Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

14 reviews

chyneyee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Sometimes, Jai's character frustrates me, but at the same time, I kept telling myself that he's just a kid. He still doesn't know many things and how the world works.

My favourite part:

Ma picks up the scrunchie. 'Put it back,' I tell her. 'It's evidence.' 'This is not your stupid show,' Ma screams at me. 'What's wrong with you? I cannot bear to listen to you for a second more.'

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Trafficking

horizonous's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I loved the friendship between Jai, Pari and Faiz and was surprised that I didn't mind the narration from a child's POV at all. However, the story is slow going and at times repetitive, so there's a bit of a slog in the middle until it picks back up towards the end where everything happens all at once and ends in just a couple of chapters. But I would definitely read from Deepa Anappara again!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Racism, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Slavery, and Trafficking

cwgrieves's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Violence

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Debut novelist Deepa Anappara carefully captures the epidemic of child disappearances in Indian slums, told from the perspective of a spirited basti child.  An expert on police proceedings due to his religious observance of the TV show Police Patrol, young Jai convinces his friends to conduct the detective work necessary—due to local police incompetence—to find their missing classmates.  In the seams of their escapades are the threads of their vibrant community—the culture is palpable in every moment.  Jai tells an ultimately sorrowful story with the levity and excitement that can only come from a child; his voice is a bittersweet delight.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Grief, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Drug use, Slavery, Trafficking, and Pregnancy

stanisz's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Child death

Minor: Trafficking and Stalking

qqjj's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Child death

Moderate: Islamophobia

Minor: Alcoholism

_inge_'s review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Kidnapping

Minor: Alcoholism

ceecee9093's review against another edition

mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Animal death and Domestic abuse

enjoyjournaling's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I liked Jai, a young boy, as the narrator. It gives a darker story that childlike obliviousness that glosses over some of the worse parts of the world. I thought the pacing was a little slower, but it’s clear the author has spent time in communities like the one she’s written about here. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Sexism

womanwill's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Excrement, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Police brutality, and Stalking