Review by kadinkins14 -- Raji, Book One: Octavia Pompeii

kadinkins14 · Post by **kadinkins14** » 27 Jul 2019, 14:40

[Following is a volunteer review of "Raji, Book One: Octavia Pompeii" by Charley Brindley.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Raji, Book One: Octavia Pompeii by Charley Brindley is a touching story that redefines families and supports the idea of the American dream. Fuse, a young teenager living in Virginia, finds a vagrant girl sleeping in his barn one morning. He discovers that Raji does not speak any English and does not appear to be from the United States. Among caring for his quadriplegic father while maintaining his studies for school and managing the family farm, Fuse also teaches Raji how to speak English, while he learns her native language of Hindi. Additionally, Fuse has applied to attend a preparatory school for pre-medicine, run by Dr. Octavia Pompeii. When Dr. Pompeii arrives on Fuse’s doorstep, his life, as well as Raji’s, is forever changed.

I would give Raji, Book One: Octavia Pompeii a 3 out of 4 stars. It is a touching story that keeps the reader engaged, but lacks surprising plot twists. I believe this novel would most appeal to high school students studying world geography and cultures and U.S. history. I don’t think this book would appeal to more mature readers, as the story line is geared towards younger readers, as an introduction to unfamiliar cultures and past generations. The book has been well edited, although, with Raji's broken English it can be hard to understand at times, but the broken English adds to the charm of the novel. As I do not speak Hindi, I cannot speak to the correctness of the Hindi language used in the novel.

Some of the plot is very predictable; it is no surprise that Raji ends up living with Fuse's family, just as it is no surprise that Dr. Pompeii takes an interest in Fuse and Raji. It is also quite convenient (and unfathomable) that Dr. Pompeii seems to have unlimited resources at her disposal to lend a hand to Fuse to help manage the farm and the multitude of other problems he faces. It seems a little unlikely that the administrator of a prestigious preparatory school should take such a biased interest in Fuse and Raji, even going as far as staying at their farm, inviting them to stay at her personal residence, and spending copious amounts of money to aid Fuse’s personal dilemmas.

I enjoyed that the novel was set in the early 1900s, and set on a farm. Fuse and Raji's dynamic relationship was also intriguing. The reader can't help but fall in love with Raji's wit and with Fuse's kind heart and dedication to his school and family. There are many sub-stories that contribute to the novel, including Fuse's mother's absence, Fuse's work towards admittance into Dr. Pompeii's school, Raji and her mysterious circumstances, Fuse's father and his injury, and Fuse's relationship with his neighbor. All of these moving parts intertwine to keep the reader's attention and detract from the story’s predictability.

The most disliked element of this novel was the abrupt ending and the predictability of the events. I thought the ending was abrupt and rushed, and with disappointing results. However, I do believe the ending leads to a sequel, which may atone for the unexpected outcome. The inclusion of Hindi throughout the novel added to its charm and culturalism, with the downfall that most of the readers will not understand the language, and perhaps skim over those sections.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. You can’t help but cheer for these two young characters whilst they come to know each other and redefine their family. It is a poignant reminder that the world is not as large and foreboding as it may seem.

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Raji, Book One: Octavia Pompeii
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Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 29 Jul 2019, 11:58

I think it's interesting that this story is set in the early 1900s. It allows the author to explore some of the hot button issues of today without having to deal with the actual issues of today.

Mai Tran · Post by **Mai Tran** » 01 Aug 2019, 23:37

This sounds like a heartwarming story, though the plot and the ending could use further refinement. I'd love to check it out some time. Thank you for the insights.