Religion and mysticism are the book's primary intoxicants. Characters speak in proverbs and riddles; rivers swell and burst; hijras and politicians alike place curses; Sikhs amass weapons in a temple. From the opening scene, in which a rampaging elephant is shot in a schoolyard, the action is presented in mythic proportions. Like many of Govinda's formative experiences in India, the image of the elephant's burning body plagues him.

As the narration is defined by a child's mind, what is bewildering or overlooked is often most interesting to the reader: the muted eroticism of his mother's relationship with their Sikh cook; the fantasy of Australia, the 'best country in the world'; domestic exchanges between two rival wives – one the servant to her husband's mistress. Love, jealousy, resignation, and grief are tempered or hidden; we watch the politics of a nation play out an intimate scale. Govinda becomes increasingly aware of his parents' fallibility; they remain removed and inaccessible to him. He is often left on the perimeters of the adult world. As the political situation in India intensifies, these pretences are tested.

Although Raja's first novel is presented as Young Adult fiction, it contains layers of meaning that will satisfy readers of all ages. Inevitably, Govinda must contemplate leaving his home country, an experience the book treats honestly and credibly.