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_askthebookbug's Reviews (1.34k)
emotional
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
• r e c o m m e n d a t i o n •
"Oh, my daughter, at times you have to fight, but preferably not with your fists."
Occasionally, things are best explained and felt when it's written from a child's perspective. Inside Out and Back Again is a free verse novel written by Thanhha Lai based on her own experiences when her family moved to the States during The Vietnam War. I knew very little about the war itself so in many ways, this book proved to be educational. Set in 1975, the protagonist of the book named Há speaks of her family fleeing from Saigon. At just ten years old, this child learns about the war through observation and trepidation. With her father's disappearence all those years ago, her mother becomes the sole breadwinner of the family, tending to four children. When it is decided for them to leave Saigon, Há is heartbroken to say goodbye to everything that she grew up with. But one must leave to survive the war.
Several thousands of families turned into refugees as they arrived at different countries. Há's family chooses Alabama where they are instantly met with racism and hostility. To be accepted, they are forced to swap their religion. Há is constantly bullied and looked down upon by her classmates, so she eats in the bathroom and tries to be invisible. Being strangers in a foreign land fills them with homesickness, leaving them craving for their food, people and mostly the sense of belonging. Although the book carries a sombre tone, Há's narration adds an element of innocence to it, making it less disheartening. I couldn't help but wish for Há to have her desired and loved papayas. Although written mostly for the younger audience, this book suits perfectly well for every age group. It's heartwarming, saddening and filled with hope that the little one carries throughout the novel. Lai shows how wars can snatch away the lives of people who have worked hard to nurture it and of unspeakable pain that comes from longing for their motherland . It's absolutely heartbreaking.
Chose this as part of #bookssansborders where we are reading from SEA this month.
"Oh, my daughter, at times you have to fight, but preferably not with your fists."
Occasionally, things are best explained and felt when it's written from a child's perspective. Inside Out and Back Again is a free verse novel written by Thanhha Lai based on her own experiences when her family moved to the States during The Vietnam War. I knew very little about the war itself so in many ways, this book proved to be educational. Set in 1975, the protagonist of the book named Há speaks of her family fleeing from Saigon. At just ten years old, this child learns about the war through observation and trepidation. With her father's disappearence all those years ago, her mother becomes the sole breadwinner of the family, tending to four children. When it is decided for them to leave Saigon, Há is heartbroken to say goodbye to everything that she grew up with. But one must leave to survive the war.
Several thousands of families turned into refugees as they arrived at different countries. Há's family chooses Alabama where they are instantly met with racism and hostility. To be accepted, they are forced to swap their religion. Há is constantly bullied and looked down upon by her classmates, so she eats in the bathroom and tries to be invisible. Being strangers in a foreign land fills them with homesickness, leaving them craving for their food, people and mostly the sense of belonging. Although the book carries a sombre tone, Há's narration adds an element of innocence to it, making it less disheartening. I couldn't help but wish for Há to have her desired and loved papayas. Although written mostly for the younger audience, this book suits perfectly well for every age group. It's heartwarming, saddening and filled with hope that the little one carries throughout the novel. Lai shows how wars can snatch away the lives of people who have worked hard to nurture it and of unspeakable pain that comes from longing for their motherland . It's absolutely heartbreaking.
Chose this as part of #bookssansborders where we are reading from SEA this month.
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
• r e v i e w •
Making friends as children was such an easy task but very few rarely remain the same. Friendships are made to pass through turbulent times, highs and lows, stripping us off all facade and leaving us vulnerable. But true friends don't flinch in the face of such vulnerability, they don't wander away when you say a thing or two in anger but choose to wait for us to realise that they're here to stay. I, for one make friends very hesitantly and have had only two consistent best friends. One of which has remained solid since the time I was a child. So in more ways than one, Firefly Lane ended up being a very personal read. This is the story of TullyandKate / KateandTully. It's about two ordinary girls who walk in two different worlds but remain connected no matter the circumstances.
Tully and Kate couldn't have been any different from each other what with Kate being the shy one and Tully being the force. While Kate comes from a stable family, Tully is constantly abandoned by her mother. But Kate's mom makes up for the love Tully often craves from her own. For most of their lives, Tully leads the way, dragging along Kate with her irrespective of her consent. Immediately after graduation, Tully enters the TV world charming the world. Right when Kate decides what she wants to do, she ends up getting married and becomes a mother of three. Her career comes to a standstill. Set in the 70s and spanning across the new millennium, we see the ups and downs that the girls go through. The two girls who blossom into wonderful women face their insecurities and fear. Like every friendship that goes through choppy waters, theirs too hit the rock quite often until one of them is betrayed. It was then that it broke my heart, turning me into a sobbing mess.
The storyline is expected but what makes it special is how the book connects with you. It strikes a chord with the female readers making it impossible to be dry-eyed. There's so much to take away from the story be it love, forgiveness, kindness and the ability to hold each other up during times of heartbreak. I highly recommend this because it is unfair for a book about friendships to remain unappreciated.
Making friends as children was such an easy task but very few rarely remain the same. Friendships are made to pass through turbulent times, highs and lows, stripping us off all facade and leaving us vulnerable. But true friends don't flinch in the face of such vulnerability, they don't wander away when you say a thing or two in anger but choose to wait for us to realise that they're here to stay. I, for one make friends very hesitantly and have had only two consistent best friends. One of which has remained solid since the time I was a child. So in more ways than one, Firefly Lane ended up being a very personal read. This is the story of TullyandKate / KateandTully. It's about two ordinary girls who walk in two different worlds but remain connected no matter the circumstances.
Tully and Kate couldn't have been any different from each other what with Kate being the shy one and Tully being the force. While Kate comes from a stable family, Tully is constantly abandoned by her mother. But Kate's mom makes up for the love Tully often craves from her own. For most of their lives, Tully leads the way, dragging along Kate with her irrespective of her consent. Immediately after graduation, Tully enters the TV world charming the world. Right when Kate decides what she wants to do, she ends up getting married and becomes a mother of three. Her career comes to a standstill. Set in the 70s and spanning across the new millennium, we see the ups and downs that the girls go through. The two girls who blossom into wonderful women face their insecurities and fear. Like every friendship that goes through choppy waters, theirs too hit the rock quite often until one of them is betrayed. It was then that it broke my heart, turning me into a sobbing mess.
The storyline is expected but what makes it special is how the book connects with you. It strikes a chord with the female readers making it impossible to be dry-eyed. There's so much to take away from the story be it love, forgiveness, kindness and the ability to hold each other up during times of heartbreak. I highly recommend this because it is unfair for a book about friendships to remain unappreciated.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
• r e v i e w •
I always enjoy a good thriller that builds up an atmosphere of suspense till the very end. Blood On The Sands is one such fast-paced novel that leaves the readers at the edge of their seats. Set in the beautiful Rann of Kutch, @sujatasabnis tells us the tale of Mankor, a quiet and striking woman who carries a peculiar sadness within her. The story unfolds in Kuran, the last village on the Indo-Pak border and revolves around a family of four. Mankor lives with her children, while her husband, Virender is mostly away working with the BSF as a tracker. She dotes over her daughter, Ranu and admires her teenage son who shows maturity beyond his age. When Navratri arrives, Virender arrives home with a bravery award for nabbing a notorious man who belongs to a cross-border gang. Mankor, is both happy yet hesitant about her husband's arrival.
Right from the start it becomes abundantly clear that Mankor has a haunting past, a secret that the author maintains spectacularly well till the end. With a terrorist activity planned on Diwali and a murder that could possibly be linked to it, the BSF gets involved in resolving the two cases. Sabnis cleverly adds quite a few scenarios to keep the readers from guessing who the real culprit might be. But where does Mankor fit into all this? What is that dreadful past which often leaves her speechless and cowering in fear? Blood On The Sands is a gripping novel that explores a variety of societal issues like sexism, gender disparity and mostly of people's hesitancy in accepting a girl child. Sabnis has managed to paint a vivid picture of the lives of women in rural areas where they aren't allowed to go out of their homes alone and where their opinions aren't mattered much. That significant twist at the end of the story makes for an interesting read. I recommend this.
I always enjoy a good thriller that builds up an atmosphere of suspense till the very end. Blood On The Sands is one such fast-paced novel that leaves the readers at the edge of their seats. Set in the beautiful Rann of Kutch, @sujatasabnis tells us the tale of Mankor, a quiet and striking woman who carries a peculiar sadness within her. The story unfolds in Kuran, the last village on the Indo-Pak border and revolves around a family of four. Mankor lives with her children, while her husband, Virender is mostly away working with the BSF as a tracker. She dotes over her daughter, Ranu and admires her teenage son who shows maturity beyond his age. When Navratri arrives, Virender arrives home with a bravery award for nabbing a notorious man who belongs to a cross-border gang. Mankor, is both happy yet hesitant about her husband's arrival.
Right from the start it becomes abundantly clear that Mankor has a haunting past, a secret that the author maintains spectacularly well till the end. With a terrorist activity planned on Diwali and a murder that could possibly be linked to it, the BSF gets involved in resolving the two cases. Sabnis cleverly adds quite a few scenarios to keep the readers from guessing who the real culprit might be. But where does Mankor fit into all this? What is that dreadful past which often leaves her speechless and cowering in fear? Blood On The Sands is a gripping novel that explores a variety of societal issues like sexism, gender disparity and mostly of people's hesitancy in accepting a girl child. Sabnis has managed to paint a vivid picture of the lives of women in rural areas where they aren't allowed to go out of their homes alone and where their opinions aren't mattered much. That significant twist at the end of the story makes for an interesting read. I recommend this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Mental illness
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At the outset no one can possibly tell that Inheritance is Jaswal's debut novel. But if you have read other books by her, the shift in her writing over the years becomes abundantly clear. One of the reasons why I keep coming back to her books is for the honesty that she provides. Although Sugarbread and Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows carried a sense of humour despite of the serious message that they possessed, Inheritance on the other hand was a dark read right from the start. Set in Singapore, this story speaks of a Punjabi family who feel listless and uncomfortable within the walls of their own home. With the mother of the house gone, rest of the family struggles to cope with their own problems without receiving much support from each other. This is the story of a dysfunctional family who are stuck in a loop of grief and helplessness.
Set in the 70s and spanning over decades, a Punjabi father feels shame like never before when his son is questioned about his sexuality and his daughter is seen mixing with the wrong crowd of men. This shame, seeps into his life and never truly leaves, eventually wrapping itself around his children as well. Living in a society where mental health wasn't understood and sexuality was a taboo topic, Amrit and Narain fail horribly at seeking even their father's help. Gurdev, the eldest of the siblings does seemingly better in life with a family and children of his own only to be taught years later by his daughters that acknowledgement of mental health and trust are two important aspects in any relationship. The father, Harbeer, speaks to his dead wife but refuses to acknowledge his daughter's mental illness. He believes that sexuality can be changed overnight or with the onset of a new year. This paints a strikingly realistic picture of how Indian families deal with sensitive issues. Inheritance is a gruelling read that is meant to be read slowly. My only concern was how the story after a certain point began to lag. But I'm constantly awed by Jaswal's ability to bring such relevant topics to the readers.
Rating : 4.1/5.
Set in the 70s and spanning over decades, a Punjabi father feels shame like never before when his son is questioned about his sexuality and his daughter is seen mixing with the wrong crowd of men. This shame, seeps into his life and never truly leaves, eventually wrapping itself around his children as well. Living in a society where mental health wasn't understood and sexuality was a taboo topic, Amrit and Narain fail horribly at seeking even their father's help. Gurdev, the eldest of the siblings does seemingly better in life with a family and children of his own only to be taught years later by his daughters that acknowledgement of mental health and trust are two important aspects in any relationship. The father, Harbeer, speaks to his dead wife but refuses to acknowledge his daughter's mental illness. He believes that sexuality can be changed overnight or with the onset of a new year. This paints a strikingly realistic picture of how Indian families deal with sensitive issues. Inheritance is a gruelling read that is meant to be read slowly. My only concern was how the story after a certain point began to lag. But I'm constantly awed by Jaswal's ability to bring such relevant topics to the readers.
Rating : 4.1/5.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Mental illness
