Neil D’Silva’s Joyrides: Carnival of Creeps whisks readers to Funmania, a new amusement park on Bongo Island, whose dazzling lights and spiralling rides promise a day of carefree excitement for all visitors. Riz, Anvita, Tiana, and Palash are four friends eager to explore the world’s largest roller coaster, the Big Loopy, who soon discover that the carnival’s seemingly idyllic environment conceals darker secrets. The park is first presented to the reader as the perfect vacation spot, and the friends seem to be really enjoying themselves. However, the adventure takes a twist when Cyrus, one of their friends, boards the Big Loopy and vanishes mid-ride, leaving behind only his vacant seat and a long trail of unanswered questions. While the trip begins as just a way for the friends to spend more time together, it quickly develops into a thrilling race to confront the mystical forces that exist behind Funmania’s seemingly cheerful image.
The narrative created unfolds with brisk pacing and carefully planted twists, with each chapter closing on a note that propels the reader forward; with each hand on the chapter headings almost beckoning the reader onward. This makes it perfect for a lot of the younger readers whom the book targets, as it ensures that even those with shorter attention spans can be engaged by the well-paced and gripping story. One of the prominent values of the book is how D’Silva captures the almost unsettling contrast of the carnival: bright lights and long shadows, the loud, upbeat music muffling any screams. The four friends are described with enough individuality to make their fears and flashes of courage convincing to younger readers; their loyalty and camaraderie providing the emotional connection that keeps the story grounded in one’s mind.
Part of the pleasure of the book, for me, lies in its visual design. Dramatically sketched chapter headers and full-page illustrations punctuate the text, heightening suspense and giving shape to the park’s menacing architecture. The artwork mirrors the story’s shifts from glittering excitement to creeping dread, offering readers a second narrative in images. The illustrations create strong images of the characters in the heads of younger readers, allowing them to assign definitive faces to their favourite characters.
For developing readers, Joyrides offers a satisfying blend of mystery and mild horror. The balance that D’Silva develops through the plot and illustrations is chilling enough to quicken a young reader’s pulse without tipping into nightmare. While the novel doesn’t contain a strong element of emotional and psychological depth, it still maintains realism in the mind of a young reader, and its gripping plot tied with its exploration of childish adventure and emotion makes it a good read for an advanced reader as well.
Joyrides: Carnival of Creeps stands on its own as a self-contained adventure, proving that fear and fun can share the same ride. It is an assured addition to contemporary Indian children’s literature and an invitation to young readers to test their courage while savouring the thrill of the unknown