BOOK REVIEW - The Hunters' Trap by Sindhu John
The title entices and
the excitement begins from page 1 itself as three hunters chase a mother
elephant and her little baby with beating drums and flashes of light. From then
on, the pace never slackens as two sets of people move along their own
divergent paths. It is a race between unscrupulous hunters and a gang of
intrepid children who are determined to unite the elephant mother with her baby.
Will they be able to do so? Or will they be too late? If so, what will the
consequences be? These and other questions remain on the minds of the readers
as they partake in the race between good and evil.
Sindhu John may be a first-time
writer, but she knows how to capture the imaginations of young ones. Right from
the names she uses – Viper, Mamba and Spite for the bad guys, to the quirks of her
young heroes, Penny, Jack, Lucy and Ethan, she has her facts spot on. There are
no black and white characters here, but believable ones who might exist in the
real world. For example, the innocuous rivalry between the younger children,
Lucy and Ethan, and the older two, Penny and Jack comes across naturally. Trouble
has a way of finding the lively nine-year-olds and the older two do not mind
rubbing it in either.
When Sarah, an
intrepid reporter, is given an assignment to cover the selfless work of
wildlife enthusiast, Mr. Troy, who owns an exotic wildlife resort, she takes
her children and their cousins for a four-day adventure trip.
The resort fascinates
them all with its characteristic buggies, its picturesque villas and of course,
the owner himself, Mr. Troy, who has a bizarre sense of dressing. While Sarah
and her assistant Fredrick busy themselves with capturing the story of the
resort, the children opt to explore the fenced area of the resort. It is then
that they come across many startling facts and move out of their comfort zones
to crack the mystery.
The excitement does
not let up across the book. However, there are many fun moments when the
hunters play pranks on one another, much to the chagrin of their leader. Sindhu’s
descriptions are delightful, be it those of Mr. Troy, his attendant, Randy, the
irrepressible chef or Lazy Lucy.
However, through all
those fun moments, a few nuggets of wisdom come through. Sarah, who is a fearless,
independent reporter, does remind her children to be grateful of life’s small
gifts. She also warns Penny, “You shouldn’t trust strangers.” Equally vital is
the advice given to Penny by her father when he gifts her a camera which plays
a significant part in the story. “Be strong when life demands it.” All truly
relevant in today’s chaotic world!
Sindhu John writes a
story for children that intrigues for all the right reasons. It is adventurous
as the narrative flows naturally, and the characters are realistic and
believable. The character illustrations and the sketches have been drawn with
delicacy by her daughters, Gia and Anita, and add much meaning to the book.
“They were always
game for an adventure, especially if it meant helping someone, or in this case,
a wild animal.”
If Enid Blyton could
do it with such ease, so can Sindhu John, no doubt!
The buying links for The Hunters' Trap:
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