“With sharks, shipwrecks and lessons to be learnt, Lakshadweep Adventure is bound to be a page-turner for nature lovers.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
Deepak Dalal continues his series with the adventures of Vikram and Aditya. This time he sends them to the idyllic Lakshadweep islands where a season in the sun is interrupted by unexpected consequences. Aditya’s father introduces them to Mohammed Koya and his son Feisal and the pair learn scuba diving and explore the world of coral reefs and lagoons until the island they are staying is declared off limits by navy seals with the coming of a political refugee. Mr Koya sends the boys to Kalpeni where his brother Basheer is based and plunges them into a world of thrills, chills and machine guns.
A great deal of the book is devoted to life on coral reefs and the manoeuvring of boats in choppy seas where survival in the face of an angry nature is not as easy as it seems. Dalal throws in the right mix of danger and environmental awareness – including a turtle laying her eggs at night and burying them with the help of the boys. In fact, he holds up the story for a long cast away Robinson Crusoe type lesson from Shaukat the islander who helps the boys.
There are comparisons between the simplicity of island life and the complex mayhem of cities. Dalal points out that each has their own perils and that it isn’t possible for people to adapt easily. He also highlights the risks that boys like Aditya who refuse to listen to good advice pose to their teams – though in the end Aditya’s risk taking pays dividends and draws the attention away from Vikram’s quiet wisdom, possibly blunting the lesson that the author offers.
With sharks, shipwrecks and lessons to be learnt, Lakshadweep Adventure is bound to be a page turner for nature lovers
Reviewed by:
Anjana Basu
Added 19th March 2021
