Book Review| Survival Sandstorm

Name of the book: Survival Sandstorm

Author Name: Mehul Jangir

Product Description:

Aboard the plane that battles the devilish storm over the great Sahara are three hostages from Nazi Germany, three hostages who can change the course of World War II if they reach their destination.

Can Ivsker Vodkech, the best pilot in the Soviet Union, battle against all odds to deliver the three hostages into allied hands? Can he uncover the horrific organization operating in Africa? Can he survive?

My Review:

This book is about three soldiers from the Allied forces and their three hostages. The pilot was Ivsker Vodkech, the youngest pilot in the Soviet Air Forces. But he was quiet capable of withstanding and controlling planes in severe weather. But not this time. The sandstorms of Sahara causes the crash of their plane. He says, "The plane I was flying was the same grey as the clouds we were heading towards." This is very symbolic as they were not only heading towards grey clouds but a dark future as well.

It is all about how all of them struggle to survive in odd conditions and to get in contact with the Soviet forces and hand over the surviving hostages. One of the soldiers and a hostage die during the harsh journey leaving behind Ivsker, Nimitz and the hostage Adolf Nimerian as another hostage runs away.

There comes Amid Kussain who is shown as a master in capturing people for slave trade. The trade market stretched across the world and was very big. He also tries to capture the survivors of the plane crash but fails to do so. But eventually the survivors fall in the hands of slave traders, the terrorist organization Desertborn and get captured.

The future of Europe rested on the hostage. He can help to change the course of the war by providing top information regarding Nazi military.

On the other hand, The Haganah Agent was trying to find out clues which can help him capture someone called Ardus Zichmann, a Nazi who was most probably responsible for developing anti-Semitic propaganda and also concentration camps or torture camps for Jews.

The book ends with Ivsker who promises to keep the remaining hostage alive and Amid becoming the head of a group of slave catchers and practicing with his men and mastering his skills.

I don't want to blabber regarding how surprising it is for a twelve years old boy writing this book which consists of many critical elements.

This book is serious and talks about many critical topics at the same time without making the readers conscious about it. The language is so simple, a child can understand it.

I want to consider this book as being written by someone who has very good research skill and creative element within him. The intricacies will make you question, whether you are reading a historical fiction or history itself.

What I really liked about this book is the writing technique. It took me quite a bit to understand the technique first. It defamiliarizes the text. You will understand what I am saying if you know the technique of defamiliarization.

The author has used first person narrative in all the chapters and we get to see the whole story being narrated by different persons. The technique works because we get to know the mindset and thought process of the main characters as well as the evil characters.

For example, we see the childhood dreams of Amid who is a negative character and the soft hearted nature and innocence in Silabad who captures the soldiers and their hostage.

"Hundreds of men, women, and children had been captured for the slave trade. We had clients worldwide, and people who publicly promoted equality, peace, and prosperity were some of our biggest clients." This statement by Amid may seem very simple at first but it shows the hypocrisy of leaders who manipulate people and rule them.

I have mixed feelings regarding the ending part. It was unexpected at all. I never expected the book to end abruptly as I wanted more of it. However, it makes so much more sense when you try to read the last lines of the book closely. It says "Do what they never expect you to do." Yes the author succeeds in doing this.

Such a great read. Will definitely recommend this.

Ratings: 4/5

About the Author:

Mehul’s imagination belies his tender age of fourteen years. His heroes are Geronimo Stilton, J K Rowling and George R. R. Martin and he inhabits their worlds. He comes out of them only to create his own. His love for Mun, developing computer programs and cricket are his only distractions.