By Moni Mohsin

ISBN: 9780670094318

A political satire overlaid with the theme of women’s workplace harassment, this novel is predictable and forgettable.

Synopsis

Ruby Rauf is an idealistic, industrious scholarship student with a fixed plan. She is going to ace her exams and get a decent job so she never has to suffer the daily degradation of poverty again. Yet, when she meets the compelling actor-turned-politician Saif Haq, her world is upended. Dazzled by his charisma, inspired by his zeal, she quits her degree midway to join his campaign as his social media manager.

Ruby soon discovers that politics, even with a leader as upright as Saif Haq, is a moral minefield. Diligent, sincere but desperately naïve, Ruby longs to do the right thing but struggles at first to square her innate integrity with the difficult choices her job demands. As she wades deeper into the quagmire of political intrigue and the savage world of social media, her values grow more flexible, her methods more ruthless. She out-thinks allies and rivals to deliver brilliant results. Resented and admired by her colleagues, favored by Saif, Ruby appears unstoppable -until one day when Saif asks her to prove her loyalty by making the most painful sacrifice of all.

With quicksilver dialogue, shrewd political insight and a thoughtful take on the MeToo debate, this sparkling novel reveals Moni Mohsin on top satirical form.

What’s to like

Political satire is not a genre you come across every day. The story is unique in its themes of politics in the age of social media, women’s place in the workplace, and the struggles of a common man in Pakistan. Mohsin describes the current state of political campaigning with the ubiquitous flow of information, made possible thanks to modern technology and communications, in her story. Something which has made politics even more messy or at least tore away the veil from its ruthless nature.

Readers aware of Pakistani politics will be able to glean who the author might be basing Saif’s character on. Her opinions come through the text, and she leaves much to read between the lines.

The author’s descriptions of the life of middle-class Pakistanis and her social commentary are sharp and to the point. The ending, while somewhat surprising, is realistic and further reinforces the fact that Mohsin does not sugarcoat anything.

What’s not to like

The writing might be witty but the prose is average. The plot is predictable, and the characters are all unlikeable. My least favorite character was Ruby’s, the protagonist. It is understandable that characters be flaws human beings especially in a satirical political commentary, but Ruby’s gullibility and, eventually, immoral actions were unbelievable and annoying.

Book Review Rating: 3/5

Content Rating: High

Content Warnings: Mental health issues, pre-marital relations, sexual harassment and swearing. Age advisory: 18+