BLURB:

Anisa Ellahi dreams of being a translator of “great works of literature,” but mostly spends her days subtitling Bollywood movies and living off her parents’ generous allowance. Adding to her growing sense of inadequacy, her mediocre white boyfriend, Adam, has successfully leveraged his savant-level aptitude for languages into an enviable career. But when Adam learns to speak Urdu practically overnight, Anisa forces him to reveal his secret.

Adam begrudgingly tells her about The Centre, an elite, invite-only program that guarantees complete fluency in any language, in just ten days. This sounds, to Anisa, like a step toward the life she’s always wanted. Stripped of her belongings and all contact with the outside world, she enrolls and undergoes The Centre’s strange and rigorous processes. But as Anisa enmeshes herself further within the organization, seduced by all that it’s made possible, she soon realizes the hidden cost of its services.

By turns darkly comic and surreal, and with twists as page-turning as they are shocking, The Centre journeys through Karachi, London, and New Delhi, interrogating the sticky politics of language, translation, and appropriation along the way. Through Anisa’s addictive tale of striving and self-actualization, Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi ultimately asks the reader: What is the real price we pay in our scramble to the center?

MY THOUGHTS (SPOILERS ALERT)

Okay, so here’s the deal – brace yourselves for some serious spoiler action!

There’s a lot to unpack here. Firstly, I have to commend the Author, Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi, for writing this book. It’s always a pleasure to read work by women of color and to see how they use their creative mediums to address identity, social and cultural issues. The book is categorized as a thriller, but it also is rich in issues of racism. Let’s start with the narrator’s voice. The narrator’s voice, Anisa, was so real. I felt like I was in her head while reading it, and at times I was so engrossed in her voice that when it was time to snap back to reality, it was hard to take in my surroundings. There were times where I was quite annoyed with her though. I have to agree with everything Adam and her friend Naima said about her (even though I did not like Adam at all). I also think that Anisa desperately settled for Adam in a way that Naima settled for her beau. It’s just that Anisa later got out of it and toyed with Adam. Anisa is a highly intelligent woman. I did not see why she even entertained Adam. She didn’t speak of Adam as if he was remotely attractive, and he wasn’t even good in bed! So I am confused about that. Their “relationship” was weird, dull, unimpressive. Why ADAM?

I thoroughly enjoyed the abundance of Pakasanti and Indian culture in the book. Ayesha skillfully transported us into this world, from the tantalizing food to the vivid settings of Pakistan and India. It makes me crave samosas right now!

As for the language-learning aspect, the idea of mastering a new language in just 10 days is truly remarkable. The notion of immersing oneself in a private institute to learn a new language is quite intriguing. The element of secrecy added a layer of excitement, although I personally desired a darker and more thrilling atmosphere. I envisioned more intense moments, with unexpected twists and suspenseful elements. The ending took me by surprise, although I must admit I had hoped for a different outcome.

My face contorted as Anisa completely demolished that meal, honey! She dove in with both elbows, devouring everything in sight at The Centre. I couldn’t help but chuckle ! She was all, “It’s the best food, so flavorful” hahahaha. This is why you can not eat everyone’s food folks. You do not know what they put in it.

And to think Anisa would do it all again.

I’m giving this book three (3) stars because while I didn’t fully connect with the ending, I believe there’s potential for a different direction that could be equally engaging. Although I struggled to connect with Adam and found Anisa annoying at times, I appreciate the slow yet enjoyable pace of the story. It’s worth noting that I finished the book in just one day!

Happy Reading Folks!