The Conch Bearer

Brotherhood of the Conch #1

by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

In a dingy shack in the less-than-desirable Indian neighborhood he calls home, twelve-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell that possesses mystical powers. His task is to return the shell to its rightful home many hundreds of miles away. Accompanying him are Nisha, a headstrong but resourceful child of the streets, and a mysterious man of indeterminate age and surprising resources named Abadhyatta.

His quest will take him farther from home than he's ever been and will teach him more than he ever imagined -- and it will force him to make a poignant decision that will change him forever.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, India, Middle Grade, Adventure, Childrens, Young Adult

265 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2004

About the author

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author and poet. Her themes include the Indian experience, contemporary America, women, immigration, history, myth, and the joys and challenges of living in a multicultural world. Her work is widely known, as she has been published in over 50 magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker, and her writing has been included in over 50 anthologies. Her works have been translated into 29 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi and Japanese. Divakaruni also writes for children and young adults.Her novels One Amazing Thing, Oleander Girl, Sister of My Heart and Palace of Illusions are currently in the process of being made into movies. http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/books.... Her newest novel is Before We Visit the Goddess (about 3 generations of women-- grandmother, mother and daughter-- who each examine the question "what does it mean to be a successful woman.") Simon & Schuster.

She was born in India and lived there until 1976, at which point she left Calcutta and came to the United States. She continued her education in the field of English by receiving a Master’s degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

To earn money for her education, she held many odd jobs, including babysitting, selling merchandise in an Indian boutique, slicing bread in a bakery, and washing instruments in a science lab. At Berkeley, she lived in the International House and worked in the dining hall. She briefly lived in Illinois and Ohio, but has spent much of her life in Northern California, which she often writes about. She now lives in Texas, which has found its way into her upcoming book, Before We Visit the Goddess.

Chitra currently teaches in the nationally ranked Creative Writing program at the Univ. of Houston. She serves on the Advisory board of Maitri in the San Francisco Bay Area and Daya in Houston. Both these are organizations that help South Asian or South Asian American women who find themselves in abusive or domestic violence situations. She is also closely involved with Pratham, an organization that helps educate children (especially those living in urban slums) in India.

She has judged several prestigious awards, such as the National Book Award and the PEN Faulkner Award.

Two of her books, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart, have been made into movies by filmmakers Gurinder Chadha and Paul Berges (an English film) and Suhasini Mani Ratnam (a Tamil TV serial) respectively. Her novels One Amazing Thing and Palace of Illusions have currently been optioned for movies. Her book Arranged Marriage has been made into a play and performed in the U.S. and (upcoming, May) in Canada. River of Light, an opera about an Indian woman in a bi-cultural marriage, for which she wrote the libretto, has been performed in Texas and California.

She lives in Houston with her husband Murthy. She has two sons, Anand and Abhay (whose names she has used in her children’s novels).

Chitra loves to connect with readers on her Facebook author page, www.facebook.com/chitradivakaruni, and on Twitter, @cdivakaruni.
For more information about her books, please visit http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/, where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

Reviews

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, but I couldn't help thinking something was missing. I never really started caring for the main characters, and the book never 'drew me in' properly - I never stopped being aware that it was a book. I can't put my finger on anything specific that Divakaruni did 'wrong', so I don't know why I lacked sympathy for the characters, but it did mean that while the plot was interesting, I finished the book more out of a sense of duty than anything else.

[Rachel Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A children’s fantasy set in modern India.

12-year-old Anand’s Kolkata family was happily middle-class until his father disappeared, his sister went catatonic, and the family sank into poverty. Anand had to drop out of school and work for a mean tea-stall owner.

But when he gives his last food to an old man, he is pulled into the old man’s quest to return a magic talking conch to a legendary brotherhood of healers. Accompanied by the old man and a homeless girl, Anand goes on a very traditional quest, complete with pursuing villain, magical obstacles, and powerful but obnoxious forces for good that keep setting up tests to pass.

The best part of this novel for me was the vividly evoked settings: the flavors of the food, the smell of the air, the discomfort of the journey. The characters are simple and the plot, if you’ve read a few childrens’ fantasy quest novels, was extremely predictable. However, I am no longer ten. This would probably be enjoyed by the eight-to-twelve set, with this caveat:

I regret to criticize the ending for being startling, given that predictability was my main problem with the rest of the story. But there is a middle ground between predictable and WTF.



At the end, Anand is given a choice between staying with the Brotherhood and learning magic, and returning to his family, now back together with Dad returned and Sister cured. He sees via magic that his family misses him and is worried about him. I expected him to choose his family and be rewarded by being allowed to stay with the Brotherhood after he explains to his family that he’s not dead, just pursuing a career.

He chooses to stay with the Brotherhood… and so his family won’t grieve over him, the Brotherhood erases the memory of Anand from their minds, so they won’t remember that he ever existed at all! (He still remembers them.)

Okay, am I the only person who is totally boggled by this, and not in a good way?

1. Way to make very important decisions for other people without their consent!

2. It’s never explained why he couldn’t tell them that he was okay but had to leave. I don’t see why he couldn’t have made up a story about being a healer’s apprentice in the Himalayas, since that’s basically true anyway.

3. The Brotherhood is creeeeeeeeeepy, but it’s presented as being a bit uptight but overall a force for good.

4. The whole thing is presented as “Yay happy ending.” Maybe for Anand, though that’s also creepy, but what about his family? He had important relationships with all of them, and those have now been wiped out of their lives.

5. How does that even work, anyway? More people than his family knew Anand. Were they all mind-wiped, too? If not, boy is his family in for a shock!

[Kana Haya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anand was only a 12 years old boy when Abhaydatta came to his little home to ask him to be the conch bearer. Anand was amazed with the beauty of the magical conch shell so that he dare to accept the offer. Anand's mother didn't allowed him at first. but after she found out Meera, Anand's little sister who got ill for past two years, started to talked and laugh at the family, she allowed Anand go with heavyhearted.

Along with Nissa, a sweeper girl who insist to go with him, Anand and Abhaydatta tried to take the conch back to its place at Silver Valley, far-of-Himalayas. but on the way to Silver Valley, they had to face Surabhanu, a power-hungry-es-member of silver Valley's Brotherhood.

I don't really like the ending, though. because in my opinion, Anand should go back to his family. and it will really hurt for a family to loose one of their member. however, I gave 4 stars for this book, means i really like the story. it shows us that we are just human who always hungry for powers.

[Rosanne Hawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A literary children's fantasy set in India, based on mythology with beautiful writing. Lots to think about. I can understand Anand's choices though they may not be popular. But isn't life like that?

[Niko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like Lord of the Rings meets Lost Horizon - with traces of Slumdog Millionaire and Harry Potter through a lens of eastern mysticism. While the exotic setting and descriptions were enough to win me, the narration and storytelling are outstanding as well. There is a good balance of character development, action, and plot advancement.

A couple moments are predictable, almost cliché perhaps. But I feel that it is more than made up for in this unique youth novel. One repeating theme is that of failure and disappointment in the self, met with unconditional positive regard and encouragement to get back up and continue the mission. I found this personally encouraging and inspiring.

Someone with an interest in the Indian subcontinent - or distant lands in general - would particularly relish The Conch Bearer, but there is plenty to enjoy without it. I recommend The Conch Bearer to anyone who enjoys the youth fiction genre involving magic and a perilous journey.

[e.c.h.a · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Kejujuran, kesetiaan dan welas asih. Ketiga kebajikan yang saling terkait - tidak ada yang bisa hadir tanpa yang lain. Kejujuran tanpa welas asih terlalu kasar untuk bisa menghasilkan yang baik. Welas asih tanpa kesetiaan tidak mempunyai kekuasaan, maka kau tidak bisa menghasilkan yang baik. Kesetiaan tanpa kejujuran bisa menyebabkan kau mengikuti orang yang salah, atau tujuan yang salah." jawaban yang diberikan Anand, bocah pembawa keong, saat dihadapkan pilihan untuk memilih satu dari tiga kebajikan.

Divakaruni jauh lebih keren menulis untuk genre dewasa. Walau genre anak-nya tetap tidak menghilangkan budaya India.

[Devon Elmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a child and it felt like I read a modern day prophet’s story. It is bizarre and wonderful and I didn’t even realize it was a series. Time to re-read and try the next book, too. See if it was as good as I remember it.

[Piper]

I'm mentioning this book in the draft of my law school application essay :)

(hopefully I stay under the word count and don't have to cut it out)

[emmerspoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOTR meets The Silver Chair… but set in modern India. It was fun to listen to, but it definitely rips off of other fantasy works (mostly LOTR).

[Samarth Gupta]

Was listed in my sixth grade time capsule Huh

[Justin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was.... Words can not even describe for me.
I found it on a "Free Books" bookshelf at school. The cover intrigued me so I picked it up to read.

The basic plot: Young Anand who lives (I think) in India in squalor with his poor mother and mentally inhibited sister has a pretty terrible life. His longing for a life of magic and stories soon finds him swept away into an exciting and dramatic quest to restore and ancient power to its rightful resting place while avoiding the evil that stole it.

I had a lot of problems with this book.
1.) His family is pretty poor because his father went to the big city to make money and then disappeared and never came back, so he has to work to help support his mother and sister. His sister apparently witnessed a murder which has rendered her practically comatose but not quite. At the first sign of a grand adventure he's ready to run off into the sunset. The only reason he hesitates is because the old man promises to heal his sister and she is not immediately healed, so he thinks the old man is crazy. That's the reason he doesn't initially go. Not because his mother is poor and desperately needs his help, not because he loves his family just too much to leave them, but because he thinks the old guy is crazy. But when he wakes up the next morning, his sister is healed (yet still too young to work or help support the family) so he decides to run off with the old man to help him take the Conch back. Really? Just like that he deserts his family?

2.) His sister witnessed a murder and now she's a mentally inhibited mute? Really? This was the most ridiculously transparent plot device I've ever seen. His sister only exists as a validation for him to run off with the old man. It's like she wasn't even a real person.

3.) The entire thing just somehow seemed so cliched and stupid. I don't know how to explain it other than that.

4.) Nisha is some random girl he ends up running with who doesn't have a name and was separated from her family so now she lives on the streets. Does this really happen? The girl was a sociopath, at best, instantly and jealously clinging to the old man and calling him grandfather. And then as soon as she wasn't getting her way she was pouting and cruel. If she's been living on the streets I think she would know a little hardship.

5.) Anand was as stupid as a box of rocks. I know he's a child, but it was bit ridiculous. He's supposed to have some deep connection with the Conch, but he doesn't have the smarts to realize what's going on half of the time?

6.)Anand's attitude towards everything. "I believe in magic and it's great and wonderful, unless it doesn't make sense or I don't like it, then it can't possibly be real." At one point, they are thwarted by a magical river, which is par for the course by them, but when a strange squirrel creature looks at him as if it's trying to tell him something, he thinks that it's completely ridiculous for a squirrel to be telling anyone anything. Seriously? A little consistency would be nice?

Major Spoiler Alert:

************************
7.) This goes back to his complete disregard for his family. When he's forced to choose between going back to his family (Who have been amazingly reunited with his father) and staying in the valley with the Conch, he quickly decides to stay with the Conch. It's okay, his family won't remember him. Seriously? Did you even like your family at all? What child just willingly gives up his family when they are the only things he's ever really had in his life? This was a completely ridiculous part of the book.
***********************


I did not, in any sense of the word, like this book AT ALL. I do not recommend it to anyone; I can not think of anyone who would want to read it. I wouldn't give it to a child to read because really, what kind of message does it send? Magic and stories is way more important than your family?

Final Judgement: This book is bad. The characters are bad and flat, the story is ridiculous, the whole thing is a transparent mess. Do not waste your time.

[Tra-Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I really enjoyed the setting and local flavor. I liked the protagonist, Anand, for his determination and kindness. Sure, the writing was nothing special, but who knew what might happen?

Unfortunately, what happens is a series of highly predictable, over-foreshadowed events. The reader is told of almost every event before it occurs. The dialogue is stilted. The prose is awkward and dull. Things happen that make little sense (Anand and Nisha are told to cross a river by "listening" to it, then cross it in a completely different manner without that original instruction ever explained). Characters' personalities are inconsistent (Anand's answer to the final test is unbelievably perfect and complex set against his previous dialogue). The fantastical events, such as a kidnapping by talking apes, never seem to meld believably into the world that worked fairly well in the first chapter or two.

Worst of all, Anand becomes less and less likeable. He frequently misplaces anger, obsessively analyzes his own actions, and has a selfish mindset. Almost every time he thinks or acts poorly, he realizes or is told of his error and attempts to correct the problem. However, this makes his overall personality that of a greedy person whose internal conscience is reactive rather than proactive. He doesn't mean to cause trouble, but he just can't HELP himself...and then he's sorry. There's a lot of regret and guilt going around. In the end, it becomes obvious that Anand may have a good heart, but his natural focus is still his own self. He wants the conch to be his and only his, and he wants glory and admiration. He resents Nisha, he even sometimes resents Abhaydatta, and he resents his own self. The makings of greatness may be there, but at this stage they aren't very impressive.

[Jigme Datse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this relatively quickly. I can't remember if I picked it up shortly after borrowing the book. I would consider that this falls more in the "magical realism" category than in the "fantasy" category. The setting is somewhat ambiguous time wise. While the physical locations seem to be very clear, when it is set could be anywhere in the last 40 or so years. At least roughly speaking. I think if I knew more about those places, it would be easier.

It *appears* to be set modern day India. Though that may be somewhat deceiving. It's just that it's *not* set somewhere that is either "not of earth" or "ancient past of earth". There are a number of "modern" conveniences which set it within the last 150 years or so. Being very normal, it probably cuts it to about the last 100 or so years, and based on place names possibly last 40 or so years. But... That place name thing may be a bit misguided as the name *reverted* to that about 45 years ago, locals may have been mixed as to whether they honoured the changed name.

I fairly quickly reached about the middle before I started to slow down a tad. This is somewhat unusual, usual the whole of the middle third ends up being quite a drag in my reading of a great many books.

In the case the middle didn't really slow down all that much. It was just that the action had been "too similar" for too long around that time. To up the pace just a tad, I feel about a total of 20 pages could be cut from the book. Which is almost 10% of the book. This actually is probably pretty decent to feel that throughout the whole book only about 10% of it could be cut realistically.

A large number of books I read I feel a good 30-40% *needs* to be cut, in order to make it genuinely readable. Here, I felt 10% would "tighten it up just that bit better."

So...

[Hannah]

Reasons I was worried about this book:

-The synopsis sounds like The Fellowship of the Ring. I haven't actually read that, and I barely remember the movie because I watched it during a period of seven-hour daily headaches, but yeah.

-The paperback cover kind of sucks, especially compared to the hardcover my friend was reading.

-In addition to making it sound like Frodo in India, the synopsis also makes the book sound like a dime a dozen.

But:

-It's refreshing to see a middle grade fantasy that's not rooted in the western tradition and yet isn't full of stuff that screams THISISDIVERSITYIT'SGOODFORYOUKIDSBECAUSEYOUWOULDN'TOTHERWISEWANTTOREADABOUTBROWNPEOPLEUNLESSIT'SMEDICINE.

-It's kind of classic at the same time.

-The old man who is kind of Gandalf is a mongoose!

-It's not the most special thing ever, but it's really solid and would be a great thing to recommend precisely because it's very solid and yet gets diversity points, so it would be the perfect type of book to recommend without actually pointing out the diversity (because of the above all caps).

[Devi R. Ayu · Rating 3 out of 5]

sumpah..awalnya bete banget baca buku ini..habisnya pemeran utamanya adalah orang yang sangat peragu n kerap membuat kesalahan..setelah dipikir-pikir itu sangat manusia sekali.Menyuruh manusia untuk tidak cemas dan tidak berpikiran buruk malah sama sekali tidak manusiawi^^

Ide cerita keong ajaib ini tampak sebelas duabelas dengan buku lord of the ring...

Pesan yang bisa diambil, datang pada akhir cerita saat sang pemeran utama, Anand, disuruh memilih salah satu diantara 3 kebajikan. Apakah itu Kejujuran, kesetiaan , atau welas asih...

Anand menjawab, "aku tidak bisa hanya memilih satu. Ketiga kebajikan itu saling terkait, tidak ada yang bisa hadir tanpa yang lain. Tanpa salah satu, yang lain kehilangan bumbu. Kejujuran tanpa welas asih terlalu kasar untuk bisa menghasilkan yang baik. Welas asih tanpa kesetiaan, tidak mempunyai kekuasaan, maka kau tidak bisa menolong orang-orang yang kau kasihi. Kesetiaan tanpa kejujuran mungkin bisa menyebabkan kau mengikuti orang yang salah, atau tujuan yang salah"

[Resa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Conch Bearer begins with Anad, a poor boy, spending his days, time, and energy pouring tea for a nasty and cruel boss. The story is set in India. Anad’s fate was not always so dismal, for once he had a father who provided for his family, but his father left to make more money for his family in Dubai. At first the checks his father sent were enough to keep his small family, his mother and his mentally handicapped sister, afloat. But soon the checks stopped coming and word from his father ceased. Anad immediately took on the role of head of his household and now puts up with horrible work conditions and low pay just for the satisfaction he receives when he gives his mom a check every week. Yet, Anad dreams of a day when he and his family will be delivered from their plight of poverty. He finds himself wishing and believing that magic may even be able to help him.

Thus this non-western adventure is set in motion. It is a beautiful book that will keep you captivated with its simple, yet profound, obstacles.

A wonderful read especially for 6th grade students.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was never quite as engaged with this as I wanted to be, and a lot of it felt predictable and familiar--sort of an Indian version of Harry Potter (or, I suppose, a hundred other quest stories), and definitely geared toward the younger end of the age range. All of the parts that grounded the story in India were my favorites--the truly mouthwatering descriptions of Indian food, and the whole sequence at the end, which felt the most different and original. And there are some lovely turns of phrase, like I want my life to change, he said fiercely inside his head, holding his breath until he grew dizzy, putting all his strength into the wish and launching it from him the way an archer sends forth an arrow. I don't feel the need to immediately seek out the sequels, but I'd be happy to read them sometime.

[Minli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the Indian origin (and major points for a fantasy written in a non-Western tradition), The Conch Bearer was kind of traditional, structure wise... basically, what you would expect of a high fantasy for a middle grade set. I was hoping it would surprise me.

The writing was good--especially the descriptions of food! It would be an interesting companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, though the characters are not as memorable. Nisha was actually kind of annoying for most of it, and I didn't like the "I am special because I'm the only one who can see the beauty in conch, and those who can't, aren't" attitude Anand was sporting. I also didn't really get what was so special about the magic of the conch or the Brotherhood. What made them more special than a loving family?

[Clara Heintzelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked "The Conch Bearer". I have noticed that this author likes to make the setting in her books India. I have read another book by her called "Neela: Victory Song", which also took place in India. I think the author is from India. I enjoyed that book and also enjoyed the book I just read, "The Conch Bearer".
This book ends at a point where it could be forever done, and not a single glance backwards. But I happen to know that this is the first of a trilogy. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. These books have magic in them, a quality I enjoy. And sometimes throughout a series, the magic can grow and develop, strengthening and building, until it is powerful beyond belief. This is amazing, and I can't wait to see if this happens in "The Brotherhood of the Conch", the trilogy that begins with "The Conch Bearer".

[Imas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku pertama Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni yang aku baca. Setelah membaca buku ini, tertarik untuk buku-buku beliau lainnya dan sejauh ini baru baca The Palace of Illusion, masih ada yang lainnya mengantri. Tentang perjalanan yang ditempuh seorang anak, Anand untuk mengantarkan keong ajaib. Anand seorang anak miskin yang harus membantu ibunya bekerja disebuah kedai. Perjalanan penuh keajaiban.

[Sinta Nisfuanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Petualangan fantasinya sebenarnya tidak terlalu 'wah' jika dibandingkan novel-novel fantasi saat ini yang banyak sekali konflik. Novel fantasi ini sederhana tapi menurutku pesan moralnya yang bagus, terutama di bagian akhirnya.

[Sanggeetha Veeramani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this series before when I was in high school and could never find it again! I have tried
searching in a lot of bookstores, even Bookalicious didn't have it. Apparently, it is out of print!!! Which is really quite unfortunate, because these books are pure gems. This summer I borrowed them from one of my friends and read it all over again. And it's still as magical as it was the first time I read them.

This is a trilogy written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni where the first book is The Conch Bearer, the second book is The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming and the last one is Shadowland.
It's about a boy named Anand who lives in the slums of Kolkata together with his mother and a sister who became mentally ill after a traumatic event. One day, a healer appeared and enlisted Anand and a street sweeper, Nisha on a quest to return The Conch to the brotherhood in the Himalayas. The Conch is an object of power which has powers beyond our imagination that is being sought by an evil sorcerer, Surabhanu. And thus their journey begins. The second book and the third book follows a different pathway but still revolved around The Conch and other objects of power. In the third book, there are elements of science fiction where science and magic must work together to save everyone and everything.
I know this synopsis is nothing much but I really am trying to not give any spoilers!!

The one thing that I love the most about this book is the way it is written. The description of the places, the events, the food and everything is really good that we, readers feel as though we are experiencing it all. They seem so real. In the first book, she described a mango. Just a mango and I really thought I could smell it and was craving so badly for it. The celebrations, the vibrant colours, the people, everything seems really real. There was a part where Anand was eating chapatti. I am not someone who enjoys eating chapatti, but as I read it, I wanted it, it sounded so delicious!!! Yeah, most of my examples are food, but what can I say, it was really good! This series really paints a clear picture of the environment and the culture at that time, which is really refreshing as I have never read any books with similar setting prior to this.

The one thing that I was really annoyed about is Anand. That boy doubts every single thing, every single thing. Being careful is one thing but what he does is a whole new level. He doubts and doubts and then, he doesn't do what he is supposed to do which ends up in a whole big preventable mess if not for his, quoting The Conch, "pigheadedness". And at times, he just wants to prove himself, and keep making mistakes after mistakes, at times, it gets stressful just reading about it. It's not wrong to make mistakes, don't get me wrong, but he just doubts everything and waste previous time! There are times when he is in danger but he is so amazed by his surroundings and all the food and forget the danger! Like who does that?! It's not a magical environment, he is not under the influence of any magic,he was just being thick! It's so frustrating! I have no idea how many times I wish I could reach into the book and shake him really hard in the hope that he can see some sense. But well, Nisha was there and did what she could but at times, his skull is just too thick!

Despite Anand being thick, the stories seems more and more interesting as we dwell deeper and deeper into it. Maybe Anand's behaviour was meant to be like that to make the story move in a certain direction but still frustrating.

I would strongly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good dose of fantasy and adventure and don't mind a little frustration.

P. S. Eat well before you start reading them to prevent hunger! These books can induce hunger! If possible, mangoes will be great!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

it wasn't until I finished this and read the back blurb on the author that I realized I had read her adult book mistress of spices. which I remember thinking was very much like an indian like water for chocolate, magical realism built around food/family/community. I'm not a huge magical realism fan and I'm not a huge like water for chocolate fan. it was ok. maybe earth zodiac signs enjoy that kind of thing more.

I bought this and the sequel, which I will read next, the mirror of fire and dreaming, for starling in 2008, when she was 8. soooo 16 years ago. she never read them and when she was clearing things out and went to get rid of them I was like, oh, I'll take them, they're meant to be good. so they've probably been on my to-be-read shelf for 8 or 10 years. this is why I desperately want to clear the shelf. things go there and sit for decades and then you feel all funny about time, like when you're clearing a stack of papers on your desk and realize the things at the bottom are dated 4 years ago and this stack has been sitting there that long. so currently my reading is not books I am most excited to read, but books that I wanted and still want to read, that I feel have value in them, that I still insist on keeping and so now MUST read.

I read this in one bath, so not that much of an investment of time, I think it was about an hour and a half. it is a middle grade book after all. one of the blurbs said it was fast-paced and it was. I probably liked it better than mistress of spices, lol, even though I have not really enjoyed reading middle grade books lately. I may have finally outgrown them.

this is your classic magical fantasy. basically a wizard finds two children and they accompany him on a magical quest where they have to use their morals and their wits to survive and succeed. it is set in india, which shows up most in the food that they eat. it's quite reminiscent of frodo's quest to take the ring to mordor, only the conch is not to be destroyed but revered in a valley of mystical healers. but as a power object, the conch does have the power to corrupt those who possess it, particularly if they're not the ones who should be possessing it. so, adventurous lad who wants more out of life - who wants magic - and plucky young girl who is street smart go on their adventure, pursued by a powerful evil force trying to get the conch. the boy screws up a lot, causing a lot of havoc and near disaster, but he does learn from his mistakes. in the end, he has to choose between staying in the magical valley and returning to his loving family.

as this kind of story goes, it's pretty good. unusual setting, it's kept very simple with just the trio journeying together, the pace did keep me interested even though it's a middle grade. it's probably a 3.5 stars, it's well done for what it is, I'm just not super into middle grade fantasy quests at this point.

[Ensiform · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anand is a young boy who lives with his mother and sister in a small shack in Kolkata. His sister is mute and unresponsive after suffering a violent psychological shock, and their father left to work overseas and has not been heard from in some time. Anand dreams of magical worlds and adventure, but must work at a tea shop to help support the family. Until, that is, one day when he meets a mysterious old man who asks his help as a sort of famulus to return a mystical conch to its rightful place. Along with Nisha, a spunky street urchin he meets along the way, Anand encounters malicious magic powers and many dangers.

This is a sort of Lord of the Rings Junior, except the chosen ring-bearer is a vacillating, incredulous weak link who nearly capsizes the quest more than once through his jealousy, doubts, and fears. Why the old wizard chose Anand never became clear to me, and I really rolled my eyes when of course he is revealed to be Even More Special! It's a decent enough story, with thrills and magic aplenty. I especially liked the isolated enclave of mystics who keep the world safe — a hoary old chestnut, but well done here. There are a few places in the book that I thought could have been tightened up, such as some foreshadowing that perplexingly goes nowhere, but on the whole I think middle grade readers longing for magical tales would devour this book and want more.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anand is living a life full of hardship after his father mysteriously goes missing in Dubai. Once, they were a happy family with the comforts of a nice home, adequate income, and family bonding. Now, Anand had to leave school and work for a cruel employer to help his mother meet the family’s needs. His sister is catatonic after seeing a brutal killing.

At the tea stall where he works, an elderly man approaches and the owner shoos him away. But, Anand, full of empathy, offers him some of his food. That is the beginning of a journey that will take Anand far to a place which is full of beauty and compassion.

But, first this elderly, wise man explains about a magical conch which has been stolen from the Brotherhood. He asks Anand to accompany him on the journey to restore the conch to its rightful place amongst this Brotherhood. Anand’s mother agrees to this after he heals his sister. Along the way on the journey, they meet feisty, street rat, Nisha who also aids in the quest. Of course, after many hardships and near-failures, the conch is returned, but.....what does that mean for Anand and NIsha, for that matter?

The Conch Bearer has a folklore-ish tone, full of lush, descriptive imagery. The characters are not as well-defined as the landscapes and cityscapes. It is a predictable story that a young reader may struggle to get through.

[Tokki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Conch Bearer was a book I was gifted in middle school, many years ago. I'm in the process of going through all the books I own and giving them all a proper try. With The Conch Bearer, it's my latest attempt of several over the years, and is the first time I've succeeded.

My final impressions is that it's...fine. But as another review points out, it's missing something. The prose is strangely difficult to get into, the journey feels under-developed, and the character-writing leaves more to be desired. None of these elements are done horribly, but it feels like a potentially great dish made with good ingredients but was undercooked.

The final section was the most interesting, and I was genuinely pulled into the story for the first time during this part. I wish the rest of the book had this level of emotional stakes.

[Robert Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished #1, on #2, #3 in waiting... So as many have said some small thing is a bit missing, some of it I'm sure is cultural, even as a 53 yr old I did not know a number of the words and terms and sadly was not close to a pc to look them up. Yet I really like the difference in it from other stories and the fantasy is woven into the Indian history/culture in my mind so it's really cool. Some chapters are a bit slow and long and others were cool and fast paced. I'm enjoying the emotional roller coaster in both books so far and constantly trying to decide if I'd make the same choices as Anand. Glad to have purchased and read and will continue to read these books, I need to broaden and challenge my experiences.

[Laila Abuwani · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Conch Bearer is a children's novel that I picked up largely because of my admiration for the author’s previous works, like The Palace of Illusions and The Forest of Enchantments.

I’ve always been captivated by her writing, but I found that this book didn’t quite resonate with me as much as those earlier novels did.While it's a commendable effort, it feels like the author tried to create an entirely new world, but with only a handful of characters, it didn’t quite meet the expectations I had going in.

However, keeping in mind that it's a children's book, it does serve its purpose well for a younger audience.Despite my mixed feelings about this one, my faith in the author remains intact, and I look forward to exploring more of her work in the future.

[Rithika Gopal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am merely giving this book a 5 stars MAINLY cause this was the book that made me start reading all those years ago. In year 4 or 5 when I saw this book in the library, I picked it up solely cause of the book cover. But then I read more of it, and how the Indian heritage was relatable to me, I started to get hooked. I adored the characters, and secretly hoped this universe was real. I wanted to be Nisha so badly 😭

Now that I have read a lot more books, If I reread this book I'd probs give it a 3.75 or 4, because the writing is targeted towards younger audiences, and i'm just grown up lmao. Overall, i'm just grateful I came across this book :)

[Sarah McCauley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook of this charming story and enjoyed it very much. I did notice myself being a little bit sad that this Indian story was being narrated by a white man. It seemed a missed opportunity. That being said, I love Alan Cumming, the reader who did narrate the book, and he did a marvelous job. (Full disclosure, I would pretty much listen to Alan Cumming read the phone book.) So I'm also glad that he specifically was the reader. I contain multitudes. And I look forward to continuing this series.