TITLE: Arkspire

AUTHOR: Jamie Littler

PAGE EXTENT: 384

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books

GENRE: Middle Grade, Fantasy

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Glorious, powerful, magic; a city of twists, turns and tricksters; extraordinary secrets which only one girl can uncover . . . welcome to the world of Arkspire.

Arkspire is a city obsessed by magic. The five Arcanists – a group of all-powerful magicians – have protected the great city for as long as anyone can remember. Within the hustle and bustle of these cobbled streets lives Juniper Bell, a thief who’d do anything for her family – even her unbelievably annoying sister, Elodie.

Then one night, something incredible happens. A mysterious stolen relic (nothing to do with Juni, ahem…) explodes, revealing a mysterious creature, Cinder – who appears to ‘bond’ with Juni. The only creatures like that are allegedly dangerous enemies of the Arcanists . . . and it’s not long before they turn their attention to Juni.

Soon Juni, Cinder and everyone she loves are pulled into an extraordinary world of magic, power and prestige – but also grave danger. It seems the world Juni thought she knew is nothing but a lie – and now only Juniper and Cinder can bring it down.

A thrilling adventure and astonishingly illustrated new fantasy series, from the bestselling author of Frostheart.

This is clearly one of my favourite books of the year! Having heard rave reviews of the Frostheart trilogy(I am yet to read it and the books are staring at me from their vantage point on the bookshelf. My TBR is overflowing to the point of no return, pardon me) I knew I wanted to get my hands on this one! I picked up during one of my study breaks and flew through it from cover to cover before even realising I was done with the book! Jamie Littler, you just ended up on my auto-buy authors list!

We follow Juniper Bell, a relic hunter in the city of Arkspire, which is ruled by the Arcanists, five beings who wield great power and magic. What happens when a relic magically releases a shadowy creature and creates a spectacle in the sky for the whole city to witness? The Wardens come knocking at Juniper’s door in the Dregs(the underbelly of the city) and take her to trial with none other than the Arcanists themselves! What follows is a high-octane adventure that will you have frantically turning the pages to see what happens next!

Is it even a good fantasy without good world-building? I love me a fantasy with stellar world-building and a unique magic system and this one ticked all the boxes! There is also a smidge of dystopia underlying the whole theme and it was the cherry on the cake for me!

This review would be incomplete without highlighting the gorgeous illustrations! What better combination than the author and the illustrator being the same person?! Jamie Littler’s illustrations are one of the best I’ve come across and not only do they add depth to the story, they also function as a catalyst to fuel your imagination of this well-constructed fantasy world!

As I make it a point to mention in every Middle Grade review, friendships are the show stoppers of Middle Grade fiction and the friendship between Junie and Thea was something that warmed my heart! The author doesn’t shy away from discussing complicated family dynamics (I am looking at you, Elodie) and that was definitely a plus! Madame Adie and Everard were fun side characters and I would love to discover more about them in the upcoming books!

In short, I have fallen head over heels in love with this fantasy world and I CANNOT wait for Book 2, especially after that MASSIVE CLIFFHANGER that made me gasp!

Pick this book up at the earliest and go on a journey you’ll never forget!

What are your favourite fantasy books? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: My Roommate is a Vampire

AUTHOR: Jenna Levine

PAGE EXTENT: 352

PUBLISHER: Penguin India 

GENRE: Adult Paranormal Romance

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Two strangers. One apartment.
Will it be love at first . . . bite?

Cassie Greenberg needs a new place to live, and fast. When she finds an affordable apartment in a beautiful neighbourhood, she knows there must be a catch.

Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel.

He is also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, always asks about her day, and doesn’t look half bad shirtless on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake.

There’s no denying there’s a spark between them – but there’s also a secret. . .

With true love at stake, will Frederick come clean?

Have you ever been so excited for a book that you end up abandoning the extremely huge pile of books that’s your TBR and pick it up the moment it arrives at your doorstep? Well, this was that book for me!

The premise of the book sounded so fun and intriguing that I had no choice but to pick it up right away! We follow Cassie Greenberg, who is struggling to make ends meet after her MFA degree didn’t help her much professionally and she’s on the verge of being evicted from her apartment. When she chances upon a Craigslist ad for a room in one of the posh areas of Chicago that costs only $200 dollars a month(it even has a full view of the lake!), she decides to check it out, despite her own suspicion and her best friend Sam’s dismay. She moves in and after a few days, guess what she discovers? Bags of BLOOD in the fridge! And her extremely hot, broody roommate is a THREE-HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY-YEAR-OLD VAMPIRE! Yes, you heard it right! A blood-consuming, cold-to-the-touch, active-at-night, vampire! Go read the book now! I’ve given your mind enough information to draw your attention!

This was my first time reading a paranormal romance and I went into the book with a mountain of expectations, if my initial excitement didn’t convey that much already, haha. This book is the textbook definition of a rom-com! It’s so “bloody” hilarious (see what I did there? 😉)you will be giggling every two minutes at how adorably clueless Frederick is! That’s the vampire hottie, by the way. What more can you expect from a vampire who was in a deep slumber for an entire century and has absolutely no inkling what “Tick Tock” is! 😂 This book is outright laugh-out-loud funny and will have you in fits of laughter time and again! Who knew roommates-to-lovers would be this fun?!

On a more serious note, this book is an ode to art and artists. Not only does this book portray how securing a job can sometimes be difficult even with an arts degree if your style of art doesn’t fit in with the more conventional forms, it also shows just how passionate Cassie is about her art! We need more people like her, both in fiction and in the real world!

If you’re internally screaming, “hey, get to the romance part already!!!”, well, you’re in for a treat! In the era of emails and text messages, Cassie and Frederick converse with letters, tucked into a crisp envelope with a wax seal on it! Who knew this would turn out to be a new favourite? He also gets her gifts from time to time and she helps him go shopping for modern clothes!🥹 The sizzling chemistry between the two is almost palpable through the pages and there are quite a few steamy scenes too! 😉 Believe me y’all: you will LOVE it! Well, if you didn’t know that a vampire could be a mega green flag, you will once you’re done with the book and you’ve fallen head over heels for Frederick too!

While I have a lot of great things to say about this book, it does have its own share of shortcomings. There were a couple of plot points that were left hanging. Sam has been an integral part of Cassie’s life and I would have loved to see his reaction upon finding out that his best friend is, in fact, in love with a vampire! Reginald, who is Frederick’s best friend had a lot of potential which was left unexplored. I have a soft spot for books that give side characters their own spotlight but in this book, they ended up being mere props. The climax could also have been a bit more…climactic? It all felt too convenient and a bit rushed towards the end. If not for these flaws, it would have been a solid 5-star read for me!

In short, this was you-will-have-tears-from-all-the-laughing funny! It’s a warm and cuddly story with a hint of magic that will have you staying up late into the night(I stayed up until 3 AM reading it haha) and if you’re in a reading slump, this is exactly what you need to get out of it! Take my word for it: you will NOT be disappointed!

Are you a fan of paranormal romance? Drop some recs for me in the comments!

TITLE: Business or Pleasure

AUTHOR: Rachel Lynn Solomon

PAGE EXTENT: 368

PUBLISHER: Penguin India 

GENRE: Adult Romance

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Chandler Cohen lies for a living.

When she accepts her next ghostwriting gig penning a memoir for cult actor Finnegan Walsh, it should be a dream job.

However, Chandler knows him best as something else: her worst-ever one-night stand . . .

She’s determined to keep things professional. But when she finally admits to Finn that their night together wasn’t as mind-blowing as he thought, he’s mortified, and determined to make amends.

So, they strike a deal. During the day, they’ll work on the book, and at night, she’ll school him in the art of satisfaction.

As they grow closer, the line between business and pleasure starts to blur.

Can Chandler and Finn have both, or will they have to choose?

Let me get this straight: I am a HUGE fan of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s and she is one of my all-time favourite auto-buy authors! Having read her YA books, this was my first time reading one of her adult romances(yes, I have all of them but I’m yet to pick them up. Don’t @ me haha) and boy, didn’t I know I was about to have such a good time! This is one of the most wholesome and relatable books I’ve read this year and it’s one I’ll definitely reread multiple times! Okay, before this entire review becomes a fanboy moment, let me tell you more about the book.

We follow Chandler Cohen, a ghostwriter with some bestsellers (not) to her credit, who is stuck in a professional limbo, unsure of what to do in life. One thing she’s sure of: she wants to be have her name on a book one day. After a particular author event goes bad in a weird way, she meets a hot guy at the bar and hooks up with him, and it turns out to be the WORST sex of her life! Imagine the horror on her face (and on mine) when she finds out she will be ghostwriting his memoir(he also happens to be a very famous actor who she has absolutely no clue about), while travelling to various cities across the United States as he attends Comic Cons! She strikes a deal with him: she will teach him how to be better in bed (which he definitely needs to learn) and they will go their own ways once the book is wrapped up. But when has life ever been a piece of cake? I have given you enough information to pique your interest. You got to read the book to know the rest.

Now, let’s get to my favourite part of reviews: where I gush about all the amazing, amazing things that had me obsessing over this book and giggling into the night!

Firstly, there are three things about every RLS book that I LOVE: Jewish rep, mental health rep and sex positivity! This one undoubtedly ticked all the boxes!

Both the MCs are Jewish and we get to read a lot about Jewish culture and traditions. Being someone who loves to learn more about customs and traditions across the world, this was indeed the cherry on the cake for me.

As someone living with both OCD and GAD, seeing myself in Chandler and Finn was the aspect of the book that made it a more relatable experience for me. Books with mental health rep will always have a place in my heart and the wholesome and accurately depicted conversations regarding mental health had me smiling to my heart’s content.

If it isn’t already evident from the cover, this book is a STEAMY rollercoaster you would definitely want to get on! Rachel mentioned quite a few times that this is her steamiest book yet and OH MY GOSH, not only were the sex scenes super hot and well written, they were so realistically portrayed I had to stop and admire! Realistic portrayal of sex is extremely essential in a world where people tend to develop weird and high expectations of sex by consuming media that doesn’t really do it justice. The scenes were super honest, raw and written with the sort of finesse one can expect from Rachel! It’s better if you read this when you’re alone though, because it might elicit some physiological reactions in your body, which can be a tad bit embarrassing in public! Haha!

If I have extremely high expectations of men, it’s totally because of romance novels that have the most perfect men who are the greenest flags! Finn is definitely one of my favourite book boyfriends(the list is never ending at this point hehe) and let me tell you why! Not only is he a genuine and honest-to-God person, he also cooks and is a huge Lord of the Rings nerd and is a vegetarian! Being a vegetarian myself, I didn’t know how much seeing another vegetarian in the pages of a book would make me swell with joy! He might not be the best in bed, but hey, we all appreciate a man who learns from his mistakes and works on honing his skills! 😉

All of Rachel’s characters are sex positive and man, Chandler is a fierce woman who knows what she wants, both in life and in bed! Let me be clear: this book might sound like intimacy lessons when you read the synopsis: but let me tell you, it is so much more! There will come a point in the book where you go, “guys, just date already!” It all wraps up beautifully in the end and once you’re doing reading the epilogue, it will leave you with a feeling of joy and contentment!

If you’ve read this review right up until this point, it means you definitely want to read the book! Well, what are you even waiting for? Pick it up soon and let me know what you think once you’re done reading this compulsively readable book in one sitting and let’s obsess over it together!

Who is your favourite romance author? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: World’s Best Girlfriend

AUTHOR: Durjoy Datta

PAGE EXTENT: 288

PUBLISHER: Penguin India

GENRE: YA

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

‘When he turns, I see his eyes. There’s a sense of surety in them, a sense of danger, a sense of entitlement and definitely, arrogance.’

Daksh and Aanchal meet under improbable circumstances in the most unlikely of places-a posh resort in the Andamans. While Aanchal is fighting hard to escape the shackles of a lower middle-class existence, Daksh is aimless and unsure of what his future holds. Strangely, they are drawn to each other.

‘My gaze drifts to her exposed back, and the tiny knot that secures her shimmering choli in place. Emotions of anger mix with a strange desire in me.’

Four years later, when they meet again, Daksh’s world has crumbled around him. The burden of caring for his sick father and six-year-old sister has left him with little time for anything else. Yet, despite their diverging paths, Daksh and Aanchal find themselves reconnecting in unexpected ways. Their mutual attraction deepens.

Till now, fate has been pushing them together, but what will happen when they decide to take matters into their own hands? Will life be as they’ve imagined, or will destiny take even that away from them?

Aanchal and Daksh meet on a fancy resort vacay in the Andamans and are instantly drawn to each other. Aanchal, a middle-class girl with financial struggles is on vacation with her family after winning a lucky draw and Daksh is unsure of what to do with his life. Like two people who meet on a vacation, they go back to their respective lives. But what happens when they actually end up meeting again under different circumstances four years later? Will they succeed in rekindling their long-lost romance? Or will it wither away? Read the book to find out!

Let’s get to the pros first: this book did an honest portrayal of flawed, imperfect characters. Aanchal and Daksh have their own shortcomings which shows how the world is not black and white, but different shades of grey.(I know what you’re thinking, get your attention back here😂) The raw and honest depiction of the internal battles one fights when faced with the adversities of life was something that caught my attention. The book also highlighted the permanent emotional scars a toxic relationship can leave on one’s mind and how it might affect one’s relationships in the future.

Daksh was honestly such a green flag. His character was probably the most fleshed-out one of the lot and the fact that he has so many layers to him only added to his character growth! His sister, Rabbani was such a sweet jellybean and lightened up the otherwise grim premise of the book. I love me a book that gives side characters enough time to shine and Aanchal’s friend Vanita was my favourite!

Durjoy Datta is one of India’s most well-known authors of romance and needless to say, I had a lot of expectations going into this book. To be very honest, this book didn’t suit my taste.

The excessive use of profanity made me question so many things about this book. While the toxic relationship between Aanchal and Vicky was essential to the story, was the use of extremely vulgar and harsh cuss words essential to portray said toxicity? I am pretty certain teenagers comprise most of the author’s readership in the country and if this is what they read during a phase when they are easily malleable, I am not sure it would be a good influence on them. If not for the casual use of some very harmful words, I would have upped the rating a bit.

That said, it was still a very readable book that will have you glued to it. Written in a simple language, getting through the book isn’t an ordeal, except for the parts I wish were omitted from the book. I would definitely like to know what’s in store for Aanchal and Daksh, especially after that cliffhanger!

Are you a fan of romance? What’s your favourite trope?

TITLE: Sinbad and the Tomb of Alexander

AUTHOR: Kevin Missal

PAGE EXTENT: 336

PUBLISHER: Penguin India

GENRE: YA

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

EVIL ALWAYS FINDS ANOTHER WAY

You would think having saved the world from Armageddon would have its perks, but sadly there are no happily ever afters. Because evil never sleeps. We battled the Angel of Death and prevented the trumpet of Israfil from being blown. But Iblis, the Devil King, is after yet another artefact that can bring him back to life.

Now my crew and I race against time to find the famed Water of Life. And as luck would have it, it is said to be hidden in the legendary tomb of-wait for it-Alexander the Great. What fate!

So here I am again, Sinbad the Sailor, pitted against Viking warriors, immortal Chinese alchemists, haunted isles and murderous golems, creatures of the dark . . . you get the drift. Then there is the Lame Archdemon, Admiral Sakhr, a foe far more sinister than I have ever encountered.

And on top of it all, my friends seem to be drifting away from me, as is the love of my life, Safeena, Iblis’s daughter.

Bestselling author Kevin Missal’s second book in the Sinbad series is a thrilling reimagination of the fabled sailor from the classic One Thousand and One Nights!

Sinbad managed to save the world from destruction. But when has evil ever backed down once and for all? Now, the Devil King Iblis is after another artefact to help bring him back to life, and since things don’t get easier in such situations: it’s inside the tomb of Alexander the Great! To make matters worse, he has recruited the Archdemon Admiral Sakhr to do his bidding. Will Sinbad succeed in preventing Iblis from rising again? Or will Iblis rise after all? Read the book to find out!

We travel with Sinbad and his ragtag crew (aka found family) on yet another adventure across the world! The plot was fast-paced and action-packed just like the first one, with new mythical beings and Vikings added to the mix! And a very sassy alchemist too! And there is a plot twist you will NOT see coming! Be warned!

Full disclosure: this book was a disappointment for me. This was a classic case of the author setting an extremely high standard with the first book that the second one failed to barely scratch the surface. While the plot is unique and interesting, it wasn’t explored to its full potential and the book in general felt a bit lacklustre.

The editing job was poorly done and that made the book extremely difficult to read in places. A couple more rounds of editing with a fine-toothed comb would have made the reading experience better. There were 8-10 typos on almost every page which was testament to the fact that the editing process was choppy and rushed and how the book was hastily pushed out into the market without honing it to finesse.

This book had a ton of potential which, if tapped fully, would have made this book better than the first one! The stakes are high, even more so than the first book, and there are quite a few gasp-inducing moments. There’s queer representation too, which is definitely a plus!

After reading this book, I really want the third and final book to come at me with redemption! The first book took my expectations to an all-time high, which only ended up plummeting into the abyss of disappointment. Can’t wait to see what book 3 has in store for Sinbad and his friends!

What is your favourite fantasy series? Let me know in the comments below!

TITLE: Nick and Charlie

AUTHOR: Alice Oseman

PAGE EXTENT: 176

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins India

GENRE: YA, LGBTQIA+

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

CHARLIE: “I have been going out with Nick Nelson for two years. He likes rugby, Formula 1, dogs, the Marvel universe, the sound felt-tips make on paper, rain and drawing on shoes. He also likes me. ”

NICK: “Things me and Charlie Spring do together include: Watch films. Sit in the same room on different laptops. Text each other from different rooms. Make out. Make food. Make drinks. Get drunk. Talk. Argue. Laugh. Maybe we’re kind of boring. But that’s fine with us. ”

Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie are the perfect couple – that they’re inseparable. But now Nick is leaving for university, and Charlie will be left behind at Sixth Form. Everyone’s asking if they’re staying together, which is a stupid question – they’re ‘Nick and Charlie’ for God’s sake!

But as the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Or are they delaying the inevitable? Because everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever…

Did you binge read the Heartstopper series and binge-watched the show and now you want something to fill the Nick-and-Charlie-sized void in your heart until the next season/ book comes out? Do you want more of Nick and Charlie’s adorable and wholesome relationship? You’re in the right place!

Set two years into their relationship, this heartfelt, realistic and cute novella takes place when Nick’s off to college at the University of Leeds and Charlie is left behind at school for one more year. There are multiple reasons for Charlie to believe long distance relationships are a myth and they will not last whatsoever, while Nick is super excited to go off to college at the same time! Will they decide to give long-distance relationship a try? Or will decide to break up before it gets worse? Pick up the book before I accidentally end up spilling all the beans!

While reading the book, I couldn’t help but imagine all the scenes as they would play out on the show and needless to say, it was a joyful experience indeed!

We have all come to love and cherish the wholesome relationship that is Nick and Charlie’s and how they always make it a point to communicate their feelings with each other, haven’t we? In this novella, not only do we get to see a realistic portrayal of the mental turmoil couples go through when it involves one of them moving far away, but we also get to read about how a lack of communication tends to have its own consequences.

But fret not, there are a lot of adorable full-page illustrations featuring Nick and Charlie filled with kisses, cuddles and everything else we love! Huge shout-out to Tori for being the best sister ever! (You have to read the book to find out why, haha!)

Once you’re done reading the book, you will want to hug it tight to your chest and heave a sigh of relief and it will be a reminder of why you fell in love with Heartstopper in the first place!

Are you a Heartstopper fan too? 🌈

TITLE: Dhara’s Revolution

AUTHOR: Varsha Seshan

PAGE EXTENT: 112

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books (Penguin India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sarvaloka Public School calls children ‘future citizens’ but makes every decision without ever talking to the students. Nine-year-old Dhara is determined to change that. She sparks a revolution, and gets the whole school to vote for the very first time. However, caught in the storm of elections, Dhara loses sight of what is really important to her.

Can she find her way back to what truly matters before everything spirals out of control?

When Sarvaloka Public School publishes a notice about the construction of a new auditorium, nine-year-old Dhara is bummed. A school that calls its students “future citizens” is supposed to ask them if that’s something they want in the first place, right? So, nine-year-old Dhara, in her quest to do “something revolutionary”, teams up with her best friend Carol to help organise an election at school to vote for a students’ representative! Will a fourth grader succeed in becoming a representative for the student body? Will it turn out to be revolutionary, or will she lose sight of what she set out to do in the first place? Read the book to find out, otherwise I might spill the beans hehe!

In today’s extremely competitive world, everyone is trying to stay a step ahead of others and being the best of the lot. This book highlights the importance and benefits of healthy competition, while pointing out the fact that competition can serve as a breeding ground for toxicity, very much like two sides of the same coin.

Dhara and Carol running for the representative post makes Dhara lose sight of her long friendship with Carol and her need to win the election takes over, leading to a few hurdles in their friendship, which not only shows Dhara the error of her ways, but also shows young readers how competition among friends is always supposed to be healthy and how healthy competition is all about helping each other grow!

Let’s not forget the highlight of the story: the election! Elections are quite a difficult topic for the young ones to wrap their around, but fret not! If you have a young reader at home and you want to explain to them how elections work(campaigning, posters, voting day, etc.), this is the perfect book for you! It can’t get simpler than this! Tanvi Bhat’s adorable illustrations will make the reading experience only better!

A huge shout-out to Chandra ma’am and Dhara’s parents for being extremely supportive and caring, which shows how the presence of well-meaning adults will shape a child’s life!

And yes, this one has a happy ending, of course! Any book that makes me tear up gets an extra star from me and boy, did I want to jump right into the pages and give Dhara, Carol and Chandra ma’am a group hug! Undoubtedly a 5-star read!

Are you a fan of Middle Grade books? Which ones are your favourite? 🤩

TITLE: The Chowpatty Cooking Club

AUTHOR: Lubaina Bandukwala

PAGE EXTENT: 144

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️💫

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Bombay, 1942

With Mahatma Gandhi’s call to the British to Quit India, the city has become a hotbed of revolutionary activity-student protests, secret magazines and even an underground People’s Radio which broadcasts news that the British want concealed. 
Sakina and her friends Zenobia and Mehul desperately want to be part of this struggle for freedom. But there is little that they are permitted to do. But at least, they are trying to do something useful, while their mothers are only running a cooking club …

The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.

What do we study in history textbooks about the Indian freedom struggle? What a bunch of adults do to ensure India’s freedom from the British. Right. But do they tell you about the lives of children during the freedom struggle and what they went through? No! And that’s where the Songs of Freedom series comes in!

Sakina, Zenobia and Mehul are three friends from Chowpatty in Mumbai who have heard a lot about freedom fighters, student protests and secret magazines from friends and family but they also want to be a PART of the freedom struggle! And then there’s the underground People’s Radio that’s broadcasting information the newspapers are forbidden to publish. They All they do is help deliver recipes and dishes for their mothers!

But what happens when they come across an object they aren’t supposed to have a clue about? What is the People’s Radio and who is running it? What if they get captured? These three kids get wrapped up in a mystery that’s way bigger than they can imagine and it’s a race against time before they run out of luck!

Wow! This book was thrilling to the T! I could NOT stop myself from reading and I was frantically turning pages because I couldn’t wait to find out what happens in the end! Who knew three kids from Mumbai would be involved in something that would tip the scales massively?

This book instills a deep sense of patriotism and shows how it transcends religion, language, caste and economic status. It gives us a glimpse into the lives of India’s young, budding citizens during her fight for freedom from the colonisers and portrays their mental turmoil, fear, curiosity and love for India in general!

The epilogue had my eyes brimming with tears and I wanted to jump into the book and give Sakina, Mehul and Zenobia a group hug!

Which book set during India’s struggle for freedom is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

TITLE: The Train to Tanjore

AUTHOR: Devika Rangachari

PAGE EXTENT: 112

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Tanjore, 1942

There are few excitements in Thambi’s quiet life. There is the new hotel, disapproved of by elders, which lures him with the aroma of sambar with onions. There are visits to the library to read the newspaper, and once in a while, a new movie at the Rajaram Electric Theatre. More disagreeably, there are fortnightly visits from his uncle to lay down the law. 

When Gandhiji announces the Quit India movement, Tanjore is torn apart by protests. The train station-the lifeline of the town-is vandalized. Mysterious leaflets are circulated, containing news that newspapers do not publish. And inspired by the idea of a free India and his own dreams of being an engineer, Thambi must find the courage to do what he believes is right-even when it endangers all he holds dear.

The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.

Thambi is a 12-year-old from Thanjavur(also called Tanjore), Tamil Nadu. He’s going about his life, being a good student at school, aspiring to become an engineer, reading the newspapers at the library, looking forward to eating the aromatic sambar at the New Madras Hotel and so not looking forward to his dreaded Periyappa’s visit!

Things turn haywire when Gandhiji announces the Quit India movement and Tanjore is torn apart by violent protests, including setting fire to the railway station which happens to be the lifeline of the town!

I went into this book with a lot of expectations, especially after having read and loved another book in the series, and unfortunately, this one turned out to be a bit of a letdown for me. Although the book did justice to the time period by portraying a clear picture of the state of affairs in the country at the time, it didn’t really weave children into the freedom struggle. The Songs of Freedom series is all about the lives of children and their contribution to India’s freedom struggle but the protagonist didn’t really contribute much to it?

While there were chapters that were really emotional and invoked a feeling of patriotism, this book fell short on many grounds. Not only is the story slow-paced and dreary at places, it also lacks the element of suspense I was looking forward to.

There were a lot of things happening around Thambi and the people in his life but none of it seemed to involve him whatsoever. Thambi seemed more like a member of the audience than a participant.

As an adult, I love this book and the issues it addresses but if I would look at it from the perspective of Middle Grade me(the target audience), I’m afraid to say I wouldn’t find it captivating enough.

Have you read any books set during the Indian Freedom Struggle? Let me know in the comments!