The Bewitching of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes

 

The story follows Aveline to a cottage in the countryside not far from where they lived, for her summer holidays. The only thing she found alluring enough for her in the village of Norton Wick was the circle of stones called The Witch Stones. While exploring the circle of stones she came across an enigmatic girl, Hazel. Suddenly, her boring vacation became intriguing and thrilling. Aveline becomes suspicious when Hazel starts acting strange. Bizarre things start occurring that had no logical explanation other than a supernatural one. When Aveline's friend Harold arrives to spend a few days, that's when things become slightly twisted. 

This is the second Aveline Jones book after The Haunting of Aveline Jones. The author has taken his time to build an eerie atmosphere before taking the story forward. Despite its slow start it picks up pace in the second half and turns into a fascinating and spine-tingling tale of witches and magic. Britain's supernatural history of stone circles and witch trials has been brilliantly blended into the story. The author has not used a plethora of characters to unnecessarily complicate the story. With the minimum number of characters, he has spun a perfect spooky mystery for the middle graders. I am going to pick up the first book and looking forward to the third in the series. 

Illustrations - 3/5

Engagement Factor - 4/5

Overall Rating - 4/5

Age - 8-12+

The Girl in the Striped Dress by Ellie Midwood

 

Setting

During the Second World War, Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp was located in occupied Poland. Throughout the war, around 1.3 million people were sent to the camp, mainly Jews, ethnic Poles, Roma and other political prisoners. Most of them were either gassed or died of disease, starvation, beatings, exhaustion or execution. This is where the story of The Girl in the Striped Dress takes place. 

Storyline 

In Germany 1947, Frank Dahler a former kommandofuhrer at Auschwitz concentration camp was under trial before Denazification Tribunal for war crimes. He brings along his wife Helena, a former inmate of Auschwitz, as his witness. Helena has the appearance of a meek woman who is dependent on her husband. She narrates the heart-wrenching and poignant tale of her life at the concentration camp. When she was minutes away from being gassed, a stroke of luck saves her and she is sent to work in Kanada detail under the command of Frank Dahler. Surrounded by inhumanity and barbarity, Frank’s acts of kindness nudges Helena towards him. Love blossomed where there was seemingly no place for it.

My Thoughts

Once in a while, a book comes along your way that breaks your heart. The Girl in the Striped Dress is one such book that broke me from within, tore me apart and left me shattered. It is a gut-wrenching book. Such brutality and ghastliness are beyond my comprehension. I have read enough books about the holocaust but when you come across a book like this, you truly begin to understand the horrors of the holocaust. The details of the treatment meted out to the inmates made me squirm. Ellie Midwood has distinctly outlined her characters. She has left it on readers to conclude whether it was true love or the “Stockholm Syndrome”(a term which wasn't coined yet) for Helena. The narrative does not falter at any point and you are thrown right into the Auschwitz Camp, next to Helena where you can smell the death all around you. Even after finishing it some time back, this book still haunts me and would continue to do so for a long time to come. A book worth reading. 

Rating - 5/5

Recommend - Please do read!

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

 

Setting

India in 1921 was under British rule. All over the country, there were struggles to gain independence. Gandhiji had launched the Non-Cooperation movement with the aim of self-governance. It was an essentially peaceful and non-violent movement with widespread hartals, refusal to pay taxes, boycotting foreign goods, government educational institutions etc. Use of handspun fabric khadi was encouraged. King George V sent Prince of Wales on his behalf as the ambassador of the British Empire to thank India for the role it played during the First World War. Indian National Congress(INC) resolved to boycott the Prince’s visit. 

Storyline

The book follows the exploits of Parveen Mistry during Prince of Wales visit to Bombay. In the times when higher education for women was frowned upon, Parveen is one of the first female lawyers of India. She is a supporter of Indian independence. When the Prince of Wales visits Bombay, there is unrest all across Bombay leading to rioting. Parveen also is a reluctant audience to the welcoming parade for Prince. She watches it with her friend Alice Hobson-Jones at Woodburn College. When the body of a Parsi student, Freny Cuttingmaster is found on college premises, Parveen resolves to bring the guilty to justice. Freny was the same girl who had approached her a few days earlier for legal consultation. 

My Thoughts

The Bombay Prince is the third book in the Parveen Mistry series. It can be read as a stand-alone book. Parveen is shown to balance her religious and family values well with her quest to solve the mystery. Sujata Massey has given an informative insight into the Parsi customs and traditions, blending them beautifully in the storyline. The story keeps you engrossed along with delineating the social, cultural and political environment of the 1920s. Having said that, I feel The Bombay Prince does not have an as strong narrative as the first two books in the series. Parveen appears to be more cautious in this. Overall an entertaining cosy mystery that I would highly recommend. 

Rating - 4/5

Recommend - Yes

A Mystery at Lili Villa by Arathi Menon

 

A Mystery at Lili Villa follows the escapades of three cousins Tam, Arj and Mira in the small town of Elathoor, Kerala. Tam is spending her summer vacations with her cousins at her aunt and uncle’s house, Lili Villa. When a burglary occurs at their house, the cousins decide to play detectives and figure out the culprit themselves. They draw a list of suspects and go around the town gathering clues and figuring out each one’s alibis. 

The author has maintained a simple flow in storytelling without adding too many unnecessary complexities. I loved the setting of the small town of Kerala where almost everyone knows everyone in a close-knit community. The children are endearing and the author has managed to make their personalities stand out. The way they go about crossing out suspects from their list while having fun along the way would interest the kids. The use of monikers instead of proper names for the characters adds to the fun element. Since food is a big part of our Indian culture, the Kerala food glossary at the end was a great addition. I feel illustrations would have added to the appeal of the book, which was missing. Though the book is aimed at middle-grade readers, I feel it is more suitable for young readers. Middle-grade readers prefer their mysteries a little more complicated. My 6-year-old had a good time reading it.

Illustrations - 0/5

Engagement Factor - 4/5

Overall Rating - 4/5

Age - 7-10+

Hilde Cracks the Case - Hero Dog by Hilde Lysiak

Hero Dog is the first book of the series Hilde Cracks the case. It is a book written by a kid for kids. Hilde Lysiak has been the inspiration for the Apple+ TV series Home Before Dark. It is part of Scholastic’s Branches line for early readers. It can be the stepping stone into the world of chapter books for your child. 

Hilde, a nine-year-old lives in a small town called Selinsgrove and has created a newspaper for her hometown. She considers herself a serious reporter and is always out and about in search of cases to report. Hero Dog follows Hilde a perspicacious investigative journalist, trying to solve the break-in on Orange Street with the help of her big sister Izzy. Some cupcakes and pie have gone missing and someone is trying to sabotage the Selisnsgrove bake-off bonanza. Hilde interviews the residents of Orange Street and notes down the clues in her notepad.

The writing is simple engaging enough for a 6-year-old to comprehend. The illustrations by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff adds to the charm of the story. Clues and suspects are neatly summarized at the end of chapters which makes kids feel that they are also part of the mystery. 

My 6-year-old loved the book and totally lapped it up. Now she is asking for the next one! 

Illustrations - 4.5/5

Engagement Factor - 4/5

Overall Rating - 4/5

Age - 5-6+

Belonging by Umi Sinha

Setting

The story is set in colonial India from the late 1800s till after the First World War. It was the time when India was under British rule. In 1857, Britishers saw the first major uprising against them, which we also refer to as the first struggle for India's independence. 

Storyline

The story is told from three perspectives of people belonging to three different generations of the same family. Cecily, in the 1850s, when she was travelling to India from England to get married to a much older Army officer posted in India. She also recounts her struggles of getting accustomed to living in a new country. Most of Henry's story is about his motherless childhood during the 1860s and later his troubled marriage with Rebecca during the 1880s. Henry's daughter, Lila's story is about the loss she suffers in her childhood and later her life in England. 

My Thoughts

Belonging is a multilayered book and not an easy one to read. Several times I had to keep the book aside to comprehend all that was happening in the lives of the protagonists. I like to read about India under British Raj as it was the dark times in our history. But reading about a British family in India was something new for me. It gave a glimpse of the British lifestyle during the Raj. Although the story is about a British family living in India, it does not stereotype the Indians. Henry and Lila both had an innate attachment towards India which was endearing. The three POV's could have been disastrous but the author has handled them well. They contribute to the flow of the narrative instead of disturbing it. The story is engaging and will ensure that you keep turning the pages. I honestly didn't see the twist coming at the end. Also, the epistolary style of writing adds to the beauty of the story. Cecily's letters to her sister and Henry's diary entries take the narrative forward. I would love to read how Lila's life continued in India. 

Rating  - 4/5

Recommend - Yes

 

The Rainbow by Carly Schabowski

 

I just can't seem to get enough of World War II fiction. There are so many haunting war stories waiting to be told and heard, each teaching something new in its wake. The Rainbow by Carly Schabowski is one such book that would remain with you long after it ends. 

Setting

Most of the story is set during the Second World War in Poland. Poland was one of the first countries invaded by Germany in 1939 that led to World War II. By 1941, the whole of Poland was under German occupation. Polish people suffered great atrocities at the hands of Germans. Jews were singled out and exterminated. Around 90 per cent of Polish Jews were killed during the holocaust. Many Polish men and boys were conscripted into the Wehrmacht forcibly. 

Storyline

This is a dual timeline book. In 2015, Isla chances upon an old newspaper article that makes her question everything she knows about her grandfather. Seeing her grandfather in a Nazi uniform shocks her and leaves her feeling betrayed. It sets her on a quest to find the truth behind it all. She travels to Poland to find the answers. While looking for her grandfather's life story, she ends up finding a heart-rending love story at its heart. A story of love and sacrifice. 

My Thoughts

The Rainbow gave me a different perspective on the war. Being set in Poland and told from the viewpoint of a Polish man forcibly conscripted in the German army was a unique and appealing premise. It was difficult to find fault with Tomasz even when he betrays his compatriots unwillingly. Instead, you end up feeling his helplessness, his love for Zofia and his pain. The way Isla stirred up old memories in her grandfather and persuaded him to turn pages of a long-forgotten chapter of his life was extremely poignant. The fact that the author Carly Schabowski took her grandfather's story as an inspiration for the book proves the fact that more such tales need to be told. 

 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Setting

Nightingale is set in the time of World War II in France. During the German occupation of France, it was divided into Occupied Zone and Free Zone. Nazis requisitioned everything of value, took over homes to house their officers. Jews were ostracised and sent to concentration camps. This gave birth to the French Resistance movement. Resistance planned and coordinated attacks on Nazis. They also aided Allied forces.  

Storyline

The book follows two sisters who were poles apart. Vianne Mauriac, the elder one, was more restrained and homely, while Isabelle was an impetuous and rebellious nineteen-year-old who was not afraid of taking risks. With France run over by the Nazis, Isabelle runs off to join the resistance. She assumes a new identity and runs numerous daring missions right under the noses of Germans. Contrarily, Vianne believed in keeping her head down, while waiting for her husband Antoine's return from the war. For her, the primary concern was to keep her daughter Sophie safe. With time she realises that she can also help in saving other children. She imperils herself to hide the children who else would have been sent to the labour camps.

My Thoughts

After reading umpteen number of books about World War II, there is one thing I have learnt, war is not only about men. Soldiers are not the only heroes of the war, heroes are also the women and children left behind who show exemplary courage. We tend to overlook the crucial role played by women in the war. During the war, valour is not only about facing the enemy on the front. But also keeping the family together and persevering in adverse circumstances. Vianne had to make some tough and undesirable choices. But she does not let that break her spirit and stays tenacious. I was especially impressed by the way the author has shown Isabelle's character growth. In the beginning, she is shown as an immature girl who is not the least mindful of how her actions might affect her family.  From an annoying girl, she soon matures into a woman who does not hesitate in risking her life to help others and who believes in freeing her country from Nazi clutches with gusto and great verve. The last part is especially is an emotional roller coaster that moved me to tears. Immaculate storytelling by Kristin Hannah will tug at your heartstrings. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking story that shows the resiliency of the human spirit. 

Rating - 5/5

Recommend - Not to be missed!