Leverage by Amran Gowani Book Review

About the Book:

Ali “Al” Jafar is a rising star at notorious hedge fund Prism Capital, but fortunes change fast on Wall Street. When his biggest investment goes up in smoke, Al loses $300 million—and his fragile sense of self-worth—in a single afternoon. He’s certain he’ll be fired, but Prism’s obscenely rich and politically connected founder isn’t that merciful. Instead, he gives Al an impossible ultimatum: recover the lost money in three months or become the fall guy for the government’s insider-trading investigation into the firm.

Desperate and depressed, Al turns to high finance’s dark side, where he battles back-stabbing coworkers and cutthroat competitors and digs himself into an even deeper hole. As the clock winds down, and the pressure mounts, Al’s mental health deteriorates. To survive, he’ll have to outfox one of the world’s most powerful men and decide if he values the dearest asset of all: himself.

My Review:

Gowani certainly shows his knowledge of the finance world in this novel. It is a gritty novel, a little too gritty for me. Tensions are high and there is lots of foul language and profanity. I am sure it is realistic but it is just something I do not care for. The character was interesting, facing hardships and prejudice to get to a place of financial influence and success. I am amazed he managed a sense of humor. The plot was complex, but then so is the world of finance. Many of the technical terms and much of the maneuvering was beyond me. This is a good novel for readers who would like to read about the high pressure world of finance.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

About the Author:

Amran Gowani is a former organic chemist and financial analyst turned full-time stay-at-home dad and author. Photo credit: Amy Hyun Shim, Momatto Photography

Atria Books: 320 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent  review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)