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Book Blurb
Mithila's world is bound by a Wall enclosing the city of Sumer - nobody goes out, nothing comes in. The days pass as they have for two thousand years: just enough to eat for just enough people, living by the rules. Within the city, everyone knows their place.
But when Mithila tries to cross the Wall, every power in Sumer comes together to stop her. To break the rules is to risk all of civilization collapsing. But to follow them is to never know: who built the Wall? Why? And what would the world look like if it didn't exist?
As Mithila and her friends search for the truth, they must risk losing their families, the ones they love, and even their lives. Is a world they can't imagine worth the only world they have?
Review
This book kind of defied the usual genre conventions. Is it Fantasy? Is it Science-Fiction? Is it Speculative-Fiction? To tell you the truth it touched on many of these and it actually enhanced the reading experience for me because the sprinkling of all of these elements only served to strengthen the story in my opinion. Add to that a powerful social message at its heart and THE WALL is a special book that should be on everyone's reading list.
The main plot point of THE WALL is something that I usually enjoy in a novel. The idea of a structure that was built long ago for a specific purpose that nobody really questions or knows the true background of is an intriguing mystery. A mystery that keeps you turning the pages feverishly as little hints begin to emerge. And the main character Mithila is the vehicle through which we get these glimpses of what THE WALL represents and why nobody questions its existence except for her and a handful of dissenters.
The idea that there was once a history that predates the Wall and that it was in all likelihood very different from the world that Mithila and her fellow citizens of the city of Sumer are living in currently, also made this book a page turner in the truest sense. Will she ever discover that previous existence and get to experience it or will she be crushed by the hard line ruling council who are primarily interested in maintaining the status quo at all costs. Sumer is supposed to be a sort of utopia after all, but why doesn't it feel that way to her?
Many of the themes running throughout this book are familiar ones. Do we question what we have always known to be true and right just because we have been told so throughout history by the ruling class? And at the risk of losing many people and things that are important to us? Can one person really make a difference through their actions alone and promote change? Yes we've seen these before but author Gautam Bhatia delivered these in an entirely new way it seemed to me. His prose is fluid and the dialogue drips with an important social message that everyone should hear.
THE WALL is a captivating exploration of the yearning to break the barriers of a controlled and contained life. Even though at times this book was very intense, I never lost the feeling that I was reading an immersive and compelling story that never lagged or became sterile in any way. There are some brilliant moments of wondrous storytelling here and that should not be overlooked. The world-building is also some of the best I've come across. Gautam Bhatia has done an excellent job of creating a complex and vivid setting when it comes to the walled city of Sumer.
I enjoyed THE WALL by Gautam Bhatia and look forward to the next entry in his Sumer series with great anticipation. Do yourself a favor and snatch this one up as soon as possible. It's a great example of how a book can be both incredibly educating and insightful, yet thoroughly entertaining at the same time.
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