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ClareR (6106 KP) rated Gun Island in Books

May 21, 2021

Gun Island

Amitav Ghosh | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Gun Island is a beautifully written story about a rare book dealer Deen Datta, and how his trip to a small island in the Sunderbans sets in motion a series of events that affect him deeply, opening his eyes to the world around him - a world far beyond his own experience. His journey takes in history, folklore, magic, climate change and ecological disasters. We see how climate change has an effect not just on animals, but also on people - causing the refugee crisis and the consequent reaction of Europe - especially those countries who feel they’re most at risk of being overwhelmed by the flood of refugees.

Deen Datta certainly gets around on his journey. From New York where he lives, to the Sunderbans in India, then onto a California on fire and a more flooded than usual Venice. This could have been a book that preached about the perils of climate change, but it didn’t. It did lay the stark reality out for the reader, but this was just as much a part of the story as the relationships Deen has with the people he meets, and his friends. There is a real feeling that Deen doesn’t have a firm identity: he’s detached from his Bengali roots, and he doesn’t fit in to New York either. But I think he does feel a sense of belonging by the end of the book, with the help of his friends. Cinta, a Venetian, is an old friend, and someone who always seems to push him into doing what’s good for him. Then there are his Indian friends, Piya and Tipu who help him to learn new things about himself and the world he lives in.

I loved this book. It ticked a lot of boxes on my favourite themes list: the environment, India, history, folklore, the search for identity. It’s such a thought provoking, magical novel.

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BookishWoo (317 KP) rated Victims for Sale in Books

Jun 8, 2020

Victims for Sale

Nish Amarnath | 2018 | Mystery, Thriller

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

A good, solid, “Creepy” thriller

This caught my eye when I saw MMB Tours host a “ bookstagram” tour some time ago and was intrigued. I need more thrillers in my repertoire and I do enjoy reading lesser known authors.

It has been quite some time since I was creeped out by a book!

This was purely down to the premise, which was superb, (maybe not the right choice of word considering) and something I have not read in a thriller before. Nish tackles human trafficking and exploitation on a whole new level. Focusing on girls who are intellectually disabled in the care system and their subsequent offspring.

Nish also provides an interesting insight into cultural and generational issues within the confines of an Indian family living in London.

It did take me a while to get into the story as I had trouble following the timeline and characters, it jumped ahead at times and on occasion I had to go back a couple of pages to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. This however did not detract from the plot itself.

The plot was full of twists and turns and had me guessing right through to the end, which is always a a win for me. Nish crammed a lot into 336 pages, so I did find the ending crept up on me a little too quickly. Perhaps had this been maybe a 500 pager this would not have been the case.

Nish’s prose is without a doubt first class and you can clearly see her journalistic skill set shining through. However she could have relaxed it a little as the narrative was very formal in parts, but again I must stress that this did not distract from the story and is merely an opinion.

All in all Victims for Sale by Nish Amarnath was a good, solid, “creepy” thriller that should not be passed up!

Please note that this does come with trigger warnings, so hit me up if you are inclined to be effected by certain material