Reviews

Leila is a novel of, and for, our times. Prayaag Akbar conjures up a terrifyingly plausible reality where various 'communities' (read: castes and religions) are assigned separate 'sectors,' hidden away behind imposing walls in an unnamed, yet distinctly Indian city. The roots of these divisions are evidently borrowed from the quietly segregated societies we live in, and extrapolated to a tangible dystopia.
Borrowing elements from classics such as 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale, Prayaag tells a startlingly human story of love and loss, in an atmosphere of social divisions turned on their head. It's easy to get lost in the messaging of the novel, but Prayaag ensures we're always rooted to the devastated life of 'protagonist' Shalini, looking for her long-lost daughter, Leila. The emotions of the characters are laid forth in brutal, clear phrasing - there is no escape from what they face.
The flashback sequences, which form a significant chunk of the book, reveal the slow-but-sure march to the absolutist state in the 'present,' presenting recognizable versions of a police state, violent fundamentalist forces (who emphasize 'purity' and an adherence to 'traditions') and the role of caste and class privilege. I had to pause and catch my breath at several moments throughout the book, since anyone who's even vaguely aware of the happenings in the India around us should be able to recognize just how close we are to the version of the country described here- although we wish it to be surreal, it's startlingly visceral.
There are a few minor quibbles I had with the pacing of the plot, which sags in a few places, and awkwardly speeds up towards the end, but these detract very little from the book.
Leila is an extremely important, uncomfortably accurate novel that truly toes a fine line between fiction and non-fiction. Given Prayaag Akbar's background as a journalist, this isn't surprising. Read this book, and think about what its world entails. And then ask yourself if this is a world you want to live in. If it is, you're part of the problem. If it's not, be a part of the solution.

shelleyanderson4127's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a gripping read from beginning to end. Set in a chilling near future in an India where the wealthy live in walled communities with clean air and water, and the poor scavenge through rubbish to survive. Shalini was once one of the privileged, until she marries a man of a different community and has a daughter. But the nationalist Purity movement has gained power and Shalini's daughter is taken away. Shalini herself survives re-education in a Purity Camp and dedicates the rest of her life to searching for her daughter. With echoes of The Handmaid's Tale, and vivid depictions of the climate crisis, this well-written novel has garnered many awards. It deserves every one of them.

nanditalaks's review against another edition

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5.0

This book was a stunner. One of the best works of speculative fiction I have read recently. Prayaag Akbar's chilling tale of a mother's search for her daughter is set in an Urban India that has been pushed to communal segregation driven by hate and the struggles for access to resources, clean air and water. It is a world of walled communities connected by flyovers and protected within geo-domes with a slum of the marginalized people living below them. The dystopian world Akbar builds is disturbingly familiar and frightening. It explores class privilege with subtle references to caste, community and dietary preferences. And the ending was such a punch in the gut. Absolutely brilliant!

P.S - Popsugar 2018 prompt - A book you meant to read in 2017 and didn't get to it

emoweaboo's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5*
this was a looong read for me bc it really hit the _*°traumaaa spot°*_
I also had issues with the pacing and some of the narrative structure but it was still good!

mantisabel's review against another edition

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4.0

An unflinchingly honest story about privilege in the Indian context. This book nudges its audience into questioning the society around them at a crucial time in Indian politics, achieving this through a gripping fictional narrative with amazingly well written characters. The only shortcoming in my view is that the plot is anachronistic, which made me feel like the story occasionally loses its way. Overall though, a great read. I look forward to the Netflix adaptation!

thepavand's review against another edition

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3.0

Leila is set in the near-future in a huge cosmopolitan Indian city. A Hindutva neoliberal dystopia. The city is broken up into sectors where various upper castes from all religions live in isolation, cut off from those too poor/ disenfranchised to construct walls themselves. There they live in complete apathy and comfort, blissfully unbothered about what they are doing to The Outside. Striving for more and more "purity".

Spoiler

By the end they seal off the main sector under a dome to even separate the air they breathe.

If this doesn't sound all that outlandish or unfamiliar, that's because it is more or less what has India been since quite a long while ago. The walls are just not as literal in real life. ('As' being the operative word here.) Though that's rapidly changing right now. It's impressive when speculative fiction takes the absurdities of real life to their logical extreme, but not if the real life is already too absurd to cause the fiction seem not so extreme. 'Leila' feels a bit unimaginative. Most of the events encountered in the plot, while well-crafted, have happened or came close to have happened in Hindu India.
'Leila' is the story of Shalini, an upper caste woman who is banished to the Outside for having lost her way by marrying outside her caste- a Muslim, and living "secularly". Her husband is murdered and her daughter Leila is taken away from her. 'Leila' follows her resolute search for her daughter.
The author does a great job of writing a female character in first person (as much as I am to be relied in making that judgement.) The plot is devoid of any distractions; flows smoothly. But, the prose felt turgid in places. Word choices felt unjustified.
Other than that though: solid book. Very few speculative fiction books set in India- that's what made me read this book in the first place.

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