Quick take: the prose has a dark whimsy to it that is really refreshing and compelling—one of the novel’s great successes is its establishment of setting and atmosphere. There’s droplets of mystery and magic steeped into examinations of the basti (slums) by way of the writing. But as compelling and real a predicament as child disappearances is, I had a hard time pulling through it, and I think I’d pin that to a) pacing [my Achilles heel], b) how the narrative voice impacts stakes and our perception of danger.