A review by eheidenreich
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

2.0

Spoiler

This book was mediocre. I like to rate books on how enjoyable it was and what it wants to say. Therefore, when a book is said to handle difficult topics, my expectations are higher than if the book was written solely for enjoyment. This book didn't deliver well on either aspect. Sometimes, the Centre didn't even feel like it was the main storyline & this book felt like an autobiography that just included her going to a language center. As a white American, I don't think I have the adequate understanding to decide how well she handled race and religion, but other people have discussed this in their reviews & I'd agree that it didn't feel like the book did much actual intuitive commentary. The next issue was the themes of colonialism. When you learn the 'plot twist' of what is happening at the center (which was an easy guess, by like 40% you can guess what is actually happening at the Centre and you'd be right,) it seems as though the book might be trying to draw parallels to the consumption of a person's whole being with colonialism & it's basis being the consumption of a people, culture, and land. Especially when you learn that the founders are men from Britian, America, Israel, and India. Countries that have colonial pasts and stay acting as colonizers. But these men are shown in a mostly good light. The man from Israel, who is mentioned to have helped develop practices used for the Center FROM THE IDF & this is just said in passing as if that shouldn't add to the troubling details about the Centre. The ending seems as if, yeah, Anisa was horrified to learn she ate people, but she chilled out, so it's alright now. Her and Shiba talk about continuing the work & they will change it for 'better.'' The ending falls flat, and by the time I finished the book, it didn't feel as though it had accomplished anything.