Joyrides: Carnival of Creeps

MY THOUGHTS

One of the most prolific writers in the horror fiction genre in India is back with his new book, Joyrides. Not going to lie, I was truly spooked by his previous book, Playthings: Toys of Terror. On a visit to my childhood home after reading that book, I couldn’t look at my stuffed toys the same way again! So, you can imagine my excitement when I picked up Joyrides.

This is the second book in the Fearless Four series, and it takes Riz, Tiana, Palash, and Anvita to Funmania, an amusement park on Bongo Island, well known for its giant rollercoaster, Big Loopy. They look forward to a few days of amusement park fun with friends, but the last thing they are expecting is strange wailing cries in the middle of the night, followed by a dark scratch mark appearing on one of their friends’ faces. A ride on Big Loopy the next morning brings more doom as the child with a mark on his face suddenly disappears.. He is believed to have been thrown off Big Loopy. This sets into motion a chain of events that will change the way the Fearless Four perceive Bongo Island and its mysterious inhabitants.

Neil D’Silva weaves a story that is a complicated web of island folklore, mystical tribal culture, with a generous dose of whimsy and spookiness. You will flinch as you imagine the wailing witch charging at you, or shudder when you find yourself face to face with a member of the ancient tribe. This fast-paced, thrilling story is exactly what will get the curious reader to turn the page and find out what happens to the missing boy.

Silva gives each one of the Fearless Four distinct characters and makes them memorable. You will find yourself cheering them on and eagerly looking forward to their deductions. We have all eagerly awaited trips to amusement parks, but we rarely spare a thought for what has made way for a huge park to come in its place. This story will make you look at these spaces differently as you wonder whether it has been worth the urbanisation. This could also help you have a conversation about the displacement of indigenous people from an area that is claimed for urban centres.

This book is spooky right from the cover, and every twist and turn in the book adds to the fun of reading it. You will feel your pulse race and your heart beat faster as you go deeper and deeper into the book. Your child will read this book with all the lights on, but therein lies the fun. This horror book is so gripping, they won’t stop till they finish it and when they do, they will be thirsty for more.