Ajay and the Mumbai Sun - Varsha Shah

Varsha Shah's debut has all elements of a crackling read. A page turning adventure about a boy and his friends work hard to tackle corruption and greed.

Gist:

Ajay has always lived on the railway platform. He doesn't know who his parents are but he knows what he wants to be a journalist. He is fascinated by the world of news and together with a group of friends brings out a printed edition. But then Ajay quickly discovers that in his quest of news, danger is lurking around the corner and he will need the help of his friends before it gets too dangerous.

My review:

• The setting of the railway platform is truly amazing. Mumbai trains are an intrinsic part of the city's identity and Shah does a good job of panning out the story in the initial pages.

• The story is beautifully laid out and the character of Ajay is etched out well. Love Shah paints a flawed character rather than picture perfect and allows the reader to accompany him on his learning curve. 

• The story moves very fast is very pacy, great for young readers.

A great read. Have already bought copies to gift!

Best of Friends - Kamila Shamsie

I love Shamsie's writing. She has a very understated way of building worlds and bringing readers into it. I enjoyed learning about the two teenagers from different social strata and their friendship with ample foreshadowing in the initial chapters, as the atmosphere builds up for the reader to know something is going to happen.

However, I struggled with the London part of th
e story. Found lots of elements jostling for space; as role of technology in society, gender roles, relationships, immigration, politics. Shamsie's skill comes to fore at balancing all these elements and yet sometimes I struggled to keep up. Maybe it's just me, but the pace felt forced and it slowed it down for me.

I did not see the story turning the way it did. I loved being surprised as a reader and it is at this point that the story really started working for me, for by then I was fully invested in the characters.

Shamsie's ability to manoeuvre language and her sharp observations make for a great reading experience. Besides, she tends to be quite topical, and her stories are a reflection of contemporary society, yet another big plus.

Overall a great reading experience. Recommended.

The Last House - R G Adams

This is RG Adams' second novel after The Allegation. I really enjoyed reading about this character who is raised by the same social care system that she eventually works for. This new novel is an engaging read about a family, that seems like a low profile case for the department until Kit decide to get involved.  

Gist:

When a call comes to Sandbeach Child services about a 17-year-old boy Dylan Meredith, Kit remembers how her brother who was let down by the same services 10 years ago. In a bid to investigate she finds herself in an area that takes her back to her childhood. 

Perhaps it is gut instinct or just her personal experience clouding judgement but Kit feels something is not  right. Her superiors do not support Kit especially with their team being scrutinised through a staff inspection. Will Kit give in to the pressure or go against her bosses and risk consequences?  

My Review:

• Adams' debut novel The Allegation introduces Kit, a social worker who goes out of her way to discover the truth. It was great to meet Kit again and learn some more about her turbulent life in this latest novel.   

• The character of Kit with her fallacies is perfectly placed to investigate the cases that come through to her team.

• The juxtaposition of Kit's personal life with her professional life layers the story well. At one point it feels that there are two narratives and Adams's skill ensure that the two disparate threads echo similar sentiments.

• The psychological theory behind Dylan and Rhian's behaviour is not an easy one to explain and there are times when the information tends to bog down the story. However, it picks up pace once Kit defies the system to follow her gut instinct to save the family.

• Adams deftly weaves in her work experience in the sector to deliver a story about a system as fascinating as the NHS and yet never gets the attention it deserves.  

Kit as the protaganist is truly an unusual character and with each book, I feel a bit more invested in her life and cases. I will certainly be looking forward to Adams' next one and I am sure you will too if you like engaging and enlightening reads. 

The Last House is published by Riverrun books and is out now. 

    

  

Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson

A fabulous book that is easily one of my best reads of this. A story that is haunting and unravels so beautifully while working at so many levels.

Gist:

It begins when Benny and Byron discover their dead mother has left them a voice recording to listen to a special Caribbean black cake in the freezer.

What happens then is unravelling of secrets and some truths of the past sixty years and over so many continents.

My review:

A magnificient story about family, relationships and how time plays a role in deciding what our truths are. 

Loved the characer of Byron, Benny and Eleanor and the way it takes the reader through islands, countries and continents sweeping through so many lives as they tell their story.

The narrative flows so smoothly that one can only admire Wilkerson's ability to create so many different worlds and stay true to them. The short chapters are packed with information and skill and the way the story is told is amazing.

One of my favourite chapters is How to become a college dropout, a chapter of a few lines but which encapsulates the character's life and motivations in a one single paragraph. Amazing.   

A fantastic read. If you are a reader, then this is a book you shouldn't miss out on.

Princess Sophia Duleep Singh - Sufiya Ahmed

 At primary school, I couldn't add to my daughter's knowledge of any British Asian women who she could look up to. Thanks  to Sufiya Ahmed, my daughter and I enjoyed reading the My Story series. 

British Indian Noor Inayat Khan's story was the first one we read and totally loved it! And therefore the excitement for this one too.

Gist:

Little Sophia is travelling to India with her siblings and father when they are asked to get off the Ship and she watches her father Maharaja Ranjit Singh arrested. This is how we are introduced to Sophia and learn about an interesting life that works as an inspiration for many girls.

Review:

The story is told in bits and pieces through many significant events of the princess's life. The style is simple and the narrative flows well to keep interest.

It is not a straightforward tale of struggle and identity but a more subtle one since the princesss leads a so called privileged life. Ahmed succeeds in showing how this princess's life had its own set of complications and yet she manages to rise above those restrictions and crave an identity for herself.

An enlightening, pacy read for adults, an endearing read for young minds.

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy by Rey Tercerio

A modern retelling of a well loved childhood story. I picked this up for my daughter, but ended up reading it myself. These four girls were my companions growing up and so it was interesting to see how they would have fared in this centure. 

Gist:

Meg,
Jo, Beth and Amy are the four March sisters living with their mother while their father is way at war. All four of them have their own personas and it is fascinating as they get through life, making friendships along the way (with their neighbour Laurie) and as they grow older and discover their own way in life. 

My review:

• I loved how the story is so well modernised. Just like the original version, the story tracks the lives of these four sisters over a year. It marks their trials and tribulations and how they emerge stronger than ever.

• Perhaps because I had read the story before I could see where the changes had been made which made for a fascinating read. But then even those approaching this story for the first time will love it and will want to revisit the older version of it.

• I don't usually read comic novels but I enjoyed this one. The modern retelling along with the graphic novel presentation did enhance my reading experience.

• It was heartening to see how the old story has not been copied instead adapted to suit the modern age themes of mixed race marriages, gender issues and feminism. Also there is a twist to a major plot point which I don't want to spoil. It made me feel so happy to discover how the writer had used it to reflect contemporary society.

• This is a feel good book suitable for 12+ . I have already ordered copies to gift and I know it  will be loved as much as I did!
     

 

 

Still Lives - Reshma Ruia

What if the sought after dream fails to live up to its promise? What if the choices one makes have rippling consequences with the potential for disaster? Reshma Ruia explores these possibilities and so much more in Still Lives.  

 The Premise:

 As an ambitious young man, PK starts off well. He builds Malik Textiles from the scratch, earning headlines in the local newspaper as “new face of immigration in England – an employer bringing jobs to deprived areas…”

 But now at fifty five, the trend has changed. His business is struggling, his wife Geeta is homesick and their only son Amar is growing distant with each day.

 When PK meets Esther, he discovers solidarity, novelty and respite. The affair is not ideal and there are complications. However trouble starts when the thought of turning the fantasy into reality creeps in... 

 My review:

• The diasporic life is portrayed well in this novel and Ruia paints a fairly authentic picture of the concept of the “open door” policy, the position of close friends in many Asian families. 

•  And where there are immigrants, the concept of identity and class come into play too Ruia weaves these themes well in her character's lives. Geeta's disapproval of Amar's friend Alice or her preference for an English doctor, act as the vehicle to highlight these prejudices and preconceptions.

•  PK and Geeta are not characters that the reader will immediately take to. But they feel genuine. They may not get our love but they definitely win our empathy. Geeta's overprotectiveness and eating habits work as a foil to camouflage her homesickness. This character is representative of so many Indian wives who tie their fates to their husband’s  fortunes.  Esther on the other hand, is the wealthy socialite who seems quite the opposite to Geeta, and yet interestingly, shares a similar dependence regarding her social and financial status.

•  Ruia's USP is to create lifelike situations and make them glow with meaning and insight. Her characters are ordinary middle aged people who have dreamt and learnt to compromise with their lives. 

•  Ruia doesn’t sugarcoat and therefore the air of doom as the story progresses. However, as the pace picks up the reader feels invested in their lives and despite the element of predictability, Ruia manages to surprise her readers with some deft handling of plot.

 Read it for its portrayal of contemporary Asian society. But read it if you like well-etched flawed characters and wonder how they will fare in this story.

Still Lives is published by Renard Press and is out on June 29. 

You can get your copy here.