Book Review- U & I

U & I

              Don't we all love romance? Well atleast majority of us!! Teenage love stories are even more special. Seeing a "Happily ever after" to a teenage love story captivates me, precisely why I picked U & I. The essence of love stories, for me, lies in how pure they are. Only purity strikes a chord and in turn helps a book to scale to different heights.

                U & I is the journey of two souls made for each other. It is a story of a studious  boy -Abhishek from Uttar Pradesh and a beautiful girl-Preeti  from Lucknow. Abhishek is an ambitious guy who goes to Lucknow for his studies and infatuated by Preeti the minute he spotted her. "Infatuation at first sight" as the author addresses it. They start of as friends and start spending a lot of time with each other. They eventually fall in love. Abhishek's goals take him away from Preeti but only geographically. They maintain their relationship successfully. Everything goes on smoothly when an accident happens. How will this affect Abhishek's and Preeti's paradise- A paradise they have built with a lot of love and understanding? Does their love have the power to withstand this storm?  DO they really have a "happily ever after"?  The answers to these questions lie in the 260 pages titled U & I.

            The author has tried to write this in the form of a flashback. SO the dates written at the start of the chapters become essential. Flashback is a form most authors want to attempt as its extremely catchy and keeps the reader at the edge of the seat.. But for most it just gets limited to "want". Not many our successful in this. Sadly Abhishek wasn't too bad with it. But initially with the prologue and all it gets a tad bit confusing. When one reads the prologue, you get a very clear picture of how the story will progress. This in turn leaves very less room for the reader to be it at the edge of the seat. In a tale of mostly only 2 charcters, both have to be carved extremely strongly. Over here neither Abhishek nor Preeti get etched in your heart. The journey of Abhishek is shown but what about Preeti? She has only been shown as being a phone support to Abhishek. What does she do for a living? The dates show that they are todays couple so isn't Preeti also inclined towards building a career? Their conversations even at the age of 20 feel as if teenagers are conversing. Being a girl of today, I definitely am aware that couples do not behave this way. There is alot more spark in a relationship. The essence of a true relation just does not get captured.

            The cover page also could have been better. Editors have failed in this one. I don't know how this occurred but everywhere where it was to be "my" it has been written as "mine".

            As a story U & I doesn't really touch your chords, which is expected out of a love story. There is no plot. The characters are weak. Their love story is just limited to words. The depth in their love should have been painted very beautifully as that is what the storyline demands but the author fails to do that completely.

            A futile attempt and a definite miss in this ever growing genre.

STARS-1.5/5

This review was first published on talespensieve.com

Book Review- The Bride Who Would Not Burn

The Bride Who Would Not Burn

     Variety is the spice of Life. I love trying varied and new things. Getting to read a play was a first for me and I latched the opportunity as soon as I got it.

     

      There are basically 2 situations that are enacted here. The play starts off with a Judge, Prosecutor and a Lawyer catching up over a game of cards. They are discussing general things when the story (Scene 2) of the play comes up. That story is about a girl named Poonam. She gets married to Ravinder, and thus begins the age old drama of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law issues over dowry. Does Poonam turn out to be a docile daughter-in-law or she turns out to be "The Bride Who Would Not Burn"? For this you have to read the play ahead.

     

      The conversations between the Judge, Lawyer and Prosecutor (Before Poonam's story comes up) is interesting. They develop some kind of a curiosity to read Poonam's story ahead. It turns out as per expectation because Poonam's story is a delight to read. The characters have been etched perfectly. It goes on at a fast pace and that's the USP of the play. The scenes have been drafted immaculately. The entry and exits of characters, which is difficult to master in writing form, is also aced by the author. Inspite of there being so many characters, there is no confusion. The description of both the houses and the characters dwelling in those houses can be visualised instantly. One almost starts enjoying reading and is at the edge of the seat over what's going to happen next.

     

      The way Poonam's play ended, I was extremely excited and was expecting fireworks for the discussion between the Judge, Lawyer and Prosecutor, that followed thereafter. That is where the disappointment creeps in. The heated arguments, initially, were good to read, seemed asif a heated and an interesting debate will take place. Which does take place also, but the statements about Poonam's character are extremely crass. The comments about "Girls" having only a "certain level of sexual appetite" is extremely regressive and did not go down well with me as a reader.

     

      The author writes really well. His forte is to write with a sense of humour and I love that about him. But these comments about "Girls being only a specific way" are coarse. I think it is high time the world realises that women are humans too. They also have feelings and when it comes to feelings- nothing is right or wrong. Lets stop judging people on the basis of prejudices which are going on since donkey's ears.

     

       Poonam's story is a treat to read. If you pick this one up I would suggest to stop once Poonam's story ends. The comments ahead should be read at your own risk!

STARS- 2.5/5   

 I won a review copy from The Tales Pensieve as part of Reviewers Programme. Register on #TTP for lots of #book fun and activities.