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A review by nicjohnston
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
4.0
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line comes with a reasonable amount of expectation - chatter on book podcasts and blogs and the Observer listed it as a debut to look out for in 2020.
On the whole, it deserves those plaudits. Told from the perspective of Jai and his friends who live in a slum, they pick up and “investigate” as their classmates go missing. Drawing on Jai’s love of TV reality police shows, the friends and families bring to sharp focus the cruelties of endemic child kidnapping, police indifference and a cruel class structure.
The characters are superb and there is a real warmth to the storytelling. The only niggles I had were an over abundance of local vernacular (thank goodness for my Kindle where the meaning pops up when you hover over a word) and the ending lacked the closure I was seeking, but nevertheless was appropriate for the story.
One small thing. The UK cover is superb. The alternative (which I suspect to be the US one) is lacklustre!
With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House (and Vintage) for an advance copy in consideration of an honest review.
On the whole, it deserves those plaudits. Told from the perspective of Jai and his friends who live in a slum, they pick up and “investigate” as their classmates go missing. Drawing on Jai’s love of TV reality police shows, the friends and families bring to sharp focus the cruelties of endemic child kidnapping, police indifference and a cruel class structure.
The characters are superb and there is a real warmth to the storytelling. The only niggles I had were an over abundance of local vernacular (thank goodness for my Kindle where the meaning pops up when you hover over a word) and the ending lacked the closure I was seeking, but nevertheless was appropriate for the story.
One small thing. The UK cover is superb. The alternative (which I suspect to be the US one) is lacklustre!
With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House (and Vintage) for an advance copy in consideration of an honest review.