Review: The Girl in the Painting

The Girl in the Painting by Renita D'Silva
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book of Renita D’Silva that I read after ‘Beneath an Indian Sky’ which I really liked. It had strong characters you would remember the book by, and this is true for ‘The Girl in the Painting’ as well. Margaret and Archana will stay with you, well after you have finished reading the book.

The book shuffles between two separate timelines – one in the early 20th century and the other in the early 21st century. Margaret, is old and ill, now in hospice care. She asks her grand-daughter Emma to visit a property she owns in India and meet with Archana. She is to deliver a message to her saying she understands why she did what she did and has forgiven her, and also has regrets for what she did long back as well.

In the early 20th century, Radha and Archana are sisters who grow up in poverty. Their difficulties increase even more when Radha chooses to marry a person of a lower caste, and their father passes away suddenly. Their family is ostracised, and Radha’s choice does not work out either as her husband is completely irresponsible. Archana gets married to a person many years older than her.
This is a community where Sati (the practice of a wife ending her life when her husband dies, as part of the funeral pyre) is practiced, and this fear preys on Archana’s mind. The two social ills – casteism/untouchability and Sati find key mentions but feel forced fitted into the story. The untouchability and Radha’s life have no background feeding to it and is also largely left off after the initial focus (and Sati which is surmised to have started during invasions of the country, was not prominent during the early 20th century).

At around the same time in England, Margaret and Winnie lose their family including their sister Evie to a fire. They have to move in with their uncle, aunt and cousins. The story centers around Margaret, and how she tries to move on with life, taking solace in pursuing arts. She falls in love with Suraj who wants to move back to India, as he finds the racism prevalent to be exhausting. In India, Margaret now runs into Archana who is one of her maids. The two of them bond instantly and Archana reminds Margaret of her sister Evie.

In stories with a background like this, the impact would have been stronger if the experiences of the characters lead to their evolving development & growth, that of the community, and as a result this would have made the story grow too. However, much of that reflection is left entirely to the end.

I love Renita’s writing and the strong characters her stories feature. I hope to read more of her work soon. I would recommend this book for the characters - Margaret & Archana.

My rating: 3.25 / 5.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for providing a free copy for providing an honest review.

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Review: Lethal Acoustics

Lethal Acoustics by Rani Ramakrishnan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lethal Acoustics is a fairly quick read and the story is interesting. It has a touch of suspense, a decent and different plot, but is found wanting in the finish.

Manju runs an enterprise called ‘The Quack House’ where she listens to people with problems who seek to unburden themselves and want advice. Manu is passionate about it, though her husband Sunil does not see much potential for it and threatens to cut off funding. Manju is determined to surge ahead though. She runs into an unexpected problem when there are strange noises at her workplace. This unnerves visitors and threatens to ruin her business.

A preliminary investigation reveals that these noises could be part of a larger plot where Manju is either an accidental or deliberate target. Some events subsequently also bring up past traumas for Manju.

The story is different, and an easy read which moves smoothly. While the plot is decent, the motive is very poorly tied up at the end which reduces the book’s appeal considerably.

My rating: 3.25 / 5.


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Review: The Girl from the Sea

The Girl from the Sea by Shalini Boland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started reading Shalini Boland’s books quite recently. Of the two of her books I read, before this one, I especially liked ‘The Silent Sister’ which had a good story and moved fast. ‘The Girl from the Sea’ makes for great reading as well – it has an interesting story, great pace and some twists (including a big one).

A lady is found on the beach. As she is admitted to a hospital with a head injury, she can remember nothing of her life. A man named Piers, who says he is her boyfriend comes to the hospital, seeking to take her away once she recovers. She finds out that her name is Mia James and it turns out that she is quite rich – owning a luxurious home with a great view. Over the next few days, she finds that she is simply not able to connect with Piers anymore. Her meeting her mother and sister does not help much either. She decides to take things one at a time, including being cautious in her relationship but determined to find out about her past and what happened to her.

She discovers that she was fond of sailing, and finds herself drawn to Jack, a sailing instructor who has known her well. She has visions of someone approaching her angrily and is unclear if she is hallucinating or is seeing fragments of a real incident. Also, it is not clear if she can trust Piers, Jack or even herself.

The book moves along very quickly, and builds suspense very well. The picture of what Mia’s life was before the incident, and what happened to her, stacks up an incident at a time. The last section which unveils the suspense is very well written as well.

Overall, an engrossing read and a great book to relax with!

My rating: 4.5 / 5.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture & the author for a free electronic copy of the book for providing an honest review.


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Review: The Girl Across the Street

The Girl Across the Street by Vikki Patis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very well written book, about two women who run into each other accidentally and find themselves drawn to each other. The build up to the suspense though is too long – and large portions of the book are devoted to developing the characters in a lot of depth.

The book is alternately told from the perspectives of Isla and Beth. They meet while trying to help an accident victim. They find they have something in common – abusive partners. Isla is married to Jake, who abuses her almost since their marriage. Beth’s boyfriend Kyle lives off her income, and wastes his time with his friend Steve. It is a constant struggle for Beth to make ends meet, and her frustration mounts. Circumstances force Beth to move in with Isla temporarily, and there are secrets which unravel as the story progresses.

As the women get together, they see some hope. The story till almost the end centers around the abuse the women face, their constant state of stress and fear. This is extremely well written, and the mental agony of Isla & Beth, especially Isla, jumps out at you.

While as I mentioned, the book is well written and the events feel very real and natural, the build up to the unravelling of the suspense is too long, resulting in a slack pace for much of the book.

Overall, a book still well worth reading for its story and the quality of the writing.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for a free electronic copy of the book for providing an honest review.

My rating: 3.25 / 5.


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