Priya Guns is an author to watch. This novel was based on Taxi Driver. I couldn't help but be more interested in this than the inspired film. What profound writing with underlying themes of queerness, power, and activism. Highly recommend!

Sadly, this book missed the mark for me. I had very high hopes for this novel, but it didn't work for me as well as I wished it had. I couldn't connect to the main character, and I felt like transitions between scenes could have been a bit more developed. For a book this short, it had so many characters to keep track of and it was hard to remember who was who. I know this is a debut, and I'm excited to see what the other does next now that they have their debut under their belt.

This Taxi Driver-esque remix is clever. While not an easy-breezy-candy-fun read, it is full of sardonic gems and social commentary that pleases.

your driver is waiting is sorta/kinda a retelling of taxi driver. however, the similarities are very surface-level and mostly aesthetic? i didn't hate or even dislike anything i just didn't love anything either. it feels very rushed while there are also scenes where nothing is moved forward. i was really looking forward to this and was fairly disappointed.

This book was well-written in terms of dialogue and descriptions. I was invested while reading it, and I appreciated the diverse cast and multiple identities in the book. For me, I felt the critique of well-meaning White people was not as well done as the descriptions of the city and lives in the book. Queer identity also played only a small role in the book compared to racial and cultural identity.

Disclaimer: I have never watched Taxi Driver, which this novel is apparently inspired by.

I had so much fun reading this book. There are small moments here and there where the writing could've used some more editing, but never anything to lose a full star. The book is solid and I can't wait to see what else Priya Guns writes..

This book is a 4.5 for me but I rounded up.

Your Driver is Waiting offers a look into the life of Damani, a woman in her early thirties who, despite having a college degree in anthropology, works full time as a ride-share driver in an undisclosed international city. Damani is mourning the sudden death of her father and helping her mother with the grief, as overdue bills pile up on the kitchen table. Author Priya Guns's novel provides a look into the emotional stress and low-paying wages of ride-share workers who risk their safety to earn wages, and preferably cash tips. On the opposite side is insight into Damani's character as she tries to find love and build a life. Your Driver is Waiting is recommended for discussion groups.

I read the first quarter of this and I couldn’t get into it. I felt like nothing was happening besides Damani giving rides to a strange array of people and not having the energy or desire to join in on the protests happening across the city. Which is the same amount of information I got from reading the description of the book. This isn’t a very long book, so it surprised me that the plot was so slow-moving, and I was disappointed that it didn’t grab my attention

This had such potential but I think it ultimately fell flat in not having a cohesive story. Also marketing it as a new take on taxi driver wasn’t totally correct, and I kept waiting for more to happen. I wished that there had been more character development and also that Jolene had gotten what was coming to her!!

“I was a woman who wasn’t going to take it anymore because I swear, I have taken so much already”

Imagine feeling unfulfilled with life, forced to be a caretaker, experiencing grief while feeling tired and exploited by your job…there is very little patience you will have — and this is where we meet Damani.

Damani is a Sri Lankan driver for a rideshare app (think Uber) dealing with the abrupt passing of her dad, living paycheck to paycheck while also having to be a caretaker for her grieving mother.

Have you ever wondered what is it like to be a driver for a ride-share app?

Priya gives us a glimpse as we experience Damani’s day-to-day life.
Not only do you meet a variety of people as a driver, but as a woman driver you have to take extra precautions which is why she has every weapon from pepper spray to a switchblade readily available. Let’s be clear, Damani is no damsel in distress.

Priya’s humor and socio-economic and cultural commentary were refreshing and made this story such a fun ride - ha! Especially when we meet Jolene, a white, wealthy, and privileged woman who appears to be everything Damani is looking for and uses all politically correct terminology until things take a turn…

This story touches on a lot of topics such as exploitation, performative ally-ship, safe spaces, grief, the role of activism, divides between classes and racial groups, the burden of being a caretaker, and lust vs love.

What a debut! I really enjoyed and had a lot of fun with this story. With the short chapters, we don’t delve too deep into of these layered topics but if you have experienced or are familiar with them you will still connect to Damani’s and her struggles.

“If those who have do not give, those who haven’t must take,” …

Also what a cover!! Thank you for the copy! I now need to go watch the Taxi Driver ASAP!

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book at all - and it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023! As many other reviewers have pointed out, calling it a modern-day, gender-flipped Taxi Driver is total mis-marketing. Sure, the main characters in both works both drive cars for a living, but I don't think that's enough to merit the comparison.

What little plot there was dragged, and Damani hardly developed as a character to makeup for the lack of action. I hate to say it, but the writing was poor - overly flowery, often employing metaphors that didn't make sense, and a lot of cringe-worthy madly-in-love truisms. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley.

A drama filled, sapphic, satirical tale about a ride share driver. The social commentary discussed was deep and poignant. However, the love story tended to overpower a lot of this. I just wasn't into it. I would say this was a 3.5 star read for me.

Your Driver Is Waiting is a fast-paced look into the life of a female rideshare driver. Damani, a bisexual Tamil woman, is barely keeping it together. Her father has passed away, her mother is a shell of who she once was and it's becoming harder and harder to keep the lights on as Rideshare keeps taking a bigger cut of her money. As she drives through the city night after night it seems like a different protest is going on. The city is angry and the people are restless. Though she cares, she can't take her foot off the gas or it means no food on her table, Then she meets the girl of her dreams - Jolene, a charming white ally whose connection to her is off the charts.

Damani was a very relatable character. No matter how hard she works she just can't seem to get ahead and seems further and further behind. This book was darkly funny - not so much in the funny haha kind of way, but more in the "ofc this is happening now" kind of way. Your Driver is Waiting is a great social commentary on gig workers, capitalism, and performative activism. Jolene was - the worst - but she was just such a realistic character.

I did enjoy this book, but I felt like something was missing. I think I was expecting it to go darker, but something kept me from truly loving this novel. The author had a great voice and way with words. I will definitely pick up their next book - and will check out Taxi Driver in the meantime.

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for a review copy.

Wow, this was an interesting read. It's loosely based on the movie Taxi Driver but a very modern version. Damani is the daughter of immigrants driving for a ride share company in a big city. She meets Jolene, a rich white girl, and they fall fast and hard for each other, but it quickly goes wrong. It's a short, fast read and very timely. Definitely one that will stick with me.

Priya Guns has a VOICE and we are all better for her using it to write YOUR DRIVER IS WAITING. I had to read the book twice: once as a speed read to know what happened and a second time to enjoy time with the characters as well as the author's voice. The use of sly humor really takes the book up a level. In terms of story, the world feels like it's happening today and the contrast between the monied protestors with their Starbucks cups and those, like Damani, who are scrambling to make ends meet. Damani's life as a driver--trying to support her grieving mother and herself--is so real; I felt like I was reading about my friends as Damani's pay dwindled because the corporation was taking more and more. The Doo Wop, where Damani hangs out with her friends, is an amazing example of community, providing a place for resources as well as joy, such as dancing at night. It seems like a feasible way to help each other in the US, where the line between extreme wealth and everyone else continues widen at an exponential pace.

The arrival of white Jolene (Jo) is immediately bad news for Damani, even if she can't see it. Jo provides a much-needed distraction from the relentless pace of driving and having to do everything for her mother. The way Jolene's whiteness and inability to see life in any other way than the sheltered way she knows it to be play out is heartbreaking and absolutely infuriating. What Jo does is absolutely unforgivable.

The final third of the book feels uneven, with Damani's reaction to Jo not quite squaring with the fierce person we met earlier in the book.

I thought this was going to be kind of depressing but was pleasantly surprised when the story takes a turn. It is darkly funny and queer and prescient. A relatable romp with a struggling protagonist

DNF After 4 chapters. Couldn’t engage with the storyline it didn’t draw me in. I wish it had something to hook us quicker because I think if I don’t care what happens to the protagonist after 4 chapters, the pacing should be reworked

This propulsive debut pays homage to the classic movie Taxi Driver, but updates it to take place in today's ride-share culture. Guns's novel also speaks to the many issues bombarding the lives of today's young millennials.

Damani Krishanthan is the bisexual daughter of Indian immigrants who spends her days driving through an unnamed city giving rides to both regulars and new customers. She's unafraid of the work and outfits her car with knives, bleach, air fresheners, a crowbar, and anything else she'd need in an emergency. She spends her off-time lifting weights, hanging with her gig-work buddies, at the Doo Wop nightclub, and taking care of her mother, who's out of sorts since Damani's dad died of a heart attack while working his fast-food job. She zips through a city besieged with continual protests for the various issues of today, though Damani herself seems to only be on the peripheral of the anger and more concerned with lifting weights, listening to self-help podcasts, and making sure she and her mom don't get evicted and have enough food to eat.

Enter gorgeous, white activist Jolene. Damani is immediately smitten. Yet as they get closer, the cracks in Jolene start to show, particularly her white-privilege-tinged activism, which puts Damani and her gig friends (all people of color) in danger. By the end, Damani is sporting the mohawk of Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle and ready to finally let out her confusion, anger, and desperation.

Guns's commentary on capitalism, the immigrant experience, activism, and ALL the issues affecting the younger generations of today is absolutely affecting in a fun and sharp way. This book wasn't a 5-star for me, but you certainly will enjoy how Guns brings today's issues to the helm using a classic film's structure and Damani's distinct and powerful personality.

I enjoyed both the written version and Priya's own terrific narration of the audiobook. Thanks to @netgalley and @doubleday for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review!

I had a great time with this book. But not a "haha" time, more like a manic laugh at the futility of the world? (Honestly, never a feeling that is far from me these days.) Your Driver is Waiting is pitched as social satire inspired by Taxi Driver, and I have no frame of reference for the latter having never seen it, but being very interested in the former. This is Guns' debut and I really enjoyed the writing. It had a strong voice and a very stylized choice for this book. It's a smart, scathing critique of late-stage capitalism, of white liberalism, of the gig economy. And I'm always down to read those. Plus there's some queer shit and though it goes downhill, it was nice while it lasted. Would definitely recommend.

cw: death of a parent, racism

This was okay and not really what I expected but that was my fault. I don't have much to say except for thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!