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leslielu67's review against another edition
3.0
Started strong, went on too long, didn’t really come together well. Author jams a lot of themes into the narrative.
unemarguerite's review against another edition
3.0
I understand why the author chose to have a child as her main character, especially after reading the afterword, but it made me be less into the book personally. It also took me a loooong time to get into the story, but I read quickly the last 1/3. Even if it wasn't fully for me, this book is really important and sheds light on things we don't hear enough of!
jayceecee0716's review against another edition
5.0
Simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting.
The horror and desperation of the most impoverished neighborhoods from the prospective of 9 year old child; who is filled with hope and wonder.
I didn't expect the twist in this book and it left me reeling and deeply saddened. You will be filled with feelings, but the story flows beautifully and through the pain, there is hope.
The horror and desperation of the most impoverished neighborhoods from the prospective of 9 year old child; who is filled with hope and wonder.
I didn't expect the twist in this book and it left me reeling and deeply saddened. You will be filled with feelings, but the story flows beautifully and through the pain, there is hope.
squidjum's review against another edition
3.0
That was not the ending I wanted :(
Apart from that, I thought the writer did a great job of capturing a child's perspective of increasingly terrible happenings in the basti.
Apart from that, I thought the writer did a great job of capturing a child's perspective of increasingly terrible happenings in the basti.
lokroma's review against another edition
3.0
After a promising start, with charming, well drawn, and engaging schoolchildren as protagonists, this debut novel is ultimately disappointing. The author's background as a journalist is obvious, and the book often reads like a true crime story, but with poignancy. The central portion of the book, which focuses on the search for the missing children, is drawn out and, despite good writing, becomes boring. Although the details of Indian slum life are exquisitely well written and show Anappara's acquaintance with her subject, the plot is weak and lacks resolution.
kaboomcju's review against another edition
2.0
Let me say this: Anappara creates some great characters in this book. Unfortunately, none of them is the protagonist. Forget the fact that Jai is a 9-year old boy. He's just uninteresting, and I found myself actually not liking him as I continued reading. His best friends Faiz and Pari are FAR more interesting. Even his older sister is a character I would like to know more about. I was supposed to feel sorry (I guess) for Jai by the end of the book. Instead, I just kept wondering why he suddenly felt alone (selfish really when you consider what was going on in the story!).
The author was obviously giving a social commentary on the struggles of the poor in India. This would have worked better told from the point of view of a 9-year old GIRL (considering some of the side stories Anappara tells about the female characters), or if the book were just non-fiction. The main character was annoying, and all the other characters were just way more interesting.
The author was obviously giving a social commentary on the struggles of the poor in India. This would have worked better told from the point of view of a 9-year old GIRL (considering some of the side stories Anappara tells about the female characters), or if the book were just non-fiction. The main character was annoying, and all the other characters were just way more interesting.
dude_watchin_with_the_brontes's review against another edition
4.0
Told from the point of view of a nine-year-old, as he and his two best friends try to solve the mystery of a missing child that the police can't be bothered to search for. There are funny moments, but it's overall pretty somber, as you might guess by the subject matter. A humanizing face to a story that often is reduced to statistics, and to things that only happen "somewhere else, to someone else".
nevclue's review against another edition
3.0
I put this down about five times before I finished it. Too much child murder for me, even though it's not quite as grim as it could be since it's told through the eyes of a child.
julesanne's review against another edition
4.0
Sad, tragic, disturbing, tender, beautifully written. Emotionally difficult to read, since the novel deals with missing children.
amberhayward's review against another edition
4.0
Very good! Very sad! Made me google a lot of Indian food!
I’m disappointed when books wrap up too neatly but also when they don’t. There no pleasing me. Four stars!
I’m disappointed when books wrap up too neatly but also when they don’t. There no pleasing me. Four stars!