Such Big Dreams, by Reema Patel

[Trisha]

A savvy former street child working at a law office in Mumbai fights for redemption and a chance to live life on her own terms in this fresh, propulsive debut novel about fortune and survival.

Rakhi is a twenty-three-year-old haunted by the grisly aftermath of an incident that led to the loss of her best friend eleven years ago. Constantly reminded she doesn't belong, Rakhi lives alone in a Mumbai slum, working as a lowly office assistant at Justice For All, a struggling human-rights law organization headed by the renowned lawyer who gave her a fresh start.

Fiercely intelligent and in possession of a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue, Rakhi is nobody's fool, even if she is underestimated by everyone around her. Rakhi's life isn't much, but she's managing. That is, until Rubina Mansoor, a fading former Bollywood starlet, tries to edge her way back into the spotlight by becoming a celebrity ambassador for Justice For All. Steering the organization into uncharted territories, she demands an internship for Alex, a young family friend from Canada and Harvard-bound graduate student. Ambitious, persistent, and naïve, Alex persuades Rakhi to show him "the real" India. In exchange, he'll do something to further Rakhi's dreams in a transaction that seems harmless, at first.

As old guilt and new aspirations collide, everything Rakhi once knew to be true is set ablaze. And as the stakes mount, she will come face-to-face with the difficult choices and moral compromises that people make in order to survive, no matter the cost. Reema Patel's transportive debut novel offers a moving, smart, and arrestingly clever look at the cost of ambition and power in reclaiming one's story.

[Trisha]

We are planning to start on 9/26!

since we have so many backlog in common, I thought I'd keep a running list going on our buddy reads so we know what to plan next!

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[Star]

I hope you enjoy it.

[Trisha]

Thank you! I'm really excited to read it! I hate that it's sat on my TBR pile for so long!

[Elyse]

@Star: Oh you gave it 5 stars?! Awesome!

[Kristie]

Elyse - I have six GR friends that have read this and five of them gave it 5 stars! Hope it's excellent!

[Elyse]

@Kristie: Wow!! I can't wait to start it!

[Star]

Such Big Dreams is likely to be my 2022 favorite book. I look for a book that can be unapologetically gifted. This has been it for me. I want everyone to love it.

[Elyse]

@Star: Wow! So excited!

[Elyse]

I have COVID ☹️ I read Ch 1 on Saturday but got pummeled by COVID yesterday.

[Trisha]

oh no!!! Ugh, I hope you feel better soon!!

I have class for 4 hours today and then finishing 2 others so I'll be starting later tonight.

[Star]

Elyse...take care of yourself. Hoping you feel better soon.

[Trisha]

I'm going to go ahead and push this one off today and I will start tomorrow. I hope you are feeling better today, Elyse!

[Elyse]

I'm feeling loads better now. Just feels like head cold now. I'm 20% through, on Ch 4. (view spoiler)[It's a harsh world for Rakhi but I really don't know where it's going to go! (hide spoiler)]

[Tasha]

Glad you are feeling better!

[Trisha]

I am so glad you are feeling better!! I was trying to go slow just in case you weren't reading while you were down. . .

4 chapters (view spoiler)[ I agree, not only hard but so different than the interns. 2 of them aren't even willing to try to understand or even seen the differences. That foot stop was awful

It will be interesting to see what Alex learns and if he tells about her to his aunt. This can't go well.

It's also interesting that no one is talking about person space, boundaries or other things to Rakhi that would explain why maybe she can't take other's things (even if they have many). instead they don't speak straight and just shuffle her off to someone else, like the traits she's lacking are somehow ingrained and not something she had to do daily on the streets

her childhood story was so very sad. Even if she went back, I'm not sure the uncle would have accepted her, wondering where she'd been for 2 days+ days. I like ma'am but she is also blind by her own priviledge too, at times. (hide spoiler)]

I'm interested to see where this goes. . .so good so far, I'm completely sucked in!

[Trisha]

through 11 chapters

(view spoiler)[ it seems like some of the different treatment and the way that Ma'am keeps using Rakhi as an example (constantly parading her around) is so ingrained in the system or how people are treated that Ma'am just keeps patting herself on the back for "saving" her but isn't actually treating her well
or letting her have her own life.

I like Alex, although I'm really worried that he doesn't fully understand the people or the culture he's thrown himself in to and that he's going to get Rakhi in some serious trouble.

it's also interesting that Ma'am thinks Rakhi sees relationships as transactional (maybe sees people in terms of what they can provide from her since she doesn't feel she needs anyone for companionship or "family"). (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

through 20 chapters

(view spoiler)[ oooh man you can just feel the tension building
alex getting mixed up with babloo
and the staff getting mad
and the movie star stealing all the limelight
yikes! (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

and I'm done.
This one was so good

(view spoiler)[ I can't believe ma'am would just ditch her like that. I hope she struggled to find anyone who would be willing to work for her like that. Ugh

and her home being burned down. heartbreaking. I was so worried when she went to Babloo and I was so glad when she went back for the boy. so sad about Tazim.

I loved the end, that we got to see that she was making her own way on her own terms. not college if she didn't but also not being treated every day by the judgement of something she did at 12
she finally was allowed to make her own choices and own decisions (hide spoiler)]

[Elyse]

I finished it last night. I...didn't love it. I gave it 3 stars. It was so depressing and messy. (view spoiler)[Yes, it finally turns around but after so much tragedy and betrayal. It wasn't an enjoyable read. (hide spoiler)]

My review

[Trisha]

I'm sorry you didn't like it! There was definitely a lot of shocking and sad things (view spoiler)[ but I loved the way she figure out who she was and what she wanted and pushed back in the end! (hide spoiler)] and yay!! at least it's another Netgalley done!

Did you want to pick the next one?

[Elyse]

Let's read Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

[Trisha]

perfect!! When did you want to start?

[Tasha]

I love that you guys are moving through these books!

[Elyse]

I'm on Ch 3. lol