Verdict: Read it!
This is the first book I have read by Nikhil Alva. I can't remember if I found this at the bookstore or in the paper.
Nikhil Alva takes us through a war-torn North East India. The protagonist is a preacher's son on a mission from the army to interrogate the main rebel - a childhood friend. It's one of those books where it starts with clear good and bad guys but ends up a muddy mess by the end. Much like real life. Good guys have bad parts, bad guys have good parts.
The book takes us through the hunt for the rebel and then the inevitable situation where they are stuck together and have to work together to reach civilization. During the trek, they discover some things weren't understood correctly in the past, the other guy isn't evil, etc. Yes, it's a bit tropy. But the pacing is good and the story line is solid. Aside from the obvious, in-your-face bit about everyone just being people, there are some interesting things to observe.
I happen to love books that don't portray the army as a perfect or morally superior entity. It's not and should not be portrayed as such, even if the author is nationalistic. In a place as messy as the NorthEast of India, it was refreshing to see simple themes of humanity shine through.
I won't say the book was perfect. As I said, tropy and a little preachy at times, but as far as army and war books go, not a bad choice.
Read it!
~Becky~
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