Himanjali Shankar’s Game On is a blend of science fiction and horror that feels both playful and unsettling. The story follows siblings Sammy and Simmy, who set out to fetch a glass of water but instead, they find their house glitching into a surreal game.
Set in 1930 during the salt satyagraha, the book follows Dinu, an ardent Sherlock Holmes fan and a reluctant volunteer of the Arun Tukdi. It is a small group of teenage students and young teachers, tasked with travelling ahead, making arrangements for Gandhiji and the other marchers on their way to Dandi.
We are introduced to young Zooni who is a playful and feisty girl. Along with her older cousin, Maqbool Sherwani, she is in the thick of fervent patriotic discussions about the fate of Kashmir.
The story revolves around a 14-year-old girl, Aru, who is eager to get married and begin a new life with her husband. But her excitement is cut short by an unexpected tragedy—her husband dies under mysterious circumstances.
The book is set in Thutta, an island shaped like a tooth that has a train, an ocean, and exactly 5,120 people who never leave.
This book falls in this category of phenomenal history books. That it is meant for children is another big, bright feather in its cap. How I wish I read something like this when I was younger!
