When All the Lights Are Stripped Away

Great debut. [The] author offers stunning sentences, captivating turns of phrase, and energetic lines - all in his first novel. ...When All the Lights Are Stripped Away was easy to like and hard to fault. It is written with remarkable grace and the sure-footed ease of an accomplished writer. ...Overall, [it] is a compelling read, encased in a nice cover. ...I look forward to [the author's] next outing with much anticipation. --The Star, Malaysia

We live in interesting times as [Malaysia] clamours for change. Likewise, in every chapter, the book shows us the changing landscapes the main characters go through, like a history book, and how the changes affects their lives, relationships and careers. Against this backdrop, what remains stable, like most heart-warming fiction, is the strength of human relationships of the various characters. --Malaysiakini

Absorbing from the first sentence, it is easy to get immersed by the interesting characters and situations that Anil encounters as a young man...For his first attempt at a novel, London-based Nair has done an admirable job. Written in a breezy, charming manner When The Lights Are Stripped Away is a tale that has the ability to get under your skin...Nair's novel gives a breath of fresh air to Malaysian literature and has the ability to put Malaysia on the world literary map. Where All The Lights Are Stripped Away is a sensuous and rewarding read. -- Vanity Shack, Malaysia

An engaging, atmospheric and impressive debut about family, identity and the way the past pulls on the present.-- Kelly Falconer, Asia Literary Review

A winning attempt for a first book. The author tangles us in a web of the joys and hardships of a feudalistic Malayalee family institution, shattered by revelations and misfortunes. Nair s protagonist, Anil, displays depth of character, constructed through vivid and lyrical description and nuances of Malaysianism . Other character development, those of Acha and Amma, are layered with the complexities of human nature and culture. --Expatriate Lifestyle, Malaysia

Absorbing from the first sentence, it is easy to get immersed by the interesting characters and situations that Anil encounters as a young man...For his first attempt at a novel, London-based Nair has done an admirable job. Written in a breezy, charming manner When The Lights Are Stripped Away is a tale that has the ability to get under your skin...Nair's novel gives a breath of fresh air to Malaysian literature and has the ability to put Malaysia on the world literary map. Where All The Lights Are Stripped Away is a sensuous and rewarding read.- Vanity Shack, Malaysia

Sunil Nair's When All The Lights Are Stripped Away is an intricately written coming-of-age story about a young Indian man growing up in contemporary Malaysia. …[It] is a captivating read with some beautiful descriptions of Malaysian places, politics and family life and a wonderful first novel --Cha: An Asian Literary Journal

Absorbing from the first sentence, it is easy to get immersed by the interesting characters and situations that Anil encounters as a young man...For his first attempt at a novel, London-based Nair has done an admirable job. Written in a breezy, charming manner When The Lights Are Stripped Away is a tale that has the ability to get under your skin...Nair's novel gives a breath of fresh air to Malaysian literature and has the ability to put Malaysia on the world literary map. Where All The Lights Are Stripped Away is a sensuous and rewarding read. --Vanity Shack, Malaysia