What's Wrong with You, Karthik?

by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

Shortlisted for the Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing ‘Fun, entertaining, delightful’ — Rahul Dravid‘A warm, minutely detailed evocation of boyhood . . . textured like life itself’ — Samanth SubramanianA charming tale of a young schoolboy trying to find his place in a changing world.Twelve-year-old Karthik Subramanian has just been granted admission into St George’s, an elite boys’ school in Bangalore that has supported the academic lives of ‘four state cricketers, one India captain, tens of professors, hundreds of doctors, engineers and scientists, thousands of chartered accountants ...’ In this most exalted of institutions, Karthik yearns for recognition as an academic superstar.Rigorously prepped by his parents and grandfather, dutifully offering his prayers to Lord Ganesha, Karthik steps into this new world. But nothing has prepared him for the challenges that lie in wait and he is left to himself to navigate the cruelties of school life, and the transition into adolescence. The less his family learns about his friends, the better. There are threats all around, even violence.Brilliant in its observations of a motley cast of characters, and finely calibrated for humour and sadness, What’s Wrong with You, Karthik? is a poignant, exuberant debut from a writer of rare calibre.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2020

About the author

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is a writer and editor based in Seattle. He has worked at ESPNcricinfo and Wall Street Journal, and contributed to Guardian, Forbes and Wisden. What’s Wrong with You, Karthik? is his first book.

Reviews

[Nandini Vishwanath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coming of age story set in a time in a city that seemed to have seen its best and worst times in the same decade.

The author has been able to put together an image of the city without really any description of the actual city at all. The jibes about the weather, stores opening late, the slang even in an uptight convent school all adds up beautifully.

The story-telling is very evocative especially for those of us that have had similar experiences. I really enjoyed the arc of Karthik's growth in the story. A nod to Maths teachers that are dedicated (always need your Maths, English and Sports coaches step up a little more!), The references to coffee drinking, all the cuss words and the liberal mother (who very appropriately works in the non profit sector later) - all fit together. Special mention to the author for having his teenage male characters show vulnerabilities.

As a reader, I usually crave closure and this book doesn't give you that. In spite of that, there is a deep sense of relief to watch Karthik grow up. You know he will manage and that there is nothing wrong with him.

[Shom Biswas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not about you, but well… when has that ever stopped you?
You are a regular reader, and have reviewed books for a salary at one point. You are a little vainglorious about yourself, and mention to anyone who cares to listen, that you are even-handed in your reviews - to the best of your abilities and comprehension skills.
And the book that you are reading at the moment is written by a friend from college. Who happens to have become a very well-known journalist (and whisper it, you are a bit of a fan of his writing). So you are jittery. Let the book be good, oh Lord - so you would not have to lie and review the book better than it calls for.
Thank God, then, that this book is good.

It is better than that, it is a little delight.
It gets the preppy boys school 7th-grade ambiance perfectly - the levity, the bonhomie, and the cruelty. The uniform-and-tie Saint-something boy's schools foster lifelong friendships, and are also perhaps the hardest places to survive for kids who stand out. The writer gets it. And he lets you in. If you have been there, you quietly nod your head in agreement - you know this place. If you haven't, well, you know now.
There is an eerie sense of something-really-bad-can-happen-next-page throughout the book, but it does not shroud the story like in a Mohammed Hanif book - one can stretch out, relax and just enjoy the ride.
The language is perfect. It mimics the voice of the scholastically inclined 12-year old, and not of the journalist friend - and is consistent throughout the piece.
The story is a breeze. It's a fun read, and a flowing narrative.

A solid, high 4/5, and a recommend.

[Benly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My joy knew no bounds when I learnt that my favourite cricket writer was coming up with a new novel. I finally got around to read the book this week and I must say the book lived up to my expectations and more!

Set in 90s Bangalore, this is a coming of age story that I could completely relate to. The middle class family set up, Grandpa who took it upon himself to teach right from wrong, strict Dad, liberal Mom, classmates of all shapes and sizes, the bullies, the maths teacher (which brought back fond memories of Rasika miss, God bless her!), Cricket - Oh the cricket, the struggles that come with adolescent life and much more. Since the story happens around the same time I went to school, it brought back memories of an era bygone. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have enjoyed reading it if the story was set in any other place or time. That’s how delightful the book was to read. Swami and Friends was the first book my Dad gifted me and it’s one of the first books I read as a kid. I still enjoy reading the book like it’s the first time. Reading this book gave me the same kind of joy.

“What’s wrong with you, Karthik?” is 12 year old Karthik Subramanian narrating the events as they happened during that one year of his life, but this could as well be your story. This is definitely mine. I think that’s the power of stories. And that’s why we need story tellers like Siddhartha.

[Vaishnavi Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you went to school in Bangalore in the 90s, this book will transport you back to that era and remind you of many good things you’ve probably almost forgotten. Henceforth, this book will also serve as a 90s high school cultural compendium complete with jokes, lingo, typical nicknames and insults among others.

Karthik’s relationship with his grandfather is heartwarming and I enjoyed reading about his first year at St. George’s. Easy and fun read.

[Karthik Shashidhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book. If you grew up in Bangalore in the 90s you'll totally empathise. I massively enjoyed reading this.

[Umesh Kesavan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan, the popular cricket writer, chooses to base his first book on memories of boyhood from his school in Bengaluru.The checkboxes of all cliches in such a novel are ticked - first masturbation, first smoke, bullies, lady teacher, copying in exams etc. The digs at reservation is an additional checkbox ticked as the boy is a Brahmin. It is possible to write good novels even when nothing happens for 250 odd pages and the writer is surely a gifted one, considering his oeuvre in sports writing. Unfortunately, Siddhartha squanders his chance to score a century and settles for a middling 25 runs off 34 deliveries.

[Preethi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An year in Karthik's life as he changes school to join the rat race, tries making friends in his new school, gain acceptance among peers and navigate high school - this is a very enjoyable read. Reading through this book is like a trip down the memory lane even for me, though am a girl and did not grow up in Bangalore.
Everything Karthik goes through - parents pushing him to do good in school and guilt him into prayers, a grandfather fully invested in his activities with whom he shares a loving relationship, rowdy kids in school who are his friends, the nerds in class who don't give him a minute, teachers whose classes are drone-y and teachers who are invested in him - it felt like a slice from my childhood.
Among many other things I visited in this nostalgia trip, the author did a great job by taking me through how teenage boys talk, their lingo, their obsession with the anatomy and the devoted Math teacher who is really good at her job.

I HAVE to mention, I particularly enjoyed the chapter with the cricket match between the two schools - as I sat on the edge of my bed and finished the nail-biting end to the match, I realized once again why I used to love the author during my cricket-obsessed days and eagerly wait for his next article - he pays homage to a game we all loved growing up with his words like no other! I'll always love his writing for this reason alone, and now I have one more reason - this adorable book!

Pick up this book for an easy yet good read and a trip to 90s Bangalore along with Karthik!

[Hamsini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, very real book about a school boy in 90s bangalore. On the brink of adolescence, self absorbed as all school children are, eager to please everybody at home, while wanting in on the 'in crowd' at school, karthik's tale is one reminiscent of nearly all of ours from privileged 90s urban India. Some of the things said by the children, the beautiful descriptions of the Stephen's handwriting (never have I thought an f to be like a folded pair of spectacles and never can I unsee this), the peer pressure and the expectations imposed by family, will send you through a rabbit hole of (now delightful and sensual) childhood memories.

[Dhivakar Janarthanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siddhartha's stellar debut novel elegantly portrays adolescent life and growing up in the India of the 90s. The high-drama, small-victories and seemingly irrecoverable losses of school-life all come together in this articulate story. Great fun to read and re-live!

[Praveen Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read my first fiction of the year mainly because Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is a brilliant sports writer. To graduate from long form articles to a book is no mean task. The book is set in 90s Bangalore and a sense of nostalgia crept through me as I kept flipping the pages. I can see the inspiration from RK Narayan in Siddhartha's writings, for truly, if you are trying to gain inspiration, it's better to get it from the master storyteller himself.

I had a good time reading this book. For however hard it is to write, I hope you don't stop with this. It is a great first book, and I am sure there are many more to come.

[Sruthi N · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's the last thing that made you feel nostalgic?⠀
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For me it was this book by Siddhartha Vaidhynathan that made me feel nostalgic about my own middle school days. Although our situations are poles apart, I felt an instant connection with the main character.⠀
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Twelve-year-old Karthik is granted admission into an elite boys' convent school in Bangalore, where things turn out to be a whole new ball game for him.⠀
He goes through all the trials and tribulations of joining a new school; from yearning for recognition, being bullied, to not being able to fit in or make friends (and later becoming friends with students his family definitely wouldn't approve of).⠀
Here’s a beautiful tale of a young schoolboy trying to find his place in a changing world.⠀
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The author does a wonderful job capturing the life of an adolescent boy and all the hurdles that come his way. I was pleased with his simple and fresh style of writing. He manages to portray teen drama, family dynamics, and life in the 90s brilliantly.⠀
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My favourite thing about this book is that it is extremely realistic. Every character, their manners and practices are so believable that the tale ends up being a lot more relatable than expected.⠀
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If you're looking for a breezy, light read that takes you on a refreshing trip down memory lane, this book would be perfect.⠀
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It left me wanting to pay a visit to my school (which I would have, if it wasn't 1800 miles away or if we weren't in the middle of a pandemic).⠀
Isn't it ironic we spend our school life longing to graduate and once it's done we're constantly reminiscing about those days?⠀

[Venkit Moni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a huge fan of Siddhartha's cricket and sports writing and was excited when I learned that he was coming up with his first book. And he did not disappoint... The book was uproariously funny, warm, and an excellent read - very fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.

Having grown up in a similar environment as the central character, Karthik, the novel transported me back to my days in middle and high school and evoked a beautiful sense of nostalgia. The teachers, classmates, the strict PT masters, the rite of passage rituals, Karthik's vulnerability, and his delicate navigation of the two vastly different worlds that he inhabited were all superbly captured and very meticulously detailed. Karthik's conflicts - the God-fearing, Ganesha-praying boy who has to make several transgressions of his own self-imposed moral code of conduct to gain acceptance among his peers was evocatively captured.

Karthik's Dad Subramaniam deserves a separate book all to himself because he is hilarious and has got some of the best one-liners... The scene where he drives Karthik to the school on his first day, with Ganesha slokas playing in the background on the stereo and the cussing at the chaotic Bangalore traffic was an everyday occurrence in my childhood and had me in splits

The novel captures the self-awareness of an adolescent boy and his coming of age in the 1990's Banglore. Siddhartha has elegantly transitioned from sports writing to fiction and has hit this one out of the park!!

[Nirav Mehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book after finishing an intense one on mathematics and history, and before picking up an espionage non-fiction, and it turned out to be a perfect filler!

It’s about a teenage boy growing up in Bangalore in the 1990s, and going through the trials and tribulations of life at that age. I missed the Bangalore connection, but the 90s connection was very much there.

It brought back numerous memories from my adolescence, and it seemed like every character was picked out of my school. If you went to school in the 80s and 90s, this book is guaranteed to make you nostalgic.

More than anything else, the writing is beautiful. I have been a fan of Sid’s cricket columns, and he has taken his uncomplicated style up a few notches in this one. The way he has portrayed Karthik’s internal thought processes, and the way he brought out Karthik’s relationship with his grandfather and parents, was brilliant.

Recommended, if you are looking for a light-hearted story which can bring out nostalgia and the feel-good factor in equal measure.

[Saigopal Nelaturi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book made me feel like how I felt when I first read 'Swami and Friends', which is one of my all time favorite books. 'What's wrong With You, Karthik?' is a very different story but told with a similar authenticity and affection, without nostalgia or sentimentality. It's a fine balance for a writer to keep that tone, and Siddhartha Vaidyanathan does that with ease, setting the last few chapters to culminate in a brilliant climax. The writing and timing is excellent, and you can just feel Karthik growing through the book. This is not an easy thing to do, especially when charting the story of an underdog who doesn't necessarily become a superhero. Personally, I found it unlocked a time capsule that was stored at the back of my brain and I was there back in school. Highly recommended.

[Neeran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nicely written story of a young kid who has been uprooted from one school and planted in another because of parental ambitions. Having to adjust to a boys-only school, survive the initial ragging, make new friends, and find a way to shine & make his family proud. Situated in Bangalore in the 1990s -- a momentous decade in India -- it beautifully captures the general zeitgeist of that era, as well as the specifics of life in that city.

The author has been a well-known cricket journalist and writer for many years, and this, his first foray into fiction, is a promising debut. The book seems almost autobiographical, or at least distilled from personal experiences, given that he too grew up in Bangalore in the 1990s. His next challenge will be to spin a yarn set in a different milieu, giving more free rein to the imagination! Looking forward to more from @sidvee!

[Rajan Thambehalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving a five for two reasons. One, because of the context, the setting of the story and many aspects that takes you back in time.

Secondly, I am a Bangalore boy and I still believe 90s was the best time to be in Bangalore. I am biased here, as my school days were in the 90s.

And, I studied in a boys' school, especially the final two years of my schooling and I can relate to some of the aspects.

Overall, if you are a Bangalorean kid who went bulk of the schooling in the 90s, What's Wrong with you, Karthik is a treat. If you aren't from Bangalore, don't let this deter you from buying or reading the book, it's a delight.

Though there are many elements in the book that brought back memories, the cricket narrative, mother-son conversations and the 'cher' chapter were my picks.

Well done, Bib!

[Viju · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars!

I really really loved this book about an academic year of this protagonist Karthik in a new school that he joins. The book is set in the year 1993 - the same year I moved to one of the prestigious schools in Bangalore from a smaller school. Karthik’s experience was no different from mine and it is so nice to see how Siddharth is able to pen the experience exactly how a 90s kid would have experienced it.

A conversation family, a living grandfather, an ambitious father and a coddle mother, a bunch of new friends, neighbours and relatives - we have seen them all through our childhood and Siddharth puts all of those happenings into a realistic premise effectively. And of course, there is a narrative of a cricket match too.

I don’t know if a Gen-Z kid will relate to this but any of the 90s kids and/or millennials will surely love this book!

[foolscap · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm very unsure now of the people who have raved over this debut novel. The novel piqued my interest only when a long-form journalist had very positive remarks; upon inspecting further, I realized this book was about Bangalore and cricket. In an ideal world, the book would have been infused with a smattering of Bangalore and cricket, but dear god, it was almost as if I was wading through really sticky writing that was all over the place. It definitely lacked wit and didn't show any sign of improvement at any point. The affectations to ensure a sense of Bangalore was retained was almost pathetic, right down to the language used. However, the most disappointing aspect of the book has to be its sloppy writing with choppy conversations. I hate reviewing books that deserve only a solitary star but here we are.

[Nandini Reddy Dayal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crisp school uniforms, bro-codes, canteens, cricket, and more - this book was like reliving childhood. Growing up in Bangalore all the terms and the craziness related to school were familiar. It has been a while since I worried about teachers, their insane expectations, the standardized dialogues and the common expectation from parents as far as exams were concerned. This book brought back all those times, the trepid moments before exam results, the crazy times with friends, the feeling of loneliness in a school full of students and the things we prioritized as kids. It's a must-read if you were a 90s kids and this is a wonderful way to remember the wonderfully maddening times we had in school.

[Rohit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always followed and loved Siddhartha's writing for years now. I enjoyed reading his writing on Cricinfo and especially looked forward to his tour diaries - his 2006 Pakistan tour diaries being a personal favorite. They weren't even articles. No. He didn't even try to disguise them. They were book worthy. Read-in-a-comfy-nook-with-a-hot-coffee-in-hand types. They would immerse even a non-cricket lover into his world. He wasn't just informative. He would transport you to the place, time, and the culture, with his blend of story-telling and satire so he could accurately portray what he meant to convey. It was thought provoking. A sense of understanding. And just plain enjoyable.

So quite obviously, I was thrilled when I heard he was working on his debut novel. I was lucky enough to get to read a draft version of the book before its release in MS Word format. It was everything I expected it to be and more. I was used to Siddhartha's wit, but this book had so much more. I especially enjoyed reading about Karthik's relationship with his Thatha (grandfather), as compared with a lot of other aspects of the book this was new for me. I grew up without knowing either of my grandfathers. I knew the book had made an impact on me when I got that familiar feeling of not wanting a good book to end - when you realize you're almost at the end of a book. Except for me it was noticing my scroll bar was almost at the end of the document.

Karthik is someone we all probably know. You have a friend whose son is a Karthik. You've gone to school with a Karthik. You probably at some stage were a Karthik yourself. For me, every page I turned forward was a leap back in time. I myself went to an all boys' school in Bangalore - Baldwins - which was a rival of the school Siddhartha attended - St. Josephs. And Siddhartha and I are the same age, so everything in the book reflects my childhood. It has it all. The nicknames for teachers. 90s Indian brands we grew up with. The uniforms. Assembly. School houses. The teacher's pet. The bullies. The toppers. School sports! The Bangalore weather of the 90s. The BTS bus rides to school. The inter-school rivalries. The stupid games that originate only in all-boys' schools. And the worst of them all - the bloody bingoes.

[Mihir Jayaraman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siddhartha's insightful cricket writing over the years drew me into reading his debut novel - and what a read it was!

Set in the urban climes of Bangalore, the story traces the growing up of 12 year old Karthik through the multiple (and eerily familiar for me personally) travails and joys of boylife. In his unique Indian English, Siddhartha transports the reader to the heart of the lad, at once sentimental and humourous, all with the wry touch that harks back to RK Narayan's 'Malgudi Days' and Upamanyu Chatterjee's 'English August'.

Sometimes I feel that if there’s one aspect that Indian novels don’t try very often, it’s comedy. Most Indian books revolve around weighty topics like social inequality, caste, historic baggage among others. And this is where I think Siddhartha's debut stands out - to take the mind of an adolescent and then extrapolate seemingly harmless events into matters of life and death from his paradigm is a difficult task - and one that this book excels at. A joyful read!

PS : You can't go much wrong with a book that extols the virtues of Bangalore's weather in its first paragraph :-)

[Sushanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute riot of a book. Siddhartha delves deep into school life; the now-seemingly-insignificant events seem insurmountable at that age and day. Plus, all the goings-on with coming of age, makes for s superbly rounded and hilarious narrative. The details are so vivid, it transported me back to my school days - I was the same age in that year, as Karthik is in the book. Thank you for a wonderful story, Siddhartha!

[Swetha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful walk down memory lane! Siddhartha's ability to transport you back to the yesteryears of Bangalore is both nostaligic and memorable. His writing style eloquently captures the ins and outs of growing up through the protagonist's eyes. The setting, a typical South India Tam-bram household was extremely relatable with a good dose of funny! Thoroughly enjoyed reading 'What's wrong with you Karthik' and Siddhartha Vaidyanathan has really proved himself with this debut novel.

[Sangeetha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining!!
My son who is a teenager was able to relate to many things in this debut novel. At last we have an Indian writer who appeals to young adults. The development of various characters in the story was interesting. Overall good read, fresh outlook and many laughs throughout the story.

[HariKrupa Padmanabhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it !! Relived many of the school days through this book !! When you are a kid of the 90’s from a beautiful city Bangalore studying in an all girls or all boys Christian school from a Tambram family in the Sachin era .... it was simply a joyful childhood stepping into the teens !!

[Gayathri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought back a lot of memories, especially the family sequences. I really enjoyed how authentically the book portrayed a 90's Tamil Brahmin household in Bangalore. Having grown up in Chennai with cousins in Banaglore, we frequently has those Chennai-Bangalore fights too. My favorite character was definitely the grandfather! Overall good read for the homesick, during a pandemic.

[Aditya Baliga · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone who has grown up in the 90s, especially in Bangalore, this is a beautiful nostalgia trip.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

[Ashwini P Pandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerat read. Could not keep the books down. Reminded me of my time at school. Very nostalgic

[Santosh Chandavaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karthik and the ensemble cast provides an entertaining and engaging view of a “hyper aware” folks’ perspective into Bangalore. Witty and cool!