The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant did one thing really well: it was entertaining. There's action right from the start, and it basically never stops. I liked the use of appropriate terminology for local plants and such too.

One of the first problems I noticed was that the time period wasn't clear. Some people I spoke to thought it was contemporary, whereas I assumed it was historical because of the name the characters used for Sri Lanka. If it's set long ago, these kids talked way too much like today's kids. That kind of thing pulled me out of the books I read when I was 10, and it pulls me out of the story now.

I found everything to be too easy and quick. Instead of an extended fire scene with over-the-top villagers turning on children, there should have been more time given to the conflict with the King. As it stands now, it was so simple it was just silly. Chaya didn't learn anything despite almost getting herself and her friends killed.

The plot and story needed more depth and time you'd want from a middle grade book, but the writing and development felt aimed at young elementary schoolers. It resulted in a book that was unsure who its audience is supposed to be. If Farook pulled the plot and story back a bit, this would be an excellent children's book. If she gave herself another 100 pages to dive deeper into the development of the conflict and character arcs, I think it would be an excellent middle grade book.