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“What you are about to read is a call to arms. Best to prepare for a confrontation." —New York Times Book Review
"A perfect gut punch of a novel…Full of love and real friendship and frustrations boiled over and the urge to burn everything down…This is a hard-hitting masterpiece.—Kristen Arnett, author of With Teeth and Mostly Dead Things
Damani is tired. Her father just died on the job at a fast-food joint, and now she lives paycheck to paycheck in a basement, caring for her mom and driving for an app that is constantly cutting her take. The city is roiling in protests—everybody's in solidarity with somebody—but while she keeps hearing that they’re fighting for change on behalf of people like her, she literally can’t afford to pay attention.
Then she gives a ride to Jolene (five stars, obviously). Jolene seems like she could be the perfect girlfriend—attentive, attractive, an ally—and their chemistry is off the charts. Jolene’s done the reading, she goes to every protest, and she says all the right things. So maybe Damani can look past the one thing that's holding her back: she’s never dated anyone with money before, not to mention a white girl with money. But just as their romance intensifies and Damani finally lets her guard down, Jolene does something unforgivable, setting off an explosive chain of events.
A wild, one-sitting read brimming with dark comedy, and piercing social commentary and announcing Priya Guns's feverishly original voice, Your Driver Is Waiting is a crackling send-up of our culture of modern alienation.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
February 28, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593666715
- File size: 185040 KB
- Duration: 06:25:29
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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November 14, 2022
Guns’ sharp and bonkers debut reimagines Taxi Driver for the Uber era. Damani Krishanthan, 30, drives long hours for RideShare in an unnamed American city, where her low commission rate can’t cover her bills and rent on the apartment she shares with her recently widowed mother (the household has also lost the income of Damani’s father, who died while working a fast-food job). Damani grinds out her gig, fighting exhaustion and keeping weapons close at hand for protection; passes a steady stream of protesters carrying “FUCK-this signs”; and hangs out at an abandoned warehouse-cum-night club, the Doo Wop Club, where she commiserates with fellow gig workers. Things seem to brighten after she books a fare with Jolene, a wealthy white activist with whom she develops a whirlwind romance. But when Jolene accompanies Damani to the Doo Wop Club, an argument ensues as Damani challenges Jolene’s abstract anticapitalistic ideas about how to handle predatory companies like RideShare. The third act, featuring Damani sporting a mohawk à la Travis Bickle, leads to a somewhat overheated ending, but there’s plenty of rich commentary on gig work, race, and white privilege. This has plenty of bite. Agent: David Forrer, InkWell Management. -
Starred review from June 10, 2024
Damani Krishanthan, a queer Tamil woman working as a ride-share driver, lives an economically precarious existence. Her father recently died, and her mother requires lots of care. Damani struggles every day just to make ends meet in an unnamed city that teems with protests and unrest. Then, she meets Jolene, a white, wealthy activist, and the two fall hard for each other. Jolene has good intentions, but can the differences in class and life realities be bridged? Unaccustomed to being in the minority, Jolene is spooked by comments at Damani's favorite hangout, the Doo Wop Club, when she arrives to meet Damani's friends. Being outside her comfort zone prompts trouble for the group and brings tensions to the forefront. Guns is also an actor; her skilled narration elevates the text and takes listeners on a thrilling ride. Guns's ability to perfectly modulate her characters' voices and intonations during romantic and stressful situations creates an unforgettable portrait of Damani's world. VERDICT Listeners will love Damani's attitude and resourcefulness as she confronts her daily struggles in this scathing and funny debut, flawlessly narrated by the author.--Christa Van Herreweghe
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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