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chyneyee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My favourite part:
Ma picks up the scrunchie. 'Put it back,' I tell her. 'It's evidence.' 'This is not your stupid show,' Ma screams at me. 'What's wrong with you? I cannot bear to listen to you for a second more.'
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Islamophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Police brutality
Minor: Trafficking
ben_r's review against another edition
4.0
Life in the slums of an Indian town at the end of the Purple line where the smell of diesel fumes mixes with the burlap bags in front of the spice wallahs store. Annaparra tells a story both news-current and fantastic. You must join the Djinn patrol.
avidreadr's review against another edition
4.5
Loved this book! Would eagerly read more from this author.
mizpurplest's review against another edition
May come back to this but it started off a little too slow for me
mfh1979's review against another edition
4.0
Good story telling, terrible topic, I was frustrated at times that the story teller was a child... but mostly it was fine.
girlglitch's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to settle in to Djinn Patrol. It's an unusually atmospheric and evocative read, and it felt a little overwhelming at times. It's overlong and occasionally overly repetitive, but it's also incredibly transportive - Anappara's descriptions take you right into the heart of Jai's basti, with its vivid patchwork of sights and smells.
Jai is an interesting protagonist. He has a distinctive voice, and Anappara perfectly captures the tone of a curious - but lazy - nine year old. His eyes offer the perfect window onto the world of the basti - everything smothered by mysticism and naivety as thick as the smog. As a reader, you are always wonderfully aware of the importance of things that Jai sees, but doesn't quite understand.
The secondary characters are particularly charming - especially Jai's sister Runu and his friends Pari and Faiz. They would all be brilliant protagonists in their own right, and their relationship with Jai is the perfect gateway to explore the impact of complex issues such as sexism and religious intolerance through the eyes of a child.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is a smart, unique novel brimming with heart and humanity.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
Jai is an interesting protagonist. He has a distinctive voice, and Anappara perfectly captures the tone of a curious - but lazy - nine year old. His eyes offer the perfect window onto the world of the basti - everything smothered by mysticism and naivety as thick as the smog. As a reader, you are always wonderfully aware of the importance of things that Jai sees, but doesn't quite understand.
The secondary characters are particularly charming - especially Jai's sister Runu and his friends Pari and Faiz. They would all be brilliant protagonists in their own right, and their relationship with Jai is the perfect gateway to explore the impact of complex issues such as sexism and religious intolerance through the eyes of a child.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is a smart, unique novel brimming with heart and humanity.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
francescareadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
elsiemookow's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
So, I honestly didn't know what I was getting into with Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line as I hadn't even read the synopsis in years, but I needed an audiobook, and it was available. I must say, the audiobook was excellent, and also, if I'd realized what it was about I wouldn't have read it... Somehow I keep picking up extremely dark books, but this is by far the best I've read so far this year.
The author creates an hopeful, funny, and unique voice for Jai and his classmates who live in the poor part of town in makeshift houses. Their parents each have their own struggles trying to keep a roof over their heads while working long days in menial labor.
The book, however, quickly turns dark as the author highlights the real life disappearances of children in India, and the classmates struggle to figure out what is going on and while hoping their friends have run away and not that something sinister has happened to them. What really makes this book is the voices of the children, and yes, I did cry more than once.
The author creates an hopeful, funny, and unique voice for Jai and his classmates who live in the poor part of town in makeshift houses. Their parents each have their own struggles trying to keep a roof over their heads while working long days in menial labor.
The book, however, quickly turns dark as the author highlights the real life disappearances of children in India, and the classmates struggle to figure out what is going on and while hoping their friends have run away and not that something sinister has happened to them. What really makes this book is the voices of the children, and yes, I did cry more than once.
jpry01's review against another edition
1.0
I did not finish this one. Got over 100 pages in and couldn’t get into the story - I can’t remember the last time I gave up on a book. The subject matter was sad and I would be interested in learning more about it from an educational background, but this book wasn’t for me. I think it was partly due to the narration and child’s POV - many seem to really enjoy this book but I eventually had to call it and move on.
jenniferstringer's review against another edition
3.0
The author is a journalist who has told the story of these "throw away" people through the medium of a novel. Mind boggling to think that 188 children "disappear"daily from Indian slums. I really wanted more of a resolution in the end, but I suppose we get the same resolution that thousands of families in India receive from authorities - nada. Lovely to think that friendly Djinns have spirited them away from the cruelty of their circumstances...