Rating: 3/5

Debut author Sneha Babu has an unusual story to tell and it features a neon hair tie. In her novella Magic in Errors, this flashy object passes through the hands of no less than six people, a startlingly bright visual marker amidst a story that is otherwise bleak. Exploring the themes of love and unhealthy relationships, this novella has a unique premise at its heart.

The story starts with the death of a celebrity, Evelyn Charles, who is found to have a neon hair tie lodged down her throat. The reader is then brought through the lives of six different characters: Evelyn, Aanjaney, Ayaana, Raahil, Raphael and Layla. All of them have held the neon hair tie at some point in time and have been instrumental in passing it on. Initially recalling the idea of six degrees of separation, the novella soon reveals that most of these six individuals are also connected through familial, friendship, business and romantic ties. In that sense, the neon hair tie does not necessarily bring their stories together; it provides a visual layer of interest and acts as a catalyst for some actions in their intertwined lives.

It is often the case with stories giving different perspectives that it becomes easy for the reader to confuse various characters. In that regard, credit goes to the author for ensuring that the various characters’ stories are clearly delineated, largely through her choice of a novella which prevents each character from being too detailed or complex. The novella also succeeds in holding the reader’s attention as we follow the neon hair tie on its journey.

However, the novella is bogged down by excessive typographical and formatting errors, as well as its unrestrained use of purple prose. The former gives the impression of an unpolished manuscript and does not make for a seamless reading experience. These errors even appear in the headings, which are essential markers of the novella’s timeline and character perspectives. As for the latter, while purple prose does add a poetic flow when used in moderation, its uncontrolled use renders all characters flat and prevents them from having realistic dialogues or unique voices. That said, the subject evoked within this prose and themes explored in this novella (murder notwithstanding) are more suggestive of romance fiction than mystery or crime, so its current categorisation may prevent it from reaching a more appreciative audience.

The novella has a riveting premise and the author is capable of telling a good story. As such, I recommend it as worth a read. However, it is unfortunate that the novella has not been refined further to do justice to the story.

This review was first published on Reedsy Discover on 31 October 2023.

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