4.25⭐️

<i> A darkly comic, speculative debut following an adrift Pakistani translator in London who attends a mysterious language school which boasts complete fluency in just ten days, but at a secret, sinister cost. </i>

Let’s just say I’m going to be digesting this one for awhile. Lots to chew over with this disturbing but thoroughly engaging tale, from the commentary on racism, classism, and sexism, to the debate over the intersection of language acquisition and cultural appropriation. Never mind the speculative horror element, which quite effectively elicits a visceral response.

Balvinder Sopal did a lovely job with the narration. There’s also a conversation with the author at the end of the audiobook that I recommend sticking around for.

Thank you Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi, Dreamscape Media, Gillian Flynn Books, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Centre is a lush and private school that teaches it’s students to be fully fluent in a language within a couple of weeks. Their unconventional techniques are a secret and their participants can only tell one person and refer them to the school.

Anisa works subtitling for Bollywood movies and was born into privilege. What she really wants to do is translate great works of literature. When her boyfriend Adam learns her Pakistani language shockingly quick, she demands for him to tell her his secret. When Anisa is accepted into the school she will learn what the downsides are for this seems too good to be true teaching method.

I enjoyed Anisa’s character with her snarky humor. The story is interesting and unique. I listened to the audiobook and the narration is excellent.

A Language-Loving Rollercoaster Ride!

Rating: ★★★★★

First things first: Love the narrator she brings life to the story and believe me the story has a life and pace of its own. I loved the fact that the production was sensitive enough to bring in a native speaker which made the story more like narrated by the protagonist herself. I love the attention to small details.

"The Centre" is an absolute blast of a debut novel that had me hooked from the very first line. "It started with Adam. Doesn't it always.." lol, hilarious, thought-provoking, and slightly twisted story!

Anisa Ellahi, our lovably snarky protagonist, dreams of translating literary masterpieces but finds herself stuck in the world of Bollywood subtitles. Her journey takes an exciting turn when her boyfriend spills the beans about The Centre, a mysterious language school promising fluency in just ten days. Cue the adventure!

What makes this book shine is its delightful blend of dark humor, surrealism, and unexpected twists. The author's sharp wit had me snorting with laughter throughout. Anisa's hilarious banter with her best friend Naima adds an extra layer of fun to the story, and their discussions about the "underside of life" had me nodding in agreement and chuckling at their witty observations.

The concept of The Centre is intriguing and keeps you turning the pages as you're eager to uncover its secrets. The author masterfully builds suspense, and just when you think you have everything figured out, they throw a curveball that left me gasping in surprise. It's a rollercoaster ride of emotions that never loses its momentum.

The vivid descriptions of Karachi, London, and New Delhi transport you to these vibrant cities, immersing you in their cultures and atmospheres. The exploration of language, translation, and appropriation is thoughtfully done, provoking deep reflection while keeping the narrative light and entertaining.

Anisa is a fantastic protagonist with whom you can't help but connect. Her journey from feeling inadequate to embracing her true potential is relatable and inspiring. The side characters are equally well-crafted, adding depth and diversity to the story.

In conclusion, "The Centre" is a five-star gem that exceeded all my expectations. It's a wild and enjoyable ride filled with laughter, suspense, and plenty of food for thought. I highly recommend as I was able to relate to the character and her actions, to anyone looking for a fun and captivating read. Brace yourself for a language-loving adventure like no other! makes you want to learn a new language !!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gillian Flynn Books for giving me early access to this audiobook for review.

This was a wild one for sure, and it may need a second reading for me to really grasp the whole thing. There are many things however that it says about womanhood and being a woman of colour that felt very really and struck a cord with me.

Also as a linguistics major I absolutely adored how this book looked at and talked about language, how it relates to us and our culture as well as how these things make us who we are.

It is a bit of a think piece and there is a lot of nothing that does seem to happen with my interest in languages and my love of reading about different POC it was enjoyable but I think it might not be for everyone.

I do think that once it comes out I may give it another read as I imagine this is the type of book that benefits from multiple reads.

OH MY GOSH! Y'all... This book was and forever will be everything to me. If you're looking for a slow-burn WTF moment, then you can achieve that feeling with Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi's The Centre because holy forking shirt balls, that twist had my jaw on the floor. I am very thankful to Gillian Flynn Books, Zando Publishing, and Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi for sending me a beautiful advanced reader's copy of this gem before it hits shelves on July 11, 2023. I know that's so far away, but this baby is worth the months-long wait.

Anisa Ellahi is a modern-day linguist looking to enhance her translation skillset after convening with her awkward boyfriend and learning of a revolutionary facility that guarantees language fluency in 10 days for $20,000 in admission; she jumps on the opportunity. After the stringent interview process and medical procedures, she's whisked away to the gated property that houses this educational institution. Still, it doesn't take her long to realize that The Centre isn't your typical language-learning school, for no instruction is given. Learners are to report to their cubicles daily for hours, plug in their headphones, and listen to a native foreigner, speak their language, even though these learners have no idea what is being said.

Anisa's Storyteller, Peter, drones on in an alien tongue, and with each coming day, she begins to think up terrible dreams and thoughts, almost adopting them straight from the mouth of Peter. As Day 7 rolls around, a switch is flipped, and she can understand the language being spoken to her. Blown away by this transformation, Anisa leaves The Centre after Day 10 to further her translation job opportunities and herself, but she can't help but wonder about the secret behind this madness.

During her first round at the facility, she befriends one of the managers, and they continue building lasting friendships. The further she digs into the walls of The Centre's being, the eerier things appear. The Centre isn't just using immersion tactics to make language fluency stick; they are hiding something way more sinister that would submerge them into scandal if it ever got out. Let's say the employees never really leave The Centre's grasps, and Learners leave being less themselves than before.

I don't want to spoil anything, so you'll have to take my hyped word for it -- this book is worth the read!

**Listened to the audiobook and followed along with the kindle version**

The premise of this book was so intriguing. I was really excited to read this, and even more excited to listen to the audio book. (I love an audiobook!!)
However, I found this book to be too much of a good thing. I found that there was too much going on, and more and more subplots were being introduced as the book went on, leaving me questioning what the book was supposed to be about, and what message I should be getting from it.
It immediately had me hooked, as it started at a super fast pace - but the more it went on, the more it kind of lost me as it went down different rabbit holes and then ended rather abruptly.

I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook, and she played the different characters with different accents and tones - making it really easy to follow.
However, the actual plot of the book just left me confused.

I liked the idea - but didn't like the execution.

Instead of translating classic novels, Anisa fonds herself subtitling Bollywood movies. She makes ends meet with her parents’ financial contributions and mucks along with her subpar boyfriend. But there’s more to Adam than meets the eye, he has a secret, and Anisa teases it out of him. He tells her about the Centre, a program that promises fluency in any language. Anis enrolls and finds she must give up everything, including her bodily autonomy. When she re-enters the world 10 days later, she’s fluent in German, but at what cost? a masterpiece in black humor

Pros: I heard about this book on the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide and thought its premise sounded interesting. It seems like books about translators (e.g., Babel) are very popular right now—like the new campus novel. I switched between the ebook and audio versions of this book and really liked the audiobook narrator. Her narration sounded like how I thought the main character would speak.

Cons: I feel like I’ve read this plot (main character joins a secret club that has some sinister practices) a lot. I was also expecting more from Gillian Flynn’s imprint.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zando Projects, Dreamscape Media, and Gillian Flynn Books for the opportunity to read this book.