Doubles: Peace Pulao/The Forbidden Snacks Society

After Flipped, which you can read both ways, HarperCollins brings you Doubles–two stories written by two authors, based on one theme–food. Quite apart from the joy of the format, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories!

Peace Pulao

Peace Pulao by Vibha Batra is set in the fictitious city of Pasinabad. It tells an age-old story of rivalry, enmity and secrets–but with a twist at the end. In Vibha’s signature colourful style, Peace Pulao sparkles with similes, most of which are about food. With the two young protagonists, we meet a range of characters who are larger than life, from Inspector Chulbul to the don Badke Bhaiya. High drama, humour and food come together to make this story a pacy read. The mystery is wholly satisfying, but I couldn’t help wondering – what next?

And this was something I felt about The Forbidden Snacks Society too!

The Forbidden Snacks Society

Menaka Raman’s brand of humour makes The Forbidden Snacks Society the perfect Doubles companion to Vibha Batra’s Peace Pulao. As I read this story, I was startled by how similar the setting is to Unplugged by Gordon Korman.

Set in a dodgy retreat that promises to teach children discipline and bring them under control, The Forbidden Snacks Society is a gripping read from start to finish. I was rooting for the characters from the very beginning, and the vivid descriptions of awful food sucked me into a wacky, fun story!

Both Peace Pulao and The Forbidden Snacks Society were slightly open-ended, leaving us to imagine what happens next. Food makes a great theme, though, and I’m curious to know what the next Doubles book will be about!