Gobi Goes Viral

MY THOUGHTS

Vibha Batra’s books are what summer reads are made of. Funny, endearing, and just the right amount of summer quirk! They are perfect for curling up with on hot summer afternoons, and the best part is that you can read them multiple times before you are ready to put them down! Gobi Goes Viral is her latest after the smash hit Pinkoo Shergill Pastry Chef. And just like Pinkoo, Gobi too is filled with adorable characters that will make their way into your heart.   

Gopi studies at Primrose Academy and is pulled up in class for not having paid his term fees. He has been admitted to the school under the Right to Education Act, and though his parents try very hard to ensure they pay the bills, they have fallen behind. Gopi loves the school even though he hasn’t made a single friend. He is afraid to make friends or speak in class because the bullies make fun of his accent. Pari, a girl from his class, also a ‘social outcast’, befriends him when she learns of Gopi’s secret talent – rapping. Together, they come up with a plan to make some money and help his parents pay his school fees. 

There are so many layers to talk about in this book. Empathy and understanding towards children who aspire to have a better education and endure needless bullying; children who have disabilities are taunted for looking different; and the understanding that English is a superior language and vernacular languages are to be looked down upon. As she did with Pinkoo Shergill, author Vibha Batra layers serious issues beneath humour in Gobi Goes Viral. We find ourselves rooting for Gopi and Pari and sneering at the bullies. Of course, the book has a happy ending, but we find ourselves holding our breath to the very end! 

If Pinkoo Shergill, the boy baker, gave baking a boost last summer, Gopi Chander is the Gully Boy we want to fall in love with this summer. 

Super fun read for emerging readers! Pick up your copy today!