Review by toriadaniellesmith -- Elastic Girl by Olivia Rana
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- Latest Review: Elastic Girl by Olivia Rana
Review by toriadaniellesmith -- Elastic Girl by Olivia Rana
[Following is a volunteer review of "Elastic Girl" by Olivia Rana.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Elastic Girl by Olivia Rana tells the tale of Muthu, a young Indian girl. Muthu’s life is marked by misery from the moment she--the third girl for parents who are desperately hoping for a son--is born.
Muthu works as a street vendor while her two older sisters go off to school. Her workdays are filled with daydreaming about becoming a star someday, alongside her best friend Maheesh. One day, Muthu narrowly escapes drowning by folding herself into a tight little ball, and a neighbor dubs her the “Elastic Girl.”
Soon, Muthu is sold by her father to The Great Raman Circus of Chennai and begins her training. Muthu is dismayed to learn that she will not start as the Elastic Girl right away, and she is forced to perform alongside a chimpanzee when she first starts performing. Readers are introduced to the creepy ringleader Mr. Prem and Muthu’s stern trainer Mr. Kalpak soon after Muthu joins the circus. Gloria, a trapeze artist, takes Muthu under her wing, and the conversations between these two girls add a little light to the dark tale of Muthu’s time in the circus.
Elastic Girl is beautifully written, but Rana does not shy away from the horrors that face the young girls who travel with the circus. The novel addresses the issues of poverty, child molestation, sex trafficking, lack of acceptance within the family unit, and female oppression. Although Muthu faces all of these issues and more, she finds an inner strength and is determined to make the best of her situation.
Watching Muthu work through her struggles was my favorite part of this novel. As she learned the truth about her family and that not everyone in the circus is as they seem, she learns to rely on and trust herself. Muthu becomes a symbol of strength in the face of adversity. She transforms from a girl who sullenly takes on her role as the scapegoat in her family and in the circus to someone who exercises great patience and tolerance in all things. Muthu’s life never gets any easier, but her newfound strength helps her to cope with the adversity she faces everyday.
I also appreciated Rana’s attention to detail. It is obvious that she put a great deal of effort into researching the area and into developing the story. As I read, I could picture everything she described, from a brothel in Mumbai to the scene under the circus’ big top. Rana makes it easy for readers to lose themselves in the story without bogging them down in superfluous details.
Muthu’s romantic relationship with someone she meets in the circus was my least favorite part of this novel. This relationship was completely unexpected and made me lose a little respect for the person who became Muthu’s lover. However, the ending was satisfying and made the relationship make a little more sense.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading books with a strong female heroine. This book is perfect for fans of contemporary literature, especially those who enjoy reading stories that do not focus on Western people.
******
Elastic Girl
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4 out of 4 stars
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Elastic Girl by Olivia Rana tells the tale of Muthu, a young Indian girl. Muthu’s life is marked by misery from the moment she--the third girl for parents who are desperately hoping for a son--is born.
Muthu works as a street vendor while her two older sisters go off to school. Her workdays are filled with daydreaming about becoming a star someday, alongside her best friend Maheesh. One day, Muthu narrowly escapes drowning by folding herself into a tight little ball, and a neighbor dubs her the “Elastic Girl.”
Soon, Muthu is sold by her father to The Great Raman Circus of Chennai and begins her training. Muthu is dismayed to learn that she will not start as the Elastic Girl right away, and she is forced to perform alongside a chimpanzee when she first starts performing. Readers are introduced to the creepy ringleader Mr. Prem and Muthu’s stern trainer Mr. Kalpak soon after Muthu joins the circus. Gloria, a trapeze artist, takes Muthu under her wing, and the conversations between these two girls add a little light to the dark tale of Muthu’s time in the circus.
Elastic Girl is beautifully written, but Rana does not shy away from the horrors that face the young girls who travel with the circus. The novel addresses the issues of poverty, child molestation, sex trafficking, lack of acceptance within the family unit, and female oppression. Although Muthu faces all of these issues and more, she finds an inner strength and is determined to make the best of her situation.
Watching Muthu work through her struggles was my favorite part of this novel. As she learned the truth about her family and that not everyone in the circus is as they seem, she learns to rely on and trust herself. Muthu becomes a symbol of strength in the face of adversity. She transforms from a girl who sullenly takes on her role as the scapegoat in her family and in the circus to someone who exercises great patience and tolerance in all things. Muthu’s life never gets any easier, but her newfound strength helps her to cope with the adversity she faces everyday.
I also appreciated Rana’s attention to detail. It is obvious that she put a great deal of effort into researching the area and into developing the story. As I read, I could picture everything she described, from a brothel in Mumbai to the scene under the circus’ big top. Rana makes it easy for readers to lose themselves in the story without bogging them down in superfluous details.
Muthu’s romantic relationship with someone she meets in the circus was my least favorite part of this novel. This relationship was completely unexpected and made me lose a little respect for the person who became Muthu’s lover. However, the ending was satisfying and made the relationship make a little more sense.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading books with a strong female heroine. This book is perfect for fans of contemporary literature, especially those who enjoy reading stories that do not focus on Western people.
******
Elastic Girl
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: Elastic Girl by Olivia Rana
