Roar

by Manjeet Mann

An empowering novel of resistance inspired by Sampat Pal and the Pink Sari Gang from the multi-award-winning author of Run, Rebel and The Crossing

Rizu lives a comfortable life in the gated middle class suburbs of Delhi; her biggest worries are getting her homework done and keeping up with the mean girls at school. That is, until she’s accused of being a witch and the hysteria that follows triggers a chain reaction that ends in tragedy and life as she knew it changes forever.

Alone and fearing for her life, Rizu runs away and joins a group of pink sari wearing, stick wielding women, known for their revenge vigilantism. Together they can help Rizu take back her life and seek justice against those who wronged her.

Because sometimes you have to run through the streets and ROAR.

Genres: Young Adult, Poetry, Contemporary

320 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2025

About the author

Manjeet is an actress, playwright, screenwriter and director. She is the founder of Run The World - an organization that works with women and girls from marginalized backgrounds and helps to empower them through sport and storytelling. She lives in Kent.

Reviews

[molly ⸆⸉ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

(thankyou penguin for the physcial arc :))
(published october 2nd 2025)

I did really like the start of this but I got very uninterested during the middle I felt it was very well explained and I felt it was quite rushed at the end . I did feel bad for the cleaner but man fuck the girl that excused her .
I also love the layout of the book and how it's set out in poems !!

[Becca ♡ PrettyLittleMemoirs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rizu, our main character, lives a nice life in the Delhi suburbs, a gated, comfortable community. Though despite her domestically relaxing life, her worries are academic, about making sure her homework is always finished on time and keeping her distance from the mean girl clique at school—that, and being romantically involved with her best friend’s boyfriend. So when she’s found out by best friend Sonu, her punishment is not being iced-out or losing a friend, but being accused of witchcraft. A stir of turmoil enacts instantly, a sequence that only spells danger for Rizu’s life as she knows it.

Running away seems like her only option. More so when she meets a group of powerful women wearing pink saris and wielding sticks. They are known for exacting revenge, for being the vigilantes that always right wrongs, their own personal long-fought history between them. Rizu’s torn, though, on how to exact her own vengeance. She wants those who wronged her, placed blame indirectly or cast harm her way, to feel her wrath. Yet, there is a cost, and Rizu can feel this strongly. From familial trauma that seems to carry through her blood, to misgivings, trust and reflections of real life witch hunts, Rizu feels it all. The told-in-verse story carries us though just how far some people will go when out for blood, and the way the echo ricochets back to all.

Roar is eloquent, lyrical and captivatingly emotive, my favourite book by Manjeet yet. My heart carried Rizu’s every feeling on such a deep level told through raw and heart wrenching verse, poetic swirls of discrimination, morality and marginalisation. There’s a strong sense of female empowerment running through the novel, yet still showing just how the antithesis of this in history, and nowadays, can hold a mirror to things like the witch trials and persecution against women throughout lineage in India, and also The Crucible, which Rizu’s class is reading. Manjeet has this way of grabbing your attention, and I was thoroughly hooked throughout this stirring story. My only regret is that I hadn’t read it earlier (an ever-growing TBR is to blame!) so don’t make the same mistake as me. Make this beautiful book your next pick. I cannot wait for more from Manjeet Mann!

[Katy Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upsetting based-in-truth poetic story of female subjugation, assured style.

I love books written in verse, Sarah Crossan does this so well and now it seems Manjeet Mann does too. I've loved her previous books and was instantly going to read this upon seeing her name.

And it was an eye-opener. Upsetting. Sickening. Angering. Having recently watched The Crucible on the stage, I would have spotted the similarities without the overt references. But it's made clear what is happening and that this isn't just one character these things are happening to - it's country-wide, system-wide. Caste-wide.

A wealthy and high caste teen, Rizu, lives a life of privilege. Worrying about skin colour. Her nose. Her grades. Her clothes. If the other popular girls still like her. But her secret, a romance with the most popular girl's boyfriend, is about to be discovered. And this is one young lady who will not be wronged easily. Rizu is accused of witchcraft. Which... as history tells us... never goes well. Or blows itself out without a great deal of pain.

It was a truly shocking read. Even knowing the Miller play, seeing the action play out it was just awful to read. The text in verse felt both sparse and flowing full, you could see it all. We can see Rizu's mother, her former friend, women who've come before and their link to Rizu herself.

The story becomes wider in scope as the delicate protagonist decides she cannot let things stand and must try to do something herself about the injustices she sees and even take revenge. Seeing that real people were the inspiration for several of the characters helped give context to the story and made it feel more real.

Such a way to understand how the caste system affects real people, in particular women and girls.

Confident, articulate writing. Beautiful ending that made me tear up. Important book to share.

For ages over 13. Useful in conjunction with schoolwork on The Crucible.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. it has not affected my opinions.

3.5 stars

ROAR is a verse novel about misogyny and modern day witch hunts in India.

This is a book that explores misogyny and the caste system in India through witch trials in the modern day. As someone born and raised in the UK, witch hunts are a very historical thing in my mind - which they're not. They still happen around the world and, as one of the characters puts it, they've never gone away, just been given different names.

It explores the ways in which misogyny affects everyone from all walks of life. Ruzi has so much privilege and yet it traps her. Trying to protect her tears her family apart and breaks other families who run afoul of rich, powerful men. And yet, for all that it affects everyone - men and women - it is women of the lower castes, those deemed worth less by society, who suffer most. I think it's highly worth reading the author's note first, explaining why she took the path she did through this story, who she picked as the narrator. It definitely added an extra layer for me.

It's also a tale about when violence is an answer. Ruzi is frustrated with the peaceful routes given to her and goes on a rampage. The book lets you get into her head and understand why she goes down that route and comes to its own conclusion at the end about whether that was right but allows you the space to decide if you agree.

This is a verse novel, which is not my preferred style. It's very much a me thing - my brain just does not want to read verse (I partly blame school for this!) This did mean it took me a while to get into the book and the story telling style, and verse does make it very easy for me to slip out of the story, meaning I then have to try and get back in. This is the real reason the book is rated as it is; the engagement disconnect because of the format (which is no real reflection on the book but myself).

[Sarah Weeks-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story told through incredibly beautiful verse, Roar is a social justice call to arms that will empower and embolden girls of all ages and background. I was reading this book whilst curating a library display for South Asian Heritage Month, and I couldn’t help but think how much this book deserves to be included. The story is extremely moving, and the verse just flows off the page. The way the author manages to express and contain so much action and emotion with so few words is a testament to her skill.

Roar is the story of Rizu Malhotra, a wealthy teen from Delhi who becomes embroiled in a tragedy that thrusts her into the sphere of a pink sari-wearing activist group, tiger included. Through involvement with the group and its leader Shalini, Rizu must decide what is justice, who deserves it, through what method can you achieve it, and is it worth it in the end. The story opens with the revelation that Rizu is involved with her best friend Sonu’s boyfriend. Despite her pushing for him to break up with Sonu, the pair are eventually discovered. Though understandably hurt by the actions of her friend and boyfriend, Sonu exacts revenge by accusing Rizu of witchcraft, sparking a craze with disastrous results (Sunny, of course, is never held to account for his own actions). The author draws a direct parallel between the events of this story and “the Crucible”, which the teens are studying in class, further relating them to the first witch trial in India in 1792, to which Rizu has a direct connection. As she deals with her inherited trauma and the betrayal of the very systems which should protect her, Rizu must decide how far she is willing to go to exact justice.

This story is swimming in important themes. Female empowerment is, of course, at the heart of this entire tale, but there are also critiques of important topics such as the caste system in India and the impact of colourism on young people. The value of human life based on one’s position in society very much contributes to the events in this story. There is also social commentary on the disparity between the privilege that wealth can afford and the ability for those outside of that privilege to obtain justice. Rizu is from a wealthy family, but it is that privilege that prevents Shalini and her group from pursuing the justice that Rizu feels she needs. It is this feeling of helplessness and hopelessness that drives Rizu to forgo peaceful protest in favour of violence. The women we meet in this story are interesting women with depth and passion. Their stories represent the millions of women in India and around the globe who are treated as less than simply because they are women. Beautiful and captivating, important and engaging, this is the sort of story that will stay with me long after I’ve turned the last page.

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An empowering and rebellious YA novel in verse that really tugged at my heart strings!

Inspired by real world “witch hunts”, Sampat Pal and the Pink Sari Gang; Manjeet Mann skilfully explores (and highlights) privilege, oppression, and class prejudice in India (alongside the ongoing fight against injustice.) That I found as eye openingly relevant as I did heart wrenching.

Lyrical and emotionally complex, we follow middle class teen Rizu. Who, after a falling out with best friend Sonu, finds herself at the centre of a (mass hysteria induced) witch hunt that leads to tragic consequences.

Fearing for her life, Rizu runs away in the hopes of joining a group of stick wielding, pink sari wearing women. Famous for their signature brand of justice.

I really enjoyed this! The feminist and empowering narrative was both heartfelt and emotionally impactful.

With powerful social commentary that, though grounded in the injustices (and struggles) being faced in India. Will almost certainly resonate with readers around the world, for the universality of the injustices and the emotions that we explore. Like the discrimination, mass hysteria and scapegoating of marginalised groups and communities (which sadly seems to be on the rise.)

We also delve into the complicated, and messy processes that lead to social progression, despite how painful they may be (something that many novels often overlook.)

But did make Rizu’s journey and the moral complexities she faces, feel even more in-depth and realistic. As did showing Sonu’s path at the end, highlighting the possibility (and capacity) we all have to grow and change for the better.

Overall, a really empowering and thought provoking read that I can’t stop recommending.

Also, thanks to Nina Douglas & Penguin UK for the proof copy.

[Amy Bryan]

this book is written in verse opposed to ur standard prose, essentially making a selection of poetry with a continual story across the entire collection. Mann has written multiple books in this way so her writing feels confident. it is such a unique way to create and bring a story to life, and although it took a little while to get used to, not once did i feel it affecting the storytelling. im not sure how appealing this format / poetry style would be to a YA audience, as it’s an adjustment from ur typical ease of read writing style that most YA novels follow. but either way, the blend of genres (poetry and fantasy) was executed well, leaving little room to deny it was another wise choose for Mann.

the plot of the book itself was well researched, driven by the characters and their development. for a lot of people, they would find Rizu’s story inspiring and empowering like the blurb suggests. i also think the #ThisIsHowIRoar campaign that coincides with the release promo encouraging those to share what makes them feel brave and strong is a nice lil touch.

thank u to the team at Penguin YA for sending me this proof :)

[Rach (pagesofpiper) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy a book written in verse. It's a special reading experience, you get more emotion from the rhythm of the words.

When Rizu is blamed and cancelled for kissing her best friend's boyfriend, she is ostracised from their friendship group and called a witch (whilst the boy goes free!). This then leads to horrific consequences. You follow Rizu's story as she seeks revenge on those who have wronged her.

This really is a book of two halves, the terror at the start of crowd mentality gone wrong echoes in all cultures. The second part I found quite rushed, it was an interesting read but went through her life so quickly.

It's still worth a read, hence my high star rating. With themes of female empowerment, not resorting to violence, revenge and forgiveness.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Mann's usual mix of strong characters and an unflinching storyline, this novel delves into issues of power and justice in modern India. With a focus on recent witch hunts, Mann creates a vivid tale of betrayal, murder, and revenge that is both a reimagining of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, and later tales of real Indian women who defied convention such as The Bandit Queen. It's a gripping read and certainly the first half had me totally gripped. I did feel the middle sagged slightly and while this picked up momentum for the final section, it didn't quite hit the same emotional high as the first half. It is my only issue with this as generally I loved it and found the characters were wonderfully imagined with clear identities and voices. Certainly a book to make you think both about women in modern India and across the world, this is definitely one to recommend.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the original ARC although I finished it as an audiobook.

[Resh (The Book Satchel) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am not the audience for this book. i wish i knew from the blurb that this was written in verse. this book addresses many important topics like privilege, colorism and several themes that need deep discussion.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own
Blog | Instagram | Threads | X (Twitter) | Newsletter

[Ellie (bookmadbarlow) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really torn with this one, after loving this authors previous books I was very excited for this one, but I don't think I loved it quite so much.

The story of Rizu definitely made for a thoughtful informative read, I learned more about the Indian Caste system and the rise of witch trials in the country, but I found the book jumped around and was slightly confusing in places.

I found the authors note at the end interesting, how she researched and rewrote the book.

[Sophia Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk if I actually like this or the idea of this.

But it’s fun idea and super easy to read. I did find parts a bit confusing but overall it was fun.

I think if you read the authors note at the beginning it makes more sense.

Thank you Penguin for this ARC (proof)

[Hannah Middleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bits of this were beautiful and powerful and mesmerising, and I loved the concept of it. Overall, though, I found it a bit uneven and repetitive, and some of the poems shouldn't have made the final book. So much potential, it was just lacking a bit of something for me.

[lisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the more unique books I’ve read this year!

Rizu lives a comfortable life with her family as a middle class citizen in Delhi. But when she kisses her best friends boyfriend, she is accused of being a witch. Mass hysteria and tragedy follow and Rizu runs away to this group of women who are fighting for women’s rights in India.

So one of the unique characteristics of this book is that it it written in verse (I have never read a book like this before so it definitely stood out to me). It was a really interesting writing style and I think the story flowed really well with it.
This book also highlights some really important topics of the class system, women’s rights and how women are suffering and colourism.

There is a certain level of entitlement and naivety to Rizu but I think this coincides with her character and her upbringing really well.

It is multi POV but the main and dominant POV is Rizu and the extra POVs are only a few pages long here and there.

If you’re looking to diversify your books, then this is one I would recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story told in compelling, beautiful verse.

[Eilidh Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an arc of this one at Edinburgh Book Festival from House of YA which I am so grateful for and I felt that the perfect way to read this one was physically. I read it really quickly and loved the experience of doing so.

Roar follows Rizu who lives a comfortable life in India until she is accused of being a witch by a classmate and the reaction that follows ends in a tragedy that leaves Rizu fleeing. She ends up joining a pink sari wearing, stick wielding women who are known for their revenge and help Rizu take back her life and seek justice, but at an unknown cost.

I’m not someone who has read many books in verse but after reading this one I would absolutely love to read some more, particularly from Manjeet Mann. The story flowed so well throughout the book, and because of that I was kept engaged no matter how few words were on the page. I also loved how because the novel was written in verse it allowed it to be formatted in a really interesting way.

The character development of Rizu throughout the story felt really well done, throughout the book she went through many changes that meant I didn’t always agree with her but I always understood her no matter what she did. I also really liked reading about the other characters throughout the story.

One thing I felt really immersed in during this book was the world around them and the setting that I felt like I was really in and could see in my head. The setting felt really well developed in as few words as possible which I really liked and kept the story flowing throughout.

I loved how much was done in this book in as few words as it was, it is a book that I would highly recommend. I am really looking forward to reading more from Manjeet Mann in the future because of how much I enjoyed the writing in this.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very angry