Reviews

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

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clonedgoodness's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This is a difficult book to rate, or even profile. It's told from the point of view of multiple children, presenting their perspectives and priorities in an engrossing, eminently believable way. But the lack of tonal armor is jarring; when your narrators are children everything feels effectively harmless, right until the point it stops being that way. There's a nihilism, or perhaps stark realism, underlying the story, where things don't build to a larger meaning or present satisfying conclusions. Sometimes they just, happen.

Content Warnings

perfect_leaves's review against another edition

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5.0

Thank you Deepa Anappara and Random House Publishing for the free review copy of this book.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line was a refreshing yet haunting illustration of slum life in India, viewed through the eyes of a young boy. Jai grapples with the standard troubles of boyhood (difficulty with friends, parents, and siblings) while trying to come to terms with the mysterious disappearance of his classmates. When it becomes clear the police will not help them, he takes the investigation into his own hands, however reckless that may be. Throughout the story, Jai's optimism and self-confidence are balanced by his growing awareness of politics and his own weaknesses. This fast-paced coming-of-age story will take hold of your heart. I found myself cheering for the boy and his friends while at the same time worrying that they may be next to disappear.

Jai is acutely aware of the differences between the rich and the poor, and he comments on them in the best way he knows how. Without having access to the "high-fi" life, and without having the general knowledge adulthood brings, he often explains things in his own childlike voice, which lends extra charm to the book. I especially appreciate the #OwnVoices nature of the book. Anappara uses the vernacular of children in India, without bothering to translate the Hindi words.

Although this may not have been the point of the book, Djinn Patrol on the Purple line made me check my privilege. While I knew I'd more or less won the "birth lottery", reading about Jai and his friends made me think about how excessive western-style living tends to be.