Sunday, January 23, 2022

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

 
From the blurb:
"Through market lanes crammed with too many people, dogs, and rickshaws, past stalls that smell of cardamom and sizzling oil, below a smoggy sky that doesn't let through a single blade of sunlight, and all the way at the end of the Purple metro line lies a jumble of tin-roofed homes where nine-year-old Jai lives with his family. From his doorway he can spot the glittering lights of the city's fancy high-rises, and though his mother works as a maid in one, to him they seem a thousand miles away.

"When a classmate goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from TV to find him and asks Pari and Faiz to be his assistants. Together they draw up lists of people to interview and places to visit. But what begins as a game turns sinister as other children start disappearing from their neighborhood. Jai, Pari, and Faiz have to confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force, and rumors of soul-snatching djinns. As the disappearances edge ever closer to home, the lives of Jai and his friends will never be the same again."

My thoughts:
I love when a book immerses you in another place and culture, and this book definitely does that. I loved all the Hindi words like bhoot, hatta-katta, and theek-thaak that peppers Anappara's prose. And her vivid descriptions of the people and the slums where Jai and his friends live and work and play really pulled me into the story. Their poverty was both eye-opening, and heart-breaking. And nine-year-old Jai, and his earnest but naive investigation into his friends' disappearances, tugged at my heart, as did the little stray dog, Samosa, he finds along the way. This is a story of children--children struggling to go to school who dream of a different life but are unlikely to get it, street children, children from poor but loving families, and children from not-so-loving families, Hindu children, and Muslim children. Anappara does a good job of capturing all their stories. There are even protective ghosts watching over the basti. I liked their stories, too. Though in the end, they didn't do a very good job of protecting any of the children.

This book is funny, moving, poignant, compelling, sad, deftly told, and utterly unforgettable. I loved it, even though there were many times it made me want to cry. It's not always an easy story to read, but I'm so glad I did. I'm especially glad I got to read it with Melody! Be sure to check out her review. 

Happy Reading!

Melody's questions to me...and my answers:
1. What struck you most about this story?
I think the plight of children in India is what struck me the most; the author said she drew from her own experiences living in India and interviewing children to write this book, and what struck her about all their stories was their humor and cheerfulness and resilience in the face of extreme poverty and tough life situations. 

2. Do you wish there's a sequel to this book? Why or why not?
I would LOVE it if the author wrote a sequel about Jai and his friends. I'd love to know what happens to him next and what he becomes. But anything she writes next I will be reading. 

41 comments:

  1. Whew, this sounds wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time — and at the same time, and all wrapped around a mystery — I like it!

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    1. You've just described this book: wonderful and heartbreaking. :)

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  2. This was such a sad read, but I do love how the setting was vividly described and the characters, too. I'm glad we read this book together and I hope the next book for our buddy read will be as great or even better! :)

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    1. This was a sad one, but it was good, too. Thanks for reading it with me, Melody!

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  3. This sounds really good. For a minute I thought I had it on my Kindle but, I don't see it.

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  4. I read this one two years ago and loved it. Here's a link to my review: https://www.thenatureofthings.blog/2020/02/djinn-patrol-on-purple-line-by-deepa.html

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    1. It's such a good book, isn't it? I can't wait to go back and check out your review of it. :)

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  5. this sounds like a classic along the lines of C. Dickens, with its social setting: the plight of the poor, trapped in poverty...

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    1. Yes! That's a really good comparison. It's just set in India rather than England. :)

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  6. This does sound like it would be a good one.

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  7. I like that feeling too-being immersed in another culture or time or place. Jai sounds like a great character. I hope I will be able to give this one a try.

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    1. I hope so, too. It's such a good book; it'll probably make my top ten list at the end of 2022. :)

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  8. This sounds like a wonderful immersion in a culture I haven't visited a lot in books. It's amazing too the hope and resilience that children can have despite the most trying of circumstances.

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    1. The children in this one were really amazing. They made me laugh, and cry. It's a powerful read.

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  9. This sounds like such a compelling read. I am interested by the fact that Jai is such a young character as an investigator. It's been a while since I read a book where a child was the lead character, and I may need to pick this one up soon.
    claire @ clairefy

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    1. It's the fact this book is narrated by a kid that makes it work so well.

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  10. This does sound like fun. Books like this one are the perfect ways to gain some insights into unfamiliar cultures for sure...and it's almost painless.

    Quick Note: Lark, after 15 years of book blogging, I'm putting Book Chase to bed. Lots going on that will be eating into my time for a long time to come, so tough choices are having to be made. I'll still be around, cheering from the sidelines, and commenting and tweeting.

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    1. Oh, Sam! I'm going to miss you and your blog. Life is always throwing us unexpected curves, isn't it? I hope it's nothing too serious or sad, just a new focus. I'll be sending good thoughts and extra prayers your way just in case. Take care, my blogging friend! You will be missed.

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  11. Like you, I love books that immerse the reader in a different culture. Fabulous review Lark!

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    1. This one totally made me feel like I was right there in India with these kids and their families. And I loved it!

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  12. Excellent review. I was wondering where the book was set when I saw "rickshaws." I have seen this level of poverty in person (Narobi) and it is heart-breaking. Sounds like a great (but hard) read.

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    1. It's definitely a heartbreaking book at times, but it's also so good! I'm very glad I read it.

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  13. This sounds like a really good novel and I have been meaning to read more novels set in India since I read The Secrets Between Us last year. Thanks for a great review and there are so many books out there worth reading and New o es coming off the presses each day! But it's a good problem to have

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    1. Too many books is a nice problem to have. And this one will definitely immerse you in India in a way other books just don't. It's an amazing read. :)

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  14. This book sounds heartbreaking but so good. I love when a book can completely immerse me in a different culture and helps me learn things I wouldn't have otherwise known.

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    1. This book really does that! Seeing how these kids actually live was very eye-opening.

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    1. It's a good day today. Thanks for caring. :)

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  16. Good review. I like it when a book leaves you begging for a sequel.

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    1. I don't know if the author will ever write one, but I'd love to know what happens next with her characters. :)

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  17. This does sound very good. I am glad I saw it here, because somehow I had missed it. The name sounds familiar but that's all. And it was nominated for an Edgar, so I should have checked it out. That will teach me.

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    1. It's a really good read, and certainly deserving of any and all awards. :)

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  18. I've not heard of this book before but it sounds really good although heartbreaking. Jai sounds like a character I would love to get to know.

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    1. My favorite part of this book is Jai and his friends. I loved that the author told the story through the eyes of the kids.

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  19. Reading a story set in a different culture is enlightening. Sounds like this one really brought out the emotions, too. :)

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    1. It really does! The whole situation is so sad, and yet the three kids are so funny and optimistic. This one made me laugh and cry.

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