Book Review- The BNO

THE BNO: SEX, LIFE AND HOOKAH

            Synopsis, they say, is the window of the book. It helps a reader decide whether he wants to spend that money and go ahead and read. Many a times I have had this complaint that authors do not give appropriate justice to synopsis. But this synopsis is apt and pertinent and evokes the exact excitement to read such a narrative.

            8 men and 2 girls have a night out in Pune. They are normal people who have travelled, keeping their individual baggages behind, and are looking at having some fun. Every person's story weaves around this night out. How does this night out affect everyone? Is it for the better or the worse? The answers to these questions weave the story of "The BNO"

            First of all,the author should be applauded for picking such a topic and writing so courageously on it. It feels as though he had no inhibitions and drafted the book just as he had perceived it in his head. At the start of every chapter the author has mentioned a few thoughts in the form of conversations. I just loved reading them. You can actually sit and ponder on them. The author has not mentioned the night out as a separate chapter. Like the preparations towards it, then the night out then the after effects. From the first chapter, what happens on the night out is described. Every chapter is a perspective from the person who was present at the Night out or the spouse of the person. It is a delight to read about that night from a different perspective every time. It doesn't feel repetitive at all. Instead of the excitement dying out,since one knows exactly what happened from the first chapter, the author is successful in building it when each chapter ends and new chapter begins. The author has not at all shyed from talking about explicit topics and I loved that quality in him. It is not mentioned who has designed the cover page, but a special shout out to them!! The true essence of the storyline has been captured brilliantly.

            Inspite of all these things there are few minor glitches for which the book misses out on the 4+ star rating. In the entire narrative the author has written a few things that he has mentioned in brackets, While sometimes it provides the information needed at that point of time, most of the times it puts a break on the narrative and ends up being a mere distraction. It spoils the flow of an otherwise fast paced tale. Also there are a few grammatical errors which are an absolute no-no for a particular book to do well.

            Overall, The BNO should be read for the sheer courage of Manoj Jain to write without any reluctance. The sheer brilliance to write without making the reader feel vulgar. A quality very few authors possess.

 STARS- 3.75/5

This review was first published on talespensieve.com

Book Review- That Woman You See

THAT WOMAN YOU SEE

            I just absolutely love reading a collection of short stories. This one has all nine dedicated to women. I just had to pick this one up for this combination.

1) Ganga: She who is pure- This describes the "girls of the night". How a girl full of love gets into the flesh trade business. It is written fine. But it is not a story that touches your heart inspite of such a strong premise. There is a place where there is a grammatical error. Better editing could have sorted that out.

2) Gauri: She who is fair- This tale is about Gauri's son- Shyam and her daughter in law- Shweta. She comes to stay at their place for a while and notices their marital discord. Is she able to solve the issues or accepts the disharmony is what the story encompasses. The story is written well. Also the character of Shweta has been written to perfection. You almost feel the pain she is going through. A Good read. But more than Gauri's story it sounded like Shweta's story so a little discomfort there as a reader.

3) Radhika: She who is successful - This is a story of a woman who picks herself from the dumps and emerges a winner. Another favourite topic- Politics is also embibed in this. The way it starts out, it evokes the right amount of curiosity. Considering that, the climax was a disappointment. One almost feels incomplete. Could have been developed brilliantly as the character of Radhika is also etched to perfection.

4) Riddhima: She who is full of love- This story is about Riddhima- her brother-Rishi, her sister-in-law- Pratima and a certain Mr.Aman. Rishi dotes on Riddhima as they have lost their parents. Again the interest developed in the start is good. Keeps you connected. Urges you to read further. But the climax is hastened. If worked better, this would have been the pick of all the stories. Neverthless, it is written well.

5) Sheeba: A Promise- This is a very sly story of how Sheeba teaches her colleague Rajeev a lesson. How she realises that he always took her for a ride by his sweet talks and used that to move forward in his career. This one has been written well.

6) Shikha: She who is powerful- Shikha is one of the women whose husbands dont have time for them. They are away leaving the wives to sulk at home. A very common subject about how to cope in such a situation. An expected climax but nonetheless liked reading this one. It had an element of "feel good" factor.

7) Shivangita: She who has courage- This is a mother's letter to her son which reveals a lot of things about her life which the son was unaware of. It leads to a point where the son feels that he didnt know about his mother's life at all. Does his perception about his mother change or he understands his mothers plight, is the story of Shivangita.

8) Shruti: She who hears- I really cant review this one as I didn't understand the purpose of this story and what the author is trying to say this tale.

9) Sona: She who is valuable-  This one is a beauty. My favourite from the lot. It has been written well. An unexpected climax. Touches your heart.

One can certainly give this a miss!!

STARS- 2.25/5

The review was first published on talespensieve.com

Book Review- Her Resurrection

Her Resurrection

            

                     

                    Rapes have become the most prevalent topic to discuss these days. Everyday the newspapers are filled with how girls are raped and gang raped. Few days back I read a story about how a 28 day old baby was raped. Appalled, as I was I got the opportunity to review a book which talks about how a woman resurrects herself after all the atrocities. Not wasting a minute I selected this one.

                   Born in a village in a modest family Maya has a dream to speak English like Sunil Gavaskar. At a very young age she gets the opportunity to achieve this goal. A turn of events throws her into the flesh trade business. Time and again Life becomes callous, inspite of this Ms.Maya Singh emerges stronger than ever.

                    A Special mention to Mr.Amol Karambe for the brilliant cover page. It depicts that this book means business!! As expected from such a narrative, the main protagonist is shown strong and courageous, but the author wins our heart by the fiercely strong supporting characters.  Saadia,Siddharth,Arjun, Maya’s mother have all been designed well. The language is extremely pertinent. The usage of words is absolutely impeccable. The description of the rape scenes is sure to leave the readers with goosebumps.Her entire time in the brothel makes your heart ache. And Kudos to Soumyadeep for this!! Being a man, the feelings of a girl have been depicted flawlessly. All the nefarious crimes that Maya faces have been written so well, making this book a page turner. There are so many quotes that I love from the book that I have made a note of, like

1)    “Getting a job is so hard,getting raped is so easy!”

2)   “ When a man is here having sex with us, you know, somewhere in a city, a girl is saved from being raped”

3)   “God never takes anything away from you without having a better plan for you”

Also the author has not shown that Maya doesn’t feel like giving up and continues her fight. 

Yes she also wants to give up. She also is fatigued by facing these heinous situations. But everytime with a great battle with the outside world and her inner self, she fights and then she emerges a winner. That is the beauty of Somyadeep’s writing. It makes me remember one of the quotes I had read as a child “Fall 7 times, get up 8!!”

The only hiccups for me were the elongated descriptions and grammatical errors in a few places.

Barring this it is a brilliant read!!

STARS- 4.25/5

This review was first published on talespensieve.com.

Book Review- The Ribbon Trap

The cover page of this particular book grabbed my eyeballs. Seeing it and without reading the synopsis (a first for me!) I had decided I want to read this one. It lets out such a strong message. Kudos to Geetali for a splendid job.

Smita and Krishnaprem are in love. They are ambitious people. Also dealing with their own complications. Smita, unknowingly falls into a cobweb of politics. Does she recover from the trap (Pun intended!)? Does she emerge out victorious or remains the victim? The answers to these questions form the story of The Ribbon Trap.

The flow of the story is immaculate. The author doesn’t reveal one bit as to what all is going to unfold. The narrative starts off as a love story but slowly crime, murder and politics come in. It is all blended so well that the book becomes a page turner. Its only when the book ends do you realize the roller coaster you have just experienced. The prologue is written flawlessly. It just sets the right mood for this book. The atrocities faced by Smita in the prison have been written impeccably. You can feel the exertion levied on her. The back and forth from the past and present is done well. Not many authors can tap this beautifully. The Epilogue is also a treat to read. It is concise but it has all the information the reader needs at the point of time.

I wish the love story was depicted with a little more detail. Krishnaprem turns out be such a strong support system for Smita , considering the love story written at the start, it gets a tad bit unbelievable. Readers read synopsis before deciding to read a book. The synopsis of this one is so short!! Also it doesn’t depict 1% excitement of how beautifully this book is written. In the middle, a lot of characters are introduced altogether which makes it a confusing read at that time. Of course everything gets clear as the story progresses. But I wish that part was edited a little better.

Inspite of all this I urge everybody to read this one. It has all genres in one and clubbed oh so beautifully!! Bravo to Shine Syamaladevi!! Will definitely look out for your future endeavours.

STARS- 4.25/5

This review was first published on talespensieve.com

Book Review- Love no matter what

I normally like to read the blurb and the prologue before selecting a book as I believe some synopsis do not do justice in getting the right feel of the story. The blurb of this one highlighted a very different kind of a subject and that made me pick it up at the very first instance.

Naina and Manish are awaiting the birth of their second child. Hoping that its a boy, they are aghast when they learn that it is an intersex child. Manish and his parents refuse to accept the child- named Devi. Naina and her friend Naveen unite to give Devi a fruitful career and life. Are they successful in their attempts? Does Devi get over the fact that her family has not accepted her and tops her game or is reduced to the one dancing on the road to earn her living?  The answers to these questions form the narrative of Love, No Matter what!

I was really impressed with the titles of each chapter. They were just perfect. Not revealing too much of the story also keeping us interested in reading further. The story-line is just absolutely a delight to read. It is pacy and stimulating. The characters have been etched to perfection. Not only the main characters but also the supporting characters have been written flawlessly. It was heartwarming to read the effort put in by Naveen, Naina and Chandani in tandem. The insecurities faced by Naveen’s wife was also considered and dealt beautifully. The constant courage that Naina showed was exemplary. It clearly shows that a mother can go to any extent for her child’s happiness. The finale speech by Devi moves one to tears. They are tears of eminence.

But above all the USP of the book is the camaraderie of Naina and Naveen. It makes you yearn for such a friendship. (Though I'm blessed in this regard!!)  Two people absolutely compatible- Perfect understanding of each others dilemmas and a rock solid support for each other to sail through their problems. Friendships like these are rare to happen and difficult for everyone to understand (since its a guy and a girl ). Their constant support  for each other makes it a ravishing journey.

I wish the friendship between Khushi and Devi was more detailed or developed further. Also the work on the cover page could have been more interesting. It does not cover even 1% of how beautiful the story inside unfolds.

All in all this book takes you on a journey of love. Love for your child, love for your friend, love for a person belonging to your community, love to understand the choices made by your man which is not conventional. It also teaches us that hard-work and perseverance can help you achieve anything in life. I want to really congratulate Komal Ahuja, first to write on a topic as different as this and second to teach us the meaning of life in such simple yet walloping words.

A must must must read!!

STARS-4.5/5

This review was first published on talespensieve.com

Book Review- My Dream Man

Author as a main protagonist has always caught my attention. Also romance is my favourite genre. This book was a combination of both and thus I did not flinch even once to pick this up.

Ajopa Ganguly is a struggling writer. Her script has got rejected many times, thus making her not wanting to write any further. She picks up other hobbies but her heart clearly lies in writing. Aniket Verma is her professor. They have developed a special friendship. This story oscillates between the past and present. Will their friendship turn into love? Will they unite foregoing their 12 year age gap? The answers to these questions forms the story of My Dream Man.

The author has written in a very autobiographical way. So as to speak, the book talks to you. The language is easy flowing. It is simple and lucid but does not take the reader’s ability for granted, which is the case with most authors these days. It s an enjoyable narrative. Although the initial chapters are a little myraid, and do not motivate you to read further but my suggestion is, Hang on!! It is pretty pleasant ahead. A couple of chapters make for a very feel good read, almost leaving a wide grin on your face. It is a very different take on the way love stories are written. Something different always intrigues me. I think it is very courageous of the author to attempt it. And she has fared pretty well!!

Despite of this, there were a few things that were a complete put off for me. As I had noted before, the initial chapters are a drag. From one topic there would be a jump to another topic and there would be no connection between anything. This style, has been mentioned by the author herself but didn’t go down too well with me. As per me it breaks continuity and your interest to read further. Also the author has done so well with a few chapters that you are amazed, but the very next chapter is preposterous. Also the 5 year itch seemed way too unbelievable. Another pointer which reduces the relatability quotient. The author has tried to pull of an erratic plug towards the end. That was downright futile.

You can surely pick this up to witness the free flow of language that challenges the ideology – want to reach out to more and more Indians so the language was easy.

A miss will not be that much of a miss!!

STARS-2.75/5

This review was first published on talespensieve.com

Book Review- E Love

Romantic books, movies have always fascinated me. The feel good factor that they bring to the table is what draws me to them,  always. It makes me want to read more and more. E-Love is a teenage saga. Wanting to reminisce my teenage years, I picked up this book to review.

Ankit’s brother is getting married in an arranged marriage setup. He meets Akshi in this setup as she is related to the bride-to-be. After a few days they start talking to each other via text message and thus begins their relationship. Will this relationship stand the test of times? Will there be a happily ever after? The answers to these questions forms the narrative of e-Love.

The Book Bakers have done a good job in capturing the entire feel of the book through their cover page. Depicting love story over technology, in today’ s time- the main essence of the book has been captured well. The author has tried to capture the busy lives of teenagers today. In trying to be social – via Facebook, WhatsApp, et al, they are not realizing that they are getting anti-social infact. You don’t end up talking to the person who is besides you because you are busy facebooking or whatsapping on your phone. Relationships start/ end via technology and not by meeting in person. I think the depth of the relationship would be entirely different when you are face to face rather than conversing on the phone.

The language in this novel is extra simple, as if you are reading a school textbook. The author wants to reach out to the average Indians, I agree; but still as a reader, for me, the language was a complete put off. I do not want to read such simple dialogues. Also more than simple language, the book seems like a first draft. It feels like reading though a child’s essay. In the narrative, somethings are just illogical. On one side it shows how technology is taking over, and on the other side the couple cannot even meet alone!! There are a lot of grammatical blunders as well, which is definitely not acceptable in a published work. Love stories become epic when the characters get etched in your heart. But the characters of Ankit and Akshi are a blur. There is no relate-ability factor. There is no visualization. There is no flow of story. You just don’t know why the characters are behaving in a certain manner. Basically there is no connect between the characters & the reader,which is the saddest of all  things that can happen to a reader.

It is difficult to write a book and there is no denying that. It takes months, maybe years to string each and every word and weave a story; and we as reviewers read and give the verdict in 600 words. But all hard work notwithstanding, a reader deserves better than this. Indian readers have a far greater sensibility and choices in today’s time because of the prolific work of many Indian authors and also the availability of International authors due to technology ofcourse!! (pun intended  ).

Stars- 1/5

The review was first published on talespensieve.com.