INDIA!).
Accepting that this was how the tale is being told, I still enjoyed the often graphically awful story of poverty, corruption and starting again, even if almost the entire length, we have to remember that the main character is a child or adolescent. Both hard to swallow and hard to read about.
Ending came about a little suddenly, big build to it and again, a little neat and eyebrow-raising.
I did enjoy the read, but it did test my patience with some lazy plotting. Q&A relied on coincidence for the story to make sense, it had to be that way. That felt out of place in this sprawling epic of a life, it's a technique you can't rely on frequently.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
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