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The Ways Things Look To Me (2000)

by Roopa Farooki(Favorite Author)

3.59 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

review 1: I thoroughly enjoyed this and will be looking out for more work from this author. It was told from three viewpoints, which kept it interesting and added variation. All three characters were well depicted and believable. I have a special interest in what makes us who we are, but it's rare to come across a book where the characters are not presented as ready-made individuals. This book looks at what made each of them who they are today, going back to their childhoods, and I really enjoyed that aspect of psychological development. My criticism might be that the big 'event' which the sister is building up to, and which is promised in the blurb, really turns out to be a non-event in that she simply decides not to proceed with it (don't want to give too much away here!). Also, t... morehe final message of hope rounds the book of very nicely and neatly, but is perhaps too idealistic. It felt like everyone just suddenly resolved all their problems and now felt positive about the future, which is great now that everything is going well for them, but how long will that last? Whilst the ending maybe wasn't as great as the rest of the book in my opinion, I am happy to give it a rare five and can't wait to dig out some more of her work.
review 2: Responsibility for the care of Yasmin falls to her older brother when their mother dies suddenly and the impact of having a family member with ASD is deftly explored in this lovely book. An overarching theme in the novel is one of sacrifice. Asif is forced to abandon his student life in a prestigious University to assume the role of head of the family on his mother's death. This, in turn, leads him to forego a bright future for a monotonous career and the relentless daily grind of maintaining predictable routine for his sister. Middle sister Lila is the 'rebel' of the family. She rejects conformity with reckless abandon, living in squalor and embarking on a string of unsatisfying relationships. However, it emerges that Lila harbours a simmering resentment of her younger sister and the way in which Yasmin's needs held her mother hostage and monopolised her attention. The relationships in the book are developed beautifully and show that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. less

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