For my monthly book club, I read Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman. I was a little tentative going into this book, realistic historical fiction isn't my usual cup of tea. However, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this novel. Paired with an ice-cold Snapple, I found myself flying through the pages. Set during WWII in India, Climbing the Stairs tells the story of 15-year-old Vidya, whose happy life with her family is turned upside down when her father is tragically injured. Vidya and her family move into their extended family's traditional household, and Vidya must adjust to suddenly being constricted and stifled by her relatives conventionally strict ways. Many of her family members make it quite clear to Vidya that they do not want her family there with them. As Vidya copes with her grief and guilt, she finds solace in the home's massive library and a new friend in a boy named Raman.
What I noticed right away in Climbing the Stairs was its protagonist Vidya's likeability. Vidya takes after her father's liberal ways. She wishes to stray from the expected path of women during the time and go to college, instead of being married off at the age of sixteen. What sets Vidya apart from the typical YA protagonist is Vidya's maturity. Vidya, with all of her righteous outrage at her current situation, knows when to hold her tongue. She certainly is no doormat however, and would love to speak her mind and tell off her deserving cousin. Vidya understands that would cause repercussions that would affect not only her, but her family, who are relying on their extended relatives for a place to live. Most teenage characters wouldn't possibly know how to hold in their snarky temper. Vidya knows which battles are worth fighting for, like the right to visit the family library on the male's floor, which women are usually forbidden to enter.
What I noticed right away in Climbing the Stairs was its protagonist Vidya's likeability. Vidya takes after her father's liberal ways. She wishes to stray from the expected path of women during the time and go to college, instead of being married off at the age of sixteen. What sets Vidya apart from the typical YA protagonist is Vidya's maturity. Vidya, with all of her righteous outrage at her current situation, knows when to hold her tongue. She certainly is no doormat however, and would love to speak her mind and tell off her deserving cousin. Vidya understands that would cause repercussions that would affect not only her, but her family, who are relying on their extended relatives for a place to live. Most teenage characters wouldn't possibly know how to hold in their snarky temper. Vidya knows which battles are worth fighting for, like the right to visit the family library on the male's floor, which women are usually forbidden to enter.
Climbing the Stairs doesn't only have Vidya to praise, for it seamlessly weaves in Indian history, religion, questions of morality, racism, and sexism. One of the largest debates in this book is India's involvement within WWII, and how it goes against their nonviolent beliefs. Padma challenges you to think- are the ends worth the means, and is it ever okay to take a life to save one? This book tackles many topics, but does so subtly, without shoving its try-hard political edgyness down your throat.
So, with all that I've presented here, this seems like an amazing young adult novel, correct? Well, yes and no. I certainly enjoyed the book; however, it did not read to me as a YA novel. As I was reading this novel, I wondered why it was even considered to be a YA book. There's no sex, not much violence, and no cursing. Not even a "damn"! Now yes, the book does discuss some deep topics, as mentioned above, but this doesn't mean it couldn't be a middle grade book. Middle graders need to be exposed to all of these important topics and questions. The difficulty reading level of this book, and considering its short length, just isn't up to par with a standard YA novel. I believe this book should be categorized as Middle Grade. It would open it up for the younger readers who would LOVE this book, if they were ordinarily not allowed to read YA. Please don't misunderstand me- I'm not dissing this novel in the slightest by suggesting it have a younger target audience for there are many Middle Grade novels out there that are fantastic works of literature.
So, with all that I've presented here, this seems like an amazing young adult novel, correct? Well, yes and no. I certainly enjoyed the book; however, it did not read to me as a YA novel. As I was reading this novel, I wondered why it was even considered to be a YA book. There's no sex, not much violence, and no cursing. Not even a "damn"! Now yes, the book does discuss some deep topics, as mentioned above, but this doesn't mean it couldn't be a middle grade book. Middle graders need to be exposed to all of these important topics and questions. The difficulty reading level of this book, and considering its short length, just isn't up to par with a standard YA novel. I believe this book should be categorized as Middle Grade. It would open it up for the younger readers who would LOVE this book, if they were ordinarily not allowed to read YA. Please don't misunderstand me- I'm not dissing this novel in the slightest by suggesting it have a younger target audience for there are many Middle Grade novels out there that are fantastic works of literature.
To wrap up this review, I'll give you my final star rating, which is 4 stars. Aka, I enjoyed reading it, but I don't think this is one for the all time favorite shelf.
Find Climbing the Stairs at these different links:
~Thanks for reading!~
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