Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

23 reviews

clonedgoodness's review against another edition

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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.

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libristella's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

This book is beautiful, funny, sad, and surprising. The audiobook narrators are brilliant. I loved this story: seeing the events unfold through Jay’s eyes brought such an interesting light to it all. Anappara expertly captured the spirit of the children’s innocence as well as their unique insight and way of making connections.  

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horizonous's review against another edition

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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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naluju's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny informative mysterious reflective tense 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

4.5


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cwgrieves's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.25


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marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

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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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samsearle's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.25


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stanisz's review against another edition

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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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qqjj's review against another edition

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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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literarylaila's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative lighthearted mysterious 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? N/A

5.0


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