A review by bookwormmelissa
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

4.0

Thank you to Gillian Flynn Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. I heard about this book from Modern Mrs. Darcy's Summer Reading Guide, and I was intrigued by the description and the cover. This is a story of Anisa, who wants to be a translator, and a secret school where one can be fluent in a new language in 10 days. Anisa attends this school and eventually learns the shocking secrets of how it works. This book reminded me a lot of Babel and Yellowface by RF Kuang and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I really enjoyed the commentary on India and Pakistan, language, translation, publishing, class, and appropriation. The twist is jaw-dropping, though now looking back I can see some clues. This was a captivating story that I won't forget anytime soon.