The Centre follows Anisa, an aspiring translator who finds herself romantically involved with a man who claims to attend a “super secret” language school where attendees can achieve fluency in a mere ten days. Anisa wants in, but—of course—something that seems too good to be true probably is. This is a difficult book to review because anything I say about what I really loved about it and the few quibbles I have with it would at least suggest a potential spoiler. Even providing comp titles might get you thinking too much about where the plot is going! So all I’ll say is that this is a compelling and suspenseful, if imperfect, story with themes of language, assimilation, and appropriation, and if you read it please message me so we can debrief

What if someone told you that you could become fluent in any language you choose in just ten days? All you need to do is attend The Centre - a top secret program where you’ll be totally cut off from the outside world and follow a strict schedule of meditation and fully being immersed in learning.

Anisa is a translator who wants to work on serious literature but is currently working on subtitles for Bollywood films. When she learns about the super exclusive Centre from her boyfriend, she thinks this is exactly what she needs and is willing to jump through whatever hoops needed. But is there something more sinister going on at The Centre?

I loved this book and was so drawn in by the writing and atmosphere. I would recommend this to fans of Black Mirror, definitely had similar vibes and was darker than I expected. Thank you to Gillian Flynn Books and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Zando Projects for this read. This was way better than what I was expecting and on top of it, it was a debut book. The book was very funny and sad , just full of emotion in this book. This was well worth the read. Thanks!

The Centre is an exclusive and secretive language school. Twenty learners stay for ten days in residence with no connections to the outside world and no talking to the other learners or staff. When they return home, they can speak a new language like a native.

The mystery is how the process works. Anisa is a Pakistani translator living in London, who has been to the school twice. Her parents called her a “curious cat” as a child and she digs until she discovers the school’s shocking truth.

The book is labeled a mystery, but it reads like literary fiction with a twist ending. However, that is not my biggest complaint about it. Anisa is incredibly annoying—though that may just be my own ignorance talking. Do people really over analyze their life like that? Wow, I hope not. Anisa sees slights by others (because of her ethnicity and gender) and her own failings everywhere. Here are some of Anisa’s thoughts:

“It made me wonder whether I was simply an insatiable pit, never to be fully satisfied.“

“I know it’s narcissistic to make my best friend’s new relationship about me. […] Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was just jealous. Or sad about losing my friend. […] I tried to contain myself, out of fear that this was my anti-maleness or my self sabotaging thinking taking over.“

Even Anisa’s best friend speaking to Anisa states “You’re very quick to take on blame, but the good stuff, you push away.“ To which Anisa replies “Do I?”

While the beginning built up anticipation for discovering how The Centre worked, the slow pacing made the middle a slow slog stuck in someone’s brain from which I really wanted to flee. So definitely not a book for me. However, I believe literary fiction fans might enjoy the inclusion of a slight mystery and an unexpected finale. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Thanks to Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

The blurb made this sound so interesting but unfortunately, the book did not deliver. It starts out interesting enough but neither Anissa's story nor the Centre's processes hooked me and made me want to know more. When the big reveal happens, it would have been shocking had I been invested in the story but even that was a real let down. Had there been more emphasis on the action related to the big reveal, it might have been more horrifying but it's only mentioned, it seems, in passing so it's underwhelming. I think if this had been written with more emphasis on the Centre, the thriller aspect would have been more attention grabbing.

This book genuinely blew my mind. I don't even have coherent thoughts to form a full review right now, but wow. What an amazing debut. I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future. I'm genuinely just STUNNED.

As a reader who loves to experience books in translation, I was interested in picking up this hilarious debut, but since I didn't read the description carefully, was surprised at its content. Not to say that I didn't find it enjoyable, I did. Being billed as a satiric horror fest, it deals with the incorporation of language as an attraction worthy of desire and ethnic identity as a tool. Don't know if I'd have chosen it had I been more careful with my choice, but I had a good time.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book!

<i>The Centre</i> follows Anisa Ellahi, a translator wanting to reach new heights in her career, who learns about a center that promises fluency in a language in just ten days. What follows is a suspenseful, lightly satirical look at language acquisition, translation, and, ultimately, power.

This book was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the concept and the speculative aspect to the centre. Siddiqi does a good job at maintaining tension and suspense, even underneath the more contemporary, light moments The book does a good job at questioning who gets access to the resources within the centre and the exploitation of people to further the dreams and desires of higher class individuals.

I struggled a bit with the characters. There's a distance between the characters and the reader, and I'm unsure if the more meta aspects that come into play later in the novel succeeded. I also wish there had been more explicit moments of dread and tension within the centre itself.

I think this novel tackled a variety of interesting concepts; I'm just unsure if it completely succeeded for me. I would definitely check out more by Siddiqi, though.

This is the story of Anisa, a 35-year-old translator of Bollywood movies who's not very happy with her current financial situation and career. She dreams of becoming a literary translator, but her language knowledge doesn't seem to be enough. When she begins dating Adam, who is fluent in over 10 languages, she discovers the existence of an élite language school, where people can learn a new language in just 10 days. Skeptical but hopeful, Anisa enrolls in The Centre to learn German, but soon she realizes that its services come with a dark, disturbing price.

As a translator myself, whenever I read a book with a translator or a linguist as a main character, I'm always super intrigued and invested in the story. A super secret school where I can learn a new language in less than 2 weeks? Sign me up immediately!
I really enjoyed The Centre, the author did a great job in creating and describing not only the school and its unique learning methods, but also characters such as Anisa, her friend Naima and the boyfriend Adam. And let me tell you, I didn't like a single one of these characters, especially Anisa, but that didn't stop me from loving the story and being glued to my ebook reader. Even though languages and translation are at the center (no put intended), this book explores so many other topics: classism, racism, sexism, friendship and love - it's definitely a thought-provoking read, without being too heavy in its content. Labeled as mystery/thriller, I would say this is more literary fiction with a pinch of mystery and a pinch of horror (but nothing too graphic). And yes, there is a plot twist, and it's good, but a little bit predictable.

Also, on a more personal note, I would have appreciated at least a brief, passing mention on what it really takes to be a good professional translator: not just knowing a language, but mastering the so-called translatology, which in short means the theory and the techniques to apply while working on a text. Also translating literature into languages that are not your mother-tongue (which is what Anisa does) is not impossible, but... well it doesn't happen often in the real world. Just some personal thoughts, because I love the art of translation.

Overall The Centre is a very intriguing and fascinating story, it's well written and I really enjoyed it! I look forward to more novels from this author.
4 stars.

* I'd like to thank Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi, Zando Projects, Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. * The Centre is out on July 11th, 2023.

A Pakistani subtitle writer of Bollywood movies living in London goes to a mysterious and shady language learning institute where you can learn any language in a few days. What happens next is the chilling mystery. A review in questions and thoughts.

• Does your mother tongue perceive words in different shapes and colors? Mother and Ma?

• If non-English speaking people like us have an accent or bad grammar it's like contempt but English-speaking people struggling to talk in Hindi is somehow endearing or funny. Or even laudable?

• Things that were totally normal when I was a kid like clay pots, embroidered fabrics, and flashy earrings have been reintroduced today as "authentic". Do we need a better definition of authenticity?

• While reading the book I came across things written in vernaculars like amrood ki jelly and gora friend and keema and aloo matar just like they should be written because amrood brings memories of my childhood that the word guava cannot and Siddiqi knows it in her bones.

• Why do some women easily discount non-romantic relationships when it suits them? Whereas it is 'the slow burning love of female friendship keeps the world turning.'

• How often do you feel your body has a language you don't listen enough to?

Thanks to my newest book friend Audreza for sending me the cover which promptly made me look up Netgalley. Thanks to @zandoprojects for the ARC. I would love to know who created the cover. It is a take on the 16th-century Dutch style of vanitas but looking closely it has clues about the plot of the book. Am so happy I read this book.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐄 (out today- published by Gillian Flynn's imprint) is touted as "𝘈 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤, 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺-𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 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."

Boundary-pushing? Yes. 
Darkly comic? I just don't see it. 

This novel was equally enjoyable and disappointing. The pacing felt off. The first 70-80% of the book felt like a detailed extrapolation of the summary/blurb.The premise was intriging and the tension and suspense linked to the underlying mystery kept me reading. But WOW- the last 20% and "twist" did not work for me at all!

No doubt the spellbinding cover art and unique premise will draw readers in. I hope they come talk to me about their thoughts when they're done.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A propulsive literary mystery/thriller, The Centre is about Anisa, a 30-something Pakistani translator living in London, who discovers a secret language-learning school through Adam, a boyfriend who inexplicably speaks many languages fluently. When Adam uses his one referral to send Anisa to The Centre, she discovers there is more to this mysterious school than meets the eye.

While I found the "dear diary" writing style a bit simplistic and unpolished at times, and Anisa to be a frustrating and somewhat unlikeable character, overall I found the story intriguing and I wanted to know what would happen next. The narrative meandered a bit at times, but it still kept me turning pages. I didn't quite see the twist coming, but in retrospect, there were clues all along. I would recommend this to fans of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

I finished this in one day. I think the fact that I'm trying to learn French & Japanese, as well as the cover (I would hang up a print of it) drew me in. I enjoyed the writing style, & the story was so mysterious until we find out what's happening. It remains tense throughout, anything could happen. Anisa isn't exactly likeable but I can still understand & empathize with her. I find the rawness of her story refreshing. Feminism (unnamed, but that's what it is) & colonialism are throughout this book, which is right up my alley

Genre: speculative fiction
London, present day

Anisa Ellahi is a thirty-something Pakistani woman living in London who subtitles Bollywood movies but primarily lives off her parents’ allowance. She dreams of translating great literature, but doesn’t have the drive or all of the language skills. Then she meets Adam, linguistic savant, who seems to know a dozen languages, but can barely remember the Urdu phrases she’s teaching him. When he goes away on a business trip, then comes back speaking Urdu at native-speaker proficiency, Anisa begs to hear how he’s done it. Adam swears her to secrecy, then tells her about The Centre.

If you’ve followed me for a bit, you’ll know that I’m obsessed with the roots of colonialism and power, and that extends to the dominance of language and translation: whose stories get told and in what language. The Centre hits a sweet spot for me, as it addresses language of the colonizers and colonized, while stretching the limits of the extent to which someone will go to learn another language.

As an intense speculative book bordering on horror, the stakes are high and the emotion is tense. The book isn’t “scary” in a slasher thriller or ghostly sense, but it’s terrifying in the issues it’s addressing. Pair with Babel by RF Kuang for maximum effect (though the vibes of the book are very different they grapple with very similar issues). The book feels deeply elder millennial in a way I found refreshing, as Anisa reaches for greatness amidst her own feelings of mediocrity and comes away with something entirely different than what she expected.

Racism, colonialism, immigration, identity politics, and power dynamics are all wrapped up with Anisa’s pursuit of learning German and Russian. Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi does a marvelous job of addressing those issues from Anisa’s perspective as a late-30-something middle class Pakistani woman.

I truly can’t say more than this without spoilers, but trust me on this, if any of what I’ve mentioned appeals to you, you’ll like this book.

Once you read this, come chat with me and @jordanian.reads because we want to talk more about the ending with people! Thanks to Jordan for recommending this and saying “trust me on it” because I did and I’m glad.

Thank you to @zandoprojects and netgalley for an eARC for review. The Centre is out 7/11/23!

The Centre - Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi -5🌟

Thank you Zando Projects, Gillian Flynn Books and Netgalley for this advanced copy. The Centre releases July 11th. Trust me, you will want to have this on your shelf immediately.
👁👄👁
I want to start by saying that I'm a huge fan of @zandoprojects anything and everything they've sent me never fails to entertain.
What an absolute BANGER! I could absolutely write a 30 paged essay on this book.
The Centre is an eerie tale on language, the translation world, and morality. Anisa Ellahi, a 35 year old translator from Pakistan has big dreams of one day breaking away from her mundane job of Bollywood subtitles. Anisa's wish shortly came true when her boyfriend came clean and spilled the tea on how he was able to pick up on different languages so quickly. Enter the Centre, an elite language school that promises fluency in just 10 days. But with everything that's too good to be true this comes with a sinister catch.
I felt deeply connected with Anisa as she took us on a journey through vivid Karachi, London and New Delhi. I loved everything written about Pakistan, as I had gone through my school years in a Pakistani school, I couldn't help but reflect my own experiences being a third culture kid in a whole new world. Especially with how I was able to pick up my English purely from a Pakistani international school. I will always have a soft spot for Pakistan and its history.
The exploration of language, appropriations, colonialism, cultural assimilation, gender, power struggles and political discourse between countries were cleverly and sensitively crafted. I loved the breadcrumbs and small details that were sprinkled all over the book. The author slowly fed us the dark, unnerving, story layer by layer, the whole while keeping a thrilling air of mystery. Anisa's self reflection on womanhood and where she stood in the world added delightful depth that balanced out the comedic surrealism.
I went into this blind and this book completely took me by surprise! It had exceeded all my expectations. I devoured it all in one giant gulp. I highly recommend this to fans of Jordan Peele. Strap in kiddo, it's gunna be a crazy ride.

As a big fan of translated fiction, I was sold as soon as I read the premise of The Centre. And this mystery about a thirty-something year old Pakistani translator who explores the price she’s willing to pay for fluency in new language did not disappoint!

I love how Siddiqi combines the pacing of a psychological thriller with socio-political observations more common to the literary fiction genre. The identity politics of The Centre reminded me of Noor Naga’s “If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English,” while its colloquial tone and focus on relationships made me think of Sally Rooney’s writing. At the same time, the dark, unsettling tone of the novel and its speculative fiction features meant that I was incapable of setting this book down! And I mean this literally— this book sabotaged an entire weekend and it was such a fun ride that I can’t even be mad.

My one proviso is that if you’re looking for a mystery all wrapped up with a bow, you will not be getting that with The Centre. However, I personally felt that the lingering questions left at the end only made the book more interesting.

Thank you Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi for giving us this stellar genre-bending novel and showing us that genre fiction can also be intellectual! And thank you to Zando Projects, Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for the advanced readers galley. The Centre releases July 11th.

Anisa is a 35-year-old translator getting along in a somewhat privileged and rather aimless way, translating Bollywood films and living on her family's money when she learns of an institute called The Centre where one may learn a language in the span of ten days through some sort of very hush-hush, esoteric immersive technique. Dissatisfied with her life, and bored and frustrated with her lackluster relationship with Adam (from whom she learned of The Centre), she commits to spending a week at The Centre, figuring that learning a European language like German will lead to her becoming the serious translator she's always wanted to be. The whole place has a weird vibe, it's all very creepy A24 energy, lots of meditation and seclusion, but hey, the meals are tasty and top-notch so it's not all bad. Nothing's clicking language-wise until suddenly Anisa realizes she's absorbing the lessons, and five days in, she's understanding every single word of German, it's wild! Outside The Centre, she goes on to translate a book that hadn't previously been translated from German into English and makes a small name for herself and realizes that even as she's become a more "serious" translator, she's neither satisfied nor happy, and goes back to The Centre for more lessons. As she undergoes this immersion for the second time, she is becoming more friendly with the woman who manages the place, Shiba, an individual who, culturally, and perhaps in many other ways, Anisa has much in common with. And Shiba. as it turns out, is eager to share The Centre's secrets. But is Anisa really ready to hear it? There are a lot of ideas to engage and negotiate with in this book, in exploring these characters relationships with each other, in how they treat language, but also in terms of feminism and friendships, class and conformity, power and consumption. I think what I found most interesting is how this author doesn't give you a clear answer about *anything* , at the end of course, in the treatment of the "big reveal" but also just in how mutable a character Anisa is. She's really a cypher. I did not know what to make of her at all! And I really loved that.

It took me a bit to get into this story but once I did it was very good. I enjoy odd literary fiction, and this hit the marks. It was nice to pick up something different and it had the right number of twists to keep me engaged. I would give this a try if you want something different a bit mystery and si-fi. 3.75 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects, Gillian Flynn Books for an ARC in return for my honest review.

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi is thought-provoking, unnerving and surprising.

It follows the journey of Anisa, a Pakistani immigrant based in London who feels something is missing in her life. Her values oscillate time and again. We begin the book by reading about Anisa as a girlfriend to Adam, a talented linguist. When Adam speaks better Urdu than Anisa, she compels him to reveal the secret of him being so advanced in a language within a few weeks. Fast forward to The Centre, an immersive, holistic and secretive school that makes Anisa feel weird and unsettled despite the excellent food.

The mysterious working of the place is all revealed with continuous encounters with the school's manager. I appreciated the rabbit hole the protagonist goes through in figuring out this relationship. I must admit the reveal was completely unexpected and jaw-dropping. The suspense and horror elements are etched throughout the pages, and Siddiqi's narration is well executed. The protagonist is relatable and etched in contradictions, fiercely self-absorbed and selfless, contemplating the working of the class system while standing to benefit from the existing structure. However, the ending was too vague, and I yearned for something more tangible.

If you're looking for something mysterious to read, pick this book up on 11th July.

Thank you, NetGalley & Zando Projects, and Gillian Flynn Books, for providing an e-ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

3.25⭐️

When I finished this book the first thing I thought was “What, did I just read?!” It was completely not where I imagined this novel going (which both pleasantly surprised me, because I hate a predictable book, and also horrified me because ifykyk).

The synopsis and the first part of the book I actual really enjoyed, because who doesn’t love the idea of an elite members only club that promises super human results in TEN days! The 2nd part kind of fell flat for me, as the genre bending took a turn out of my reading taste.

All in all, the the writing style and sinister atmosphere made this a fast unputdownable read that I think would be the most perfect as an autumnal spooky season read for all the horror loving peeps!

Vibe: Dark, sinister, cult-y, speculative and genre bending.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zando Projects, and Gillian Flynn Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.