An Absence of Squirrels-Aparna Kapur (Illus. Siddhi Vartak)

Book: An Absence of Squirrels
Author: Aparna Kapur
Illustrator: Siddhi Vartak
Publisher: Duckbill

How would you feel if an animal were to disappear from your city completely?

Welcome to Thutta. We have a train, an ocean and 5,120 people. One of these people is Katli, although she pretends to be seven people ― making up new versions of herself is her way of dealing with being a thirteen-year-old on an island where nothing much happens. Until one morning, when she follows a cat off a train and sets off a sequence of events involving absent animals, mysterious meetings and sneaky schemes. As the secrets grow into something much bigger than Katli could have imagined, she knows one thing for sure: life on the island will never be boring again. Oh, and whatever you do, don't say SQUI―

On the surface, Aparna’s book seems like a kids book about a missing animal and the kids looking for it, however when you finish the book, you realise the undertones that she is bringing to light through the book. As a writer, I really liked that while the plot and storytelling is kept simple, the message in the book is intact from start till the end. As you go through the book, the genre of the book keeps changing and you are engaged as you figure out whether this is a general fiction title, a YA story or a full-blown whodunnit. The writing is quite fresh and engaging. Keeping in mind the target audience of the book (10+ Years), the story is gripping to keep the attention of the reader with questions, school bingo and the interactions between teenagers. I also loved the Groundhog Day effect that Aparna brings into the storytelling, and how the chapter titles are also arranged according to that. Each chapter in the book is a highlight to brilliant writing that Aparna has exhibited, and these chapters are a good example for the young readers to adapt and improvise when faced with a challenge. The climax in the book is a good example of collective consciousness, and from the perspective of a reader, it shows how young people can affect change when they come together. The symbolism of the squirrel is very interesting, and specially in the current times, the story feels right on point.

Coming to the characters, I really loved how the character of Katli is penned. She is a very relatable character in terms of a young adult, curious about the events near her home. I also liked how Aparna presents the psyche of a young girl, unsure of how to respond to people basis the mood she was in. The idea of different versions of Katli was a good aspect of writing to show how can a young adult deal with different emotions they start to feel. Abhay as a character is another interesting character that highlights the importance of friends and how they help us stay on track as well as how we can be ourselves near a true friend. The captain is an interesting character and I really liked that she is shown as an enigma, always heard, never seen. Her persona is carefully built and I really liked the way she is developed throughout the book.

Overall, this is a book that is recommended for its brilliant content and some best in class writing. The book scores a 5/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India, Puplio Books or from a bookstore near you.