17. Review of “A Forgotten Affair” – Kanchana Banerjee

Review of “A Forgotten Affair” – Kanchana Banerjee

A forgotten affair is the story of Sagarika/Rika/Reeks/Cheeni as affectionately called by others. She, having woken up from a six month long coma is told by Rishabh, who calls himself her husband, that she was a victim in the Mumbai bomb blast. She has lost her memory and is totally dependent on him to guide her through her past. However, he is intent on keeping her away from it. Rishabh moves her away from their Mumbai home to an opulent highrise in Gurgaon and she feels lost still with nothing from her old life to remind her about her past. Her servants are under strict orders from her husband to report to him. Little things like the word cheeni and a certain cologne smell makes her ponder more deeply about her past but to no avail. One day she chances upon her old facebook account and strikes up a conversation with Akash who tries to remind him her of her past and their shared intimacy. She is divided as to who to believe. Akash visits her city and they do meet. She realises that her husband is spinning a web of lies and is trying to keep her trapped and away from her past acquaintances. Her dilemma and the quest to find who she is form the essence of the story.

The cover of the book is alluring and impactful. Not the same for the story because it’s quite predictable. However, the end is quite unique. The leading lady loses her memory and now must find what was in her past. A bipolar husband, a passionate lover, a go-to best friend, a dependable nurse/maid and a chummy cousin who is not so believable are some of the main characters. The flow of the story is linear with little surprises except for the ending. The characters are nicely described and well written. There are a few intense exchanges but are short lived and could have been elaborated to give the book a fine form.

My take: The most striking part about the story is that despite having lost her memory, Rika tries her best to regain her lost self and has the bearings to identify between what is good for her and what not. A good read for all those romantics at heart who shall have to read the full book to see if Rika finds true love in the end.

Book courtesy: WritersMelon

16. Review of “False Ceilings” – Amit Sharma

Review of “False Ceilings” – Amit Sharma

‘False ceilings’ is a web of relationships across the generations in a family where a secret is passed down from one to the next. It is believed that the secret is cursed and must not be shared with anyone else. However, it is the only thing that occupies the last conscious thought of the holder before they die. Spanning across 5 generations, a secret is passed along, sometimes knowingly, sometimes as unknown and unclaimed legacy. It is kept as a secret throughout the book and is kept just out of its reach.

The setting of the story is in picturesque Dalhousie overlooking the five rivers and glittering town of Pathankot, and Delhi in all its pre-independence glory. The narrative of the book is done in an innovative way. Each character is randomly picked one at a time and the story of that character is given in such a way that no other name is mentioned in it. After a few chapters, one begins to connect the dots one at a time and the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place.

My take: Half-way through the book, and I was still frustrated. Who are all these people? How are they related? What is the secret? A familiar name here, a similar location there and the pulse would start racing to reach the end. Probably let out a swear-word or two for the author, but still couldn’t put the book down. They say curiosity kills the cat. In my case, I was resisting the temptation to look at the last few pages with all my might. At the end, the author reveals the secret not with a bang but with a whimper and it sounds loud enough for exclamation.

A must read for all because the story grows upon you slowly and goes in deep through your mind and soul.

Spoiler Alert:

I’ve made a family tree of all the characters involved in the book. It is for those who might feel as lost as me.

Note:
Elliptical - Female
Rectangle - Male
Coloured - Secret holder / known

15. Review of “03:02” – Mainak Dhar

Review of “03:02” – Mainak Dhar

WritersMelon asked me to write a review for this book and I’d gladly said yes. But, would I be actually writing it down on a piece of paper? No! I’ll just grab my iPad and start clicking away. In such a world where each and every person is dependent on electronic devices, what would happen if the electricity goes out and all electronic gadgets are fried? Can’t imagine? Neither can I. But, Mainak Dhar brings forth a story where most of the world is attacked by terrorists who blast-off bombs radiating electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) which leave all the circuit based electronic devices high and dry.

The plot of the story is principally based in Mumbai, where an executive Aaditya wakes in the middle of the night, (03:02 am to be precise) after hearing a bang to find the city shrouded in darkness. Assuming it to be a power failure, he goes back to sleep. In the morning, when the sun rises, he realizes the extent of damage when he sees the whole city in utter chaos. Even the vehicles have stopped as and where they were at the time of the explosion and everyone is clueless. In the absence of any law or order, he takes charge to bringing things as close to normal as he can by pooling resources with others affected by the tragedy, looters, rapists, rioters and assassins. They work together towards self-sustenance till such time that the Government aids arrives. However, before any communication link could be forged, the attacks by the terrorists who have captured the airport begin. Self-preservation leads them to form a union and they try to fight back with all they can.

Starting by using his own skills learned in a dojo and NCC, Aadi becomes a hero for the community when he gets his hands bloodied by killing a looter and saving Dr. Megha and her patients. He is entrusted with a gun from a retired general to combat any approaching threats. Joined by a couple of ex-army officials, they keep what fire-arms they conquer from the little groups of armed terrorists which are sent out to take over them. Help arrives in small packages in form of semi-trained volunteers, NDA cadets, whiz-kids from IIT, a few marines etc. The civilians team-up to form their own army and rely on ‘surprize attacks’ as their primary method of assault. Will they be able to last till their supplies and limited ration runs out? Grab a copy to find out!

The idea of a blackout is horrifying but brilliant. It is not the first time this has been used, but the possibility of this to occur cannot be ignored. The hard-hitting fact remains throughout the story where Aaditya repeatedly asks everyone the difference between ‘us and them’. There is a lot of blood and gore depicted in the combat scenes which are detailed to perfection. The story is fast paced and makes you race to find out the ending. The epilogue is not clichéd in showing a happy-every-after; rather it indicates the struggle of the survivors to take what they are left with and build a new tomorrow; thus being more appetizing.

My take: The story is fast paced and there is never a dull moment where you feel like picking up the bookmark.

Book Courtesy: WritersMelon

PS: Post-reading you are prone to sweat bullets if your power runs out even for a few seconds.

PPS:  Trivia – The characters in the story do bear slight resemblance to real life acquaintances of the author.

14. Review of ‘The Girl Who Chose’ – Devdutt Pattanaik

Review of ‘The Girl Who Chose’ – Devdutt Pattanaik

‘You are bound by rules, but not I. I am free to choose.” – Sita.

Sita, the avatar of Goddess Lakshmi, has chosen to tell her story and about the choices she made. These choices in turn decided her fate and that of the ones around her. The age old story of Ramayana has been retold and that too from Sita’s point of view. Ram, her husband and the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was maryadapurushottam, which means that he was bound by rules and had no right to choose for himself. Ravana on the other hand was complete opposite and disrespected rules or anyone else’s choices. Thus, the story of Ramayana depended on the five choices of Sita since there were five major decision points in her life where she was free to decide what she could do. It leads you to believe that has Sita made different choices at even one point, the story of Ramayana would have turned out very differently.

Devdutt Pattanaik, the master of mythological stories, along with his heart-cuddling illustrations has woven a tale which makes everyone sit up and notice the life of Sita. The journey and transformation in the story told and retold all across India and carried abroad has been detailed beautifully. The little snippets of useful information, background, meaning and basis of the content in context is helpful and enlightening. The simple language and flow makes the tale endearing to little ones as well as grown-ups. The portrayal of all the characters is limited bound perfectly without leaving out any useful details.

The author raises some questions which boggle your mind, like was the Western story of Hansel and Gretel, who leave breadcrumbs behind to find their way back, was inspired by Sita throwing her jewelry to guide Ram to herself in Lanka? Had Surupnakha thought Sita to be a raakshasi as she too was accompanied by two make escorts just like raakshas ladies did back then? Was Ram still a maryadapurushottam when he killed Vail (Sugreev’s twin brother) from behind even when he was not the one fighting him? These questions lead to you really ponder.

Pattanaik also compares the various versions of Ramayana right from the Valmiki’s Ramayana to the present day depictions immortalized into our minds via Ramleela plays, TV series and motion pictures. For example, the story of Shabri feeding tasted berries to Ram had no mention in the original version and was just added a few centuries back. There are other such comparisons which make you wonder about the authenticity of the story. Various anecdotes are inserted along with the charmingly done illustrations which makes you understand the concepts better.

My Take: After reading the book (more looking and reading) I felt as if this was the closure to the Ramayana which I was waiting for since long. It had answered many of the questions in my mind and made me to believe the tale better. I beg to you to please go and get multiple copies of this book because you’ll want to share it with others too without sacrificing your copy because, as endearing as the book is, believe me when I tell you that you won’t want to part with yours.

Book courtesy: (Vivek Tejuja) Flipkart Blogger Review Program

13. Review of “A Devil’s Prayer” – Luke Gracias

Review of “A Devil’s Prayer” – Luke Gracias

When a young single mother’s only daughter Siobhan, drowns in her swimming pool, a strange man resuscitates her after the paramedics give up. But he is gone before she could say thanks. A few months later, she is declared as the winner of lotto worth millions, after which meets with an accident which escalates to brutal mugging, rape and attempt to murder leaving her as a mute quadriplegic and in care of her mother who strives to make ends meet.

Albert Einstein said that “Evil is the absence of God”. Her silent prayers are left unheard by the God, until one night, that strange man, who she know knows is the Devil himself, proposes a deal which she couldn’t refuse. She, at night is gifted with the ability to move around, and kills her six friends who she now knows were involved in her assault for their souls in exchange for the devil to grant her good health and the soul of Siobhan who he saved earlier. The deal is made and fulfilled. However, she is tricked by the devil into giving birth to the Devil’s daughter, Jess, a fact she realises years later. It comes light that as per ancient prophesies the Devil’s child, when of age, would lead to mass destruction resulting in apocalypse. She, as the deal maker, is the only one who can save the world now. She abandons her family and becomes a nun to find a way out of the consequences of making deals with the devil and raising his progeny.

After six years of estrangement, Siobhan comes to know of her mother’s suicide in a monastery of a faraway country. She must secretly follow the clues left by her mother in form of a Confessional to finish what she started which is a race against time since Jess is already seventeen and has regular communication with her father. To add to her quest, there are strange monks in red garbs who follow and threaten her wherever she goes while running away from various unknown threats which may lie in her path.

I picked it up thinking that it would be horror with abandoned graveyards and spooky ghosts. But it is much darker in a demonic way. The theme is not unique but the historical facts, their representation and linking its context with the story-line is astounding. The codex, the testament, the hidden passages, history of the past manifestations of Devil, the locks and secret keys all these keep you riveted. The chase and the quest are thrilling and exhilarating. It is commendable how the author has related the impending catastrophe to global warming and climate change in the present day context. It makes the work much more realistic and quite possible in a parallel universe scenario. There are brutal scenes where the mother is attacked and feel for her. Chill goes down your spine every time the Devil visits her to entice her into believing him and making that deal.

There are many questions that pose in the minds of the readers at the end of the book. There is a need to know whether the girl is able to fulfill her mother’s quest. Does she get her hands on the Devil’s Prayer, which has the answers to all the questions? After reading it, there is an urgency to find answers to all these questions. Waiting for Part-2 already to know how Siobhan gets sucked into this fight against evil while saving the world.

Book Courtesy: WritersMelon

12. Review of “What Lies Between Us” – Nayomi Munaweera

Review of “What Lies Between Us” – Nayomi Munaweera

Nayomi Munaweera, in her second book, spins a tale of a young girl from Sri Lanka who, after her father’s demise, shifts with her mother to the beckoning US. From a conservative family to the freedom that foreign lands offer, the book traces out her journey to self-realization. With one tragedy in her past leading to another, the fogginess of her memories and the incomprehension of what happened to her, she tries to get past the mercurial mood swings of her mother who she struggles to understand. In America she sorts out her life on her own terms and shies away from love because she thinks that her past was still tainting her present. Daniel arrives in her life and brings little changes and shows her that she is still lovable. She goes on to marry him but keeps her past demons to herself. When a child arrives in their life, and not by choice, they welcome her with open arms and big hearts. But, the little one brings back her haunting reminiscence and she withdraws deeper into her shell to an extent where Daniel is forced to take a few steps backward in their relationship. Among the secrets that are uncovered much later in life, can she still hope to have a better relationship with her daughter than the one she had with her mother?   

The narrative reads like an autobiography, and is too realistic to be labeled as fiction. It is quite overwhelming and at times you feel like you are her. You live her life; you love her, cry for her, feel for her and sympathize. At times you hate her, want to tear the pages apart, but you have to see it through, know who she is and what drives her to be the way she is. She doesn’t understand herself completely; she is righteous, a little rebellious, a lot more strong headed than her cousin Dharshi with whom she shares her childhood. As much as her sometimes foggy brain can withstand the weight of the decisions to be made settles upon her and she is left being harsh to herself until love softens her up. The acrid waterweed clamoring inside her heart is blossomed into full-bloom dahlias under the shower of love.

The most striking character of the book is Water. It is used throughout the narrative to depict state of mind of everyone. It forms the ever-flowing link from the first to the last page. It plays eminent part in the joys and sorrows equally. It is the thread that binds the life of the little girl with her young self, till the time comes when she finally accepts the reality her life is and succumbs to it. At times the flow is smooth and soothing, while sometimes it forms a whirlpool where everyone sinks to the great depths till it finally decides to through them out. She, as a little girl loves the monsoon, the cold water of the well and the creatures residing within her pond. The fun swimming lessons her father gave her turns out to be a nightmare for her when the gushing river swallows him whole one fateful night. Such is the impact which water has on her life.

My take: Nayomi’s writing style reminds me of Paulo Coelho. The way the words are used, scenes are segmented, help in understanding the characters better. The turns in the story, the skeletons in the closets, the self-realization and facing the truth is depictive of finding one’s true self. I would recommend this book to all the girls out there, and I can attest that there will be more than one instance where they fell that they are reading their own life story, with just a change of character names.

Book Courtesy: Vivek Tejuja (Flipkart)

11. Review of “A Broken Man” – Akash Verma

Review of “A Broken Man” – Akash Verma

‘A Broken Man’ is a college romance taking place in the backdrop of student politics. Based in Lucknow, a poor Dalit boy dares to fall hopelessly in love with a high caste girl after he saved her life in a political agitation against reservation. Family pressure leads them to part ways. What follows is the everlasting impact they have on each other’s life. With no communication except for a yearly birthday greeting, it is the only thing that keeps them going on. After about two decades of loneliness, when this only ray of hope is missed, Krishna Kumar (now known as KK) is pulled back towards Lucknow to seek out Chhavi, his inspiration, his idol and his reason for inhaling the next breath. What happens when he reaches there, does he find her there, or she is gone?

While the plot is not new, the story is still gripping. The writing style is simple and understandable, without being mundane. The protagonist is a writer who writes Hindi poetry with a lasting effect. This shows the author’s love and command over it as well. Emotions run high in this quest for lost love.

My take: The book was read with a lump in my throat and a moist eye. A tragic love story of star-crossed lovers who could not be together due to the identities that the society stuck to them with their birth is touching. A few light moments here and there add to the impact which the sad ones have. What got to me was the simplicity and the believable approach with which the story unfolded.

Book Courtesy: writersmelon.com