Thursday 5 September 2019

BLOG TOUR: Review of That Asian Kid by Savita Kalhan

Hello, fellow bookworms! Today I'm excited to be taking part in Savita Kalhan's blog tour for her latest novel, That Asian Kid.

Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Troika
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: 29th August 2019
Buy The Book: Book Depository

Despite his hard work and brains, Jeevan, is doing badly in his GCSE English literature class. His teacher, Mrs Greaves, dislikes him intensely and Jeevan is convinced that he is the victim of racial prejudice. Can he stand up for what's right? When he comes upon her in the woods outisde school in a compromising situation with another teacher, Jeevan can't help but film the scene on his phone. With this secret new ammunition at his fingertips - dare he upload it to social media?

That Asian Kid follows Jeevan in his journey to prove that he’s being unfairly treated by one of his teachers at school. In the run up to his GCSEs, one particular teacher is purposefully marking him down, and he has a sinking feeling that it’s because of his skin colour. When Jeevan finally captures video evidence to prove his theory, he ends up in a battle with himself over whether or not he should post the footage.
With the help of the people around him, Jeevan attempts to figure out the best way to solve his problem at school. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but the treatment he’s facing is part of a much wider problem. If he doesn’t speak up, who will?

Jeevan is exactly the type of character I love - someone who’s faced with a decision that tests his morals. Not only is the story pushing him to think about what’s right or wrong, it also challenges us readers to question what we’d do in that situation. When you’re handed a weapon to bring someone down, is it better to get revenge immediately, or wait and see if you can get justice instead? I love the questions that this book throws at us through Jeevan’s situation. He is an incredibly smart, and kind-hearted character, but he’s also still a young boy who’s facing a situation that he shouldn’t have to, pushing him to possibly make bad decisions.

The teacher in question, Mrs Greaves, is a painful reminder that people like her are sadly still employed in places that give them power over others. The way she treats Jeevan is purely down to her own prejudice, and it’s scary to think about kids who might actually have to go through situations like this in reality, who are too afraid to speak up because they don’t have any proof.

This book wouldn’t be the story that it is without Jeevan’s friends. They make him question his choices throughout, providing insight that he’s too upset and angry to see in the moment. Each one of them gave us a new perspective.

  • Makes you think. Not everything is as simple as it looks. To others, Mrs Greaves’ treatment of Jeevan appears to just be a teacher disciplining a pupil who plays up in her class. But through Jeevan’s eyes, we see the level of manipulation she goes to in order for things to work out her way. 
  • Jeevan’s family. I adored them and the way they treated the situation once they found out the truth. It’s rewarding to see Jeevan learn to open up to them more towards the end, understanding that he needs their support to get through this correctly. 
  • The humour. Despite the seriousness of this story, it still manages to pack plenty of funny moments.
Racism happens around us, whether we are able to see it or not. I hope this story opens eyes to the fact that stuff like this isn’t always obvious, it happens between the lines and we need to start reading it. Jeevan’s journey is certainly an unforgettable one.

Royal Rating:

Huge thank you to Savita for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful tour. Please check out the other bloggers joining in!
 

2 comments:

  1. I feel like this book will make be angry. Angry at the teacher, that is. Racism is a sad truth we all have to confront in our own ways, so I hope Jeevan arrived at the right decision in the end.

    ReplyDelete

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