Review- The Backyard Tales by Aniesha Brahma

The Backyard Tales on Goodreads

When my dear friend and brilliant writer Aniesha Brahma contacted me to read and review an ARC of her latest novel, The Backyard Tales, I was quite excited for two main reasons: 1) Aniesha finally had a new book to add to her list of masterpieces and I'm always happy to see all the people I know and look up to do well and succeed in their fields. 2) The Backyard Tales is about animals, another topic Aniesha and I bond over all the time, mainly focusing on cats and dogs. It seemed like a win-win situation in many ways, so I jumped at the opportunity to read another- what I knew before getting to it- was going to be another marvel by Aniesha. 

The Backyard Tales is the story of Mia, who rescues cute little Pippo who goes on to become her beloved cat. Pippo is a very smart cat, so even though the street cats keep taunting and troubling him, he stays strong and ventures out once to find out on his own what's going on in his neighbourhood. What Pippo comes across changes the lives of everyone in the story. It's literally a roller coaster ride involving mysterious connections, magical adventures and lots of fun. Pippo's mini owner Mia is just like him, fierce, curious, smart and someone the reader will grow to admire. Together, Mia and Pippo take up the mission of saving the street animals in their neighbourhood. 

While I would have loved a more in depth glimpse into the other, magical world portrayed in the book, and I'm hoping a sequel with the same is on its way (hint hint, Aniesha), the way the writer created the normal world was spectacular. Each and every character was meticulously explained and made part of the story. I always tell Aniesha how her characters are the most relatable because they're just like you and me. From the typical Indian home and everything that comes with it to the simple yet strong characters to the magical and amazing story and how all the dots get connected in the end- everything about this book was great. 

I would highly recommend The Backyard Tales to young and beginner readers because the book is easy to read and has practically everything that goes into making a good story- great characters, an interesting plot, wonderful storytelling and the best part- talking animals! Above anything else, Aniesha writes really good stories, and that's what we need in the end of the day, always. So do pick this one up- you will not regret it.