An Absence of Squirrels

MY THOUGHTS

I have long believed squirrels are just rats with better PR. So, I have never been enamoured by a scurrying squirrel and have been guilty of egging on Clou to chase them away in his younger, more agile days. But this book made me look at squirrels differently, and I was quite amused.

An Absence of Squirrels is a dystopian fiction set in a tooth-shaped country of Thutta. In this ideal land live 5,120 people governed by the Captain, who wants only the best for her people. She has created and maintains this utopia by enforcing some bizarre rules. No one is allowed to visit or leave the island, keeping pets requires strict regulation to preserve the fauna, all adults are required to attend weekly meetings with the Invigilators and Captain and so on. This is considered regular life until Katli, a thirteen-year-old, class 7 student, feels something is amiss when she sees a peer in a very strange situation.

Katli, our heroine, is interesting because she manifests multiple personalities. She has created seven versions of herself and manifests them depending on the situation she needs to deal with. Her curious personality leads her to investigate with her best friend, Abhay, and they discover a loose paper in a library book with information about a squirrel — a creature they learn, ubiquitous to the island, a few years ago, but never seen since. What follows is an exciting adventure involving lost animals, a whiff of revolution, a megalomaniac, and the power of unity.

I finished this book in a couple of hours because there were so many engaging facets to the story. As a parent, I could relate to Katli’s father’s advice on dealing with situations one doesn’t like. He says, “If you don’t want to do this, pretend to be someone who does. It’s simple!” This leads her to create multiple versions of herself until she realises she doesn’t need to change for the world; they need to accept her the way she is.

I love it when books can be just a fun read and yet help start conversations. One can draw parallels (or start interesting conversations) around leaders who are offended by the simplest things and take extreme measures to counter dissent. Young readers will love how rebellion and interesting ideas bring people together and help start revolutions. Katli and Abhay are highly relatable to any child navigating school and classroom dynamics.

I associate Aparna Kapur’s books with being wacky and wonderful, and An Absence of Squirrels with missing chapter numbers, weird hats, and hilarious supporting characters was just what I needed to wrap up my summer.

Fast-paced and full of plot twists and back stories, this book will have you turning the page, eagerly, to know more. The breakout book of this summer, get it for your tweens and teens today!