Blog Tour - The Margins by John Wiggelsworth

Thanks to the lovely Anne Cater on Random Things Tours and the author John Wigglesworth for my spot on the blog tour and also for the free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. So, let's start.

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Name: The Margins
Author: John Wigglesworth
Genre: Adult Fiction, Society and Culture
Published in: January 2021

BLURB

They wanted to escape capitalism; instead, they created the perfect business. 

It’s a tragedy that will make headline news across the globe—the bodies of scores of Westerners discovered at a remote commune high in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh. Amidst a growing media frenzy, the Indian authorities are desperate for answers, and only Ethan Hicks can provide them—for no one else made it out alive. Yet as Ethan begins to recount what took place up on the mountain, it soon becomes apparent that his story will prove just as shocking as the injuries he survived . . .

Moving between the bustling streets of 1980s Delhi and the forested slopes of the Kullu Valley, THE MARGINS is a dark and unsettling exploration of the human condition—a tale of greed and obsession, but also love.

MY REVIEW

The story is mainly an anecdote of greed and addiction. The lethal effects it might have on not only individuals but also society as a whole. The book navigates this theme carefully, with the character's mental struggles with himself.

The book starts with the main character Ethan being interrogated by police officer Jubbawy. He has been wounded and saved from a near-death accident. The book follows this format throughout the novel. The story goes in past then comes back in present. This back and forth motion are easy to follow and seamlessly connects us with the characters.

I loved the interrogation. It's continued throughout the book. The conversation is just between the two characters, Ethan (the main character) and Jubbawy (the police officer). It's amazingly written. The exchange of words is impressive. It kinda seemed like a chess match. At times one player had the upper hand other times another player. 

The pace of the story being told by Ethan was a bit slow, even though the chapters were short, but in a way, it also created suspense that hooked us with the story. 

The characters are well portrayed. We see them falling and getting up again (metaphorically in life) and fighting off their addictions and greed and trying to make a better life for themselves. Some minor characters come and go with the story. But the core four characters stays.

The stories of these characters is a dark one (at least initially) even though it is set in the beautiful mountains of Himachal Pradesh. Throughout the story, Ethan asks himself what's his purpose, what he is doing with his life and what kind of future will that lead him to. These kind of mental stress was properly explored throughout the story. 

All in all, if you want to read a suspenseful story, then this book is sure to give you a hell of a ride. Also, about human avarice and the struggles with yourself of what is morally right and wrong is something for which you can pick this book.

You can buy this book here.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Wigglesworth is a British national who has been based in Asia for the last ten years. The Margins is his fiction debut. In his spare time—when he’s not writing—John runs his own company in Bangkok. A former backpacking junkie, John travelled extensively across India and South East Asia before realising that his wanderlust was incompatible with the parenting demands of his Westie. He is now settled in Thailand.