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ruth24's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When children start to go missing from his basti, 9-year-old Jai begins to investigate with his friends, emulating the detectives he watches on his favourite TV show, Police Patrol.
More 'Coming of Age' than plot-driven Mystery, the story follows Jai as he interprets the world around him and tries to figure out what's happening in his community. According to the afterword, journalist Deepa Anappara set out to tell the story of the 180 children who go missing in India every day - not only to bring this issue into the spotlight, but to tell the human side of the children, their humour and resilience, which didn't find a place in her journalistic reporting.
I really enjoyed getting to know the basti, Bhoot Bazaar and the book's many characters (particularly Pari and Runu). I also enjoyed the chapters written from the perspectives of the missing children, the railway journey (despite the title, the Purple Line is rarely mentioned) and how Anappara wove in some wider issues (like domestic violence, religious conflict, addiction, poverty, class differences etc.) I was intrigued by the mystery, but overall found the pacing very slow, with not much plot driving it. At first I felt the story was more for a younger audience, what with naive 9-year-old Jai as the protagonist, but as the story progresses, it becomes darker and darker, with more adult themes. The ending was a little disappointing (one of those times when you flip the pages to make sure it's really the end), but I understand why Anappara ended it as she did.
Overall I would rate the book 3.5 stars out of 5. Reminded me a bit of [b:Anita and Me|483330|Anita and Me|Meera Syal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328752479l/483330._SX50_.jpg|1150967], [b:Brother|36672820|Brother|David Chariandy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511801797l/36672820._SY75_.jpg|18475129], and [b:The Wrong Boy|839356|The Wrong Boy|Willy Russell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356446280l/839356._SY75_.jpg|824916].
When children start to go missing from his basti, 9-year-old Jai begins to investigate with his friends, emulating the detectives he watches on his favourite TV show, Police Patrol.
More 'Coming of Age' than plot-driven Mystery, the story follows Jai as he interprets the world around him and tries to figure out what's happening in his community. According to the afterword, journalist Deepa Anappara set out to tell the story of the 180 children who go missing in India every day - not only to bring this issue into the spotlight, but to tell the human side of the children, their humour and resilience, which didn't find a place in her journalistic reporting.
I really enjoyed getting to know the basti, Bhoot Bazaar and the book's many characters (particularly Pari and Runu). I also enjoyed the chapters written from the perspectives of the missing children, the railway journey (despite the title, the Purple Line is rarely mentioned) and how Anappara wove in some wider issues (like domestic violence, religious conflict, addiction, poverty, class differences etc.) I was intrigued by the mystery, but overall found the pacing very slow, with not much plot driving it. At first I felt the story was more for a younger audience, what with naive 9-year-old Jai as the protagonist, but as the story progresses, it becomes darker and darker, with more adult themes. The ending was a little disappointing (one of those times when you flip the pages to make sure it's really the end), but I understand why Anappara ended it as she did.
Overall I would rate the book 3.5 stars out of 5. Reminded me a bit of [b:Anita and Me|483330|Anita and Me|Meera Syal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328752479l/483330._SX50_.jpg|1150967], [b:Brother|36672820|Brother|David Chariandy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511801797l/36672820._SY75_.jpg|18475129], and [b:The Wrong Boy|839356|The Wrong Boy|Willy Russell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356446280l/839356._SY75_.jpg|824916].
motherofladybirds's review against another edition
1.0
I think this was not what I expected. Do not expect a resolution. It was an exploration of what can befall slum children in India and regularly does. It is shocking and needs to be addressed.
neethya's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
claumyr's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
sanjreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
dapplezee's review against another edition
4.0
The title / blurb led me to expect some fantasy elements, but this is a realistic story about life in India’s slums told from the point of view of a young boy. Much sadder than I anticipated, but moving. I am glad I read it even though I was looking for something else! :)
sarah3mathew's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
songwind's review against another edition
4.0
Djinn Patrol is ultimately a story about growing up poor in India.
The narrator and his best friends live in a basti, a temporary housing area turned poor, permanent neighborhood. When one of their classmates goes missing and the police won't help, the trio decide to look for him on their own.
Being a detective turns out to be more difficult than 9-year old Jai suspected. In the meantime, more kids are going missing.
We get to experience life from Jai's perspective, and in smaller doses from that of the missing kids. In the course of the story, Anappara touches on many social concerns, including police negligence and corruption, religious intolerance and weaponization of same, gender inequality and child labor.
Though the book blurb makes it seem almost like a YA urban fantasy, this is not the case. It's a heartwarming, amusing, horrifying and sobering examination among some of the world's poorest. As such, some of the turns in the plot took me a bit by surprise.
The writing is quite good. The author chooses not to spend a lot of time dwelling on the meanings of various Indian words, leaving it to the reader to absorb them from context, look them up, or be satisfied with a general sense of the meaning without specifics. This was the only downside of listening to the audiobook, as a lack of text made guessing the spellings difficult. But despite this, I had no trouble following along.
The narrator and his best friends live in a basti, a temporary housing area turned poor, permanent neighborhood. When one of their classmates goes missing and the police won't help, the trio decide to look for him on their own.
Being a detective turns out to be more difficult than 9-year old Jai suspected. In the meantime, more kids are going missing.
We get to experience life from Jai's perspective, and in smaller doses from that of the missing kids. In the course of the story, Anappara touches on many social concerns, including police negligence and corruption, religious intolerance and weaponization of same, gender inequality and child labor.
Though the book blurb makes it seem almost like a YA urban fantasy, this is not the case. It's a heartwarming, amusing, horrifying and sobering examination among some of the world's poorest. As such, some of the turns in the plot took me a bit by surprise.
The writing is quite good. The author chooses not to spend a lot of time dwelling on the meanings of various Indian words, leaving it to the reader to absorb them from context, look them up, or be satisfied with a general sense of the meaning without specifics. This was the only downside of listening to the audiobook, as a lack of text made guessing the spellings difficult. But despite this, I had no trouble following along.
mngwa's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bookishbrainfart's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5