Can You See Me Now? by Trisha Sakhlecha @TrishaSakhlecha @panmacmillan @RandomTTours #CanYouSeeMeNow?

 

Can You See Me Now? was published by Pan Macmillan on 4th February 2021. My thanks to the publisher for the review copy and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me on to the blog tour. 

‘Have you ever made a mistake, Alia?’

Noor’s face floats in front of my eyes.  I don’t say anything.

‘Because I’m going to find every mistake you’ve ever made and I am going to use it.  We all have skeletons in our closet.  Keep this up and I’m going to drag yours out for all the world to see.’

Three Indian girls. One horrific scandal.  And fifteen years later, secrets that refuse to stay buried…

Fifteen years ago, three sixteen-year-old girls meet at Wescott, an exclusive private school in India.  Two, Sabah and Noor, are the most popular girls in their year. One, Alia, is a new arrival from England, who feels her happiness depends on their acceptance.

Before she knows it, Sabah and Noor’s intoxicating world of privilege and intimacy opens up to Alia and, for the first time, after years of neglect from her parents, she feels she is exactly where, and with whom, she belongs.

But with intimacy comes jealousy, and with privilege, resentment, and Alia finds that it only takes one night for her bright new world to shatter around her.

Now Alia, a cabinet minister in the Indian government, is about to find her secrets have no intention of staying buried . . .

 My Thoughts

I love books that draw you in from the outset. The elements of mystery, suspense and intrigue taking off from the very first page. Can You See Me Now? managed to do that perfectly. 

The story is set across dual timelines 15 years apart and tells the tale of Noor, Sabah and Alia. The earlier timeline allows events to unfold of the teenage girls lives and the other timeline brings us up to the present. 

 The girls attend Westcott a private school in Delhi, full of privilege and mystery. Noor and Sabah are best friends and Alia longs to be accepted into the group. She feels isolated and just wants to fit in. This is an exploration of the lengths she would go to, to do so.  It is a skewed take on a coming of age story but about all the elements of school and the way people can be cruel to one another.

Alia is an over achiever and it was no surprise that she made it to be a cabinet minister, but now she is in the public eye. The events of the past are coming to light and under scrutiny but they are not really quite as they seem not by any stretch. The ending of this one took me by surprise. 

I found it interesting that I did not particularly warm to any of the characters. You would expect a life of privilege to make things easier somehow but all I could see was expectation of the girls and a sadness from them they were expected to conform to societal beliefs. 

There was a certain melancholy surrounding the mystery. A feeling that the girls took forward into their adult lives. 

 The chapters were short and punchy and I raced through to the end. I didn't find the ending to be a punch to the gut but more that I found the slow unravelling to an unexpected conclusion very satisfying. 

 I am so pleased that I have this authors previous book on my pile to be read now. 

About the Author

Trisha Sakhlecha grew up in New Delhi and now lives in London.  For her new novel she draws upon a true story – a famous scandal that erupted at her own high school and which changed India.  She works in fashion and is a graduate of the acclaimed Faber Academy writing course. In the past, Trisha has worked as a designer, trend forecaster, and lecturer.  She is the author of Your Truth Or Mine? www. trishasakhlecha.com or on Instagram @trishasakhlecha

Please do have a look at the other stops on the blog tour.