A strange and seemingly unrealistic story, but very entertaining nonetheless

Sharply observed and brilliantly scathing satire about one young Indian boy's quest for success. I really enjoyed this, and I think that it has the potential to be a best seller, also it would make a fantastic film so fingers crossed for that.
It was very entertaining and well written. Some of great characters and an eye opening window into modern India.

Again idk why this rating is so low, this book is hilarious

This book was really mixed. The tempo changed as things progressed and the language did too. I don’t want to give spoilers, so I’ll just say that it went from mildly believable to “wut?” Writing is entertaining. Sarcastic and snark. The end was abrupt and a bit odd. Overall a fun frolic.

This book was a hilarious page-turner for me. I was thoroughly entertained. I learned about the book from the virtual Bloody Scotland 2021. I can't remember the exact talk he was in, but his was one of the many books that went onto my TBR list. Now I have finally gotten around to reading it, and it was just what I needed. Sorry all you paper books glaring at me from my bookshelves, but I needed an audiobook.

Maybe there were a few rough corners here and there, but when I am thoroughly entertained, I do not nitpick. I notice someone thinks this is written to be made into a movie, but says so in a somewhat deprecating way. I see no problem with getting this filmed, although I do advice people to read the book first to fully enjoy the movie. :)

bit of a slog and a disappointing ending but very funny and likeable characters

If you've read the tagline on the cover, you know exactly what to expect from this book.

Ramesh is just a guy looking to make money. And the best way he can figure to do that is by taking tests for rich kids so that they look smarter than they are. It's when Ramesh accidentally places in the top position of the All Indias for one of his clients, Rudi, that all the trouble begins. There's money, greed, power, influencers, kidnapping, and even romance. Who knew it could be so good and so bad at the same time?

I'll start off by saying that Raina is a powerhouse of a writer. He's a straight-to-the-point, no BS, tell-it-how-I-see-it type author. At times it comes off abrasive and off-putting, but the novel benefitted from that. It adds a really unique personality to the characters and the world within the story, and it doesn't put on airs and pretend to be light and uplifting. If that's what you're looking for in a book, don't pick up this one. If you're ready to get down and dirty with the characters, this one's for you.

Speaking to the characters, they felt very real to me from the moment they stepped onto the page, from the main characters of Ramesh and Rudi to all the smaller characters in between. I also appreciated that they never tried to be likeable. All of the characters in this novel are honest and upfront about who they are, and that's really what moves the story along. You're never stuck bemoaning a character's actions because from the start you know they're going to do things you don't like, and if you try to complain the characters will move on without you.

The one place this book fell a bit short for me was within the plot. The novel is divided pretty evenly into two parts. In part one Ramesh flips back and forth between then and now, which felt like it moved very slowly to me, and dragged sometimes. Part two on the other hand focuses solely on the now, and I flew through that part no problem. That's where the action was, and where things got really interesting. I appreciated the subtle themes and motifs of part one, and the action of part two, and I just wish they had been fit together a bit better. I also didn't love the ending, but I think that was the point. It feels very 'we came this far for nothing', and while I appreciated that as part of the overall message of the novel, I didn't appreciate it as a casual reader.

All in all, I give this book 3 stars, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for strong characters and in-your-face storytelling.

Thanks Harper Perennial for the ARC!

Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When choosing new books, there are two things that I really enjoy - 1) a quirky/humourous title and, 2) a setting that allows me to explore places I'll probably never see for myself - and How To Kidnap The Rich has both of these things.

I found the characters interesting, especially Ramesh, and the character growth is really good; although, Rudi seems to do a complete 180 as far as his character goes. The second half of the book is a little more serious in tone and, even though I see how the author got the title, the title is a bit misleading by itself.

This was an absolute romp around some of India and I was thoroughly entertained. Looking forward to more from this author.

Slumdog millionaire, but our protagonist is not exactly an upstanding member of humanity. He’s not the worst, though, and you can’t help but root for him. I definitely recommend the audiobook as the narrator oozes with sarcastic whit.

Read via audiobook