Book Review: Sudhi Kannan

Writing an adventure tale is a job which requires skill, maintaining the reader’s interest throughout requires a practiced mind, and interspersing the narration with humor is a sign of creative intellect. Take up ‘Sudhi Kannan: An Elephantic Adventure’, published by Blackbuck Publication and you will find it all there. Penned by Krishna Raj H.K, the novel is a page turner in all its aspects.

Sudhi is a ten year old boy, who’s being brought up by his father, Kannan, a single parent. Sudhi is mischievous. Kannan is fun. Both of them take life as it comes. The father-son duo shares a beautiful, friendly relation, and this is a very strong driving point of the book. Sudhi has a friend in school, Shijon, his partner in crimes and a dear friend. The school is upset with Sudhi’s antics and Shijon’s involvement in all of them. Kannan finds his son to be different. In fact, Kannan is an image of an ideal young parent, managing an advertising agency and playing a doting father.

The book has multiple narrations going on simultaneously which helps break monotony and shuffles the perspective of the story bringing a brilliant pace to the narrative. The story proceeds like this: Kannan takes a day off from work and takes Sudhi out for a one-day getaway to Elelphanta Islands. On this trip, they meet Pooja Mithaiwala, Sudhi’s classmate, and her mother Megha. Pooja and Sudhi dislike each other and maintain a distance from each other, occasionally pulling each other’s legs.

On the island, three men land to take control of the place. The motive is revenge. The three men are no ordinary folks. The leader of the group, Boss, has mind-bending powers. The other two, Stephen and Velutty support him in his plan. Boss takes control of the military powers and holds tourist for ransom. He reigns supreme, and is nearly through but for Sudhi and Kannan. Yes, the ten year old boy and his father. Then more twists follow and the excitement peaks with the climax. The end is unpredictable, and that is amazing.

Krishna has managed to do a very fine job with such a difficult genre. His writing is tight and the intensity oozes out from his sentences. I loved the fast paced action. The switching of the episodes between Elephanta, Sudhi and Shijon is finely balanced. The humor quotient is also good. I laughed out loud at various incidences and could almost see it as a motion picture in my imagination. Maybe someday I will.

Sudhi and Kannan’s tale was a beautiful father-son story, a cute blossoming love story, and an action thriller. And these elements call for a sequel.  I hope the writer has more adventures for Sudhi and Kannan. I would love to read more of them and more from the author.

Till then, Pause. Rewind.

 Book: Sudhi Kannan: An Elephantic Adventure

Author: Krishna Raj H.K
Publisher: Blackbuck Publication
Price: Rs. 180