What could have made it better for me:
For me, there is nothing that could have made this book better. No technical errors pulled me out of the story. The plot was well-paced and credible. The characters are diverse and interesting.
But I will add one note that I mention only because in posting my last book review, I saw another reader give that excellent book a one-star rating for including a non-English language. That book was about a Chinese-American family, first and second generation immigrants. Therefore, they sometimes spoke to each other in Chinese. (Shocking, I know.) But someone gave this very well-written book a one-star rating because he didn’t like that he couldn’t understand the Chinese. In my own past, one of the most scathing reviews I’ve ever received was from someone complaining that I “mixed” English and Japanese in a short story I wrote. Her complaint was something like, “No one writes in two languages, you moron!” (It was actually way more explicit than that, but you get the idea.)
I’m bringing it up because I hope to spare You Beneath Your Skin such a ridiculously bad review due to reader language bias. The setting is India. Therefore, a very small portion of the vocabulary comes from Indian languages. The book is probably 99% English, so people who know English should have no problems reading it. But here’s the thing about books that branch into vocabulary outside of English, whether it uses Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Elvish, or Klingon, these books can TEACH readers new words. How amazing is that? There were words in this text that I didn’t know when I started reading that I do know now because a number of them are repeated frequently in the same context. For the ones that don’t, there is interpretation, or the brain can piece together enough of the context to understand. Reading is supposed to increase a reader’s vocabulary. This is what reading in general does for the human brain.
I always start my book reviews by letting my readers and potential readers of the books I’m reviewing know what, if any, biases I’m starting with, so they can take that into account when making their own decisions about whether they might enjoy a book or not. It’s just good etiquette among book reviewers to know their own biases, so they don’t punish the author and book or scare away potential readers just because of their own shortcomings. Having said that, you have fair warning you might learn something about Indian languages and culture in this book. If that appeals to you, read on. 🙂
What I liked about it:
The style of this book was nicely paced between the various events that come together to complete the puzzle in the end. Each character’s voice and narrative are very clear and distinct. And in spite of my “warning” in the general introduction, the language in this book isn’t difficult to understand at all. Dialog and narrative are realistic in terms of what it’s like living with multiple linguistic influences, and it is such a minor aspect of this book that, as I said, I hesitate to bring it up at all. Most English readers will have no problem with this book’s use of languages. Readers who get impatient with words they don’t already know need to understand their own position on this topic before rating or reviewing books in which languages other than English appear. This book was only difficult in the sense that its subject matter is painful and often swept under the rug. Crimes against women all over the world bring with them an innate sense of outrage and helplessness, and yet so little is being done to help the victims or change the culture that perpetuates them.
The story starts with an unsolved murder case in which a woman was found raped and burned. Through the process of trying to identify the body, we get a peek into the lives of the various characters who will all play a role, and in some cases a heavy price, for solving this murder mystery. The research that went into this book is credible. The reality is gritty. And though I was short on time for reading these past two months, I found myself hitting that “one more chapter” stage where I kept turning pages that were not part of my daily reading goal. Which is, of course, a good thing.
The main plot centers around solving the crime and seeking justice for the victim and her family, but because of the dynamics and issues within the characters’ individual lives, I am also putting this book in the literary genre.
The police chief is having an affair with a friend of the family and is blind to what’s going on in the life of his teenage son. The main female lead in the story is the mother of an autistic son, and because she is biracial, she must cope with racism. There is a supporting character with vitiligo, which is an usual but excellent addition to the variety of characters that populate this world. So while each character’s story is different and extraordinary, all are ordinary and relatable in the broad perspective. There is a theme of dysfunction in family relationships woven throughout each character that bonds them together. Their relationships are based more on the role that is expected of each person in the overall group, right down to arranged marriages, rather than each person being respected for who they are and what they want and what they’re capable of doing with the time they have on this earth as individuals. This kind of family dynamic, even in seemingly successful families, is often more controlling and manipulative than it should be. But people tend to accept and accommodate unhealthy relationships or behavior when it’s family, often for no better reason than because its family. A quote from the book sums this up nicely: “We’re all a potential danger to ourselves and our families, one way or another. We just learn how to hide it.” This is why I say it’s a murder mystery with a very slice of life edge. We need to learn how to see each other as we truly are, rather than attempting to shape people into who we want them to be, or pretending that things are fine when they’re not.
I would love to discuss the conclusion of this book at length, but I can’t think of a way to do so without getting into spoilers, so I will say only this. It didn’t end the way I thought it would. On the one hand, I was able to guess who was guilty of the crime within the first half of the book. (No surprise plots whipped out of nowhere and labeled as twists.) But on the other hand, I was surprised by how some of the character’s tales ended because this is the kind of story I pre-judge as ending like a Shakespearean tragedy, and yet I found the ending freeing and empowering. I looked back at the title and thought, “Ah yes. I see what you did there. Now, I understand.”
Recommendation:
I recommend this book for readers who enjoy murder mysteries, multi-cultural story elements, and depth beyond the fiction. It is often said that fiction is the lie that makes the truth easier to swallow, and that could easily be said of this book. I enjoyed reading it and finding out how these characters worked through their challenges. But there were times when I wanted to slap a few people out of frustration and times when I felt the character’s frustration so vividly, all I could think of was how grateful I am that particular challenge is not mine… because I don’t know that I could survive it, or at the very least avoid making things worse. I guess that means the author succeeded at making the characters real.
Proceeds of this book are going toward two charities. So, I’ll end with those on a note of hope. Half of this book’s proceeds will go to the Chhanav Foundation, which aids acid attack victims. The other half will go to Project WHY which provides a safe environment for children in extreme poverty to get an education in hopes of getting them off the streets.
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Reviews with images
Excellent fast-paced thriller
Excellent debut by Damyanti Biswas. When I initially received the standard 60-page sample, I was hooked and I don't mind confessing that I was a bit upset - it meant that I had to wait for over a month for the pre-ordered book to arrive from Amazon. Couldn't wait to read it!You Beneath Your Skin is a fast-paced, gripping story line with well developed characters, great writing style and focuses on social causes that plague our society - acid attacks, rape, trafficking and corruption. Suffice it to say I finished the book in one sitting--and I won't bore you with the synopsis. I sincerely believe that this book would make a superhit movie. And of course, I admire the author for donating the proceeds from this book to Project WHY, Delhi, an NGO. I'd love to read a sequel to this book and wish the author all the very best!
Top reviews from other countries
RuddersReviews
As rich in characterisation and atmosphere as any book I've EVER read ... Simply Superb!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2019