sambrita's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
reading it through jai’s childlike wonder warmed the bleakness at times but somehow made it even sadder overall :( a harrowing read.
thechronicknitter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
xystophi's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
tragicromancer's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.75
A darker-than-I-expected look at life in an Indian slum through the eyes of a young boy who fancies himself a detective like he sees on television. The book does a good job of highlighting the religious and socio-economic tensions present in India today, as a community begins to fracture as their children start to go missing.
maryryan's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
mark_lm's review against another edition
4.0
Spoiler
If I'd known what this was before I started it, I think I would have thought about it differently. It is a fine creation. But, as I read it, I thought that this wasn't much of a mystery, it wasn't made to be soluble, but that the setting was exotic and the children's characters and dialogue were unusually entertaining. Then the tragic ending surprised me.The author's afterward specifically states that he wrote a fictionalized account of a common problem in Indian slums and that he specifically created the children's characters to reflect those of the poor children he had encountered in India: cheeky, funny, and impatient. Also, this book has a glossary of Indian terms at the end. Since I was reading an e-book, I didn't realize that the glossary was there. I guess I was an idiot.
paperbec's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
5.0
camrobbins's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
debbiecuddy's review
3.0
This is a heartbreaking story that takes place in one of India's slums and is told from the point of view of a nine year old boy. The story unfolds as he tells of his adventures with friends as they respond to the disappearance of neighborhood children. I can't say I enjoyed the narration by a child I found it somewhat tedious and repetitive. What I liked best was how the author presented life in the slum by highlighting the daily stressors, struggles, and horrors and at the same time presenting families who are held together by hard work, love, and hope.