Review by dhwanis -- Border Post 99 by Kedar Patankar

[dhwanis]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Border Post 99" by Kedar Patankar.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Border Post is a very different book. After looking at the cover and the blurb, initially, I thought this would be a book filled with action. I was pleasantly surprised when I started to read this book.

The book starts with Lt. Sharma, an Indian soldier who is fresh out of military school. He is posted at a no man's land called "Border Post 99" near the India-Pakistan border. At the moment, both governments are vying for "peace talks" which is why Sharma is under strict orders to refrain from doing anything that could hamper these talks. When Sharma reaches this post, he realizes that a Pakistani soldier is also posted nearby. Unfortunately, he cannot do anything because of the "orders from above".

The focus of the narrative then alternates between the two soldiers, both wanting to kill the other, yet having to restrain themselves by trying to catch the other in unawares. According to me, this building tension was the highlight of the book.

I loved the fact that the author could come up with such a refreshing tale in a quite generic war setting. The way that the Indian and the Pakistani soldier just come up in arms against each other and play practical jokes on each other is both funny and interesting. I kept wondering what the other party would do next to get even.

Towards the end when we are well-acquainted with this banter between the two soldiers, certain events occur that makes you question why do we "hate" the people of another country, especially since once upon a time we lived as neighbors. This shift in the tale, as well as the dynamic of these two characters, showed that the author does know his craft.

Even though most of the story line deals with just two characters, the author manages to sketch them in such a way that the readers come to know new aspects of their personalities at each stage. This makes them very interesting, as well as relatable. This also serves as an interresting way to showcase how even though both are very different, they still have the same emotions. This came out in stark contrast to the initial point of difference in personalities.

My only issue with the book was that once a certain revelation was made, the storyline became a little predictive. I would have liked that the author retained the element of surprise for the reader.

This is a short book and if you are looking for something unique, I would surely recommend this one. On the whole, I rate this book a 4 out of 4.

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Border Post 99
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[Kalin Adi]

I loved reading this book too. I found myself quite often giggling at these two goofy characters trying to mock one another. I totally agree with your rating. I enjoyed your review as well!