Killing Honour

by Bali Rai

'Honour,' I repeated, wondering how such a small word could have caused so much trouble.

When Sat's sister, Jas, is married off into the Atwal family she changes, she's quiet and distant. But Sat's too busy with his own life; his girlfriend, his friends, football . . . Then Jas disappears.

According to her new husband, she's run off with another man. Her family disown her; don't seem to care if she's ever found. But Sat doesn't believe it. Something has happened to his sister and he's determined to figure out what. But his investigations take him into dark and dangerous territory...

A powerful, hard-hitting teen thriller on the controversial topic of honour killing, by multi-award-winning author Bali Rai.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult, Teen, Social Issues, Romance, Contemporary

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2011

About the author

Bali Rai was born in 1971 and grew up in Leicester. As a child, Bali wanted to be a footballer or to write stories. Always an avid reader, he hails Sue Townsend, Douglas Adams and Robert Swindells as his writing heroes. Bali grew up reading Dr Seuss and Meg and Mog and his first book purchase was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. He realised he wasn't good enough to play for Liverpool F.C. and after gaining a politics degree in London he returned to his home city and combined a variety of jobs in pubs and clubs with completing his first novel. Bali set about writing a story he had been thinking about for many years. He wanted to write accessible material for children of all ages and backgrounds and realising there were no British Asian authors writing for children, he saw a gap. Bali hopes his novels capture the unique ethnic mix of the UK, of which he is proud to be a part.

Bali writes stories inspired by his working class Punjabi/Sikh background, but his aim was always that his writing should be enjoyed by readers everywhere, irrespective of class or culture. His has the ability to tackle the harsh realities of growing up in the UK and blend this with humour and often a overriding optimism. Bali visits schools and libraries in every major UK city, averaging 70 school and library events a year.

His first book, (un)arranged marriage, created a huge amount of interest and won many awards, including the Angus Book Award and the Leicester Book of the Year. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase first novel award. Rani and Sukh and The Whisper were both shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.

All of Bali’s teen titles have been short-listed for awards across the UK, including twice making the Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist. His third novel Rani and Sukh has represented the UK at the International IBBY awards and this title has its own Facebook tribute group set up by fans. Bali’s first three novels appear in The Ultimate Teenage Book Guide. Bali also writes shorter novels for Barrington Stoke, his first book, Dream On, was selected for the Booktrust’s inaugural Booked Up list. He also writes the hugely popular Soccer Squad series for younger readers.

Reviews

[Caroline Southgate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written book about religeon and arranged marriages focussing on a family of sikks. Their daughter was married to a gangster (they did not know this, just thought he had money) and he was awful to her and she them went missing. The husband said she had run away with a Muslim which made the parents angry and want to disown her. The brother knee this was a lie and spent his teenage years trying to find what happened.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not 100% sure about this book. it deals with some very complex issues but at times I got so annoyed with the main character and I thought it strayed too far from a reality that a lot of people can connect with. Maybe that was the point though? Still a good book.

[CLV Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book about honour killings and value systems in different cultures. It will keep you thinking even after you've turned the final page.

[CherryCarrot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Negativity first: I hate the front cover! It looks bland and generic, and this is not a bland and generic story.

So, like many other readers, I only had a surface understanding of honour killings, so to read a book on the subject was enlightening, and Bali Rai was clearly the right man to write it with his understanding of the Sikh community and mindset. It was difficult to read at times, because characters like Sat's dad and brother had attitudes that were impossible to agree or empathise with when it came to Jas' disappearance, and yet Rai had given me enough information for me to understand where these opinions came from. I liked how determined Sat was to find the truth, and how quite an impulsive, thoughtless and in many ways selfish young man grew up, and how the answers did not come easily, and things were only wrapped up some time from when Jas first vanished.

For me, I didn't really enjoy the sections where the abuse was unveiled, but that's down to personal preference as those kind of passages never really engage me. I do think they had an important function in the story. I didn't entirely like the character of Laura towards the end - she felt very much like a female character written by man, and not entirely real - but I was engrossed in the storyline by this point now, and didn't really care.

This is an excellent, quick read, and I loved that it was set in Leicester - so many books have very samey, indistinguishable settings.

[Amarjeet Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's stomach churning to say the least. Bali Rai charts the disparity between the Sikh faith and its environmental, atrophied Punjabi culturalism where gender equity is concerned. 'Killing Honour' is more than just a young reader's novel charting the brutally inhumane aspect of South Asian culture.

How Rai conveys his hard-hitting points is through the medium of fiction. In my opinion, he's a master at harnessing the power of narrative to subtly punch patriarchy in the face. We follow our protagonist who discovers that his sister's supposed elopement is in reality a convenient visage for concealing her brutal murder. The most harrowing account in the novel is that of how another 'bride' is slaughtered by her husband in a bout of honor killing.

To say that this book is visceral is a colossal understatement. But it altered my life and my comprehension of South Asian cultural dynamics. For this, I will be forever thankful to Bali Rai for opening my eyes to what transpires behind closed doors.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an emotional roller coaster for me, there's always the question of why? But then the aggravation that fills in that void when Jas takes his time to give a shit care to what happened to his sister. But then I guess that was the point. To show how people (family) can just go on with their lives after such an ordeal.

I'm going to save any spoilers and keep it simple, it opened my eyes to how people close to you can give up on you and believe another's lies just to keep honour intact. It showed me how honour is such a big thing, coming from a similar background it hasn't affected me as it has to others so I never bothered with even worrying about stuff like this. It was a great read, and I loved the fact that it covered all aspects and had answered all the questions in the end. Overall I loved the style of writing and how it didn't beat around the bush during the end.

[Suzanne Maughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was enthralling. I was completely drawn into the tragic story. Warning, this is not a book for the faint hearted! It deals with domestic abuse, violence and the notion of honour killings. I was left with a few unanswered questions, but these details would possibly haved resulted in gratuitous scenes that didn't really needed to be included. This is, after all, a YA novel. It was, however, fascinating and the author's note at the end of the book was very interesting. I have read books by Bali Rai before, and these books really do stay with you.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my 14/15 yr old students. They were really in to it. They liked the realistic bit of teenage romance (drinking, fooling around) and I think the voice of the protagonist/narrator (Sat) resonated with them. He used slang and was a bit impetuous like many teenagers are. I think he rang true to them. They were especially taken in by thrill/danger/mystery. All in all, a good YA book.

[Jorge A. Ruiz · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was sloppy writing. Too fast paced at times and tremendously slow at others. So little was focused on killing honour, I felt disappointed.

Why spend so much time talking about a relationship? Friendship? When the "killing honour" character is barely spoken of...

I was disappointed. I literally skimmed paragraphs and skipped pages, and I didn't need anything.

[Sanika Miah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally Bali rai has always and will always be my favorite-author I’ve always had my hopes up when reading his books but this has just blown me away and it’s really upsetting watching the main charecter unfold the reality behind his sisters dissapearance SPOILER she is indeed dead

[Joyce Van noten · Rating 5 out of 5]

From this author I've only read 2 books, this one and his first. And I feel he has massively improved. Even though this is not my culture I feel I am right in it. It is a really interesting topic.

[Zara Shabir · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Even when they do report it, the media call it "honour killing" or "honour-related abuse", which is a joke. Those murders aren't about honour - more like killing honour." - Chapter 29: pg. 308.
***
When Sat's sister Jas gets married, the young woman Sat adored, changes. She becomes quiet and distant but too busy with his own life, Sat doesn't realise until it is too late.
Jas disappears.
Her new husband states she's run off with another man and her family instantly disown her. Their lack of care over if she's ever found is concerning to Sat, who refuses to believe that his beloved sister has just runoff. Something has happened to his sister and he's determined to discover what.
***
This book was addictive. Sat's investigation into his sister's disappearance was a rollercoaster of emotions.
Unfortunately, so-called 'honour crimes' are common in some communities in which 'honour' is more important than an individual's happiness. A culture of shame and silence emerges, where even the slightest hint of something off-balance can result in dangerous consequences. That was the case in this book - Sat knew there was something wrong and wouldn't stop until he found answers, stepping into dangerous territory and facing the same disavowment as his sister had faced. Sat was a complex-character - he was brave and a typical teenager with the slang and attitude but his own acknowledgement of the bias between women and men in the Sikh community made him aware that something was going on that needed to be investigated.
As the story progresses, we learn what happened to Jas and it turns the concept of 'honour killings' on its head. The mysterious POV chapters told a story that would usually be left untold in these cases.
A gripping quick-read for anyone that remains with you even after you close the book.

[Resident Optimist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. A really interesting read!

I was drawn in from he beginning of the book, wondering why things were already suspicious and by the end of the book I was pretty much blown away. I felt angered by particular characters, empathy for some, and annoyance at the ignorance of others.

I was left wondering why parents would simply stop caring about their children, why spouses who were supposed to be loving turned out to be so hateful and amazed at how far people would go to 'get the job done'

I personally have never heard of 'honour killings' that have affected my own life but I've read many papers and each time I'm left wondering how culture and tradition can be more important than family.

I would have found this story to be a little unrealistic but while I was reading, a particular story came to mind; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-... whereby a man was accused of having his wife murdered while on honeymoon. Chilling how people can do such things to their loved ones.

Honour killings are a very real issue and happen worldwide, this book does a good job of raising awareness of the reality of such killings and even the violence in such cases and shows that it's not always 'dishonoured' women who are affected, more often than not, innocent people are affected too.

I definitely recommend this one to all, whether you've read any other books by this author or not, this is one you can't afford to miss out on!

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a stomach-churning addictiveness to this book that speaks well of Rai's skill. He handles several different narrative, separated by time and point of view, and weaves them together to create a deeply visceral book.

Sat's sister Jas has gone missing after being married off into another family. She'd been distant and quiet but Sat doesn't think anything of it until she disappears. Jas' husband tells Sat and his family that she's been having an affair and has disappeared to be with the other man. Sat's family disown Jas on count of her having brought shame to the family. But there's something discomforting Sat about the whole story and he's determined to find out the truth.

Rai is a competent writer, strong in his awareness of how people and their beliefs can manipulate and be manipulated. He draws a compelling vortex of emotion, pulling the net tighter and tighter around Sat until it's almost unbearable to read.

One of the viewpoints in this story is particularly compelling. Written from an unnamed third person point of view, it tells a story that would be untold any other way. It's a disturbing and dark counterpoint to the 'main' story and one that gives it a terrifyingly real depth. This is a dark, compelling and very very good book.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Killing Honour is about a British Indian family who live in Leicester. Mr. and Mrs. Kooner have three children: Amar, Jas and Satinder. The older two are devoted to their parents and the upholding of a culture of a country they've never even been to. But the third, Satinder, refuses to hold on the by gone traditions and tries to blend in with the British community. So when his older sister Jas is married off to a guy she barely knows Sat is shocked that she would accept but never pays much attention to the matter. Later his sister disappears and he finds himself to be the only one who cares.

The story is about the Sikh community and their bias towards the male members of the family, and how so many women's situations are ignored because of the prejudice. The book taught me a lot about honour killings I'd never known. Though I've grown up in India I live in a state where honour killings are unheard of. They mostly take place in North eastern India and as far as I'd known only in the among the less educated families in the villages.

[Marite Juul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sats søster Jas forsvinner sporløst. Ektemannen Taz forteller at hun har stukket av med en elsker. Familien er dypt sjokkert, og alle utenom Sat tror på Taz' historie. I det tradisjonelle sikh-miljøet er dette en kjempeskandale. Sat tror Taz har skadet søsteren, og stiller ham ubehagelige spørsmål. Han får uventet hjelp fra Taz' ex-kjæreste Laura. Dess mer de graver, dess farligere blir det. Det er bra at Rai setter fokus på æresdrap, men denne boka fungerte ikke helt for meg. Den viktige bipersonen Laura framstår ikke særlig troverdig , og forholdet mellom henne og Sat virker helt usannsynlig. Enda mindre sannsynlig er det at Jas sin familie ikke stiller et eneste spørsmål ved ektemannens historie, men svelger den rått, og lar være å foreta seg noe som helst for å finne henne. Viktig tema, tidvis spennende, men dessverre lite troverdig historie.

[Izaak Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I thought the plot was brilliant, and it really helped to bring the characters to life. You can really imagine Sat's difficulties and his sadness for his sister. I felt the book delt with the serious world issues really well; it brought a real serious note to the book. The book is informative, I now know what honour killings are, and that the owners of night clubs probably do drugs! Just kidding guys, just kidding. But the book actually is informative. If you want to look at other aspects of the book, I really like the front cover with its bold title screaming out of you. The blurb was really well done; it made you want to read the book. So overall this was a really good book, I have given it 4 stars.

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Sat's sister, Jas, is married off into the Atwal family she changes, she's quiet and distant. But Sat's too busy with his own life; his girlfriend, his friends, football ...Then Jas disappears. According to her new husband, she's run off with another man. Her family disown her; don't seem to care if she's ever found. But Sat doesn't believe it. Something has happened to his sister and he's determined to figure out what. But his investigations take him into dark and dangerous territory.

I really enjoyed this. gritty and real. I was reading this through the mind of a 5 year old and understanding the culture and the concept of izzat and barriers that still exist. Well-written and well-paced and a compelling enough central character.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Sat's sister suddenly disappears he knows there is something seriously wrong and does not believe the story her husband tells to explain her disappearance. Despite his family's objections, Sat is determined to discover the truth which puts him in serious danger.

"Killing Honour" is essentially a crime story but deals with some heavy issues including domestic violence, drug abuse, corruption, gangsters, family relationships and racial hatred. Told from Sat's point of view, the book moves from the present to events leading up to it and the reader catches glimpses of the life Jas has led since her arranged marriage to Taz who, I must say, is a horrible character.

Well worth the read.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book. I eould recomend it for teenage reading because of language and the plot of the story. I liked the book but i hated the ending. I wish that they wold tell us more. I wold say that it was a good book though. When jas gets killed, i was sad. I thought that the Sat should have saved his sister along with Anita!

[Sumayyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is AMAZING! it is absolutely sad, emotional and people who say that this is rubbish, well they have no taste in boos. i really feel sad for sat but still, i loved every single part of the book. this book is so great that i cannot say anything, unless a person reads it. YOUR HEART SINKS INTO THIS BOOK.

[Esra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killing Honour.... <3 <3
Oh My Gosh.. I cannot believe a family could be so oblivious....
Once again Bali Rai you made me cry as I read this book

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it but not one of his best

[Sheridan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in simple language,for the younger reader - a good account of what I understand the life in the British Sikh community can be like

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Bali Rai, I think his books are amazing and this book is an example of that. it is an great horror/thriller book, with an excellent twist to go with it.

[Sue Styant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good teen read, enjoyed this.

[Michelle (Clover Hill Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://cloverhillbookreviews.blogspot...

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

was actually really good :-)

[PaigeOUAT · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing book for people who like horror book, a blood-puming thriller of epic proportions