Book Review 43
Name Of The Book : A Girl Like That
Author : Tanaz Bhathena
Publisher : Penguin Random House India
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction
Review :
Sixteen-year old Zarin Wadia is many things - a bright and outspoken student, an orphan, a risk-taker. She's also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from - a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how do Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together on a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that. This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers. It tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class and religion, and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, rebellion and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.
Zarin is a rebellious teenager living with her aunt and uncle in Jeddah. She is an orphan and she has a lot of layers to her identity in terms of class, race and religion. Her outspoken nature, unapologetic behaviour and her association with the different boys of her school makes her the central character of all the school gossip. This book, written through the narratives of the different characters, covers a wide variety of subjects including moral policing, victim shaming, rape culture, patriarchy, etc. We see how culture, race, class, religion and gender, play an important role in our lives. Zarin does not allow herself to be confined to the role of a female stereotype and thus she is not accepted by those around her. She believes in living on her own terms in a world where females are expected to conform. The character of Porus is also very unique. He is a very likeable character and is the only one who can see the real Zarin and look beyond her physical and social attributes. Bullying in schools is also one of the major themes of this book. We can see how gravely it affects the morale of the person being bullied. The characters in the book are constantly evolving, which makes it very realistic. The book has a sort of open ending which I do not usually prefer but in this book, I enjoyed it. This book is disturbing and at the same time thought provoking. It is a unique book from the young adult genre.
Rating : 4.5/5
Name Of The Book : A Girl Like That
Author : Tanaz Bhathena
Publisher : Penguin Random House India
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction
Review :
Sixteen-year old Zarin Wadia is many things - a bright and outspoken student, an orphan, a risk-taker. She's also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from - a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how do Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together on a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that. This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers. It tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class and religion, and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, rebellion and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.
Zarin is a rebellious teenager living with her aunt and uncle in Jeddah. She is an orphan and she has a lot of layers to her identity in terms of class, race and religion. Her outspoken nature, unapologetic behaviour and her association with the different boys of her school makes her the central character of all the school gossip. This book, written through the narratives of the different characters, covers a wide variety of subjects including moral policing, victim shaming, rape culture, patriarchy, etc. We see how culture, race, class, religion and gender, play an important role in our lives. Zarin does not allow herself to be confined to the role of a female stereotype and thus she is not accepted by those around her. She believes in living on her own terms in a world where females are expected to conform. The character of Porus is also very unique. He is a very likeable character and is the only one who can see the real Zarin and look beyond her physical and social attributes. Bullying in schools is also one of the major themes of this book. We can see how gravely it affects the morale of the person being bullied. The characters in the book are constantly evolving, which makes it very realistic. The book has a sort of open ending which I do not usually prefer but in this book, I enjoyed it. This book is disturbing and at the same time thought provoking. It is a unique book from the young adult genre.
Rating : 4.5/5