Haunting Bombay

Alright, Haunting Bombay. Not bad! This is the kind of book that has me nodding with my lips pursed, going yeah, yeah, that book was alright. I think that I liked it more now that it's over than I did while I was reading it. It's a little on the confusing end, but everything comes together nicely, and it's a rich, vivid story with gorgeous details of India.

Sooooo the book. Here's whatcha got: Pinky lives with her nice grammy, her bitchy aunt, her alcoholic uncle, her twin cousins, and her older, dreamy cousin. She's the daughter of her uncle's dead sister and was allowed to stay with her aunt and uncle's family by the will of Maji, grandma and matriarch of the house. Her aunt, Savita, resents her, and we're not sure why for a while but that story unfolds, along with the story of the ghost hidden in the bathroom, which must remain locked in the evenings. Of course, with a setup like that, guess who goes and opens the door one evening, thus releasing the ghost who then wreaks havoc on the family.


So what happens when the ghost is released? And why is Savita so resentful of Pinky? And who is this witch that everyone keeps referring to and blaming for all sorts of bad things? And wait, who was that character, or this one? These are the types of questions you're likely to ask yourself as you read this book.

The book is saturated with details, and you will definitely want to drink chai while you read this book, and probably go out for Indian or bust out the Indian cookbooks a few times, too. (I did). Lots of mangoes and saffron and tamarind trees and really beautiful, vivid descriptions ensue-- potentially too many, because at times you feel that you didn't need to know every item a particular drawer contained, or what the descriptions of Savita's furniture add to the story. 

However, the spookiness of the ghost story is definitely entertaining, and that combined with the vivid descriptions (to a certain point) kept me reading.

7.5/10

Read this if you:

1. Want to go to India! Great, soulful descriptions of Bombay (this is pre-Mumbai) and lots of lore.
2. Love a really well-told ghost story.
3. Want a story that is woman-centered but not at all chick lit. Strong, well-rounded female characters pervade Haunting Bombay.