One of my book reviews:

Book Title: Jasmine Skies

Author: Sita Brahmachari

Genre:

ISBN: 978-1447205180

Number of pages: 337

Suggested Age / Year Group: 13+

‘Jasmine Skies’ deals with differing cultures and how it feels to belong to more than one culture. The story is set in Kolkata, India and explores the differences between India and the UK. Issues such as extreme poverty, education, career prospects and cultural traditions are all included in this story. Grief is another subject dealt with as well as a sense of belonging.

Mira’s trip to India allows her to explore her family’s origins. Priya, her crazy cousin, is not at all what Mira expects. Will they get on? What will Mira discover so far from home? Will she discover hidden secrets? Will she discover new feelings?

After her granddad dies, Mira is desperate to feel close to him again and this is part of the reason she travels to India. She can finally see all the sights that her granddad so lovingly described. She can fully immerse herself into the traditions, cultures and languages of India and see the place that her granddad called home. The question of ‘home’ – which can be in more than one place, is crucial in this story.

Mira uses her Artwork to interpret what she sees whilst sightseeing. Some of the sights are magical and some are heartbreaking. Mira becomes even more appreciative of what she has at home and how lucky she is. Viewing India through Mira’s eyes also allows the reader to enter that world and to be just as spellbound or shocked at all of the surroundings.

This is for the more confident reader and would be more appealing to girls because of the romance elements of the story.

‘Artichoke Hearts’ is the author’s first book and begins Mira’s story. Another series with similar cultural themes is Malorie Blackman’s ‘Noughts and Crosses’ series.