REVIEW: A BEAUTIFUL LIE

A Beautiful Lie

Author: Irfan Master

UK Publisher: Bloomsbury

UK Release date: January 2011

Genre: YA, MG

Summary: Set in India in 1947, when racial tension was rife and the country was on the verge of dividing, Bilal weaves a web of lies to keep his father safe from the truth of his India at war.

Members of the community become caught up in the lies, helping Bilal as the India he knows falls down around him, irrevocably dividing communities and friends alike.

Review: When Bilal realises that his father is dying, he is dogged about making sure he never discovers just how bad things are getting. His determination and loyalty to his father are endearing and heart wrenching; his guilt about all the lies he must tell make him an even  sweeter and more innocent character.

During all his attempts to make sure no one tells his father the truth Bilal has the unswerving help of his friends. Bilal, Manjeet, Chota and Saleem all stand up for each other when fights start and fires are set in the village. It is really sad to see the four friends become separated because of their religious differences and the growing violence in their village.

Seeing the Partition through Bilal’s eyes we watch as his community is torn apart by blind hatred and age-old friends are at war with each other. The violent tension between religious groups builds throughout the story, however the writing maintains a lovely flow and almost rhythmic pace. The rich and vivid descriptions of the village and Indian life help to bring the story alive and make it feel like a real account from 1947.

A Beautiful Lie is not the normal kind of book I would pick up and read due to the real historical elements but it is a powerful and endearing debut story none-the-less about family, friendship, love and religious (in)tolerance.

Rating: 4*

IN MY MAILBOX #3

In My Mailbox was started by the lovely Kristi (over at Story Siren) - check out her blog for more information. 
IMM today, I have some (UK) YA Debut Authors for 2011, which will be part of this year’s challenge hosted by The Story Siren, and which I have got incredibly behind on. I think most people besides me will have read Divergent by now, but hopefully you will find one of these of interest:

A Beautiful Lie, Irfan Master
January 2011
Bloomsbury
An extraordinarily rich debut novel, set in India in 1947 at the time of Partition. Although the backdrop is this key event in Indian history, the novel is even more far-reaching, touching on the importance of tolerance, love and family. The main character is Bilal, a boy determined to protect his dying father from the news of Partition - news that he knows will break his father's heart. With great spirit and determination, and with the help of his good friends, Bilal persuades others to collude with him in this deception, even printing false pages of the local newspaper to hide the ravages of unrest from his father. All that Bilal wants is for his father to die in peace. But that means Bilal has a very complicated relationship with the truth...

Neversuch House (#1), Elliot Skell
March 2011
Simon & Schuster Children's Books
Neversuch House is home to the very unusual Halibut family. Spanning generations, the Halibuts all live together totally isolated from the outside world, never needing - or wanting - to step outside the walls of Neversuch, with every whim being catered for by a mass of servants. But when twelve-year-old Omnia Halibut sees a hooded figure emerging from the woods by the Wall, she can't help but wonder who the man is and why he is skulking around the House. And as Omnia sets out to discover the truth she triggers a chain of events that threatens to destroy Neversuch House forever. For the House is steeped in secrets, secrets that some people want to remain hidden, and, as Omnia tries to unravel the mysteries of Neversuch House, someone is watching her, and they will do anything to stop her from revealing the truth...

Divergent (#1), Veronica Roth
March 2011
Harpercollins Children's
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.