Book Review: Ringa Ringa Roses by Neil D’ Silva

Ringa Ringa Roses
Author: Neil D’ Silva
Publisher: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
Rating: 4/5

It has been rightly said by John Milton that the mind is its own place, and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell and a Hell of Heaven. Our mind is capable of doing plenty of things- if it can solve puzzles, it can also make an atom bomb. Channelizing the right energy into the mind can help us tame it. Well, the characters of Ringa Ringa Roses don’t seem to understand that, for their cryptic encounters with the illusions or residents of their minds can send jitters down anyone’s spine.

Ringa Ringa Roses is a collection of three short stories namely Children of the Walls, The Clay Mother and Two-tail. As if it wasn’t uncanny enough how the names of the three protagonists alliterate- Nitya, Nikhil and Nihar, the author’s spine-chilling jumpscares and the unanticipated twists catch you off-guard. These short stories have a common premise- a child’s mind- where the trouble originates. The author tries to subtly touch upon the theme of isolation and how badly it affects a young mind. Often children become a victim of feeling lonely and that’s when the negative energy starts breeding inside them, like how it happened to Nikhil, who believed that if he makes a clay statue resembling his mother, his mother would come back. Strange are the ways in which the mind works. While Nihar’s mind enabled him to see his dead sister, Nitya’s mind enabled her to play with Ansh who could not be seen by anyone else than her. In all the stories, one thing is common- a child is very vulnerable and so are the adults. Knowing that adults do not neglect their children intentionally, it would be wrong to blame it all on the children. Wait, I am not trying to preach or say that this book gives out a message. It doesn’t. But it does highlight this bitter truth.

Ringa Ringa Roses is scary and creepy. The plot of all the stories is fresh and quite unexpected. The stories become predictable only in certain parts and that’s not a problem at all. I could spot some mix-up of pronouns though but that shall not deter you from enjoying this quick read. The best of the three is Two-tail because it reminded me of the Goosebump Series. The writing style of the author is sure to make you want to read more.

Overall, Ringa Ringa Roses offers you an insight into the lives of those children who become a victim of black magic, of those who are obsessed with their mother and seek solitude and of those who embark on a journey to avenge a death.

Best wishes to the author!

Buying link: Amazon