Cbr17bingo Borrowed (I borrowed from the library)
Recently the title Bringing Back Kay-Kay by Dev Kothari came to my attention. It was published a while back, and since my local library did not have it, I had to request an interlibrary loan. I do not think I would have liked trying to read this as an online reader. There several twists and the pacing that would make it uncomfortable for me personal reading style. When I received the copy, I looked at it and thought it looked different than what I expected, but figured, I had the book so why not give it a go?
And that was a good call as this this novel was an interesting read about the connection between siblings and the family dynamics. It was part mystery and part coming of age that was relatable (coming to terms with feelings of “less than” because an older sibling is perceived as perfect, not feeling loved by their parent(s), or not being taken seriously by authority figures). However, it is set in India and those cultural elements allow it to have a fresh take on the subjects.
There are two main parts of things that might be a bit intense for the more sensitive reader. The character Kay-Kay has gone missing and it is said in mostly indirect ways, or less “in the face” than they could have, that he has been killed or died in an accident. The other is that suicide on a less obvious than it could have been, manner is explored briefly (the narrator Lena assumes Kay-Kay has jumped and SPOILER she asks Kay-Kay why did he jump over the cliff, after he is found and awaken from the coma he is in. However, things are handled tastefully and allow the door to be open for discussion with authority/parent/teacher figure(s).
There are two issues with things that I had. The first is that Lena seems to trust maybe too easily (the street boy or the woman that takes her home after the accident crossing the road) and even when she is in trouble (she has run away to travel Kay-Kays path and must deal with homeless people, adults with unkind actions in mind, police who do not like to be told by a child what their job “should” be) things work out. Even when she is hurt (the crossing the road accident or falls down an embankment) she is not seriously injured. This leads into the idealistic nature of things and maybe a bit romanticizing of things. However, this hopefulness and the (SPOILER) Happily Ever After ending does make for the younger viewer to have hope.
I plan on reading more Kothari titles and do recommend this novel.