This novel by Roy questions many parts of life and being. The story follows the life of a brother (Estha) and sister (Rahel) who grow up in Ayemenem. They witness their lives gradually fall apart after an incident in which their cousin dies and they are blamed for her death. Years of mediocrity and disappointment go by, with the book eventually ending with the reunification of the siblings after being separated and washed away of hope and life. A main point of discussion Roy has is the “love laws,” which was a theme I enjoyed hearing her thoughts about. Humans find ways to differentiate and distinguish between themselves and the “others” of lesser quality or importance. One of those distinguishing factors, the caste system, is discussed through the existence of the character Velutha. His life and tragic death encourage the reader to question the point of drawing boundaries in humans when life would be better for all without them. The recurrent symbols Roy uses throughout the book help amplify the story’s meaning, including distortions between the past, present, and future. Blurring the timeline is also achieved through having a storyline that is constantly bombarded with flashbacks and foreshadowing. This book is an overall good package of literature to enjoy, although one may have to sit and ponder about the book for longer periods than usual. I recommend this book to young adults and older teenagers due to the mature content found in some spots in the book. Five out of five.