This is Jayan's debut novel, and what an entrance to the literary world! I loved the premise of this - the clash of cultures and ideologies that is embodied in the moment of conflict inherent in a proud Indian family discovering that an explicit clip of their teenage child has been leaked online. This book manages to balance the conflict between modern, online society and modern Indian culture brilliantly. I found it an eye-opening read but also an utter joy. While there is certainly conflict, division and shame written right through these pages, there is also love, hope and humour. I thoroughly enjoyed this modern family saga.

I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors. I think based on the title and cover I was expecting a lighthearted YA book and since I never read blurbs (I know, I know…) I was in for a bit of a shock.

The story is about a teen couple who (like Ronseal - it does what it says on the tin) have fun outdoors. A little too much fun, you know what I'm sayin'?

All of this is normal for a set-up of a novel but when you factor in geographic location and the culture of the two teenagers (Anita and Sreenath) you begin to understand the impact of their actions.

Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors in an eye-opening look at cultural traditions and modern day youth sometimes clash and the wider impact and implications that follow. It is, at times, uncomfortable to watch the disintegration of the families and you cannot help get frustrated that neither side (young or old) can appreciate the others perspective.

Overall, it is hard to say I enjoyed the books that was so fraught with drama but it was engaging and the juxtaposition of culture values with modernity was an interesting take.

Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors by Aravind Jayan is available now.

For more information regarding Serpent's Tail (@serpentstail) please visit www.serpentstail.com.

Finishing this book was a struggle. "Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors" promises an engaging story but underdelivers. Maybe it's due to the limited perspective of having just one narrator and one side of the story, and maybe my own limitations are at fault and I'm not able to appreciate the small intricacies woven into this book.

Nevertheless, the story felt choppy and I couldn't truly immerse myself in it.

this book had the bare bones structure of a good book - the plot was interesting and the characters all felt like they had strong individual motivations that were consistently characterised. the setting of a small town in india also was a strength of this book, and the author did a wonderful job of including indian cultural standards and explaining them in a way that was easy to understand from someone who is not familiar with them.

however, the limited perspective of the narrator and his lack of deep perception of the story left me guessing about a lot of things. while the motivations were consistent, they were also biased by the narrators understanding of his family members. i would have definitely enjoyed this story more if we were given the opportunity to see what was going on inside the heads of the other key players.

the ending did not go anywhere where i was expecting it to, and i was overall let down by the lack of resolution i felt had happened between the family.

'Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors' is an enjoyable and well-written comedy of manners which explores intergenerational conflict and the tension between tradition and modernity in present-day India. The novel presents the ramifications of an explicit video of a young couple, Sreenath and Anita, being shared online. While Sreenath and Anita themselves act largely unconcerned, their families are horrified and resort to increasingly desperate measures in the hope of averting scandal.

The plot and characterisation were consistently engaging, but what I particularly loved was the narrative voice; the novel is narrated by Sreenath's unnamed younger brother who finds himself thrust into the role of reluctant go-between after Sreenath is thrown out by his father. Rather like Nick Carraway or Nathan Zuckerman, he is a perceptive commentator on the foibles of other players in this drama, whilst also having some insight into his own flaws, and as the story unfolds, we realise that it is just as much his story as Sreenath and Anita's. Jayan also depicts all his characters with real warmth and affection as they grapple with a world that is changing around them.

This is a brilliant debut novel - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.

I wasn't expecting to like this nearly as much as I did, but it's just so well written. A lot of the themes - family drama, fall out from a single event, intergenerational differences - are not uncommon but rarely explored this well. It's not a tremendously exciting plot-filled book, but it is driven by the power of the writing and the characters. It's a slice of life type book with some dark humour woven in, and completely immerses you in the stifling situation of the family home with adult children and conflict that arises. I'd highly recommend it.

Sadly, not for me. I found this novel too literary for my tastes - in that it starts well with a big, inciting incident and then...nothing happens. People just don't talk to each other and maybe go to places. If anything, this is the kind of book that helps me work out what I really DON'T like, and that's basically stories that have this great premise and then do very little with it. I can see where people would like this - if you're a literary type, you're going to love it - but it wasn't for me.

Enjoying this novel is the only choice. A beautifully written and incisive look at a family trying to deal with keeping up with the neighbourhood when the modern world shows its horrible head.

There is nothing that could convince me this novel isn’t a must read for all. Exquisite and witty.

Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors by Aravind Jayan follows a traditional Indian family as it comes to light their eldest son and his girlfriend were covertly filmed and the subsequent footage uploaded onto a porn site. What follows is a messy and complicated chain of events as the parents try desperately to cling to their hard-earned respect in the community (they have just bought a Honda Civic for heaven’s sake!!) weighed up against the next generation who have a more modern outlook on the situation. We observe this family from the perspective of our narrator, the younger brother, as he becomes an unwilling middleman between the traditional and the modern and as he battles between pleasing his parents and envying his brother his newfound freedom.
This is a good book; it has an interesting storyline and provides an insight into a family which is treading a path into embracing a more modern lifestyle and technology but retaining its valued traditions. I found the narrator to provide a witty commentary in parts which I think added to his character as retells his observations and the difficult situation he has found himself in. Throughout the story, I felt it was leading up to something more ominous which never came to light and in that sense, I wasn’t expecting it to end where it did. Overall, I found the characters to be quite stubborn and felt it was quite disheartening how the situation escalated and ultimately where they all were left. A thought provoking and quick read. Thanks to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail for a digital copy for review.

I really enjoyed this read, it was well written with a gripping storyline and charcaters that I loved. This was totally compelling and really relatable as unfortuantely revenge porn is a more regular occurance in todays society than we like to admit. An enjoyable read.