Darkness Falls in Jakarta

This was a unique book that I was hesitant about, but I needn’t have worried as it was wonderful. And as beautiful as it was inside, look at the gorgeous cover!

I always loved slow-introspective stories, so this was the perfect book match for me. The subtle hints about the events that transpired in Claire’s past made me devour the book in a record time. The two timelines of Claire’s life and the jumps between the two were a bit jarring at first, but I soon got used to the style, and by the end I was a bit sad the story wasn’t longer. The only issue for me was the bullying - it is a triggering topic for me. Still I enjoyed the book immensely and will definitely look up the author’s other works.

I was eager to read about Jakarta and was a bit disappointed at first that the book alternates from flashbacks to Claire's time as a child in Indonesia to the present. when she is an adult thinking back on her childhood in that country.

By the last half of the book, I understood the reason for the flashback storytelling, but getting to the main point was slow and the book seemed to take too long to get to the heart of the matter. One has to patiently and deliberately continue the book to reach the main point of interest.

The story itself is interesting, of a child's mistake and her attempt at redemption to right a wrong. But then, Claire wonders if she had actually made a mistake in the first place and had not been in the wrong? Who can know the real truth, she wonders? Bringing this question to the front at the end of the book negates what Claire has been trying to do by returning to Indonesia. Claire confused and confounded me, and made me wonder why the author waited till the end of the book to bring up those questions.

Very pretty book cover! 🩷

I rarely enjoy slow, self-analyzing books, but this one was brilliantly done. The book delivers what it says in the summary - it is very beautifully written. The back and forth between timelines built up the suspense pretty well. I read this in a single sitting as I couldn't bring myself to put the book down.

The descriptions of Jakarta seems so similar to the scenes one would see in India. The excerpt about monsoon in Indonesia had me feeling nostalgic - that is exactly how it is in my grandparents' place, Kerala 🥹.

The book deviates from the expected and it does not give an explosive ending, but that's what makes it good! I loved how things worked out for everyone in the ending. This is the first book I've read from the author and I'll definitely read more from her!

Haunted by the circumstances under which she left her beloved Jakarta many years ago, it is the death of Claire's parents that finally forces her to face up to the past. She makes a decision to return there and try to piece together what happened to her, so that she can finally come to terms with it.

The book does come with some trigger warnings including those related to the reason Claire left Jakarta.

This is a story that unfolds at its own pace and it lets the reader into its secrets gradually. There is a lush evocative description of the setting, which is almost a character in its own right. Worth checking out if the theme appeals to you.