Photo Booth

May 9, 2011
The arrival of a major drug shipment sends an Interpol agent on the hunt for the man responsible for killing his parents in this jumbled revenge tale. Agent Praveer Rajani, considered a valuable asset but a loose cannon by his boss, is on hand when Interpol and the FBI intercept a drug buy in New York at an abandoned fairground. During the raid, Praveer sees an old photo booth, identical to one that he visited as a child with his brother and sister. Much of the story is told in full-color flashbackâthe present-day action is in black-and-white, with only blood inked in redârecounting how Praveer's parents were killed in a hit-and-run, and he and his younger sister were raised by his older brother, Jayendra. Back in the present, Praveer is positive that a long-ago photo hides a clue to the ringleader of the drug gang as well as to the identity of the man who killed his parents. While Nagar's art is stunning, the story lacks either logic or a satisfying arc.

May 15, 2011

An intriguing—though fussily intricate—premise is hampered by an unfortunately disjointed execution.

Against a grim, sketchy black-and-white backdrop enters the brooding, chiseled Praveer Rajani. Rajani, an Interpol agent, has just made a huge drug bust at a carnival. While leaving the scene, he sees a photo booth that jars memories of his childhood 20 years ago and his parents' untimely demise. Abruptly, the entire setting changes, jumping back two decades and exploding in bright, jarring colors within structured panels. Nagar quickly abandons the dark, bleak setting and changes character perspective from Praveer to his older brother, Jayendra. After their parents' death, Jayendra steps in as his family's caretaker, though this ultimately costs him his relationship with Shalini, the love of his life. At a carnival, the Rajanis discover a mystical photo booth that can show the heart's true desires. Impulsively, Jayendra uproots the family, taking them abroad to win back Shalini and discovering a startling coincidence about their parents. Just as suddenly, the setting changes back to the future and Praveer's point of view, neatly tying the elements of his family's past to the recent drug bust. Overall, this lacks cohesion and feels choppy, moving discordantly between the darkly noir and sweetly magical settings.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Interpol agent Praveer Rajani's emotional baggage is having a serious impact on his life. His parents were killed in a car crash years earlier, and the driver responsible was never caught. He has difficulty controlling his temper, and only recently had his job reinstated. While working on a drug bust, he sees an old photo booth that brings back memories, but it is a while before readers understand this subplot. The story moves back and forth between different time periods and focuses on many characters including Praveer, his brother Jayendra, their sister Nisha, and Jayendra's girlfriend Shalini. This is occasionally confusing, as readers at first expect that Praveer is the main character but then the story detours into Jayendra's life for so long that he seems to be the focus instead. About halfway through the book, readers learn about the photo booth itself, and about how the pictures that the siblings had taken there changed their lives. Nagar's illustrations are in color for the modern segments and in black-and-white for many of the flashbacks. Praveer's temper tantrums are ridiculously portrayed (no one's face should become that comically distorted unless he's a manga character), and teens will have trouble identifying with him while thinking that he needs a psychiatric evaluation.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.