“Debut Sunday”: The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi (Book Review)

Synopsis: 

Passionate Pakistani translator Anisa feels unfulfilled with her career. Upon building a relationship with the seemingly compassionate Adam, whose multilingual ability was an instant charm for Anisa, a mystery behind his skillset arises. Anisa believes that if she masters diverse languages, not only will her career be improved, but her hardships will be compensated. Upon learning about The Centre, a language institute that boasts language fluency in ten days, Anisa was sure success would be a smooth sailing journey. Existential satisfaction would be close and unencumbered…or so she thought…



Categorical Rankings ( /⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️):


Pacing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (book is more of a slow burn balanced by its length)


Predictability: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (the mystery could be easily deciphered in chapters before the reveal)


Thrill: ⭐️⭐️ (the writing style didn’t evoke overwhelming feelings of suspense)


Overall Enjoyment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (the nuance behind the theme was pleasant)



Book Insights (mild spoilers): 


When I first heard of The Centre and its main premise, looked at the flower-adorned skull cover, and saw it encompass mystery, thriller, and horror genres, I was overjoyed. However, it was not what I expected it to be, and I was fine with that. There is a fair share of intergenerational issues packed into the book. Some may think of it as excessive due to the issues being, at times, dense and transitory in the book, but I thought their intertwining into the emotional elements of the story emphasized their tenacious presence in our world, which is something readers can explore further individually after reading. Moreover, noting this type of conflict helps us understand Anisa's identity and how it influences her motives throughout the book. 


When it came to the relationships in the story, I was appreciative of how unique and critical each was to the development of Anisa. The imperfections of each made the interactions more exciting to read. Additionally, the cultural attributes of Anisa, Naima, and Shiba’s characters added more value to the story as a whole. 


The writing style was, personally speaking, a weakness of the book. Though it was easily legible, it wasn't immersive enough. I think this may have been due to the lack of depth given to certain events. In addition, the consistent “flat” style of each occurrence made me question their individual significance. This made the buildup to the big reveal less thrilling. 


Truthfully, I was kind of bored with the physical aspects of the story. The Centre itself isn't given many compelling traits apart from its menacing plants and split (between old and modern) architecture. Even the happenings of the actual meditative and storytelling parts don't make the institute an impactful setting. This was a true pity considering the promising mystery it held. 


Overall, my favorite part of the book was the ending (not to be insulting). It was satisfactory, and I loved the feminist ideals that it contained. Shiba made a strong case for her perspective and goals. Anisa’s self-reflection was short but engaging. Plus, the celebratory occasion was the cherry on top. 

Popular posts from this blog

"Wondering Wednesday": Those Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin (Philosophical Fiction Review)

Synopsis:  Behind the exuberant ecstasy of a fictional city lies a dark secret necessary to maintain the Utopia.  Categorical Rankings (/⭐️⭐️⭐️): -Pacing ⭐️⭐️⭐️: The narrator walks readers through the narrative of the story in a smooth and engaging manner.  -Theme ⭐️⭐️: The idea of happiness not being able to exist without some kind of suffering reminds me of the yin and yang concept as well as the question, Can there be peace without war?  -Overall enjoyment ⭐️⭐️: I liked the composition of creative storytelling with philosophical reflection, but I wish the topic left for the audience to discuss gave way to more complex afterthought.   Story Insights (spoilers): I usually feel closer to the writer of a creative piece if it involves metafiction. It’s like the author is drawing me into a conversation and closer involvement in the story. This was the case with “Those who Walk from Omelas,” but the moral dilemma of whether the “born defective,” “feeble-minded,...
Read more

"Fun Friday": Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney (Book Review)

Synopsis: English college student Frances has an affair with her author friend Melissa's husband while navigating tumultuous friendship and life circumstances.  Categorical Rankings (/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️): Pacing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (The structure and language of the book are simplistic and easy to follow, but some sentences are sloppy and the dialogue can be hard to detect with no quotation marks.) Characters: ⭐️⭐️ (Each of the characters was equally irritating and felt one-dimensional. I could not sympathize with any of them.)  Themes: ⭐️⭐️ Ideas about the complexities of human relationships and how love can distort or validate self-identity were underdeveloped as the characters often diverged into philosophic spiels that overshadowed the reader's interpretive freedom of the story plot itself. Overall Enjoyment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (The book was mediocre at first, but there was sufficient drama to keep me going until the end.) Miscellaneous Book Insights (Spoiler Warning):  This was my first time readin...
Read more

"Thoughtful Tuesday": A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Short Story Review)

Synopsis: A couple (Pelayo and Elizenda) find an old man with wings in their backyard, which they lock up in a chicken coop and capitalize off of his unconventional appearance. Categorical Rankings (/⭐️⭐️⭐️): -Pacing ⭐️⭐️⭐: Relatively short story; the language is imaginative and compelling throughout with interesting metaphors.  -Theme ⭐️⭐️⭐️: The idea of humans exploiting and mistreating people they deem different from them while attempting to find explanations for their existence was intriguing.  -Overall enjoyment ⭐️⭐️⭐️: The ending made me feel proud of the misunderstood, abused old man.  Story Insights (spoilers): I very rarely come across prose that manages to be short and pack up a world of authentic literary devices. From the way Marquez describes the setting of the story, to the cloying interest of the civilians, to the condition of the man in the chicken coup, the story is brought to life by the gripping language that it weaves into the narrative. As for the mes...
Read more