Devil's Garden: Tales of Pappudom

by Shreekumar Varma

Pappudom is a normal run-of-the-mill village on the banks of the Tarangam River - or so everyone thinks. But Pappu, a boy living in the village, knows better. He visited the past once, with the ghost of his great granduncle, Grand Pappu, after whom the village is named, and together they had defeated the British army using the 'Forces of the Future'. But now, events are taking a turn for the worse. In ancient times, the most horrific spirits known to man had been sealed in Chekuthan Thodi, or Devil's Garden, the forest adjoining the village. A pact between the humans and the spirit world had ensured a boundary between Pappudom and Devil's Garden. But someone from the village has violated the pact and ventured into the forest. Now the spirits too want to break the pact and enter Pappudom, which can only lead to havoc and destruction. And, to add to everyone's concern, a boy has gone missing...Pappu goes into Devil's Garden, looking for the lost boy. But there are some ghastly shocks awaiting him there, and he finds himself confronting armies of marching trees, a tapping spirit that will sap his soul, and the crafty Transformer Spirit. Will Grand Pappu reach him in time to save him And how does Jolly Jones of the British army fit into all of this Can the Guard of the Bridge repair the breach, or is this the beginning of the end...

216 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful young adult book came into my hands because I have been meaning to read one of Shreekumar Varma's works for sometime now. I was taken in by the crisp, yet vividly written story of young Pappu and his adventures in the Pappudom village. This book is rooted to Kerala and for a Malayalee like me, it was very engaging. The target audience is 10+ and though I am two decades over that limit I read it with gusto.

I wondered why Pappu's adventures couldn't have been made into a series, because the premise has a lot of promise. I have since given it to my darling niece who falls in the right age group and she liked it too.

The ending is slightly silly and long, but language and the style lends to it. All in all a good read.

[Ritwika Chakravarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a lovely book, perfect for kids but enjoyable across all age groups.