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What Maya Saw: A Tale of Shadows, Secrets, Clues
Almost from the moment Maya steps into St Paul's College, she is afraid. Everywhere she goes, she encounters questions and secrets. Not to mention the Shadows a bunch of drop-dead gorgeous students who she realizes will do anything to keep their youth and beauty. Even kill. Maya wants no part in this sinister adventure. She would much rather be shopping for shoes, munching brownies and shedding her geeky image. But the teenager soon finds that she doesn't have a choice.
Only Maya can see the Shadows for what they really are. Only she can unravel the trail of clues laid long ago by a dead priest. Which is why both the forces of good and evil need her so badly. Unsure about whom she can trust and believe, Maya launches into a clue hunt across Mumbai and in that process, learns about love, friendship and growing up.
Only Maya can see the Shadows for what they really are. Only she can unravel the trail of clues laid long ago by a dead priest. Which is why both the forces of good and evil need her so badly. Unsure about whom she can trust and believe, Maya launches into a clue hunt across Mumbai and in that process, learns about love, friendship and growing up.
- GenresFantasyIndiaYoung Adult
360 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 2017
9 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Shabnam Minwalla
22 books34 followersShabnam Minwalla writes books for children.
These include:
`The Six Spellmakers of Dorabji Street'
`The Strange Haunting of Model High School'
`The Shy Supergirl'
`Lucky Girl'
`What Maya Saw'
`Nimmi's Spectabulous Schooldays'
and
`When Jiya Met Urmila'
Her short stories are included in numerous anthologies. She is also a journalist and columnist with a number of Indian newspapers and magazines. She is a former Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India in Mumbai.
Shabnam did her Masters in Journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
She did her Bachelors in Economics, Statistics and Mathematics at St Xavier's College in Mumbai.
These include:
`The Six Spellmakers of Dorabji Street'
`The Strange Haunting of Model High School'
`The Shy Supergirl'
`Lucky Girl'
`What Maya Saw'
`Nimmi's Spectabulous Schooldays'
and
`When Jiya Met Urmila'
Her short stories are included in numerous anthologies. She is also a journalist and columnist with a number of Indian newspapers and magazines. She is a former Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India in Mumbai.
Shabnam did her Masters in Journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
She did her Bachelors in Economics, Statistics and Mathematics at St Xavier's College in Mumbai.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 18, 2021
It was a bit obvious, and if I overlook the large amount of times "teenager-ish" quirks were mentioned, it was an interesting read! I had fun reading it, all those times when I wasn't rolling my eyes 😭
February 24, 2018
This book is amongst the best fantasy reads by an Indian author. For a change, a book of this kind is not deep rooted in Indian mythology and focusses on the history and life of a city through the eyes of a young adult.
P.S. Reminds you a little of the Percy Jackson series, but in all the good ways.
P.S. Reminds you a little of the Percy Jackson series, but in all the good ways.
September 2, 2018
I've been reading this as part of the Neev literature prize short list and really enjoyed it. Minwalla manages to combine a fast paced fantasy-adventure tale (think Dan Brown meets Sherlock Holmes) with a jaunt through historical Bombay. Strong female protagonist(s) who faces her fears, uses intelligence and problem solving to get to the bottom of the mystery.
A must read / buy for any library wanting to diversify their collection.
A must read / buy for any library wanting to diversify their collection.
February 21, 2024
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
When the author contacted me about reviewing What Maya Saw, I was on a bit of an India binge—I think I’d just read four or five books that involved India or Indian culture, and I was excited to read one by an author who actually lives in India (this book was published by Harper India). I think my expectations hurt me a little in this case, though, because I felt like the book was just a little too similar to a lot of other teen paranormal books I’ve read that are set in the US—again, I think this was totally my fault because of my lack of real knowledge of India and a typical Indian teenager—obviously, the author lives there and she set her book in a realistic environment; it wasn’t the author’s writing, but my expectation that the setting would be more “different” that threw me off.
The paranormal aspects of the story were intriguing (and sometimes disturbing—in a good way!). Maya and her friends had to solve a series of puzzles in order to overcome their enemies, and the clues sometimes sent them to interesting places in Mumbai, so I did enjoy that aspect of the story. I also appreciated the strong friendships—Maya’s best friend is a particularly fun and endearing character! I felt like the pacing was a tad bit slow in the middle of the book, but it was an interesting read overall. I give it 3.5/5 stars
***Disclosure: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
When the author contacted me about reviewing What Maya Saw, I was on a bit of an India binge—I think I’d just read four or five books that involved India or Indian culture, and I was excited to read one by an author who actually lives in India (this book was published by Harper India). I think my expectations hurt me a little in this case, though, because I felt like the book was just a little too similar to a lot of other teen paranormal books I’ve read that are set in the US—again, I think this was totally my fault because of my lack of real knowledge of India and a typical Indian teenager—obviously, the author lives there and she set her book in a realistic environment; it wasn’t the author’s writing, but my expectation that the setting would be more “different” that threw me off.
The paranormal aspects of the story were intriguing (and sometimes disturbing—in a good way!). Maya and her friends had to solve a series of puzzles in order to overcome their enemies, and the clues sometimes sent them to interesting places in Mumbai, so I did enjoy that aspect of the story. I also appreciated the strong friendships—Maya’s best friend is a particularly fun and endearing character! I felt like the pacing was a tad bit slow in the middle of the book, but it was an interesting read overall. I give it 3.5/5 stars
***Disclosure: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
February 2, 2019
This novel is a Young Adult read belonging to the Fantasy-mystery genre. The first thought is that this novel runs parallel to DaVinci code. Though I cannot compare both the books, the latter being more like a master piece, this novel fares well with the famous city with history, clues hunting, treasure seeking and all. I wish I could have seen those famous spots mentioned in the book, for all the glory and history and the fine details to architecture. But it does not matter, because the story kept me engrossed.
I normally keep off the horror genre and picked this book innocently, knowing Shabnam Minwalla as a Children’s author. The paranormal activities were a bit provocative and disturbing. But I think it was just me. (I was a bit jumpy as I was reading this novel when I was alone. Also, I don’t think this is hard core horror with spine chilling gore). The bits where a strong friendship blooms between the girls with a lot of girl talks made a refreshing break from the pursuit.
The author made me follow the story in shoes of Maya and I was often guessing if I could spot the real mystery (or the culprit) till the very end. Right from the first chapter it was totally engaging. The chapters were short and racy as this is aimed at Young Adults. But I would recommend it to teens around 16+. Being an alumnus of St. Xavier’s college, she gives a detailed account of an ancient college to make us feel the environment around it. The author was a journalist and has made painstaking efforts to include the city in the clue hunting. I really admire her knowledge of the city and her meticulous efforts for tying its history into this story.
I normally keep off the horror genre and picked this book innocently, knowing Shabnam Minwalla as a Children’s author. The paranormal activities were a bit provocative and disturbing. But I think it was just me. (I was a bit jumpy as I was reading this novel when I was alone. Also, I don’t think this is hard core horror with spine chilling gore). The bits where a strong friendship blooms between the girls with a lot of girl talks made a refreshing break from the pursuit.
The author made me follow the story in shoes of Maya and I was often guessing if I could spot the real mystery (or the culprit) till the very end. Right from the first chapter it was totally engaging. The chapters were short and racy as this is aimed at Young Adults. But I would recommend it to teens around 16+. Being an alumnus of St. Xavier’s college, she gives a detailed account of an ancient college to make us feel the environment around it. The author was a journalist and has made painstaking efforts to include the city in the clue hunting. I really admire her knowledge of the city and her meticulous efforts for tying its history into this story.
April 11, 2021
This book is such a tangled web of so many different sub-plots – almost like a nod to the chaotic life of a teenager. With murderers on the loose(always fun), a clue hunt that stretches back into Bombay’s history(I’m always here for more Bombay aesthetic), thrilling plot twists(I was guessing till the very end), and realistic teenagers(who make mistakes just as embarrassing as real ones), what’s not to love. What Maya Saw is easily my new favourite read.
Maya’s well-developed characterisation can be seen throughout the book from a shy schoolgirl to a brave detective as she’s dumped face-first into a whirlwind of mystery and danger. Each character, including the teens, was satisfyingly multi-faceted which is a gem to find in the YA genre, especially in Indian literature. For far too long, Indian teens have had to read and watch shallow stereotypical teens. Not anymore thankfully!
At the same time, somehow, this book also manages to include bits about what’s it like to be human, what it’s like to grow up, and what it’s like to do good in a messed-up world. Did I mention that there’s some paranormal activity and also a cute romance? Well, there you go, all the more reasons to read this book right now.
Maya’s well-developed characterisation can be seen throughout the book from a shy schoolgirl to a brave detective as she’s dumped face-first into a whirlwind of mystery and danger. Each character, including the teens, was satisfyingly multi-faceted which is a gem to find in the YA genre, especially in Indian literature. For far too long, Indian teens have had to read and watch shallow stereotypical teens. Not anymore thankfully!
At the same time, somehow, this book also manages to include bits about what’s it like to be human, what it’s like to grow up, and what it’s like to do good in a messed-up world. Did I mention that there’s some paranormal activity and also a cute romance? Well, there you go, all the more reasons to read this book right now.
February 11, 2019
I did not expect that the book would be this good. I am glad I picked this up. I loved the story and set in Mumbai, I could imagine everything happening in the places that were described.
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Maya is a 15 year old school girl whose special abilities land her in a lot of sticky situations. Shadows lurk everywhere and her mission is one frightenening race against time.
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I hope Maya has many more adventures to come
.
Maya is a 15 year old school girl whose special abilities land her in a lot of sticky situations. Shadows lurk everywhere and her mission is one frightenening race against time.
.
I hope Maya has many more adventures to come
May 17, 2020
This book has an engaging, believable plot mixed with fantasy, history, mystery and horror. But the writing style is too childish for my liking. Can't really blame the author, because it's categorized as a children's book. The cover is quite alluring and with many reviews recommending the book for all ages 9 - 90, you'd be tricked into buying if it's exactly your type of genre. However, I can very well say, I would have loved this book if I read it when I was 14 years old.
July 24, 2018
I think this was the perfect introduction of fantasy for me. Very easy to follow and thoroughly enjoyed reading it 💛
July 31, 2018
A light read.. I enjoyed it!
January 10, 2019
Nice and refreshingly different from the books I have read recently.
April 17, 2020
Couldn't put it down till I turned the last page!
November 28, 2020
2 1/2 stars
March 21, 2021
The joyful cover art is absolutely deceiving, but I am glad to say I wholly underestimated how good this book would be. It is the perfect mix of mystery, fantasy, romance and even thriller. On the one side, you get to go with Maya as she navigates a new school, friends and relationships, but even more intoxicatingly, there is this dark underbelly of secrets. A deadly scavenger hunt across Mumbai, immortal creatures who use their beauty to manipulate, and a constant clock always ticking down to an unknown fate. If I could give it 10 stars I would.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews