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I’d heard and read a lot about Brit Bennett’s debut novel ‘The Mothers’, a story about the consequences of an unplanned teenage pregnancy. Unfortunately, our local bookstores could never get the book. So I settled for her second novel published four years after The Mothers, ‘The Vanishing Half’, when I found it at Pilgrims Book House in Jhamsikhel. 

Now, The Mothers was a smashing success. Often when there’s that pressure to come out with another equally good work, writers don’t deliver. But if The Mothers is even as half as good as The Vanishing Half, it’s going to be a phenomenal read: Bennett’s second novel is filled with intrigue, drama, and a rich, detailed setting that puts you, the reader, smack in the middle of all that is happening. 

It’s a story about twin sisters Desiree and Stella Vignes who are born and live in Mallard, a fictional town in Louisiana, where the residents are mostly light-skinned blacks. Nobody marries dark in this town and over time the population becomes lighter and lighter, like ‘a cup of coffee steadily diluted with cream’. But being lighter than the average blacks doesn’t protect them in an era when prejudices and racism run deep. 

The twin’s father is killed by a gang of white men and their mother works as a cleaner at a rich white lady’s house. Desiree and Stella know that if they continue to stay in Mallard, they won’t ever be safe or free despite their light skin tone and wavy locks. So they run away to New Orleans but after a year Stella leaves Desiree and the two end up leading entirely different lives: Stella passes off for white and Desiree marries the darkest man she can find. 

A decade later, the twin’s teenage children, dark-skinned Jude and blonde Kennedy, meet at a cocktail party. Initially they don’t know they are cousins but they soon find out that their mothers are sisters and how their lives have been shaped by the lies they had nothing to do with, their fates sealed by their mother’s decisions. Largely a story about racism and identity, The Vanishing Half also explores the fragility of relationships and the constant effort you need to put in to build the life you always dreamt of. 

Bennett seems to have a natural flair for writing and the story doesn’t drag on despite feeling a tad melodramatic at times. The Vanishing Half is a book of tremendous wisdom, forcing you to confront your hidden biases and misgivings about race, class, gender, and other societal constructs.

Three and half stars

Fiction

The Vanishing Half

Brit Bennett 

Published: 2020

Publisher: Dialogue Books

Pages: 366, Paperback

Emily Henry writes good books with bad, misleading titles. The frolicky looking covers don’t do justice to the stories either. With better, more-fitting titles, her books, I believe, would have been more widely read. Right now, it feels like chick lit and that definitely puts off many people. I didn’t read her books for the longest time as I felt I had outgrown those kinds of stories. 

But as everybody—people I knew and random strangers on the Internet—was raving about her books, I picked up ‘You and Me on Vacation’. I’d stop reading the moment I felt my stomach roil (love stories tend to have that effect on me). It didn’t and I loved the book. 

So naturally I wanted to read ‘Beach Read’ which was even more hyped than ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ (the US title of You and Me on Vacation). Centered on two writers who strike a deal to write each other’s books, Beach Read has a great premise that delivers till the very end. January is a romance writer who no longer believes in love. Augustus Everett (or ‘Gus’ to January) is a literary writer who is stuck in a rut. They were also nemesis in college with each apparently dissing the other’s work. 

Somehow, they end up living in neighboring beach houses. Each is trying to write a novel but is stopped by a massive writer’s block. In a bid to get out of the creative slump, they agree to swap genres. Romance ensues as they get to know each other better. 

But the story isn’t limited to that. There’s a lot of heavy content, with issues of abuse, neglect, infidelity and grief bringing in plenty of darkness to what appears to be a lighthearted story. Also, Gus is researching suicide cults and his ‘interviews’ with people who were a part of it are difficult to read at times, as are his traumatic childhood memories. 

January learns about her father’s mistress on the day of his funeral and can’t come to terms with it, especially as her father isn’t around to explain himself. The hardest thing isn’t missing someone, it’s being angry with someone and not being able to fight it out, she says. The book is peppered with many contemplative moments like this. The end does feel a bit stretched out but the characters are so empathetically crafted that you are willing to overlook this one fault.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52867387-beach-read

Four stars

Fiction

Beach Read

Emily Henry

Published: 2020

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 361, Paperback

British author Clare Mackintosh is a former police officer who seems to know what she is writing about in her novel ‘I See You’, a crime thriller set in the elaborate labyrinth that is the London underground. Many scenes jump off the page and feel very real. It’s almost like watching a crime drama series. But, for me, the ending was a letdown despite the numerous twists and turns. It felt a little clumsy. As if the author couldn’t decide what to do, which direction to take. It makes for a rushed and a little unbelievable ending. If you are someone who’s read or watched a lot of crime stories, you can sense where things are headed.

Zoe Walker is 40 and divorced with a son (22) and a daughter (19). Her boyfriend, Simon, lives with them but her children don’t like him much. It doesn’t help that Zoe’s ex-husband, Matt, is also in the picture and still loves Zoe. Simon is jealous of Matt and her children blame her for leaving their father. Then, one day, she sees her photo in a newspaper advertisement for a dating service. The problem is she hasn’t signed up for one. As Zoe starts looking into it, she finds that women who have appeared on the advert have been victims of abuse and crime. 

Enter Kelly Swift, a police officer who patrols the subway, keeping an eye out mostly for pickpockets. She was demoted to the position after she attacked a prisoner who provoked her. The man had raped her twin sister in college. Kelly learns that there’s a mysterious website that lists the subway routes of women along with their personal details. There are different subscription plans to access this information. When her team finds out that at least two women on the website have been raped and murdered, they start looking for the website owner. 

The novel’s first sentence holds a lot of promise: ‘The man behind me is standing close enough to moisten the skin on my neck with his breath’. I bought the book because I felt the tension would escalate. But the danger lurks more in Zoe’s mind rather than actually out there. For the most part, it feels like Zoe is just scared and making things up, even when she’s not. And because there are only a handful of characters, it’s not that difficult to guess who might be behind it all. 

Mackintosh, having served in the police force for 12 years, definitely understands the complexities of the job and it is this richly portrayed side of the story that is more interesting than the actual plot. I’d still recommend the book, purely for the vibes of the chaotic London subway system and numerous mentions of tea. 

Three stars

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26233572-i-see-you

Thriller

I See You

Clare Mackintosh

Published: 2016

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 388, Paperback

Often, whatever it is that you claim to value—family, friends, pets, books and other little things that spark joy—are relegated to the end of your priority list as your workload increases. Caught up in the rat race your days merge into one another and you run the risk of letting life pass you by. Klune focuses on this theme and tells interesting stories, making you think about all that you take for granted. I loved ‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ and I picked up ‘Under the Whispering Door’ because I just knew this one would also be amazing. Klune’s writing is extremely nuanced and witty as well.  

Under the Whispering Door is a whimsical fantasy novel about a man named Wallace Price who dies and becomes a ghost. But Wallace wasn’t done living. He had too much work left to do. As Wallace struggles to cross over to the afterlife—floating around in the teashop run by an empathetic ferryman called Hugo—he finally learns how to live. Cold, calculating, and cantankerous, Wallace wasn’t a very likable man when he was alive. He never realized the extent of damage he did to people around him. But death humanizes him, makes him realize there is no difference between him and the next person and that life doesn’t necessarily have to be about beating other people to get to the top. Kindness, Wallace learns albeit a bit late (or is it ever too late?), can (and does) go a long way. And if not in life, then in afterlife, he is determined to make it his guiding principle. 

Klune has written a beautiful story of redemption after death that brims with witty one liners and scenes you want to go over again and again. There are many fun characters who never let the story get boring, even when there’s not much happening. Mei is a passionate and smart reaper who makes you double with laughter with her sarcasm and knife-wielding threats. Hugo’s grandfather, Nelson, is another ghost like Wallace who has been hanging around the tea shop for years. He teaches Wallace ‘how to be a ghost’ and scares visitors he doesn’t like at the teashop. Then, there’s the Manager who everyone fears and wants to avoid. His imminent arrival creates a tension that keeps you at the edge of your seat. 

I must mention the cute love story between Wallace and Hugo (no, it’s not a spoiler). It’s very organic and doesn’t feel forced like many narratives where romance isn’t the primary focus. Klune, who is gay, makes sure there is good queer representation in his stories. Reading his books, I believe, can help create a positive image of the LBGTIQA+ community. Though Under the Whispering Door is a fantasy novel, it’s highly relatable and helps you better understand yourself and those around you. Definitely a must read.

Four stars

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/53205888-under-the-whispering-door 

Fantasy fiction

Under the Whispering Door

TJ Klune

Published: 2021

Publisher: Tor 

Pages: 376, Paperback

‘The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas’ by John Boyne is a sad, fictional story about the holocaust. But it doesn’t have that gut-wrenching effect as many other fictions and memoirs about the atrocious historical event. Rather, I felt the story downplayed the horrors at times. As far as fiction goes, I wouldn’t say it’s the best representation of the crimes of the Second World War. 

It could, however, be a good place to get children started on history. There’s a Netflix adaptation of the novel and it’s much better and nuanced than the book. While I’d recommend children and young adults to read the book and skip the movie, adults could do the opposite. 

The story is narrated by Bruno, a nine-year-old, whose father is one of the commanders of Hitler’s army. When his family moves to a dilapidated house near a Nazi concentration camp from a five-storey mansion in Berlin, Bruno struggles to understand why he has had to leave his comfy home and friends behind. He is angry and annoyed. He also doesn’t get why there aren’t other children around to play with. 

Then he befriends a boy named Shmuel who lives on the other side of a barbed wire fence and who only seems to wear striped pajamas. Shmuel’s head is shaved, he is thin, and he is always hungry. Bruno visits him often and starts smuggling food and the two become friends. 

Unlike other boys their age, they just sit on either side of the fence and talk. Then right before Bruno is to return to Berlin with his mother and sister, he does something unthinkable that shatters his family.

Besides Bruno and Shmuel, there are other characters that give you glimpses of the different aspects of the holocaust. Even Hitler makes an appearance. Boyle’s writing is sparse but conveys a lot. You can imagine the scenes quite clearly. But because the story is narrated by a child, it lacks nuance. However, the innocent voice tugs at your heartstrings and makes you laugh at times. Bruno calls his sister ‘hopeless case’ (whenever she does something he can’t understand and you find yourself rolling your eyes and laughing at the same time) and the things he notices could only occur to a child. 

He seems to be  a boy you know—inquisitive, stubborn and cute. Stories about the holocaust are always difficult to read. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is no different. But it’s predictable and you sense where it’s going, though the ending will still shock you.

Two and half stars   

Fiction

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

Published: 2006

Publisher: Vintage

Pages: 223, Paperback

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39999.The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pajamas

‘Act Your Age, Eve Brown’ is the third book in the Brown sister series by Talia Hibbert and tells the story of the youngest of the three Brown sisters. You don’t really need to read the books in order though. The first and the second books in the series—‘Get a Life, Chloe Brown’ and ‘Take a Hint, Dani Brown’—were fun and whimsical. I wish I could say the same about the final one but having read two romance novels by the same author already, the third one had lost its appeal. Chloe and Danika from the other two books were interesting protagonists but Eve feels like a little bit of both. It’s almost as if Hibbert ran out of ideas to develop the character and made do with a hodgepodge of her previous ones. 

Even Jacob Wayne, the man Eve falls in love with, is nowhere as interestingly crafted as Redford Morgan and Zafir Ansari, Chloe’s and Danika’s love interests respectively. I lusted over Red and Zaf. I connected with their stories and struggles—abuse and mental illness—because it was written with so much empathy and understanding. Jacob is autistic but Hibbert clearly hasn’t done much research on it and he comes across as a prickly snob.   

Don’t get me wrong. Hibbert is a good writer. She writes fun, engaging stories. She’s also immensely witty. I giggled my way through her previous books. Even Act Your Age, Eve Brown has some really hilarious lines and scenes. I also appreciate that her heroines aren’t tall and skinny who think they aren’t pretty but are in fact drop-dead gorgeous. Chloe, Dani and Eve are of all shapes and sizes and they are comfortable in their bodies. 

My problem with the book was that it felt very repetitive. I’m not even going to bother talking about the plot in detail. It’s basically Eve meeting Jacob and the two not getting along at first only to realize they are crazy about each other. But they both fear the other doesn’t feel the same way and drama ensues as they tiptoe around each other’s feelings (eyeroll). It was novel and refreshing in Get a Life, Chloe Brown. But Hibbert has gone on too long with the ‘a boy and a girl who don’t like each other in the beginning fall madly in love’ trope and by the third book it’s all a bit too much.

Also, the romantic (read: sex) scenes are so descriptive and go on for a dozen pages at a time. Not to sound like a prude but I skimmed through those pages, tapping furiously on my Kindle because I wanted it to be over. Don’t read Act Your Age, Eve Brown if you have read the previous two books. And if you haven’t, this definitely isn’t where you want to start. 

2 stars

Fiction

Act Your Age, Eve Brown

Talia Hibbert

Published: 2021

Publisher: Avon

Pages: 400, Paperback 

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/51824384-act-your-age-eve-brown

A little after midnight on September 5, Death-Cast, a company that alerts people the day they are going to die, calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to tell them of their fate. But the company doesn’t tell them exactly when or why they are going to die. What they do inform you is that it’s going to happen in the next 24 hours, giving them a chance to say goodbye and get their affairs in order.

Mateo and Rufus are complete strangers till they meet through the app called ‘Last Friend’ that allows those who are dying a chance to connect with someone on their ‘end day’.

The title gives away the book’s ending. You know Mateo and Rufus will die at the end. Nothing’s going to change that. But I found myself hoping the writer would deliver a twist and save these precious boys. It didn’t happen and that left me a little bereft. ‘They Both Die at the End’ isn’t the smartest story but it has some tender and heartfelt moments. It is a stark reminder that there’s no life without death and that love comes with the inevitable risk of loss. But that shouldn’t make you sick with worry. Rather, you would do well to live your life to the fullest, focusing on what matters and letting the rest go.

They Both Die at the End could have been a dark and depressing read. But peppered with the duo’s adventures as they live it up before they kick the bucket, it’s fun and engaging. It’s a story about death but it’s also a story about family, friendship and love. How Mateo and Rufus deal with their dear ones when they find they won’t be around for long makes you want to hug your parents and call your friends, lest they never realize just how much you love them. Also, the book is narrated from the perspectives of many other characters who are in some way or the other connected to either Mateo or Rufus. The effect is almost dizzying, but in a good way as it keeps things interesting.  

Despite the fact that it’s a young adult book and the writing is simple (so much so that it feels dumbed down in places), I feel people of all ages will enjoy it as it’s really easy to put yourself in the characters’ shoes and start wondering what you would have done differently had you swapped places with them. Mateo and Rufus have such distinct voices that you will identify with one and empathize with the other. It’s not a hopeful tale but it urges you to get out of your comfort zone and live the life you want instead of just wishing for it. And to do it while there is still time.

Three stars

Fiction

They Both Die at the End

Adam Silver

Published: 2017

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 373, Paperback

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7577278.Adam_Silvera

I love a good thriller. A fast-paced suspense always has me on a chokehold. But it leaves my mind the moment I’m done reading it. Rarely does a thriller novel get me to contemplate life. I don’t annotate these books, nor do I find myself going back to certain lines and paragraphs. Which is precisely why ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ was surprising.

I wanted to race through the story but had to sit back and ponder what I’d read. Laura Dave’s writing is marvelous. She says the most obvious things in an impactful manner: they feel like the thoughts at the back of your head you had been unable to articulate.

The Last Thing He Told Me starts with a disappearance. Owen Micheals, coding genius and adoring husband to Hannah Hall, vanishes on the same day that the FBI raids his company over a fraud case. He sends Hannah a note. It says ‘Protect her’. By her, Hannah knows he means her 16-year-old stepdaughter, Bailey. Bailey, in turn, gets a note asking her to listen to Hannah. She also gets a large duffel bag full of cash stuffed in her locker at school.

Hannah wants to do as Owen says because she feels he must have a good reason for running. But Bailey has never been accepting of Hannah so that makes things difficult. However, both Hannah and Bailey want answers and together they try to find out the truth. As events unfold, you see, in flashbacks, how Hannah’s past influences her choices in the present. Owen, it seems, also has a secret that he has gone to extreme lengths to protect.

Domestic thrillers generally revolve around dysfunctional families. But The Last Thing He Told Me is about a loving family whose ties are tested by unusual circumstances. That feels so refreshing. Here, one of the characters hasn’t lost his/her mind or isn’t a malicious, conniving person who has been leading a double life. The situation might be ugly and disturbing but there is a lot of good underneath it all.

Despite the twists and turns that have you biting your nails, the book actually explores what we are capable of doing for the ones we love. It’s a stunning depiction of the lengths parents often go to in order to keep their children safe.

The plot isn’t without flaws. There are things that don’t add up. You are, however, forgiving of the little glitches as you care a lot about the characters and want them to emerge unscathed. But you know they won’t and that breaks your heart a little. The ending is perhaps the most gorgeous and touching part of the book. It’s been a while since I read The Last Thing He Told Me but I’m still haunted by it.

Four stars

Fiction

The Last Thing He Told Me

Laura Dave

Published: 2021

Publisher: Viper

Pages: 306, Paperback