The Colony Brats-Vineed P. Menon

Book: The Colony Brats
Author: Vineed P. Menon
Publisher: The Alcove Publishers

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Have you lived in an official colony?

Hi, I’m Niv, though my parents named me Nivrutti Nandan Nedumpilly Nair—yeah, I know, what a ridiculous name. But trust me, the name is nothing compared to the ridiculousness of my life. And here’s why we call ourselves brats in Sawalpur, a town dominated by the cement plant. As children of wage board workers, we faced injustice and weren’t allowed to enter the officers’ colony. But I had the guts to sneak into my girlfriend’s quarters—don’t ask why. My best friend, Baiju, had the audacity to have an affair—sorry, a relationship—with the colony’s schoolteacher. Our so-called ordinary life was filled with mischief, adventures, and escapades. Our shift to an ultra-ordinary life came with reckless schemes and acts of revenge, making the lives of the factory officers, who took their privilege a bit too literally, a living hell—just to prove our worth. My problem? I take things to heart and always make sure to get back at those who hurt me. This time, it was the cement company that wronged me, and I made sure to give back royally. Read The Colony Brats to learn how not to screw up your life—and everyone else’s—with vengeance. Get ready to laugh, cry, and rethink everything as you follow our journey from innocent kids to not-so-innocent troublemaking adults. Outrage can turn your world upside down, and our story is living proof of that.

Vineed’s setting of this story in a colony located in a small town is perfect for the story he intends to tell. Through our protagonist, Vineed presents a picture of a social divide that exists in the colony basis the designation of the people working there, and how that impacts the daily life of the residents. The writing of the book is easy to understand and the context has been explained in detail which adds to the overall reading experience. The opening scene of the book is beautifully crafted and that sets the tone of what to expect in the story as you go along, and the divide that is turning into a chasm with the actions of the GM. What I liked in the book was the subtle take on the social divide that exists in any colony. The book takes a dig on how the lives of “officers” and the “wage board workers” differ through the eyes of the children. He also raises some pertinent questions about the living conditions and the facilities that are provided to them. Another important aspect of the story is that of legacy and how our good acts bear fruits even after we have passed on, and that is enunciated beautifully in the story. The writing is powerful and manages to leave its impact on you through the characters and the storyline. While the storytelling and the plot captures you, the editing of the book could have been better. There are instances with grammatical errors which become glaring. Secondly, the writing could have been trimmed a bit because there are places where the story starts dragging and you start losing interest in it. The climax is predictable, but the way it is written is interesting.

Coming to the characters, the character of Niv is very well written and I was quite impressed with the character arc that is provided for him. His story drives the plot and I liked how his character traits are highlighted time and again, right from the childhood. His persistence to prove himself despite everything comes out nicely and his grit to do what he wants, without considering the impacts is something that stands out. Another character that I loved was that of Rao and while he might come across as a negative character, the way his character is written makes you despise him, and I think that is a highlight of good storytelling.

Overall, the book is a wonderful depiction of life in a factory colony and how the lives of its residents change with the changing times. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

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