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A review by bookph1le
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
3.0
3.5 stars
There's a lot I admired about this book. It has such a strong sense of place that I felt like I was walking alongside Jai, smelling what he smelled and seeing what he saw. I also thought the characterizations were phenomenal, particularly when it came to Jai, Faiz, and Pari. This book also incorporates a lot of meaty issues in an organic way, such as the rising Hindu nationalism sweeping India and how it's leading to hate crimes against Muslims, the problems with child snatching and trafficking, the enormous disparity between the haves and have-nots, and gender issues. This is one of those books you'll chew over long after you've finished it.
However, what held me back from giving it a higher rating was a pace that felt too sluggish for me at times. There were diversions that felt unnecessary, pulling me from the main arc and leaving me impatient to get back to it. Had this book been trimmed down a bit, it would have had more impact on me.
There's a lot I admired about this book. It has such a strong sense of place that I felt like I was walking alongside Jai, smelling what he smelled and seeing what he saw. I also thought the characterizations were phenomenal, particularly when it came to Jai, Faiz, and Pari. This book also incorporates a lot of meaty issues in an organic way, such as the rising Hindu nationalism sweeping India and how it's leading to hate crimes against Muslims, the problems with child snatching and trafficking, the enormous disparity between the haves and have-nots, and gender issues. This is one of those books you'll chew over long after you've finished it.
However, what held me back from giving it a higher rating was a pace that felt too sluggish for me at times. There were diversions that felt unnecessary, pulling me from the main arc and leaving me impatient to get back to it. Had this book been trimmed down a bit, it would have had more impact on me.