On the Book Smaller and Smaller Circles
Review: Smaller and Smaller Circles by F. H. Batacan (2002)
This is just a good read that I devoured this under two days; a day of which even without my scleral lenses that I need to read comfortably. It's that good.
This book reminds me a little of Dan Brown's works, with science, religion, and crime blending into a riveting suspenseful tale. It's also refreshingly Filipino even if the plot idea is a bit Western. I believe the author was able to translate the trope to the local scene well.
Just few complaints. The latter half of the book and more so the climax are quite lackluster, there are some threads that have been left tangled, and I guess it irks me a little bit that there was little or no resistance from the victims and the world they live in. They're just... there, like sitting ducks. I know what the author is trying to illustrate, but you would be surprised how tight-knit these communities are. Rather than Joanna, a parallel storyline involving one of the poor acting as vanguard for Payatas would have been better I think.
Still, a terrific read. I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a - not a whodunnit, which the book is too ordinary - a thriller set in the Philippines.
4/5