While this isn't my typical choice for reading, it being marketed as part thriller grabbed my attention. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This is a debut novel and I was very impressed!

This story centers around Al, who works for a hedge fund, and loses a lot of money. He is blackmailed into earning a high dollar amount back and he resorts to nefarious ways to do that. This showcases the underworld of what can happen with insider trading and how often shady dealings are happening. I think the thrilling part comes from how much blackmailing is happening throughout the story and how much Al has to go through to clear his name. Overall the premise of the story kept me hooked so even if this type of storyline/content isn't your usual, the author does a good job of making it interesting and keeping you invested in what comes next. There are a good amount of twists that I didn't see coming which was great.

There is many mentions of suicide throughout which could be triggering of course. While I felt like there could have been less I do also see the side of it being mentioned so often as that world is highly stressful and full of risks that could ruin anyone's lives so it didn't take away from the story in my opinion, But, everyone should be aware that's mentioned a lot for any possible triggers.

Thank you to Atria Books, Netgalley, and the author for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I can't recommend it enough! I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a couple of days!

I was interested in reading this book for what promised to be an intriguing thriller, with insights into hedge fund culture and backroom deals. And the book delivered on those points enlightening this reader on many aspects of stock trading. Al is a flawed character, he has made costly mistakes and now needs to redeem himself in the eyes of his boss. The style of the first-person narrative struck me as verbose and ostentatious (who says "micturated"?). In addition, it was at times quite crude (Al can't keep his hands off himself) and at other times dark as Al repeatedly contemplates suicide. I had a hard time getting into the story - the financial machinations tended to go over my head, but the main plot gained momentum significantly after the halfway mark and kept me reading until the story's resolution. Readers interested in the darker side of the financial world might enjoy this book.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This has not affected the content of my review.

Ali “Al” Jafar is a rising star on Wall Street until his biggest investment loses $300 million dollars. His boss gives him the option to re-make all the lost money in 3 months or become the fall guy in a criminal case. Let the backstabbing begin!!
This was an entertaining story with a lot of dark humor. I would have enjoyed it more if Al wasn't so focused on joking about suicide. It could be triggering for some readers.
A digital ARC was provided by Atria Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Much thanks!

In LEVERAGE, written by Amran Gowani, Al Jafar, named after Aladdin, will need a magic lamp (or some other grand solution) to get out of the mess he has created for himself. He loses 300-million dollars while working at Prism Capital, a hedge fund investment house in California. Al is given, and accepts, the chance to recoup the money in three months and avoid going to jail for insider trading. Will he succeed?

This is a thriller set on Wall Street, and I appreciate the humorous tone. This novel directs my attention to hedge funds as the base of the story. The characters are interesting, especially Al, who maintains his sense of humor amidst a horrible circumstance. I think the writing is fine, but the book just isn’t my cup of tea. Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of LEVERAGE.

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing a copy of Leverage by Arman Gowani. I loved the premise of this book, but the writing style was not for me. While the book is supposedly “darkly funny” the author tried too hard to add what came off as sit-com humor. If this had been written as a serious book, the theme of racism would have been hard-hitting instead of being played for laughs. I loved the insight into the cutthroat financial planning world, as unattractive as it was. Maybe I have a stunted sense of humor, but this book was not for me. 3 stars

This was a decent read overall. The setup is strong—a hedge fund hotshot on the brink, a massive financial screw-up, and the pressure to fix it before everything crashes down. The story touches on some big themes too—race, power, mental health—but it all moves pretty quickly, with a lot of sharp turns and high-stress moments. That said, something about it didn’t fully click for me as a novel. The pacing and dialogue almost felt like they were meant for TV, and I kept thinking how much more impact it might have had as a limited series or movie. There’s a lot of tension and internal unraveling here, and I think that kind of psychological pressure lands better when you can see it—facial expressions, mood, atmosphere, all that. So, while I definitely stayed interested and liked the overall arc, I wasn’t totally sold on the format. Good story, just maybe in the wrong medium.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sending me an ARC of Leverage in exchange for an honest review.

The NetGalley description of this book tells you everything you need to know about the plot, so I’ll jump directly to my thoughts.

You can tell that Leverage was written by someone who worked in finance. The plot is informed by insider knowledge of Wall Street. However, that veneer of realism doesn’t mean this story is realistic. It’s not. The villainous CEO is cartoonishly villainous, and the various schemes used by Al to earn back the lost money … would just never happen that way. But realism can be overrated; the most important question is usually whether a story is entertaining.

And whether or not you’ll be entertained by Leverage will likely boil down to your tolerance for being inside the mind of a suicidal finance bro. The story is not subtle. There are so many pop culture references here, but they’re usually to things like sports and Star Wars and comics. Al masturbates a lot, which is just something I didn’t need to know. For reasons I still don’t understand, sometimes, instead of simply “peeing,” Al “micturated” more than once. Some of the passages are beyond cringe—not just spoken dialogue, but Al’s internal thoughts too—and I could never figure out if I was laughing with or at the author:

Concerned looks abounded and a sense of dread blanketed the entire floor like a damp, sulfurous fart.
…
Whatever. I purged the baby batter, showered, and fell into a restless sleep.
…
Everyone in this office was an asshole, but we were assholes together. On the same asshole team. With the same asshole objectives. Seeking out the same asshole rewards.

But then there are other passages that are either elite pop culture references or just really solid writing:

I’d always wanted to be a spy when I was little, like my hero James Bond, until I realized I wasn’t tall and blue-eyed enough. As I got older, I thought I’d at least make a cool Bond villain: short, stocky, ethnically ambiguous, and always threatening a trace of controlled menace. After a few moments of mingling with the world’s legitimate high rollers, I doubted I was debonair enough to park the cars.
…
Doing the right thing was for suckers. There was a reason Skeletor was doper than He-Man, the Decepticons were more fearsome than the Autobots, and the Sith were more powerful than the Jedi.
…
“This time it’s different,” Joey said.
The most famous last words on Wall Street. Used by everyone from traders to journalists to Federal Reserve chairs to justify how the current market crash fundamentally differed from the previous market crash. To find the upsides, silver linings, and causes and effects of whatever the ongoing crisis happened to be. To explain how this time everything would be okay. How we’d learned, improved, and grown. These were the lies everyone told themselves so they could navigate a world devoid of meaning. So they could traverse an industry built on excess. Where greed and venality were the heroes, and fairness and conscientiousness were the villains.

On balance, I thought Leverage was a fun story, and a solid debut novel. It’s fast-paced, and reads like an Ocean’s Eleven or Trading Places-style movie. It’s not subtle, and it reinforces my belief that I’m glad I’ve organized my life to have a minimum amount of exposure to finance bros. Recommended when you’re in the mood for an over-the-top story. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This book surprised me. It’s smart, fast-paced, and completely unafraid to dive into the mess of ambition and identity. I wasn’t expecting to care this much about hedge funds and power plays, but the writing had this sharp edge to it—satirical, but not cartoonish. At times, it’s almost too on-the-nose, but it worked for me. The main character makes some awful decisions, but I was still rooting for him in a weird way.

Definitely recommend if you like flawed characters in high-pressure settings.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

I’m completely blown away.

I could not stop thinking about this book in between reading sessions. It consumed me.

This tense thriller has dark humor, wit, tension, the perfect pacing, and characters you want to punch in the face. Seriously, some of the most evil people on the planet.

I need to add this one to my shelf the second I am able to, because this book has left a massive impact on me. It might be a new favorite.

Please know these is a heavy theme of suicidal ideation throughout this book. It is quite dark.

Initially I was getting a horror vibe from this book, but it began to mellow out slightly.

The descriptions are not in gruesome detail, but there are very dangerous, scary scenes that had my palms sweating.

I kept smiling thoroughout this book from the witty insults to the societal callouts to the carefully thought-out words used in every sentence. This book is art in many ways, but the writing style used blew me away.

It is very difficult to do a comprehensive review of this book without giving anything away, and I do not want to spoil anything as this book is so perfectly executed.


This is a book I won’t be able to stop thinking about for a while, and I’m incredibly grateful I was approved for an eARC! I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.

Right out of the gate, Leverage gives major Wolf of Wall Street vibes—which I was fully on board with at first. There’s that same gritty, over-the-top, cutthroat energy, and a narrator who’s self-aware and sharply funny. But at times, it felt too similar—like it was heavily borrowing from that same blueprint without carving out its own lane.

Our narrator has wit for days, and I genuinely liked being inside his head (most of the time). That said, the sheer volume of financial loss made my stomach clench on more than one occasion. It’s intense. Combine that with some pretty brutal depictions of workplace racism (which felt incredibly accurate), and you’re in for a rough but honest ride.

There are also a few other things worth flagging: Al’s mental health, especially his suicidal ideation, is handled in a raw but not overly sentimental way—it’s powerful, but also potentially triggering. And then there’s the almost obsessive focus on masturbation and sex… for a character who repeatedly tells us he’s not all that sexual. It became more of a distraction than a character-building detail.

A few side notes: Simon is a classic “love to hate” character—slick, probably a snake, but still compelling. The birthday party scene? Infuriating. The Se7en reference? A+ moment. The financial jargon is deep, though. If you’re not already into markets and corporate maneuvering, you might find yourself a little lost.

What did hit hard for me were lines like:

“She was my mother, but I didn’t have a say in the matter. I didn’t have to love her.”
Gut punch. Simple, true, and beautifully delivered.

The ending was decent. A solid wrap-up, even if the final “plan” felt a bit familiar. I’m not mad at it, but it didn’t blow me away either.

In the end, I think Gowani is a talented writer, and I’d be interested in seeing what he does next. But Leverage came dangerously close to putting me in a reading slump—definitely one for readers who love finance-heavy fiction and don’t mind walking the fine line between sharp satire and existential dread.

Leverage is a fast-paced, gripping debut that plunges readers into the cutthroat, morally gray world of high finance through the eyes of Ali “Al” Jafar, a brown man navigating a ruthless, white-dominated industry. After losing $300 million in a single day, Al is forced into a desperate scramble to save his job—and his life—making risky alliances and questionable decisions along the way. Gowani’s insider knowledge shines through, lending authenticity to the intense, high-stakes environment.

While the novel drew comparisons to Industry and Succession, it carves its own path with a blend of sharp tension and a unique cultural perspective. Al is a compelling yet frustrating protagonist, whose trusting nature puts him at constant risk in a world full of sharks. The narrative’s relentless momentum and well-executed twists kept me hooked, even if some character choices felt overly passive or archetypal at times. Despite a few pacing issues and moments of telling rather than showing, the ending delivers a satisfying payoff. Leverage is a solid debut and a promising introduction to a talented new voice in contemporary fiction, especially for readers interested in the darker side of capitalism and power.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I thought this was a good book, though it left me with mixed feelings. There were quite a few times where I was up late turning pages, but then there were also times when I had to force myself to turn pages. I enjoyed Al's character for the most part and I like how his story progressed. There were a lot of characters I didn't love, but seeing the outcome for them was kind of nice. I think the writing of this was good and I did laugh quite a few times. There are quite a few references to suicide, so maybe avoid, if that is a trigger for you. I would say I really enjoyed the beginning and the ending, but there were parts in the middle that seemed to drag on for me. It was a relevant topic, though, and I enjoyed the look into the hedge fund world. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Overall it took me a bit to realize that this was intended as a satire, but once I accepted that and started thinking about the book from that vantage point, it made more sense to me. The book is a fresher take on the going’s on in the hedge fund space and actually portrays the day to day operations vary accurately. The struggle I had was with the character and how down and defeated he seemed until his great epiphany and then rushed into an ending. Overall the book is entertaining and it’s kept my attention. It’s fairly fast paced so would be a quick read

You don’t have to be a finance bro to enjoy the investment of your time in Leverage, a dark and droll tale about money and power with the focus on what some people are willing to do to attain them…and just how far people will go to protect both. Amran Gowani crushes this debut novel with a deep dive into Wall Street depravity and ill-gotten gains, the corrupting influence of wealth, and the lucrative trafficking of illicit information.

Ali “Al” Jafar is a star at infamous hedge fund Prism Capital, when he loses $300M on one investment in a single day. Instead of firing him, the firm’s founder decides to back Al into a corner with a ridiculous scenario – either Al makes back the $300M in 3 months or he will frame him for insider-trading and have him sent to prison. Battling depression and desperation, Al gets involved with a shadowy figure named Simon, who is willing to sell the type of information that Al needs to make big moves in the market and save his own ass. But when Al realizes that even succeeding at this insane game won’t truly set him free, he decides there’s only one thing he can do…turn the tables on his rich and powerful boss.

Gowani does a brilliant job of exploring the finance culture and its cutthroat nature while maintaining the humanity of some characters and highlighting how others sold their soul a long time ago. Leverage entertains with stories of misconduct, debauchery and megalomaniacs, but balances those out with an examination of being the “other”, mental health challenges, and the dynamics of the different types of relationships in people’s lives. Resulting in a story with depth that is equal parts crazy intense and quite profound. Leaving a lasting impact, you’ll be ruminating on for days to come.

Additionally, while this book is a work of fiction, it will have you thinking more skeptically about wild swings in stock prices and if anyone is behind the scenes pulling the strings. Doing what great novels do – blurring the lines between make-believe and the real world.

Leverage by Amran Gowani is not my usual reading fare—but, hey, ya gotta try new things, right? So I did.

And—it was not an unpleasant experience. If you are into Wall Street, this book provides insight into that world. If you’ve ever had a bad boss—oh, you will find that in spades. Been treated like an outsider, no matter what you do or how perfectly you perform? Yep. Check that.

Like action, high stakes, audacious plans? All that happens in Leverage, too.

It's an insider's look at the insanity of high finance and the prejudice and corruption we all know is there. I didn't have a high opinion of Wall Street and all it encompasses before I read this book and I hate it even more after reading Leverage. That said, the book itself is very good.

Well written. Fast paced. Insightful. Thoroughly entertaining.

I was ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT. This book started with our main character losing 300 million dollars and it’s up to him to make it up in 3 months. Great fast paced read!!

The marketing for this debut novel immediately grabbed me: "For readers of Percival Everett and viewers of Industry." That's all I needed to initially know as a huge Everett fan and avid watcher of all three seasons to date of Industry. I wouldn't normally gravitate toward genre fiction, but I'm actively attempting to expand the reach of what I read and when I do so. I'd say that Amran Gowani crafted a gripping, finely tuned exploration of "greed is good" capitalism post-Great Recession and early Trump-era nihilism. The pages practically turned themselves, and I was riveted from start to finish. I'd say that the aforementioned sales pitch was a double-edged sword. It corralled me into trying a book I wouldn't normally seek out, but at the same time, it didn't nearly reach the master level of Everett's satire or the gross amorality of Industry's most-prominent characters. Lots of telling throughout instead of showing, which displayed Gowani's commanding financial expertise but didn't always captivate in the ways that it should have. I could point out the character archetypes fairly easily, and the main character, Ali "Al" Jafar, felt like a passive observer of events until he wasn't. The hyper-aggressive, masculine bravado was palpable and fitting, given the industry's well-known penchants for misogyny, homophobia, racism, and xenophobia. (Let's also throw another one into the mix: masturbation.) At first, I thought the novel met its satisfying conclusion around the 70% mark and wondered what else could be told. How wrong I was! The final third changed the trajectory of the narrative yet again, leading to a rousing, yet somewhat obvious, conclusion. There are many hip-hop/rap gems sprinkled throughout for those attuned to them. I'd also offer a trigger warning here with numerous references to suicidal ideation. Despite some debut writer qualms, I'd gladly recommend this novel to others, and I'll look forward to reading further works from this talented author.

A digital ARC was provided by Atria Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW 📚✨

Leverage by Amram Gowani

Just like any chaotic read, the chaos begins at the beginning of the book. Ali Jafar—Al has made some decisions that has made the company lose $300billion. He is set up on a path to recover it.

The satire employed by the writer was needed as it helped diffuse the tension a number of times in the book. Tension resulting from the aforesaid $300billion.

Al tries his best to get the money back all the while fighting suicidal tendencies.

If you're a fan of Wolf of Wall Street, this would appeal to you

This fast paced story was so interesting - it felt a bit like Industry, Succession and the Wolf of Wall Street. The main character loses millions of dollars and has to navigate the ruthless world of wealth and power. A must read!