Book Review – I See You

'I See You' is a promising debut by Aindrila Roy, the latest among an emerging group of Indian authors willing to take risks and change the way that Indian literature is perceived with. For those fed up with the tried and tested everyday stories by Chetan Bhagat and Durjoy Dutta, you'd do well to check out this new breed of Indian writers emerging from the shadows. They have a purpose. They have a unique voice. They believe they have a duty to change the perception of Indian writers, and they will be witnessed.

 

I See You is a rollicking ride through the life of Liam and the horrors that plague him on his road to perdition. It is an engaging tale weaving together the threads of everyday life with the subtle horrors of emotional trauma and mental manipulation, coupled with the greater horrors of the true supernatural. The everyday casualness of Liam’s life and the sudden turn it takes, and how little time it can take for a person’s carefully constructed world to come falling down strikes close to reality, and drives the fear and horror home.

Of course, it isn’t all hunky-dory, and as with any debut work, there are a few places where the detailing and the description takes away from the fast pace of the story, and the voices of the character falter instead of staying true to themselves, but the good thing is that it does not take anything away from the tale itself. The influence of Stephen King is noticeable here, in the slow build-up, and the author’s roots in high fantasy are evident in the detailing and the minute descriptions.

On reading this book, I have realized that this is one author who doesn't mince her words, and no character is safe. Be careful though, you may need to send the psych bill to the author once you are done reading, and she may send her evil minions after you.

All in all, if its horror you crave, then you could do with reading this book. This is the start of a wonderful story, and I for one, expect many great things from this author in the future.

Verdict: I See You is a solid read, with believable characters, a strong story, good language, and the ruthlessness to not give us a cop-out of an ending. I give it a solid 7/10 on the read-o-meter. As debuts go, this is a strong one, and I expect better things to come from the author, Aindrila Roy, in the future.

P.S. - Horror lovers, pick this book up, you won't be disappointed...Though it may scare a few years off your life and send you scampering to hide your cats - and yourself - from the evil lurking in the darkness. I think there should be something in the disclaimer about cruelty to animals, but I’ll stay quiet, lest I end up offending the author and she send her hordes of ghostly minions and revenants after me.

Remember, the night is dark and full of terrors.