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!

I wanted to like this. I didn't.
I found the first person dialogue practically babbled incoherently for most of the book.
The story was borderline hard to follow -- when you go - Who is that guy? When did he show up?
And the constant masturbation?
Yeah, this definitely wasn't for me.

This book is not what I typically read, however, when I received the chance to read it as an ARC, it seemed interesting. The storyline did catch my attention and for the most part, held it throughout the book. It was generally fast-paced, but seemed to drag on in a few places.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Amran Gowani for the early read!

Amran Gowani is an excellent author!

Leverage was a fascinating read that kept me hooked at every chapter. When Al finds himself in deep trouble, he stops at nothing to find a way out. With the FBI and his Boss breathing down his neck, time is ticking. Read Leverage to find out just how far Al is willing to go to continue being a free man.

I am calling this a financial fantasy featuring a youngster who is
mistreated by close to everyone, but manages to survive. I thought
there would be a bit more hedge fund insight, and there was, when
all is said and done. And Ali survived ~both the somewhat juvenile
behaviour of his peer group and the threats from the crooks for whom
he was working. The timing of the book was topical, and I liked that.
I might hedge on recommending it to folks who might be put off
by the sexual references, though they are likely spot on as young
men go, and I mention it only because the young people do have
different stressors than older readers.
I recommend the book to people who enjoy tech-finance-AI,
and the like!
My thanks to Atria Books via Net Galley for the download
copy of the book for review purposes.

This book was an interesting read and I had a good time for the most part. There is a lot of talk of suicide in this book which doesn't trigger me but there is a point where the "jokes" get a bit old after a while. Several instances is enough, but this one went on and on with references to dying and committing suicide. The timing of this book could not be more relevant with the state of the economy and the stock market at the moment and I can envision many of these scenarios happening in real life. The book is tense and pretty fast paced and compelling.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I could really feel the veiled racism that immigrants likely feel every day in their interaction with bigots. It is hard enough for any person to continually work in a high-pressure position, but to have to suffer the disrespect that Ali felt every day is daunting. The author did a great job of explaining day trading and insider trading, how the wealthy help each other in their pursuit of success and riches. As informative as this book was, it was also a great suspenseful tale. I was always waiting for something worse to happen or the authorities to appear. I empathized with Ali, always using his intellect to stay afloat or rise above despite continually being backed into a corner. And like another prizefighter, Ali comes out swinging! I have to thank SS Atria Marketing for granting me access to an ARC of this book. It was very well written, and the intrigue draws you in deeper each time the stakes are raised. I enjoyed this book much more than I though I would! The characters are authentic, the stakes are high, and the solution is surprising!

After reading about the main character’s almost constant masturbation, thoughts of suicide and humiliation at being of Indian descent, we are left with a thrilling expose of what it must be like working for a high-power, successful hedge fund as a trader. The writing is extremely interesting and descriptive —- “…custom wingtips which cost more than a semester at Stanford” or “…my face looked like the inside of a rotten nectarine “ or a description of the Wall Street Journal as “…a mediocre newspaper, written by a fifth-grade reading level….” This novel is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in high finance as well as devotees of mystery and thrillers. I thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication and anxiously await Amran Gowani”s next book.

A fast-paced thriller set in the world of high finance. The story is mostly on the expected lines - down on the luck trader, one last chance at redemption, a chance to upstage his greedy boss.

What sets it apart is that the pace never slags and the story never takes itself too seriously. There is plenty of humor thrown in. All in all, a great ride. I would love to read more from the author. A solid 4.5 stars for me.

Never thought I'd be so invested in what can be described as a financial crime thriller, but here I am!

I work in finance - which is not needed to enjoy this book but certainly added to my delight at this fast-paced, debauched, stress-inducing, and totally gripping story. With an insane premise and insane twists, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Al is a fantastic protagonist. Self-effacing, somewhat suicidal, but whip-smart and undeniably funny, I was rooting for him the entire time even if I didn't always agree with his choices. He's a fighter whose run-ins with racism and rejection molded him into the hero (anti hero?) that Wall Street needs.

Absolutely loved this. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I just had a high school seniors ask me if I had any books like the Wall Street movie and this book hits the mark perfectly! I will definitely be purchasing