3.5/5 While I enjoyed the initial set up of the story, I didn't really get into this until about 2/3 of the way through. I found the middle bogged down with financial details that didn't really matter to me- I just wanted to get to something interesting. I didn't really like any of the characters- who were all different versions of rich assholes- so I didn't much care who took the fall as long as it was messy. Overall, ending good, could have thinned out the beginning and middle a bit.

Published: August 19, 2025

PROS and CONS:
This one was simply not for me. I don’t want to say anything negative (and I won’t post on Goodreads) because I was very clearly the wrong audience for this one, and others may enjoy it a lot more.

READ IT?
If you are interested in a testosterone fueled deep dive into the murky waters of hedge funds, then this one’s for you.

2.5 Stars

(Pls note, I am not posting a public review of this book due to the fact that I did not finish it). I was very excited about this book - I love economics and finance, and felt like a story set on Wall Street would be a great fit for me. Unfortunately, the excessive language, the crude commentary and the racial slurs made it impossible for me to continue reading the story. I understand that the characters were not supposed to be likeable, but they were absolutely NOT even a little bit likeable. Also, the writing style did not work for me. I want to thank you for giving me an opportunity to preview the book.

I loved the pace of this book.

Kept my interest although some of the aspects stretches reality a bit.

I would classify this as a financial thriller, something I haven’t read much of in the past. I feel like this is pretty heavy handed on trading, stocks, and the market. But the author does a good job of explaining things without creating obnoxious info dumps.

This fast paced thriller held my attention, and reading about the rich getting richer didn’t feel too far removed from the truth. The only ding I had with the novel was the continuous references to suicide. Now, I don’t shy away from topics in books, but I bring this up because it felt excessively repeated - almost to the point of my rolling my eyes when the protagonist went introspective yet again about suicide.

In terms of thrillers though, four stars. Fun, engaging, and fast paced.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

(4.5 stars)

A wild ride from start to finish that had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire page count, and also made me laugh out loud many times. This book was whip smart with its writing, has a wildly unpredictable plot in the best way, and a delightful protagonist who even with his many flaws you couldn't help but root for.

The only thing that didn't really work for me was the excessive mentions of our main character's penchant for jacking off and other things of that nature. I think even removing just a few of these moments would've made it more bearable. A very small complaint, but every time it came up I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Overall, I think this was an incredible thriller that also was able to offer me a perspective into a part of society I have absolutely no experience in (finance and stocks are not my forte in the slightest) and provide interesting commentary on these topics. The moments of racism, misogyny, and homophobia are very bluntly shown and hard to read, but also I am sure true to life, considering the author has experience working in this industry. I cannot recommend this book enough!

(Definitely recommend looking at some content warnings if things such as suicidal ideation/talk of suicide are triggering for you!)

This satirical treasure had me cracking the f**k up. There were moments where I was reading snippets aloud to my husband and laughing so hard. Fantastic prose

Leverage
Amran Gowani
08/19/2025
Atria

Leverage is a whip-smart, punchy debut that drags the high-powered, low-morality world of hedge funds straight into the light—and doesn’t care who it offends along the way. Al Jafar, our quick-tongued antihero, is losing millions by the minute, his life is on the line and still somehow managing to make us laugh out loud with deadpan one-liners and spot-on pop culture jabs. Team America, superheroes, corporate buzzwords (and I think I remember Monty Python being referenced in ‘your general direction) —it’s all fair game, and Al’s sarcasm isn’t just sharp, it’s survival. In a world this toxic humor might be the only thing keeping him from going under.
In Leverage, the title isn't just a nod to financial jargon—it’s a razor-sharp metaphor for the pressures, power plays, and moral compromises that define the protagonist’s world. On the surface, it refers to the risky borrowing tactics hedge funds use to amplify profits (and losses), but for Al Jafar, it’s also the emotional and psychological weight used against him. His firm leverages his identity, his fear, and his desperation to protect itself, while Al scrambles to hold onto his career, his sanity, and his sense of self-worth. Gowani uses the concept to explore who gets power, who gets crushed by it, and what it really costs to survive in a system where everything—including people—is currency.
Gowani doesn’t flinch from the ugly stuff either. The racism? Constant. The bullying? Corporate and casual. The gaslighting and moral rot? Oh, it’s thriving. Everyone in this world has sold their soul, but Al is still clinging to a receipt—and watching him maneuver through the greed and hypocrisy is part thrill ride, part slow-burn tragedy. Leverage is biting, bold, and brutally honest.

Money talks

Mr. Gowani took his experiences as a Wall Street analyst to pen a high finance thriller with all the shenanigans that comes with it. Through the eyes of Ali Jafar, a Pakistani, we see what happens when a trusted hedge fund manager looses $300 millions for his company and the reaction that came from his boss. In this thriller Al is given $300 million with a challenge to double it within three months or become the fall guy for insider trading investigation that was going on at the firm……

Money talks

I like how Ali was propelled into success but also drawn into a complex word of blackmail and mistrust. The plot is tense without being overly taxing or straining plausibility too far. It also give us an insight of racist and sexist world of finances…maybe not…..The stereotypes financiers are well described….but will I look (speak) at my advisor the same way without thinking of Ali and what when on in this thriller? If what is said could in any shape and form be possible….no wonder the stock market is so volatile…..

Money talks

This story keeps a good pacing throughout; it is mainly said to keep us attentive till the very last word The writing style is witty with dark humour and lots of suspense.….but I have a but here, I found too much pop culture references and Al tends to masturbate a lot…why did we need to know this….

This is not a typical story I would pick up but strange as it may be the finance lingo was an added experience I will benefit from.

“Leverage” gives us a good story but it is will not please everyone.

This is a very fast-paced, financial thriller. The main character, Al Jafar, manages a hedge fund. When the fund unfortunately loses more than $300 million virtually overnight, Jafar is in serious trouble. He is given an ultimatum: make up this loss in three months or he will be reported to the SEC. What follows is a high stakes quest to save not only his job, but also his life, and the events that make up this quest plunge the reader into the ruthless and cutthroat (not to mention morally questionable) hedge fund industry. Although some of the financial details go into the weeds and thus were a bit over my head, the storyline is definitely a compelling one that I did enjoy. And, Jafar is very an interesting character, especially because he seems to retain his sense of humor in the midst of all his troubles and goings on. All in all, this is a solid debut.

This was a really good book. I felt the characrers and story lead to so much tension and stakes in the book. I think it was a great book and I really enjoyed it

I was kindly provided with the arc of this book by NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange of an honest review, thank you ✨

4⭐️

This was a very different book from everything I’m used to read, but it was very interesting and funny, I was a little confused by all the economics here but it was a me thing 😅 it’s the first book of the author and it’s a very week written and fast paced story so I’m sure his next books will be just as good at this one ✨

I don’t think I’m the target audience for the book but this Wall Street thriller was a very engaging read. It will make an excellent movie!

Ali Jafar had always felt like the token minority in his company and this is proven to be true when he is told he will be the fall guy for someone else’s crime unless he can raise an impossible amount of money in an impossible amount of time.

What worked:
- The setting
- The philosophizing about the concept of “leverage as it relates to the uber rich and minorities/vulnerable
- The fast paced plot
- The book’s ending

What didn’t:
- The unnecessary intellectual language (micturate for peeing and the use of words like bloviate)…they take you out of the story.
- The frequent references to masturbation and “evacuation” to reference pooping every day. We get it, he lives in a body
- Pop culture and industry references with no explanation. This is why I think I’m not the target audience.

TW: Major trigger warning for the main character’s unrelenting suicidal ideation throughout the entire story.

Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure can buy trouble. In Amran Gowani’s razor-sharp debut, Leverage, that’s exactly what hedge fund hotshot Ali Jafar gets – more trouble than his seven-figure salary can handle.

Drawing from his own Wall Street days, Gowani drops us into the shark tank of high finance where his protagonist discovers that his career-making investment is about to implode. What follows is a darkly funny thriller that reads like Succession meets American Psycho, minus the murder but with all the moral bankruptcy intact.

The real genius here isn’t just the plot (though it’s a doozy). It’s how Gowani uses his story to slice open the bloated belly of Wall Street culture. Through Ali’s eyes, we see how power warps people, how money corrupts, and how identity shapes everything in the corporate world. The author nails both the technical details of high finance and the human cost of chasing the almighty dollar.

Don’t worry if you can’t tell a credit default swap from a hole in the ground – Gowani’s prose is sharp and accessible, moving at the pace of a runaway stock market crash. He’s got a knack for finding humour in the darkness, making you laugh right before punching you in the gut with another twist.

At a tight 300 pages, Leverage is the rare financial thriller that doesn’t waste your time or intelligence. It’s smart without being pretentious, thrilling without being shallow. In an age of GameStop chaos and crypto crashes, this story hits different – it’s not just about money, but about what we’re willing to sacrifice to get it.

If you liked Industry or Percival Everett’s work, this book should be next on your list. Gowani is the fresh voice we need in fiction, someone who can turn Excel spreadsheets and trading algorithms into pure adrenaline.

4/5 stars. Wall Street may be a circus, but Gowani is one hell of a ringmaster.

Leverage was a fun, fast-paced read. I was totally engrossed in the story from the very start, even though the characters are over-the-top caricatures, and the situations they found themselves in pretty much required a total suspension of belief. Some readers may be turned off by the crude language and even cruder anecdotes, but it fit the story. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy.

This book felt like a blend of Succession, The Wolf on Wall Street and the novel Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour. Leverage is a fast paced 'financial crime' thriller that brings us into the shady world of Wall Street and how our protagonist Al Jafar gets caught in dark side of it all.

While this is typically not the type of book I would pick up, I'm glad I gave it a go. Although there is a lot of finance lingo (you can tell the author definitely has experience in the industry), I didn't feel like I needed to be an expert at the topic to follow what was going on. The writing is witty, containing dark humour while creating suspense. You don't know if you should root for Al or hate him. There were parts that could have been fleshed out more, but overall was a great debut.

Thank you to Atria and Net Galley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

i thought this book was so interesting and the concept was intriguing. i normally don't go for books like these, but this was good, entertaining change. i liked the plot and the twists and turns that came with the corruption of the finance world. however, i wish the character development could have been deeper and more explored. other than that, i thought this was a good debut!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this opportunity!

I was excited to read this because I had heard great things! I typically don’t gravitate toward this genre, but Leverage was a surprising exception. The pacing kept me hooked, and the characters felt layered and real. Gowani does a great job balancing action with thoughtful insight, making this a compelling and unexpectedly enjoyable read.

The setting: "Ali “Al” Jafar is a rising star at notorious hedge fund Prism Capital...[but] his biggest investment goes up in smoke, Al loses $300 million ... [and is] certain he’ll be fired, but Prism’s obscenely rich and politically connected founder isn’t that merciful. Instead, he gives Al an impossible [ task--to] recover the lost money in three months or ... Al turns to high finance’s dark side ... and and digs himself into an even deeper hole."

Not really into this but I was along for the ride. I didn't care for any of the players and often was bored with the financial back and forth, back-stabbing, and generally--the plot! Maybe for a different demographic/target audience. Still, an easy enough read, and some subtle humor. Dark. Thriller? Maybe.

I liked "retreated into my phone]!! and that micturate is urinate [new one for me].

I see this as a movie--lot of Wolf of Wall Street vibe going on.

About 2/3 into the book the worm turned and I wondered--should I have seen this twist coming?! Perhaps.

Overall, meh but will round up from 2.5, but not necessarily recommending.

I tried to get into this book but I had to just admit it wasn't for me. I don't know the first thing about finance at all. Everytime I have to talk to our financial advisor it's straight over my head. I live in a banking city and I still don't get the finance bros at all. I've never worked in corporate either or a 9 to 5 so the office dynamics were also lost on me. The main character was just too bro for me too. I couldn't connect or care at all about what he was going through. It seemed well written and probably would be entertaining if these are worlds you know. However they just aren't mine!