Ever since I received a copy of The Mystery of the Graveyard Gold by Vidya V., I had been waiting to post an honest review. In my first blog post, The Curious Case of the Foreign Setting, I had mentioned that many of my students are obsessed with writing stories set overseas. One of the main reasons for this trend is evidently the lack of representation. How often do you find stories written for children that are set in Indian cities, where the characters have typical Indian names? Not very often. The Indian children’s literature in English market is still majorly dominated by titles by non- Indian authors, and as a result, our little readers are more exposed to the social climate and issues of first world nations than ours. So every time I come across a book by an Indian author that is recommendation- worthy, I get very excited!
The Mystery of the Graveyard Gold published by Scholastic, tells the story of three children, Aarav, Karthik and Asha who happen to uncover a hidden treasure in a graveyard. The little detectives investigate the case and find the culprits before the adults do. A classic YA adventure fiction plot line. But what makes the book worth reading is the attention the author has paid into the little details to make the book as relatable as possible for the age group it caters to.
The story is set in urban Bangalore, and the adventure takes place in the ever-too-familiar localities of Ulsoor, Cambridge Road and Indiranagar. The children explore the neighbourhood on their bicycles searching for clues to solve the mystery of the gold coins they found in a graveyard. The story transitions from iPads and God of War, the video game series, to the ancient Vijayanagara Empire and King Krishnadevaraya’s golden pagodas.
Another feature of the book that deserves mention is its presentation of characters and relationships. Aarav is held accountable for the safety of his younger sister, but he is not portrayed as an overprotective or bossy elder brother. Karthik’s parents are separated, but his living situation with his mother is normalised in the story. Karthik is presented as a cheerful and adventurous young boy, and not as a depressed child from a broken family. The characterisation of Aarav and Asha’s mother who owns a patisserie and plays bridge in the evening at the club is commendable as well, but my favourite character from the book has to be the 9-year-old Asha, who in my head is a combination of Hermione Granger and Alex Dunphy. Each character is given enough space to express themselves, and it is very evident that the author has equal respect for each of them, regardless of the baggage they come with. This is especially important when it comes to children’s literature because the readers are of an impressionable age, and embody the qualities they read about.
Overall, the story is fast- paced and light, and it barely took me an hour and a half to read through the 108 pages of the book. The short chapters create a sense of urgency to the story, and I’m sure young readers would breeze through reading this book. I would gladly recommend The Mystery of the Graveyard Gold to any student of mine who has a soft spot for mystery and adventure.
P.S: In this series, I post honest reviews of recently published children’s books and young adult books by contemporary Indian authors. If you have been eyeing a book by an Indian author, but haven’t been able to find reviews on Google, let me know in the comments below. I would be happy to read the book for you, and post an honest review here! 🙂
