Animal's People by Indra Sinha

Every once in a while I read a book that catches me off guard. Plot devices don't do it for me anymore. Neither does an interesting writing style.

Animal's People is one of the most crushing tales of human despair that I have ever read, both on an individual and a larger scale.

Animal was once a normal boy. But after being exposed to poisons on "that night," along with many others in his town of Khaufpur, his body revolts. His spine twists, and now, at nineteen, he walks on all fours.

Animal is hilarious. The giant asshole that is just too funny to ignore. As the book progresses, more facets of his personality come to the forefront.

It has been 20 years, and the company that caused "that night" has still not been punished. Zafar, the town's loudest activist, won't rest until they have. He and Animal become friends, and rivals for love(in Animal's eyes).

There is so much suffering here. But hope, too. Luckily, Sinha doesn't make any of it feel forced.

This is a great book.