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A review by girlglitch
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
4.0
It took me a while to settle in to Djinn Patrol. It's an unusually atmospheric and evocative read, and it felt a little overwhelming at times. It's overlong and occasionally overly repetitive, but it's also incredibly transportive - Anappara's descriptions take you right into the heart of Jai's basti, with its vivid patchwork of sights and smells.
Jai is an interesting protagonist. He has a distinctive voice, and Anappara perfectly captures the tone of a curious - but lazy - nine year old. His eyes offer the perfect window onto the world of the basti - everything smothered by mysticism and naivety as thick as the smog. As a reader, you are always wonderfully aware of the importance of things that Jai sees, but doesn't quite understand.
The secondary characters are particularly charming - especially Jai's sister Runu and his friends Pari and Faiz. They would all be brilliant protagonists in their own right, and their relationship with Jai is the perfect gateway to explore the impact of complex issues such as sexism and religious intolerance through the eyes of a child.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is a smart, unique novel brimming with heart and humanity.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
Jai is an interesting protagonist. He has a distinctive voice, and Anappara perfectly captures the tone of a curious - but lazy - nine year old. His eyes offer the perfect window onto the world of the basti - everything smothered by mysticism and naivety as thick as the smog. As a reader, you are always wonderfully aware of the importance of things that Jai sees, but doesn't quite understand.
The secondary characters are particularly charming - especially Jai's sister Runu and his friends Pari and Faiz. They would all be brilliant protagonists in their own right, and their relationship with Jai is the perfect gateway to explore the impact of complex issues such as sexism and religious intolerance through the eyes of a child.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is a smart, unique novel brimming with heart and humanity.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*