If you ever thought that teenagers were an immature lot, Suzanne Sangi will set you right. She began writing her debut novel Facebook Phantom after her class X board exams and completed it the following year. The story is narrated from every perspective, even the villain’s, which is rarely seen! Moreover, the concept is quite unique.
Mystery man
Facebook Phantom is a paranormal love story, the events of which unfold in Bangalore. Sonali meets a mysterious friend on Facebook, Omi Daan. Their conversation begins with a question from Omi: “Are you happy?” But these idle conversations soon take over her waking hours and her dreams!
The beginning of each chapter resembles the profile pages on Facebook. The chapters are named after a character from the novel and the story is narrated from their perspective. Suzanne has used the lingo of the youth and the narrative is interspersed with Facebook conversations, bringing it closer to the target audience of young adults. She creates an eerie effect from the beginning and her gripping narration doesn’t allow the reader to put the book down even for a moment.
However, there were places when I wished for more detail. Also, the use of SMS language tends to pull the narration down. On the whole, the book is an excellent read for those who can’t take the eyes off their Facebook page during summer vacations.
Title: Facebook Phantom
Author: Suzanne Sangi
Publisher: Duckbill
Price: Rs. 199
