A Burning by Megha Majumdar
Book Review
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A Burning takes place in contemporary India and follows three central characters - all of whom are struggling with their place in life. The story switches between the POV of these three characters as Jivan, a young Muslim girl, is wrongfully accused of plotting a terrorist attack. Each character has their own priorities - Lovely, a trans actress is seeking fame and PT Sir, a teacher, is rising through the ranks of the right-wing political party - yet we see how each of their decisions affects Jivan and ultimately, her fate.
I really wanted to love this book, as I found the plot-line incredibly intriguing and was gripped from the first few chapters. However, I felt the writing seemed a bit choppy and I had a hard time seeing how the characters’ stories fit together throughout much of the book, which made it difficult for me to stay fully engaged all the way through. That said, I did feel the importance of the overarching theme of the book, which deals with the inner conflict of self advancement vs standing up for what’s right. Lovely and PT Sir are both forced to choose between their own self-interest and being there for Jivan when she needs them most.
The book, which is the author's debut novel, makes a poignant statement about justice, corruption, class and the price of success.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars
