Deepa Anappara

"Based on a true story--Nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality police shows, thinks he's smarter than his friend Pari (even though she gets the best grades), and considers himself to be a better boss than Faiz (even though Faiz is the one with a job). When a classmate goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from TV to find him. He asks Pari and Faiz to be his assistants and together they draw up lists of people to interview and places to visit. But what begins as a game turns sinister as other children start disappearing from their neighborhood. Jai, Pari, and Faiz have to confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force, and their fears of soul-snatching djinns. As the disappearances edge ever closer to home, the lives of Jai and his friends will never be the same again. At times exuberant, at times heartbreaking, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line traces the unfolding of a tragedy while capturing the fierce warmth and resilience of a community forged in times of trouble"--

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel Shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Literature Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction A New York Times Editors' Choice and Notable Book of 2020 One of Time's Must-Read Books of 2020 "Warning: if you begin reading the book in the morning, don't expect to get anything done for the rest of the day." --New York Times Three children venture into the darkest corners of a sprawling Indian city to find their missing classmate, in a stunningly original debut novel--based on a true story. Nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality police shows, thinks he's smarter than his friend Pari (even though she gets the best grades), and considers himself to be a better boss than Faiz (even though Faiz is the one with a job). When a classmate goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from TV to find him. He asks Pari and Faiz to be his assistants and together they draw up lists of people to interview and places to visit. But what begins as a game turns sinister as other children start disappearing from their neighborhood. Jai, Pari, and Faiz have to confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force, and their fears of soul-snatching djinns. As the disappearances edge ever closer to home, the lives of Jai and his friends will never be the same again. At times exuberant, at times heartbreaking, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line traces the unfolding of a tragedy while capturing the fierce warmth and resilience of a community forged in times of trouble.

fatru tamzil

"It’s good for them, right? They don’t have to lift a finger. If anything happens to us, it’s because we did it ourselves. If a TV goes missing from our homes, we stole it. If we get murdered, then we killed ourselves.” ⁣
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I finished this book yesterday, and yes, it makes me feel angry for the people in power, people who are supposed to protect us, protect those in need but choose to neglect that because of their inability to feel that other people who are less than them are human.⁣
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Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line tells a story through Jai, a nine years old playing detective to find his missing friends. Along with his closest friend, Pari and Faiz, he started an investigation on the missing children. As the victim increased, they started to realize that while it was a very big case, nobody would help beside themselves. ⁣
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This book was inspired by the true story of missing childrens in India, and how it was always angled by how they died, instead of who yhe victim was. And as we see and read this book by Jai's perspective--we see his effort as a child to understands the other children who went missing. While the police gave into an easier route, such as blaming the case on the parents, or making up assumptions based on the hearsay. Nobody in authorities actually took time to listen. Not until it was too late, and nothing could be given back. ⁣
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And as always, people find scapegoats when authorities failed them. This book talks about it too, how a case break an already fragile trust between Hindus and Muslims, how it sharpen the prejudice. ⁣
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In the end, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is ultimately about one thing: the one who cares about the missing children in a slum area is the child of the area themselves. Because justice is never for them, but for those who have money, power, and the privillege to not care.

shellybn

** spoiler alert **
           This was a good coming of age story, but once again, I misinterpreted a book title and description. I was expecting a coming of age story in the sense of "Something Wicked This Way Comes," "Summer of Night," or "It." This was a coming of age story more like "To Kill a Mockingbird." Even though it drags in parts, it is certainly worth reading.

'Anappara creates an endearing and highly engaging narrator to navigate us through the dark underbelly of modern India' Observer 'I love this book...I just fell into it' Tayari Jones We children are not just stories. We live. Come and see. Nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality cop shows, thinks he's smarter than his friend Pari (even though she always gets top marks) and considers himself to be a better boss than Faiz (even though Faiz is the one with a job). When a boy at school goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from episodes of Police Patrol to find him. With Pari and Faiz by his side, Jai ventures into some of the most dangerous parts of the sprawling Indian city; the bazaar at night, and even the railway station at the end of the Purple Line. But kids continue to vanish, and the trio must confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force and soul-snatching djinns in order to uncover the truth. * A New York Times Notable Book * *One of the Observer's 10 best debut novelists of 2020* _____________________________ PRAISE FOR DJINN PATROL ON THE PURPLE LINE: 'A heartrending tale' The Times 'A drama of childhood that is as wild as it is intimate' Chigozie Obioma, Booker Prize shortlisted author of An Orchestra of Minorities 'Extraordinarily good, deeply moving and thought provoking with brilliant characterisation. A very important book' Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of Blood Orange 'Djinn Patrol is storytelling at its best. The prose is not just sympathetic, vivid, and beautifully detailed, but also completely assured and deft' Anne Enright

Discover the immersive novel longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2020

Lauren Attaway

Following a series of child kidnappings through the eyes of a nine-year-old really brings the danger to the forefront. I was so heartsick with the events of this book, but I desperately had to know what happened. These children were so alive to me. Djinn Patrol on the Purple line is an excellent mystery and coming-of-age story.

Ruby Huber

This was ALMOST 4 stars, if I was someone who gave fractions of stars I would have done that for this book, but I'm not, and I won't. 

I loved that the story was written from the perspective of a child without being a childish story, the story was great, brought up a lot of important and big issues around the number of children that disappear in India every year, and the related problem of police negligence/corruption. For me, the middle dragged a bit, and I felt like there was no way I was going to be satisfied by the ending, and I was kind of preparing for that, but then it picked up and the ending was actually fine and even good. 

I dunno, I still just feel like I am missing something, I wanted a little more.... je ne sais quoi! A little more connective tissue in this story, that's what I wanted!!!! Anyway, it was good and I do recommend!

Sharon Steinman

I found this book a hard read. It appreciate and recognize the important of this story being told but I found it difficult to get through and struggled to connect with the characters.

Francine Corry

Eva Ströberg

Anjali Vij

Karis Ryu

Melanie Richards

Jane McCullough

'Anappara creates an endearing and highly engaging narrator to navigate us through the dark underbelly of modern India' Observer We children are not just stories. We live. Come and see. Nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality cop shows, thinks he's smarter than his friend Pari (even though she always gets top marks) and considers himself to be a better boss than Faiz (even though Faiz is the one with a job). When a boy at school goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from episodes of Police Patrol to find him. With Pari and Faiz by his side, Jai ventures into some of the most dangerous parts of the sprawling Indian city; the bazaar at night, and even the railway station at the end of the Purple Line. But kids continue to vanish, and the trio must confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force and soul-snatching djinns in order to uncover the truth. 'A heartrending tale' The Times 'A drama of childhood that is as wild as it is intimate' Chigozie Obioma, Booker Prize shortlisted author of An Orchestra of Minorities 'Extraordinarily good, deeply moving and thought provoking with brilliant characterisation. A very important book' Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of Blood Orange 'Extraordinary... moving and unpredictable... remarkable' Washington Post **One of the Observer's 10 best debut novelists of 2020**

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

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