Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Book Review - Table for One (✩✩)

(I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author.)

When I picked up this book, I was hoping to read something different and something new. However, I was pretty disappointed. And the lack of proofreading and editing only made it even more cumbersome for me to read this book in one flow.

The story is of one Taara Maheshwari, dejected in her love life and not sure about what she wants from her life. On an impulse, she decides to quit her job and take a one-month Euro trip (not in the same sequence). However, she barters the 'permission' to go on this trip with her father on the condition that she will come back to India to marry the boy her parents have zeroed down for her.

Destiny, however, has other plans for her. While on her trip, Taara meets some very interesting people, starting right at the airport when she is about to board her flight from India. All these people, at every given point in the trip, manage to shape her journey in a certain way. How does Taara survive alone in a foreign land? What is in store for her? Will Taara be able to find what she is looking for? The book explores all these ideas in a short, 171 page read.

The thing that I liked was the detailed description of European cities. The vivid imagination of the author almost compelled me to pack my bags and board a flight right now!

The story: The story was not what I expected it to be. The blurb does not give it away, but the book (especially towards the second half) is essentially a cliched romance. 

The protagonist: I can't find words to describe how much I detest the character of Taara. She is not only portrayed to be extremely immature for her age but also seems very superficial in her approach to life. Throughout the book, the reader can see how Taara has always looked for a man to be the anchor of her life. Now, per se, this may not be a bad thing, but this cannot be the only thing that defines a woman and her life, and her life choices and decisions. The constant need to have someone to fulfill you is, in the very least, dangerous to one's emotional character. I see a lot of 'Taara' in many people around me, and my opinion of them is the same. Be your own anchor - that is the advice I would give Taara if I had a chance to meet her. The clinginess is apparent on the face of it. 

I usually like books with the portrayal of a woman as a strong individual. This book, in my opinion, failed to do that. 

The language: The language was alright, but the book has definitely not been proofread before being published. There were glaring grammatical mistakes, punctuation missing, etc. right from the beginning. Even the blurb is not error free.

Also, the constant focus on body image, the reference to 'blacks', the reference to consumption of alcohol as being 'cool', reference to most women being neutral to politics, the shock on discovering someone's orientation, and such typical stereotyping threw me off. (Pretty inappropriate, in my opinion.)

The book, all in all, is an easy breezy, light read and can be finished in one sitting. There is no 'wow' factor in the book. Recommended for those who are looking for a light read between books.



*****
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Thursday, August 09, 2018

Book Review - Let You Be My Puppet Once (✩✩✩✩)

I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset.
https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in

Quite a good break from some very poorly written and edited Indian authors I have read recently!
Congratulations to the author for writing a pretty gripping first novel.

Title - The title befits the story-line. Based in India, where every citizen at some point or the other feels manipulated in the hands of the Government, the reference to being a 'puppet' is apt. However, what happens when the tables turn and it is the political leaders that are being puppet-ed by those who have suffered under their reign is reflected well in the title.

Story line - The blurb explains the story perfectly. Unlike many books that I have recently, the blurb is not misleading and the reader knows exactly what they are in for.
The story is of four friends avenging the wrongs done to them by corrupt and criminally motivated political leaders. The backgrounds of the characters have been dealt with beautifully and one can easily connect the pieces and clues included sporadically in every chapter. How the four manage to manipulate the top Government agencies and survive against all odds is something that the reader will know only once they pick up the book. Every chapter leaves the reader on tenterhooks, and that is one of the reasons why I finished the book in one-two sittings.

Language: The language is flowy and gripping. No unnecessary jargon and irrelevant musings (which seems to be the trend these days) has been included, just for the sake of making the prose more flowery, and I am very happy about that! The narrative is easy to understand and is a good, light yet gripping read. 

Editing: The editing, however, much to my disappointment, is poor. The book needs some heavy duty editing before the next edition is out.

Definitely recommended. 
Read it with an open mind, don't expect to be mind-blown and you'll enjoy the book. Hi5 to the author for being an exception to the rule of trashy romance books.



*****
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Monday, August 06, 2018

Book Review - The Secret of the Sculptures (✩✩.5)

I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset.

While I had very high expectations from this book, this one just did not work for me.
The story offers a fresh theme - the theft of an ancient sculpture, embroiling two young girls, a bunch a their friends, a dubious professor, a shifty mentor and a mysterious light-eyed man. However, the freshness was contained in the plot itself and did not manage to translate into the 236 pages.

The characters are immature and very poorly developed. I did not feel connected to any of them. Far from it, it was difficult for me to even imagine any of them. Also, at a point in time, I felt that there were way too many characters without any specific role to play. The numbers just added to the confusion and not to the plot.

The story-line was jumpy and the smooth flow that makes for a good book for me was missing. Also, the narrative was way too feelings-oriented. You will probably have to read the book yourself to know what I mean.

Not recommended. But may work for you.



*****
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Book Review - Disciples of Trikaal (✩✩✩✩✩)

Varun Sayal, I can't thank you enough for these review copies! Disciples of Trikaal is a prequel to the first book of the Time ...