Braziliada – Book Review
My Rating – 4 out of 5
Summary
Debutant author Sheridan West has put out a great first effort, in Braziliada. It primarily covers the life of teenager Amelia Del Atore and her classmate Marcelu, set in Lindageral, Brazil (hence the name). The story starts much before Amelia is born though, in a sub-plot that sets the tone for what is to follow.
Amelia. along with her parents Robert Del Atore and Lucrecia have just shifted to Lindageral from Sao Paulo. Robert is a businessman and has now opted to stand for elections, which he hopes to win since his record is clean and he intends to improve the lives of the residents of Lindageral and Brazil as a whole. He’s also come across a revolutionary product which can change the way Coffee beans are harvested, which he plans to mass produce and market along with two friends who have manufacturing setups. His daughter Amelia is about to turn 18 and after finishing school, is slated to move to London to continue her higher studies.
But, certain people have other plans. They want to sabotage both Robert’s political ambition as well as his business venture, and target Amelia to get to Robert. but Amelia, being a fierce willed girl, is not about to cower down and hide. She wants to get to the bottom of the conspiracy, taking the help of her classmate Marcelu, who also happens to be the son of Lindageral’s Police chief. Surprising events take place and Amelia chooses to leave her parents’ sheltered existence and runs away to Itajuba – another town far away from Lindageral.
But trouble doesn’t abandon her here also, and this is where she breaks open the mystery of who is targeting her family and with Marcelu as her aide, she unravels the mystery.
Conclusion
The novel flows smoothly, the characters are well fleshed out and the best part is how the Brazilian countryside is described. I could visualize the charming scenery of the towns and follow the adventures of Amelia as they unfolded. Certain facts could have been better tied in and in some places the narrative could have been crisper, but neither fact takes away anything from the sincerity of the author. Its a nice, feelgood and fluid narrative and I enjoyed reading it. Those of you keen on checking out new authors, would do well to read this. Time well spent.
Read the Goodreads review here