Roar
Manjeet Mann
This is a story with so much to say about it. Set in modern day India, It’s about a teenage girl betraying her best friend and the consequences of the terrible revenge the friend then wreaks. It’s about the lack of justice afforded to women and especially to women of a lower caste and it’s about the perpetuation of myths and legends that have been passed down through generations. It also draws heavily on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, and to my delight it is written in verse.
There is so much to say!
Importantly, for the time-poor reader the verse format makes a long book quicker to read than usual. The use of space, and pages with often only a few short lines meant that I was turning the pages at a fast pace not least to discover what happens next. The plot is unusual, despite it being based on actual events as described in the afterword, and the ending appropriate. Above all it is a call to arms to young women to stand with each other and speak out against injustice and a worthy examination of the best ways to do this.
Published by Penguin, 2025 (396 pages)
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