Review by GretchenLee -- Elastic Girl by Olivia Rana

[GretchenLee]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Elastic Girl" by Olivia Rana.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Olivia Rana’s Elastic Girl is a realistic fiction novel that follows the story of Muthu, a young girl subjected to child trafficking. Born into a family that treats her differently than the others, with a grandmother who believes she’s a curse, and sisters who receive better education than her, she is forced from a young age to take care of herself. When her family loses their home, her father sells her to The Great Raman Circus of Chennai, a traveling circus that uses her contortionist talents to raise sales. Mistreated and abused, Muthu meets a few friends, and undergoes countless adventures that are both horrifying and gripping.

While this style of book has never been my interest, this particular novel caught my attention from the beginning, and kept my interest throughout. As a plot, it was entirely believable, and devastating at the same time, and the characters were likable, complex, and unique. The transitions from scene to scene are all smooth, and when time passes, it doesn’t feel abrupt or confusing. Each location is artfully described so the reader can easily picture where the characters are at, how they are feeling, and what everything looks and sounds like.

The only thing I did not like about this novel was the quick ending--there seemed to be a lot of buildup towards the big solution, which came all-too fast--though I can’t give it away too much without ruining it for new readers. The best part of this novel was the education and information it gave the reader about how very real child trafficking is, and how very dangerous it is. Even if the children seem well taken care of, there is always something else that may be going on.

It is for these reasons that I rate Elastic Girl 4 out of 4 stars. If the only negative thing I could come up with about this book was that it ended too quickly, I’d say that’s a mark of good writing. I wouldn’t recommend it to super young readers, only for the graphic scenes and violence, but since it is an important lesson to learn about, I would highly recommend this book be read by teenagers, young adults, and adults.

I would also suggest this book be made available as a school text, if it hasn’t already. It could be a great study in history, sociology, and psychology classes as well as general English class. Honestly, I would recommend anyone to read this book, even if they are like me and at first believe they wouldn’t be interested. I am more of a fantasy reader myself, but this was so well written that I was instantly enthralled.

******
Elastic Girl
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like GretchenLee's review? Post a comment saying so!