When all of your relationships have been transactional, how do you know when you’re actually free? With a poverty stricken childhood that made her into a survivor, Rakhi finds herself straddling two different worlds as she tries to find her way. Although the writing is worthy, I couldn’t get into the story and ended up putting it down.

I am sorry to say that I did not finish reading this book. I read about 28% before putting it down because it just didn't pull me in. I was frustrated with multiple characters and unfortunately not interested enough to see it through. As someone who has traveled to India multiple times, I did appreciate hearing the Indian perspective of foreigners traveling to India and was hoping to learn more, but I ultimately decided to put the book down and move on.

Loved this one. The writing style drew me in and I was absolutely cheering for Rakhi the while way. Full of twists and turns, I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a thought provoking, hearty read.

Rhaki has been on her own since early childhood and has learned to survive by any means. She has found family in those that she navigates the city if Mumbai with. When that family is broken apart when the youngsters are arrested, Rhaki finds a new family in the lawyers at Justice for All, where she is an office assistant. Her life turns upside down when those that she believed to be doing good actually were all corrupt. As much as I wanted to like this book, I had difficulty getting immersed in the story. The amount of Hindi language that was throughout the entire story was very difficult to understand, and I found myself just skimming over and not quite understanding exactly what was being said. I also had a very hard time with some of the decisions that Rhaki made throughout, and I just couldn't find the connection with her that I do with most main characters in books. I found myself not really liking her by the end of the book. All in all, I think this just wasn't a book for me, but feel that others might find it very interesting. 3 stars. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC.

This debut novel was at times heartbreaking and poignant. Rakhi lost her parents young and was turned out to the streets. She is taken in by an attorney who runs Justice for All and is offered a new job and a fresh start. This was definitely an immersive look at life in Mumbai. It was very raw and definitely rooted for Rakhi.
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Thank you #ballantinebooks and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story about Rahki and her life in Mumbai. The author gives a great sense of the area and I found myself rooting for Rahki due to her more than difficult childhood. The supporting characters could have been fleshed out more and some of the Hindi language references made reading a bit challenging. All in all it's not a perfect book but I enjoy reading about women in different settings.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with the subject matter of this one but that was my issue, not the authors. This was gripping and heart breaking. I really liked it. I think I will try this again when I am in a better headspace.

Stunning debut! Great commentary, fresh and entirely immersive story telling. This is a great read if you loved How To Kidnap the Rich or White Tiger.

Hooray for incredible debut novels!!! Reema Patel has really written an impressive, eye-opening narrative set in the streets of Mumbai. Rakhi, a young office assistant, who knows all too well how precarious life can be, learns just what it takes to survive in a world where she never quite feels she belongs. Her story pulled on my heartstrings from page one. The harsh realities of life in the city of Mumbai are brought to light in this novel that ignites a fire in both characters and readers alike.

Many thanks to @randomhouse and @NetGalley for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel.

Rakhi is a woman who lives in the slum despite having a nicer job that most of her counterpart. She keeps her past hidden from others as she works out for Justice For All, a human rights law office trying to make Mumbai a better place. Since this is a foundation with rotating doors of foreign interns, Rakhi meets Alex, a Canadian who is earnest in really knowing India and making positive changes, especially for Rakhi.

I don't want to give much more detail about this book because it is INCREDIBLY full of nuance. It was refreshing as well as confusing, the moral lines that all the characters walk are blurred, and then add the extra layer of cultural differences, language and understanding, and you got yourself a beautiful patchwork quilt of humanity going on. I really enjoyed it because it speaks truer to life (IMO) than any blatant villain or hero. Well worth the read.

This book reminds me a bit of Slum Dog Millionaire.

We follow Rakhi, a street kid from Mumbai, from the moments she arrives there as a child of seven, until she finds her voice.

The story is engaging as it unfolds.

Would definitely recommend!

Such Big Dreams is The story of Rakhi who has been living on the streets for so long, moving around in Mumbai slums. her life hasn't improved even if thou she was "saved" by a woman for whom she work and who thought she really cared for her.

Rakhi's life wasn't easy I really had a hard time reading what she was going through, people were terrible to her. there was a constant feeling of sadness and loss of hope as people were very unfair over and over again, there was a lot of bullying and betrayals around her "friends"

Rakhi was a very strong person even though it feels like she is not, as people constantly took advantage of her but she was enduring, persistent, and never gave up even though life was always undermining her way.

Alex is a new intern coming from Canada is also not what we all thought, he was very nice wanting to learn all about the culture, asking Rakhi to take him around so he can see the real culture in India in exchange he will pay her so she could save for a good college.

I really wanted to see more happiness in Rakhi's life, after all, she went through I feel like two pages weren't enough to redeem the pain, I felt a constant sadness during most of the book, and I felt angry with Alex, Gauri Ma'am's, and Babloo these people were to be the best friends and the ones who were gonna help and be there for Rakhi but instead, they were the worst, leaving her without a home, a job and totally alone.

Tazim, Delphine, Lorna, and Claire were among the nice people that really saw Rakhi, the hard work and the tears she had to endure to finally be able to be what she wanted.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Such Big Dreams in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. This was such a compelling and emotional read. Several times I had to pause in order to gather myself emotionally. It is a raw story that I am still thinking about well after reading, as these characters will stay with me for a good while. It also highlights some of the living conditions in that area, as well as some of the injustices in the legal system. Overall I enjoyed this book and will be looking to see what the author does next.

I received a copy of the book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.

Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel is a story built around living in poverty in the Mumbai slums; what happens to people living in such awful conditions, how children run rampant along with hunger, and how these people want a better way of life. There's crime, stealing, poverty, hunger and yet there are friendships and lives lived.. The book is based on a true incident, but I don't want to mention it here and spoil it for any readers. I will say it was a difficult book to get through and I was pleased for the ending. The tragedies and difficulties living in a situation like the Mumbai slums is at best horrid! Finally, I found it a challenging read since I do not know words spoken in that language and was lost many times because of that. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the arc.

Such Big Dreams is a story told by Rakhi, a young woman working as an office assistant at a law office in Mumbai. A former street-child, Rakhi has been taken under the wing of Gauri Ma’am, a famous civil rights lawyer leading the office. Even though Rakhi is doing better than when she was homeless, her past is still influencing her and when a new intern from Canada arrives, he tips Rakhi’s life out of the balance she worked so hard to create.

This book is an impressive debut: sweeping and well-written, with a fascinating atmosphere and vivid descriptions of Mumbai. I did find it to be dragging a bit in the middle, but the ending definitely made up for it. Rakhi is a flawed person whose actions sometimes drove me up the wall, but I rooted for her from the beginning and appreciated seeing the world through her eyes - she’s strong and stubborn, with a unique perspective. I liked what Patel had to say about corruption, poverty, and classism, but what I enjoyed the most was the message about taking charge of one’s own fate.

TLDR: Such Big Dreams is a compelling story that paints a striking picture of Mumbai and shines a light on its less known parts. It’s powerful and explores some hard truths about society in a bold, thought-provoking way.

Rakhi, a young woman growing up in Mumbai, is just barely getting by. She has a job working with lawyers, but is treated poorly by the head lawyer and isn't making enough to get out of the slums where she lives. I found this book to be a fascinating look at a culture and life very different from my own. Rakhi is a loveable character and I was rooting for her the entire way, even when she got herself into trouble! Really enjoyable read!

This was a very good book. The emotions and scenes were especially vivid. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

In Such Big Dreams, readers read about the strength, persistence, and determination of Rahki while they read. She works for a law firm, Justice for All, and becomes tasked with recognizing that life could be better for her. Personally, the book is a little slow for my taste. It does not appeal to my sense of wanderlust or prove to be enlightening about the spirit and culture of India, but it's a pretty good read.

This another good read for a summer day. I learned a lot from reading this work and I am looking forward to the next book from this author. Always love to read fiction during the summer months and this story kept me interested for the day!

Former street kid Rakhi finds herself living in an Indian slum working as an office girl at a human rights law firm, trying to live normally in Reema Patel's debut novel, Such Big Dreams. Years ago, the main character became involved in an unfortunate incident that led her to live at a home for girls. From that point, she meets the female lawyer who heads the law firm and fights to ensure the firm continues to help others. She's indebted to her boss despite working for very little with no chance to strive for more.

When a new intern Alex arrives from Canada, and the firm gains a partnership with a former Bollywood star, it seems that the firm may be on an upswing. So, too, could this work out for Rakhi who reluctantly befriends the encouraging Alex who resides with his rich aunt and uncle for the duration of the internship. These two events impact the firm and Rakhi in a significant way, and this starts the story.

I was torn about this book. I liked the story and the way it was written. The cultural differences between the characters and life in India are examined well, but it could be depressing and frustrating. Plus, there were Indian slang terms and other words that did not come up when I tried to look them up, so it would have helped to have a key or dictionary to give a quick definition here and there.

Throughout the book, you slowly learn about Rakhi's past and why she ended up as a street kid in Mumbai. You root for her to move past her station to become something more than she and others that she knows expect to be. It's a well-thought out story and surprising. I was very surprised by the ending, and it's bittersweet on all accounts. Well-worth reading if you're looking for something different and a little more serious.