Waves In The Sky

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Sometimes, in order to understand a particular culture, you need to wear the shoes of the author in case he or she happens to be a part of it. I happened to read the ARC of this book, thanks to Rakhi. I must admit, the plot is marvellous.

The story is about friendship. The plot revolves around six friends, their separation and finally, reunion. I must add that interconnections between characters add on to the plot.

The narration conjures up lovely visual imageries. Rakhi has attempted to address various social issues - adoption, child abuse, family outcasts, divorce due to mistrust. Yes, fitting in all issues in a single story may seem a bit extravagant, but since this is first in a series, I guess, proper introduction of characters vis-a-vis their background is vital for future stories.

The characters address emotions - love, empathy, kindness, friendship, anger, hatred, mistrust. All these elements have played an integral part to the story. Each canary has a distinctive character. Though I have no particular favourites, I must mention that writing a book with lots of characters is time consuming, great work Rakhi.

There were a few weak links in the ARC (nothing to do with grammar etc.). There were a few questions which came to my mind as I kept reading- What exactly was the thing which made Canaries drift apart? Why didnt Charu's parents try to get closer to their daughter? Why didnt Malini tell her husband about Varun? Why did Varun keep quiet and spend seven years in jail? A bit more elaboration was felt needed on these aspects to make the book unputdownable. Also, for a global audience, an English translation of the statements in Malayalam or references could be helpful. Since I had read the ARC only, hence, my rating and review is based solely on it.

To sum up, Rakhi has a good story to tell, one that can be read in a single sitting. The twist she has introduced is really very interesting. The book is definitely worth a read.

P.S - Rakhi, I am sure, your next will be worth the wait. Looking forward!

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