Number 94 - Another Avatar - SP Somtow

 

SP Somtow is always a reliable source for an enjoyable cheat read.  And an enjoyable full length novel as well - obviously - but this one is a cheat.  A really good fun short read, picked partly just to get the numbers up for the year.

This one is very squarely in the YA category of Somtow's output. That doesn't reduce the enjoyment, it just increases the speed of the read.

It follows the story of Kris (Krit), a young orphan boy living in a catholic orphanage on the edge of the the slums of Bangkok. One morning he wakes to find the God Ganesha stealing bananas from the orphanage kitchen.  After that, things get weird.

It turns out that Kris is not all he appears to be. The plot becomes very cosmic very quickly with all the gods of all major religions thrown into the mix. In a serious adult novel, maybe this would feel a bit silly, but given that this is a very short YA novella, it's perfectly fine, and Somtow's sheer energy of storytelling pulls you through with a minimum of questioning. 

Like Miriam, (see my October reviews) this is also part one of a longer work, although this one has a much better cut off point and feels like the end of part one rather than just stopping dead mid story. Also like Miriam, it offers a very different view on comparitive religions in a very easily digestible form. 

Between this and the Stone Buddha's Tears (see my September reviews), I feel I have a fairly accurate picture of the city of Bangkok. Despite the fantastical elements, these stories are rooted in a very well drawn world. These two books have given me far more insight into the culture of this city than The God Child gave me into Ghanaian culture, and they've entertained me far more.

This is available online from all the usual sources. Go out and buy it.  Somtow's renewed writing career deserves to be huge.