A review by jessicaesquire
No Other World by Rahul Mehta

3.0

This one started as a 4-star but ended up as a 3.5 for me. I love the writing, I love the family, but ultimately it didn't quite gel for me the way I'd hoped. The book is centered on an Indian-American family in a small town in upstate New York. At first, you get a hint of family secrets buried beneath the surface as 12-year-old Kiran cannot stop staring at another family's house. The book has micro flash-forwards, revealing in an aside that this character grows up to be gay and that character dies in the World Trade Center. A few notable times in the Shah family are illuminated, but ultimately the book leaves Kiran largely unexplored, and the small glimpses into the minds of the characters only left me wanting more and feeling unfulfilled. The same goes for Pooja, the "hijra" (a trans woman, and recognized third gender in India) who is introduced early on, abandoned for most of the book, and then comes back at the end leaving more questions than answers about who she is and what her life is like.

Still, it's a beautifully written novel, with a sharp eye on religion, racism, and more. Good companion book to A SLEEPWALKER'S GUIDE TO DANCING.