Title: House Number 12 Block Number 3*
Author: Sana Balagamwala
Rating: 3.5 stars / 5 stars
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Favorite Quote: “I considered the events of the past year and hoped the worst was over. I suppose we did have something to celebrate, we may not have won the war but not losing a war warrants some celebration after all.” Balagamwala, Sana. House Number 12 Block Number 3. Hidden Shelf Publishing House, 2021.
Review: Thank you to the publisher, Hidden Shelf Publishing House, and the NetGalley platform, for the free e-ARC that I received in exchange for an honest review of this book.
House Number 12 Block Number 3 is a family saga and a political saga, following the protagonist Nadia’s family as they grow and interact with the world around them - Pakistan in the midst of political turmoil and change.
One of the most interesting aspects of this book is the perspective - the story is told from the point of view of the house where Nadia’s family lives. This omniscient house sees the plot folding both inside and outside of its walls, and is, for much of the novel, the only witness to the main source of trauma and conflict in the novel.
I think the perspective of this book is one of its strongest qualities. This was a fascinating approach to a novel’s narrative, and Balagamwala captures both the internal conflict of the family and the external conflict in Pakistan through the unique gaze of a structure that is, at least permanent, even as so much of the novel shows how fleeting life, relationships, and a sense of security can be.
Ultimately, my primary criticism of this novel is its pacing. The beginning feels too long in its set up, where the central conflict, (SPOILER ALERT AND TRIGGER WARNING) the SA of child Nadia, doesn’t happen until almost halfway through the book. The end, then, feels incredibly rushed - the family’s discovery of this assault and a resolution where much of the family conflict is suddenly resolved, when only pages previous, there was still an incredible amount of conflict and strain.
About that Quote: So, this quote exemplifies how Balagamwala successfully crafts a narrative from the perspective of the house, while still highlighting the strife of the country and of the family. This quote also highlights a theme that is prominent throughout the book - a balance of wins and losses and the time and effort that goes in to overcoming conflict.
TW for House Number 12 Block Number 3: SA of a child, political unrest, character death
Have you read House Number 12 Block Number 3? Share your thoughts below!
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