A review by dgrachel
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

This is a novel that broke my heart. When a classmate goes missing, 9 year old Jai, who is obsessed with detective shows on TV, gathers his two best friends to investigate the case. As other children go missing, Jai and his friends take bigger risks to try to discover the truth behind the disappearances. Told from Jai’s perspective, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, is both amusing and horrifying. As an indictment of the treatment of the poor and “other” in India, the novel sheds light on how the poor are barely considered human, but it also showcases the resilience of the people, particularly the children. Happiness and hope weaves throughout the suffering. It’s a beautiful, if heartbreaking, novel and I cannot recommend it enough. Also, the audiobook is phenomenal. I switched between audio and print, and the narrator is fantastic. 
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