The Justice by Nikhil Khasnabish – A book review

As soon as I had the chance, I jumped at the chance of reading The Justice when I heard it was a book based on a true survivor of rape and sexual abuse. Did it work for me? You have to read my book review of The Justice by Nikhil Khasnabish to know more.

About The Justice

Book Name: The Justice

Author: Nikhil Khasnabish

Genre: Fiction – Romance

Characters: Ime Borah, Zumur, Pranati and Pinto, Uddipan

Setting: Assam, India

Disclaimer: The review was commissioned by the author and it has not changed my opinion on the book any manner.

Plot Summary of The Justice

Ime Borah has had a sheltered and happy life. A parents who loved her, supportive friends and a fiancé who can’t wait to marry her.

But her whole life changes when she is raped by two men. Her parents do not let her out of their sight or their house and her best friend broke up with her. Most importantly, Ime decides to call off her wedding because she knows “she is stained”.

Her area’s local vigilante group, Save Women Society, take it upon themselves to find her rapists. Does justice prevail? Do the culprits get captured? Does she get her life back forms the rest of The Justice by Nikhil Khasnabish.

Book review of The Justice

The Justice by Nikhil Khasnabish is a fast paced, short book that can be read in an hour or so. It is written in an Indianized English and is filled with phrases like “cut the call”.

To be honest, I spent a lot of time thinking if it was just me or it was normal to feel grated by that but I have been called a snob. So take my warning with a pinch of salt.

But one thing that actually annoyed me was Ime’s constant beratement of herself and considering herself stained because she is raped. While I understand that the rape victims may do that, I could feel that it was overdone.

I know I maybe overreacting (or underreacting, I have not decided which yet), but this has theme has been on the Indian mass media and literature for far too long. It is high time we put an end to it.

I liked some of the background stories of the side characters like Sirco-ji. But after a point, these became a white noise as there were too many to recount.

I wished I saw more of Uddipan, instead of just hearing from Ime to understand about their relationship better. Like most parts of the book, I had go by the author’s narrative telling, instead of him showing it.

What worked for me

• I loved hearing about the stories of other side characters from Assam, a state that I have a soft corner for.
• Many people I know, may love reading the localized/Indianized version of English.

What may have been better

• There were many instances of telling instead of showing. And that bothered with the narrative.
• I hated the victim shaming and treating being raped as a stain and considering the victim worthless after that.

Content warning

Brutal rape, mentions of stalking and raping the victims, Victim shaming and considering being raped an indelible stain, cases of “men writing women”.

Bottom line

The Justice by Nikhil Khasnabish is a short book that you can finish in a sitting. Read it if you are looking for an “Indian writing in English” book.

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• Bend Your Knees & Do Your Best by Kalyani
• Second Chance by Sandeep Jatwa

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Let’s chat

Have you read The Justice by Nikhil Khasnabish? What other books can you suggest that are written by survivors of rape and sexual assault? Let us talk.