The setting and characters were very interesting. Even though I didn’t understand some references, this was still enjoyable!!! This was sad, inspiring, and beautifully written.

After reading gorgeous reviews of this book, I was excited to read it, but I never hit a point that helped me recognize the wonder everyone was expressing over it. I was excited that this wasn't trauma p*rn, but it felt like there was nothing in place in the absence of that? If this makes sense? I would love to someday give the author another shot with a different book. Also gorgeous cover, has to be one of my favorites ever haha.

Really enjoyed this! I found the setting fascinating for someone who doesn’t know much about life in Mumbai. I really enjoyed the MC but pretty much detested everyone else (but I think that was the point). I ended up listening to it on audio and it was really engrossing.

I’ll go 3.5 on this one. It drug out a bit in some places and then picked up speed in others. That inconsistency is what brought it down from a 4 star read for me!

This is a debut novel that I absolutely enjoyed. Rakhi is a 23 year old former street child that is now working at a civil rights law firm in Bombay. So many subjects were touched on here, I thought they were all very well done and I really learned a lot about India, its culture and the resiliency of its people. The story was captivating, I loved Rakhi and her fierce spirit, both from her time on the streets to her time at the law firm. I loved how she questioned everything but yet still took nothing for granted, and oftentimes she was both misunderstood and very naive and trusting. Alex is a Harvard-educated Canadian that comes to work as an intern and has a LOT to learn but yet still never quite seems to ‘get’ it and I loved that he was also naive and trusting, but learned a hard lesson with that as well. He connects with Rakhi as he helps her get stronger with her English and she helps him learn more about India and its culture.

I really loved this story, the characters and the setting were brought to life by Patel’s writing, I could not believe this was a debut. It is heartbreaking at times but also incredibly inspiring. I loved the audiobook for this one, the narrator did an amazing job with the story. I cannot wait to see what Patel writes next, I will definitely be adding it to my list.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

There were many times while reading that I just wanted to give up. I am always interested in learning about new cultures but I don't feel I learned anything about India. There was a lot of Hindi words, A LOT, and they never were explained or put into a context where the meaning would reveal itself. It just got frustrating not knowing what was going on, why they called certain people firanghi, why did a lot of words end with wala, etc. I didn't find Rakhi to be very likeable. I understand she was a street kid and didn't trust a lot of people but she did end up in a decent situation. She worked for a lawyer she called Guari Ma'am and some others in Justice for All but none of those characters were really developed. I pushed through and while the ending was satisfying it just felt like a long time to get to.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with a digital copy.

Such Big Dreams is a contemporary fiction novel about a young woman trying to make it on her own in Mumbai.

Rakhi is a twenty-three year old orphan and former street kid. After being plucked from a girl’s school as a teenager she is offered a position as an office assistant for a non-profit law firm called Justice For All. Her mentor Gauri pays her a small wage, helps her secure a hut in a slum, and sends her to therapy after she steals an elephant figurine from a wealthy woman’s home. But, Justice for All and Rakhi are headed for a shakeup when Alex, a new intern from Canada arrives. Alex brings with him the attention of a family friend (and former Bollywood actress) which will mean more funding to the struggling non-profit. When Alex discovers that the quiet subservient office girl is also clever and knowledgeable about Mumbai he pays her to show him the city and encourages her to apply to hospitality colleges. But Rakhi’s past and the secrets she’s keeping could bring her world tumbling down on her before she’s had a chance to achieve any of her dreams.

Such Big Dreams is a true coming of age tale story set against the dynamic backdrop of Mumbai. I learned so much about the culture of Mumbai, non-profit law, slums and the lives of street children. Rakhi is a fascinating character who isn’t a “too good to be true” Cinderella stand-in but not a villain either. She is a mess of contradictions with a sly sense of humor and her own moral compass.

I highly recommend this debut novel from Reema Patel. She’s created both a character you can root along with incredible detail about modern day Mumbai.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A radiantly powerful debut by Reema Patel, casting light on the struggle to find your voice and fight for survival.

I love books that make me learn, where I walk away feeling as though I really gained something other than a few hours of entertainment along the way. This book truly fits that. With beautiful prose and an engaging premise, once I started, I could not put this down. Paired with the descriptions of the setting and the culture, this was a stunning debut. I enjoyed the cultural references along the way and even having to take some of the learning into my own hands by researching some terms. While some books provide the answer, I do think there is power in making us seek the answers for ourselves and maybe encourages a bit more learning along the way. I truly enjoyed this aspect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the gifted ARC!

This novel was both gritty and compelling. It tells the story of Rakhi who has been living on the streets of the Mumbai slums. While hard to read, it’s definitely one of those books that’s worth giving a chance.

From the book summary, I expected this story to be far more positive. What I took away from it is Rakhi being endlessly and unfairly treated by many people in her life. So much of the book is this way, with very little being anything at all related to any big dream. I will say the epilogue felt very realistic, which is what saved my rating for this book at 3 stars. Otherwise, I found this book to be a very sad, hard read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a solid debut. Rakhi was an interesting character to follow. I found her journey of discovery the hypocrisy of the people who claimed to be to be helping her very interesting. I did find the book a little slow. I also struggled to keep some of the characters straight but I listened on audio which I think made it more harder to follow. I did feel like I was missing some things due to not understanding all of the cultural references. My biggest issue was I felt like I was waiting for the big thing to happen that was going to give the story the arc which I feel like never really happened until a little bit at the end.

One of the things I really enjoyed was the setting. This is the first book I’ve read that was set in India and I enjoyed learning more about the culture.

Overall, this was a 3.5 for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, and Random House Publishing for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. The setting is the most intriguing part of this story. It tends to run a little slow and I found myself feeling like I was missing things due to not understanding some of the cultural references.

Date made up. I feel behind on reviews.

I enjoyed this debut novel about a former street child, Rakhi, who has grown up. While she holds a job in the office of a social justice law firm, her boss takes every moment to let her know how “less than” she is. But Rahki, who still lives in a large slum, is strong and never gives up. She has hopes of a better life in the hotel industry.

Rakhi is underestimated and despite having to jump through all kinds of hoops, she never gives up. This was a good book and I look forward to reading another from this author.

Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel

326 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books
Release Date: May 10, 2022

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Multicultural, India, Mumbai

Rakhi has had a hard life. Her parents were killed when she was a child, and she was forced to live on the street. At twelve years old, was placed in a girls’ home. The woman, Gauri Ma’am, who sent her to the home promised Rakhi a job if she stayed at the home until she finished school. Once she left the home, she began working at a human rights law office, Justice For All, doing lowly office work (making tea and running errands). She learned English and lived in her own apartment but must follow all the rules of the office to satisfy her boss. After being caught stealing, she goes to counseling and promises not to do it again.

When Alex, a Canadian college student, comes to work as an intern, he tells Rakhi she could be so much more. He fills her with dreams of going to college and working in the hotel industry. Alex is part Indian, so he wants to be accepted as Indian but uses his White male first world country privilege in the poor country. She begins taking Alex around Mumbai but her two worlds begin to collide. He is related to the woman Rakhi stole from and when he finds out things get ugly quickly.

The book has a good pace, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the first person point of view. Rakhi is a relatable character and as a survivor, does whatever it takes to live. The hierarchy and treatment of personnel in the law office is believable. This book is emotional from start to finish. The author shows the strength of Rakhi’s character in her writing. If you like multicultural books, you will enjoy reading this one.

Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel provides a thought-provoking look at the slums of Mumbai while introducing readers to a captivating protagonist Rakhi, who constantly strives for more.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Rakhi was orphaned and lives in the slums in India. She has a mentor who employs her and watches over her, but her life is very hard. The story follows her working hard to better her life, and the many pitfalls that make it difficult. It is heartbreaking but hopeful, and you really root for her to succeed. #suchbigdreams #reemapatel #bookstagram #netgalley #booklover #lovetoread #booksbooksbooks #reader #bookreview #bookrecommendations #readallday #bookblog #booksaremagic #bookloversofinstagram #readersofinstagram

This beautiful debut novel centers on Rakhi, a woman in her early 20's who lives in a Mumbai slum and works for a human rights organization. Rakhi spent some of her childhood living on the streets with a group of other street children. The novel flashes back to Rakhi's childhood, giving us greater understanding of her as a character as she navigates interactions with various people in her home and office life. I loved Patel's beautiful writing and deep exploration of so many parts of India - the vibrancy of the culture, the class system, and peeks into the corruption that is sometimes present. Patel uses many Hindi words throughout her writing and even though I needed to google some of them to get the exact meaning, I loved this aspect. Language is so important and sometimes a translation into another language just doesn't 100% fit. While the English speaking reader may miss out on some of the small nuances in these words, we can get the gist and this would make the book all the more rich for bilingual readers or readers raised with Hindi speaking parents who may have heard them use some of these terms throughout the years. I did drop one star for pacing, as I did feel like the plot dragged at times and the narrative could have been tightened up slightly, but overall a great read!

I was expecting a little more from this book. I just kept waiting for the *big thing* that was going to happen to give the story an arc, but the closest it came was in the last 5% of the book. Regardless, I enjoyed reading Such Big Dreams. I haven’t read many books set in India, so the cultural aspect was really interesting to me. A solid 3-star read.

I loved this book! A beautifully-written, unique and compelling story set in a Mumbai described so vividly you can almost feel it. Wonderfully imperfect characters, a fast-moving storyline and deeper themes around well-intentioned but ultimately misguided foreign charity come together to form a spectacular debut. Highly recommended and I look forward to seeing more from Reema Patel.

In the vein of Girl with a Louding Voice we follow a young woman who has had a rough life and strives for more. Our main character lives in the slums of Mumbai but is able to get a job at a law firm for Civil Justice. Once a new co worker, Alex, joins, the world of opportunities opens up some. We also learn about our main character's past and a horrible tragedy that happened when she was 12. I enjoyed the story though it probably wasnt the biggest stand out. That said I do love stories of Indian women and was in Mumbai in early 2000s so understand the landscape of the slums. It so devastating and the caste system there is still very real. Overall a good look at a different culture and life and a strong woman.