Rating: 4 out of 5.

This novella offers a short, fast-paced read that you’ll have difficulty putting down. If it weren’t for other responsibilities, I’d have definitely read it in one sitting.

About the Book

His world. Her world. My world. Your world. It’s all the same, yet entirely different. It’s nothing but another one of God’s oxymorons laughing at us. Some people spend their entire lives waiting for an epiphany. While some live.

Sneha Babu’s debut novel Magic in Errors unravels a story showing how the Universe works in beautiful and heart-breaking ways—beginning with a neon-colored hair tie. Over the course of a few days, this seemingly insignificant accessory passes through the hands of six people; strangers, lovers, friends, and enemies. Every encounter sets off a chain reaction of events, forever altering their lives in ways they never could have imagined.

Amidst their unique struggles, a slum boy, musician, policeman, celebrity, movie agent, and businesswoman grapple with the struggle to truly live rather than merely survive. Their lives intertwine in intricate ways, as they confront devastating choices, experience powerful emotions, and endure lasting tragedies, even long after one of them murders another.

What lessons can the world teach us? Does it always pay to be kind? How could someone be connected to a person they have never met? How can a hair tie change the course of someone’s life? Find out in Magic in Errors.

My Thoughts

Don’t let the size of this one fool you. This small book packs a big punch. Just look at the list of content warnings below if you don’t believe me. Wandering through six people’s lives, like a dark game of six degrees of separation, we follow a neon-colored hair tye on a dangerous path.

The gorgeous, but haunting cover contains a devastating character study on how interconnected we all are and don’t realize it. It really makes you think about how small the world really is, and how each decision we make – however seemingly small – can have a huge impact. An interesting thing to think about, but don’t think about it too hard or it can be paralyzing.

I enjoyed meeting each character and following them. It was delightful each time we figured out how they fit into the story, like a puzzle piece clicking into place. At times, the timeline got a little confusing. The whole story happened mostly over a week period, I think. But it switched back and forth to before and after the opening scene. I enjoy jumping timelines and points of view, which some people do not. But this time it did get a little confusing.

My biggest complaint was that the story was so short. I always want more, I’m greedy like that. Very rarely – except for those massive fantasy books or similar – do I not want more from a book. So novellas are always a little sad for me. But I will say, that even in the short space, the author managed to flesh the characters out rather well. Many times in short stories or novellas this isn’t done well, but I felt I knew the cast of characters quite well at the end.

I enjoyed the book, and am so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for sending me a copy and including me on this tour. I will absolutely keep an eye out for more books by this author. She has a unique voice and clearly has some great things to say.

Content Warnings: Depression, Grief, Sexual Assault, Violence, Murder, Child Abuse, Child Labor, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Overdose, Homophobia, Gang Activity, Infidelity, Crooked Cops, and More.

Question of the Day

Have you ever known anyone who became famous? Or have you met any famous people?

About the Author

Born and raised in India, Sneha Babu is a 25-year-old STEM major, co-founder of a feminist media company by day, and author by night. A few years ago, she plotted the trajectory of this story during a discrete mathematics class (there was a flow chart involved). Sneha did not know it then but she had created something that would go on to heal her future self. From trying to solve the climate crisis to smashing the patriarchy, her life is an endless rollercoaster of daring dreams.




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