Book Review: 10 Love Stories: An Indiblogger Section

There is something about Short stories. You get done with them fast. Also if it is a collection of short stories then, you can relish many more stories (10 in this one) in one, which is like icing on the cake for a reader. I like the fact that at the start of every story a brief has been mentioned about the author and his/ her preferences. Since there are 10 different stories I would like to review each one separately.

Crystal Cacophony by Jenny Sarto
This story is about Ahaana and her brother Pavan. It is quite a predictable narrative. But I like the fact that Jenny has written it very simply. And even though the reader is aware of what is going to happen next, you still want to read ahead. It is a pleasant read.

Delhi Times by Deepika Asthana
Rhea and Ashwin meet in an arranged marriage setup. Both are not willing for this meet, but they are forced to spend some time with each other. Whether they warm up to each other or no is the story of Delhi Times. It is a feel good read. It leaves you with an enormous smile and that is the magic of Asthana’s simplistic writing.

For Love of the Written Word by Natasha Gayari
This is a story about Riya, her boyfriend and her room mate Sweety. I liked the character of Sweety. I am a little biased towards characters that are portrayed as readers and writers. It is written well. The story progresses also well. I somehow was left a little perturbed with the climax. It didn’t sink in well and left a few questions unanswered.

Love? Bah! Humbug by Nirvana
This is a beautiful story of Nidhi and her boss Mr. G. I loved reading this story from the first word to the last word, not to forget smiling all through out. Nirvana has done a wonderful job carving this one out. It is crisp, interesting and the lovely characterization makes it for a splendid read.

Mind the Gap by Kobita Banerjee
I tried reading the first two pages of this story twice but somehow couldn’t comprehend what was happening. The reader can just skip this one as it develops no curiosity to read as you don’t go past the first few pages.

At the End of the Parade by Nilanjana Bose
This story has suspense to it. But the author has done a good job in maintaining it right till the end and has revealed it at the most apt time. Inspite of not knowing what is happening the reader remains connected to the story somehow and kudos to Nilanjana for this. The end obviously takes the reader by surprise.The reason for the turn is unclear but it is a fascinating read.

Right or Wrong by Summerita Rhayne
This is about a married couple Arnav, Raina and their son – Eshraf. This was for me the best story out of all the 10. The flow of the words, the choice of the words are pertinent. I almost cried (which is a 1st for me!!) reading the climax and Summerita should be credited for that, as it is brilliantly written. I can almost assure, that to just read this story one can buy this book. I read the story twice in 1 sitting (again a 1st) and that speaks volumes of how much I have loved this one. Summerita, you have definitely found a fan in me.

Speechlessly in Love by Varsha Dutta
This is a very different kind of a narrative. I have no complaints, but still some things are not believable. But I like the way Varsha has written it. It makes for a fine read.

The Transitional Boyfriend by Parmita Borah
This is a story about break up (everyone’s favorite). I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised with the way it ended. I had anticipated something else. Parmita deserves all the credit for this. She maintains a certain amount of curiosity all throughout and that makes it an intriguing read.

WhatsApp-ening to Me? by Palak Kapadia
Another feel good and a splendidly written tale. This is the new form of writing and rightly so, it is  catching up because as a reader, you enjoy reading it.

Stars-4.25/5

This review was first published on thetalespensieve.com

Book Review- Eighteen: The End Of Innocence

We are termed as the Y generation. Science and technology has progressed and reached a level where nobody can function without Internet. Like every coin has two sides, this definitely has it’s own share of cons. Teenagers are feeling lonely. Relationships have become futile. Intrigued to know about their day to day issues, I decided to read this one.

Raghu, like most of the teenagers has a circle of friends who he is attached to. They have fun together and also fall into various difficulties. But all of them support each other through thick and thin and that is the beauty of their friendship. Aadi, is his closest buddy out of all of them. Raghu, then meets Shalini whom he falls in love with. They start dating very soon. Whether all of them together are able to solve all the difficulties they get into and get a direction in their respective lives, is the story of Eighteen:The End of Innocence.

Firstly I want to mention that the cover page has been designed really well. It captures the essence of the storyline pertinently. The characters of Raghu and Shalini have been carved out well. They have not only been written as any teenage lovers but have also been projected maturedly when required. The camaraderie between Aadi and Raghu has come out well, as well. The sincerity and honesty of their friendship comes across to the reader very evidently. The way, all the characters support each other, makes you yearn for such friendships. The final call that Raghu and Shalini take for their relationship was surprising but a delightful one.The author has given a very realistic treatment to it.

There are many characters in this narrative. I was not very impressed with the way they were all introduced. It was very confusing. Initially, one wants to keep a track but then as it gets difficult, the reader tends to skim through and read more about the main protagonists – Raghu, Aadi and Shalini. Kudos to the author for being brave enough to highlight the grave complexities that teenagers face these days, but I was not very happy with the way the solutions of those problems were put up. They were too simple. In my opinion, if it was this simple these would not have been problems in the first place.  I wish the guilts, the repercussions that the characters face would have been more stringent.

This being a book on teenagers, I comprehend the kind of audience the author wants to reach out to and therefore it is well taken that the the writing is very breezy. But the constant hindi connotations put me off completely. Not only words but there are sentences also in hindi which kind of break the flow and imagery for me as a reader. The chapters are very concise. For some readers it works, but for a reader like me it breaks the continuity. I feel a book becomes interesting when at the end of every chapter, there is a certain curiosity to read the next one. Sadly none of the chapters evoked that curiosity for me. The initial chapters make for a very dreary read. It only picks up after the love story begins. The book has been written from all the three protagonists perspective. But Shalini and Aadi’s perspective comes at the fag end. Also when one reads from Aadi’s perspective, it feels repetitive because most of the story had unfolded, and his feelings were very evident earlier.

Sudham has done a very good job by not only highlighting one issue but a series of issues that teenagers face these days. Premarital sex, drinking and driving, confusions regarding one’s future – the story woven around all these has a lot of potential and would have been true to its form if the editing was to the T.  Also the book would have made for a brilliant read if the contriteness was severe.

Stars-2.5/5
This review was first published on thetalespensieve.com

Book Review- Chief Minister's Mistress

I devour crime fiction. There are not many Indian authors who attempt this genre. So when I got an the opportunity, by Tales Pensieve to read this crime fiction by Joygopal, I immediately took it up. Joygopal had written 5 novels in 9 months in 2012. Also 10 novels in 21 months. Alarmed by his speed, I was pretty excited to read Chief Minister’s Mistress.

The story starts off with the obvious death of Priyanka Singhal. She was a beautiful damsel – the mistress of the dynamic Chief Minister – Mr.Ravindra Pratap Singh. She also has an ex lover – Rajat Verma. A lawyer by profession, Rajat looks at solving the murder mystery of the girl who he is still in love with. How he connects the dots and unravels the mystery is the story of Chief Minster’s Mistress.

Firstly I think the cover page is fantastic. Though I got a free copy, this is one of those cover pages that compel you to pick the book up immediately, from the book shelf. It has an element of sensual appeal (rightly so, for its title) and also evidently comes across as a mystery novel, which is commendable.There are not many characters in the book. But whoever are there, have all been well defined. They all occupy their own space and do not confuse the reader at any point. Ravindra Singh’s character is etched very strongly. The initial pages of his action are a delight to read. His confidantes – Sudhir Mishra and Dinesh Singh – have also been etched out fairly well. The trio develops a fair amount of interest in the reader’s mind. Chandan Kumar – also another important character does his job well, but sometimes gets on your nerves. Priyanka truly comes across as a damsel in distress. I loved her friend – Dipali. It was very intriguing to read about her life story. But all in all my most favourite character was Rajat Verma. He has been carved out almost flawlessly. His honesty was the most striking feature as not many murder mysteries have this. The characters are always playing games. But Rajat Verma solves the entire mystery with his sheer honesty and sincerity.

Although the characters have been etched well, there are few things that put you off completely. Ravindra Singh’s presence is felt so strongly in the initial chapters that you almost miss him because he is absolutely not there till the very end, when he makes a reappearance. The conversation between Rajat Verma and his boss was completely scrap-able. Those 2-3 pages could have been summed to 1-2 paragraphs. The most disappointing part was the climax. Though I had already guessed the killer (Blame all the terrific crime fiction authors that I have read!!), the way it unfolded and the reason for the murder, left me a little annoyed. Closing all open ends is very important in a thriller but here a few questions were unanswered….

It is definitely a good attempt by Joygopal. But I wish it was edited a little better. It would have been an excellent read if the author would have maintained the pace towards the end chapters as well and the suspense created would have got its fair due.

A there but still not there read...

Stars- 2.5

This review was first published on thetalespensieve.com.