Valley of the Rats | CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Volume XXVIII / Issue 2 - September 10 / 2021

Valley of the Rats

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Valley of the Rats

Author:

Mahtab Narsimhan

Toronto, ON: DCB/Cormorant Books, September, 2021

232 pp., trade pbk. & html, $13.95 (pbk.)

ISBN:

9781770866287 (pbk.)

9781770866294 (html)

Grades:

Grades 4-7

Ages:

Ages 9-12

Review by:

Review by Helen Mason (Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy)

Excerpt:

"Need a breather, Dad." I plopped down on a rock – and leaped right back up again. "Ow!" I said, twisting to look at the sharp rock I'd sat on.

I wished it had been a rock. It turned out to be a white rat with sharp teeth and a red snout, still hanging off my butt. Screaming, I swiped at it. It squeaked and zipped into the bushes. Panic ballooned, making it hard to breathe or talk.

"What happened?" said Dad, racing to me.

My hand shook as I pointed to the shadowy forest. "Rat bit me. I can feel the poison spreading, and I'll be dead soon. Bye, Dad. Tell Mom I love her."

Dad hugged me tight. "Shhh, Krish. Deep breaths. There's no way such a small rat could chew through your thick pants in a second. Let me have a look."

His soft tone and warm hug made me want to bawl. I hadn't realized how much I'd needed this. It had taken a near-death experience to get him to soften up. I focused on pulling air into my lungs while Dad examined my butt.

Krish, 12, is a germaphobe who loves cleanliness, books, and technology. Not camping, the outdoors, or danger. And definitely not rats. If only he hadn't agreed to go on this camping trip with his practical father, an international photographer who thrives on adventure. But Krish yearns for his father's acceptance. That's why he lands up in the Valley of the Rats with a group of people who feed, wear, and worship the germ-laden rodents.

Krish's father intends to sell an article about these isolated people to National Geographic. But Krish knows that's the last thing the people of Imdur want. Not only that, his GF (gut feeling) tells him that there's a mystery behind the people of this village and that his new friend, Tashi, the daughter of the valley shaman, is keeping a secret. He wishes she'd admit the truth and help him and his dad escape. Unfortunately, Krish has no idea what such a move would cost her.

In the past, Krish would have depended on help from his cousin, Anjali. But, a mistake he made last year has driven the two apart. Instead, he must rely on himself and that GF his father thinks is nonsense.

This story, with the main character's insecurities and favourite F-words, will amuse young readers. The information about rats will both horrify and fascinate readers as they watch how the relationship between Krish and his father changes when Krish learns to trust himself. Betrayal is also an issue here. Just as Krish betrayed his cousin before the story's opening, Krish's father deceives his son and tries to double-cross the people of the Valley of the Rats. The characters need to acknowledge and make up for such behaviour.

Highly Recommended

Reviewer:

When Ottawa, Ontario, author, Helen Mason, taught Intermediate Science, she bred white rats in her classroom. Many of her students walked around with a favourite on their shoulder. She's currently working on a middle-grade mystery and a young adult novel about a 15-year-old whose mother has a mood disorder.