A review by lokroma
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

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.