Book Review - The Bestseller She Wrote

Today, I shall be reviewing Ravi Subramanian's latest book - The Bestseller She Wrote. Earlier this month, I received an autographed copy of the romance novel. You can also read my review of God is a Gamer by the same author.

Fast Facts:-

Title: The Bestseller She Wrote

Author: Ravi Subramanian

Genre: Romance (Fiction)

Publisher: Westland Ltd

Pages: 391

Price: Rs.295 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Aditya Kapoor: A successful author and banker
2. Shreya Kaushik: An MBA student and an aspiring writer
3. Maya: Aditya's wife and a teacher at an international school
4. Sanjay: Aditya's best friend from IIM-B 

The Review:-

'The Bestseller She Wrote' is not what you would ordinarily expect from Ravi Subramanian - the writer whose claim to fame is a series of successful financial thrillers. He writes his first romance novel, but the premise is still well within his comfort zone - writing and banking.

The story is explores a phase in the life of Aditya Kapoor, a bestselling author who also holds a senior position at a bank. He is handsome, charismatic and very lucky to have an understanding and loving wife in Maya - his B-school sweetheart. Theirs is a happy family with a toddler in the frame.

Aditya meets Shreya, a topper at IIM-Bangalore when he is invited to his alma mater to address the students and promote his latest thriller. Shreya is an attractive and intelligent girl who is fiercely ambitious at the same time. She pines to become a bestselling author of Aditya's stature. What in the beginning seems like an innocuous acquaintance, later turns into an adulterous affair. The plot is a result of coincidence and also deliberate scheming.

The book explores the delicate and dangerous world of adultery - how it starts, what goes on in the mind of an adulterer, if conscience and guilt make their presence felt, what happens when the cat is out of the bag, and if cheating can ever be forgiven. At the same time, the setting takes the readers through the nuances of getting one's book published and promoted. There are also the usual office scenes at the bank and the sundry issues you would expect.

The twist in the story is the sudden importance attributed to Maya and what happens to her. This is what keeps the book from going down the done-to-death route of a regular romance novel.

My Verdict:-

Perhaps I was expecting better stuff from the author, given my past experience with his writing. This is why the book disappoints me. Many cliches have been fortified in the book. Also, Subramanian seems to have made as little use of imagination as possible. Large parts of his story seem to mimic the life of Chetan Bhagat or perhaps his own. He casually indulges in name dropping - Ashwin Sanghi, Blogadda, HT Brunch and even Anurag Kashyap! The references seem jarring and distract you from the story as you wonder why he is irritating you with unnecessary third-party promotion.

The novel is not too bad though. It is fast paced and interesting enough to be carried along on a train journey. The interlacing of a certain global crisis is what kept me hooked to the book when my attention was wavering.

This book gets an overall rating of 6 on 10 from me. Here's a video-glimpse into the story:-

I am reviewing ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Book Review - Capturing Wildlife Moments in India

I read a coffee table book after many years over the course of this week. Today, I shall review "Capturing Wildlife Moments in India" by Ashok Mahindra.

I was privileged to receive an exclusive reviewer's copy. The book is currently being published by Oxford University Press (OUP) and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and will be available at most major retail outlets across India and also through online retail sites such as Amazon and Flipkart. This book will also be available for sale through the BNHS website.

Fast Facts:-

Title: Capturing Wildlife Moments in India 

Author: Ashok Mahindra

Genre: Wildlife Photography (Non Fiction)

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP) & Bombay Natural History Society(BNHS)

Pages: 145

Price: Rs.1450

Blackbuck (reproduced with permission)

The Review:-

"Capturing Wildlife Moments in India" contains a hundred and twenty photographs of animals and birds of India, photographed during Ashok Mahindra's visits to over thirty national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and other locations. Each picture comes with an elegant description of the setting in which the animal or bird was shot. All of the short lines are quite informative and reveal interesting facts about the wild.

The book is full of short stories of tigers and lions alongside their breathtaking snaps. Ashok also shares his photography secrets and the settings he uses on his cameras to capture the moments. The book does a wonderful job of keeping one interested. It also evokes empathy for the creatures living in the wild.

The writing in the book is very crisp and the sentences are finely crafted. The author recounts many stories of T-19. Other than tigers, which get a lot of footage in the book, there are excellent photos of frogs, elephants, rhinoceroses, crocodiles, asses, macaques, lionesses, deer, boars, butterflies and birds.

Indian Crocodile or Gharial (reproduced with permission)

My Verdict:-

Ashok's perspective impresses me and makes me emote with the animals. His insights are well elaborated and do a good job of getting people to be on the side of the animals!

"Capturing Wildlife Moments in India" gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for the great pictures and evocative writing. It is quite moving for a coffee table book!

Lion-tailed Macaque (reproduced with permission)

This post is part of the book review program of at Saevus Wildlife India in association with The Hemchand Mahindra Wildlife Foundation for the book Capturing Wildlife Moments in India.

Book Review - Changes (Family Portrait Series)

For the past two weeks, I had been reading a wonderful novel by an authoress of Trinidadian origin. It is only today that I finished "Changes" which is the first volume in the Family Portrait Series by Gillian Felix.

Fast Facts:-

Title: Changes 

Author: Gillian Felix

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Family Drama

Publisher: GillianFx Publishing (through Smashwords)

Pages: 80
File Size: 291 KB (PDF version)

Price: Rs.62 (Kindle Edition ebook)

Key Characters:-

1. Adriana Banovic: A fifteen year old actress in a daily soap who is suddenly removed from her role as her character takes a generation-leap.
2. Kevin Banovic: Adriana's elder brother and a popular face in UCLA.
3. Leighann DaCosta: A famous teenage singing sensation who only wants a normal life.
4. Savi DaCosta: Leighann's mum and manager who puts pressure on her daughter to continue with her singing career.
5. Haze Lyndon: A new boy in UCLA who catches Adriana's fancy on one of his shoots. 

Gillian Felix

The Review:-

"Changes" is the first book in the Family Portrait series. It is a family drama, mainly about the Banovics. The story begins with Adriana Banovic losing her job as the lead character in a popular TV soap. She is upset because that means she would have to join the Westwood Academy, a school for the rich and famous. She hates the snobbish atmosphere there.

Meanwhile, Leighann, a singing sensation stressed with the demands of her busy celebrity life, collapses on stage during her concert. She wants to give up her career to live the life of a normal girl, just as her friend and elder step-sister, L'Wren. Savi, Leighann's mother, is livid. She controls her daughter's every move and enjoys the perks of being the celeb's mum.

A few days later, both Adriana and Leighann find themselves at Westwood and deal with the exciting yet mean world of high school. The air is thick with pranks, crushes and friendships. At school, Adriana clashes with her nemesis, Astrid. And off school, she lusts after Haze, a handsome guy she finds at a photoshoot.

While the kids enjoy their teenage lives, the parents have their own share of ups and downs. Robin, father to Kevin, Adriana and Zax, learns of the death of his father, Victor. Victor leaves Robin his huge wine estate. Robin never got along with his father when he was young. The story keeps you guessing what will happen - Will Robin accept his father's estate? Will Adriana find Haze again? Will Leighann be happy in her new life?


My Verdict:-

I love how smoothly and swiftly the story proceeds. One can tell it has been written by someone who loves to write and is gifted in the art. Gillian succeeds in keeping the characters unique and interesting. The book holds your interest until the very end.

Changes gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for the excellent storytelling, smart characterization and interesting plot. The story is good enough to be made into a TV series.

Book Review - Shamsuddin's Grave

Earlier this month, I received a review copy of Shamsuddin's Grave by Paromita Goswami. My busy schedule kept me from finishing this novel, but I finally read the last page today. You can read my review now!

Fast Facts:-

Title: Shamsuddin's Grave 

Author: Paromita Goswami

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Partridge

Pages: 280

Price: Rs.450 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Shamsuddin: A poor Miyan Muslim in Assam - the central character
2. Latika: A passionate and dedicated social worker who forms a close friendship with Shamsuddin
3. Snehalata: Latika's aunt and Shamsuddin's benefactor
4. Debjyoti: Team Lead of the NGO that helps the slum dwellers in Guwahati. 

The Review:-

Shamsuddin's Grave is the story of a poor man who leaves his small village in Assam to make more money in the city of Guwahati. However, Shamsuddin is caught in new problems of the city. He finds it very expensive to make his ends meet and works doubly hard to afford a roof over his head and save for a new home. All this while, he leaves his wife, Amina, and their children with his brother. When Shamsuddin returns to his family after a couple of years, his world shatters.

Latika, a divorcee, leaves Delhi to work at an NGO in Guwahati. She is appalled by the pathetic and unhygienic conditions of the poor people living in shanties, especially those belonging to the Miyan Muslim community. Latika rolls up her sleeves and gets to work right away, despite threats from the local goons.

The book is very special, mainly because of the powerful story that needs to be told to the world. Paromita explores the sensitive situation in Assam and addresses the problems faced by this state - floods, infiltration, Government apathy, illiteracy, human trafficking and poverty. The author gets the emotions spot on! The characters feel real and unique.

The only downside of this book is the poor editing and sweeping errors in spelling and grammar. The same story, in the hands of an expert writer, would perhaps make it to the Man Booker longlist.

My Verdict:-

This book gets an overall rating of 6 on 10 from me for the moving story and high levels of interest that it commands. However, the poor language hinders the novel from being a great one.

*  *  *

The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve.

Book Review - Metro Diaries

Another day, another love story! Today's review is for 'Metro Diaries' by Namrata. This book is a collection of short stories on love. I read the electronic version, but you can also buy a paperback.

Fast Facts:-

Title: Metro Diaries 

Author: Namrata

Genre: Fiction/Romance

Publisher: Revelation House

Pages: 162
File Size: 901 KB (PDF version)

Price: Rs.248 (Flipkart price for paperback) / Rs. 187.15 (Kindle edition)

The Review:-

Metro Diaries aims to bring you a collection of twenty true love stories captured in various cities and towns. Namrata, the author, proclaims all of the stories to be true, with changes only in the names of the characters. One of these stories is about herself. She does not reveal which one, though. Each of these stories have short verses separating them.

The stories are about people who have fallen in love, lost love, been through pain, and found love again. The characters range from teenagers and young office goers to married and old homemakers. Of all of the short pieces, I found the 18th and 19th stories to be the best. 'Love Revisited', the 18th piece, was the story of a beautiful girl who is married to a Londoner and later abused. Her story of escape and finding love again was slightly engrossing. 'The next story, 'The Last Letter', was that of an old lady reminiscing her days of yore when her husband was fighting in the war of independence in India. This one was touching.

Apart from these two, I found the remaining stories quite dull. The characters are not well fleshed out. Almost every character in the book seems to behave in a similar fashion. Their dialogues, emotions and reaction largely remain the same. The author fails to recreate the emotions of men. The points of view and letters from men and women are startlingly similar. It is evident that this book has been written by a novice who only uses feminine perspectives. Also, the book is littered with spelling and grammatical mistakes. The usage of certain words and phrases are absolutely out of place.

Some of the poems used in the chapter are nice. I do not wish to discourage the author. I know it takes a lot of courage and perseverance to bring a book to the table. Nevertheless, I feel Namrata needs to read a lot of diverse material so she can create better quality stories with more colour in her characters. Some of her pieces look promising. With plenty of practise, reviewing and editing, I'm sure she can come up with much better books in the future. I wish her the best in her literary journey!


My Verdict:-

This book gets an overall rating of 4 on 10 for poor editing and repetitive use of similar phrases. The book failed to keep me interested. However, some first time lovers and readers may enjoy the book in bits and pieces.

Book Review - The Guitar Girl

Today, I finished reading a novel that took me back to my teenage years! I really love feeling that way again. For that, I must thank and congratulate Aniesha Brahma, the author of 'The Guitar Girl'.

Fast Facts:-

Title: The Guitar Girl 

Author: Aniesha Brahma

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Romance

Publisher: self published through Kindle Direct Publishing

Pages: 193
File Size: 932 KB (PDF version)

Price: Rs.61 (Kindle Edition ebook)

Key Characters:-

1. Rhea Shah: A sixteen year old schoolgirl who regularly writes in her journal.
2. Sophie Ghosh: Rhea's best friend, classmate and confidante. 
3. Arjav: The third friend and classmate who completes the trio.
4. Robbie Shah: Rhea's elder brother who goes to college and has his own band - Blitzkrieg Bridge.
5. Joy Fernandez: Robbie's best friend and another member of the band. 

The Review:-

This is the story of Rhea, a high school girl who has a huge crush on Joy, her elder brother's best friend. Sophie and Arjav, Rhea's best buddies, are the only two people who she can confess her feelings to. Robbie, Rhea's brother, is in college and only visits home on weekends when he usually gets Joy along. They have a very popular band which Joy plays the guitar in.

Unable to gather the courage to confess her love, Rhea starts a blog under the assumed identity of 'The Guitar Girl'. On her blog, she posts poems and songs that reflect her true feelings for Joy. Coincidentally, Joy comes across her blog and finds The Guitar Girl's lyrics to be perfect for their band. He offers her a contract which Rhea/Guitar Girl accepts on the condition that her anonymity is kept intact. Meanwhile, in her real life, Rhea ends up getting secret guitar lessons from Joy after a serendipitous incident.

Rhea's dual identity makes the situation very interesting and the story takes unexpected turns. To thicken the plot, her friends too have something to tell her. The book keeps you guessing if Rhea will have her happily-ever-after while she tries hard to manage her studies and tons of homework that she is assigned almost daily as punishment for passing notes to Sophie and Arjav in class.

The narration is youthful and in line with the media teens use to communicate. The entire book is a compilation of text messages, Google Talk chats, Facebook messages, notes passed in class and journal entries. The lingo is spot on and the characters lifelike. There are some typos in the book, but I'm not sure if they are deliberately placed to simulate real chat-scenarios. The editing, otherwise, is quite good, and the style consistent with that associated with the 16-18 age group.


My Verdict:-

This book is the perfect chick lit novel for preteens and teenagers! It is almost India's answer to Princess Diaries. The dialogues, levels of maturity and tones are carefully matched with the characters. The Guitar Girl is, not surprisingly, a pageturner! The story is light and an excellent palate cleanser if you have been reading critically acclaimed books. There could have been more layers to the story, but I like it the way it is. Simple, happy and light.

This book gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for making me walk down my memory lane and reminisce the innocence and youthfulness of my teen years. My rating is biased as I am a huge fan of teen fiction and romance. However, even the unbiased reader would have generous and positive feedback for this story!

Book Review - The Accidental Wife

I just finished reading the second novel by an NRI writer, Simi K. Rao. The book kept me glued to my desk all day, and it is with a happy heart that I write today's review - for "The Accidental Wife".

Fast Facts:-

Title: The Accidental Wife 

Author: Simi K. Rao

Genre: Mainstream Fiction/Romance

Publisher: Kando Books

Pages: 202
File Size: 6.11MB (PDF version)

Price: $1.59 (Kindle Edition ebook)

Key Characters:-

1. Rihaan Mehta: A ridiculously handsome neurosurgeon and Harvard graduate who is nagged my his mother to get married.
2. Naina Rathod: A beautiful teacher and photojournalist who becomes Rihaan's "accidental wife". 
3. Shobha Mehta: Rihaan's controlling and commanding mother whose only goal is to find her son a suitable wife and herself a complying daughter-in-law.

The Review:-

The Accidental Wife is the story of two strangers - Naina and Rihaan, who agree to get married for reasons of their own. Rihaan, a successful neurosurgeon and an incredibly attractive Harvard graduate, is sick of his dominating mother constantly badgering him to get married. All Rihaan wants is to get his mother off his back and live his own life freely as a bachelor in New York. Meanwhile, Naina, a stunning Delhiite, who teaches school kids and ardently pursues her passion of freelance photojournalism, wants to remain independent and single.

By both design and deceit, Naina and Rihaan find themselves in wedlock and are forced by social-appearance-pressures to keep up their little "drama" even as they both outwardly detest being with each other. Life, however, plays cupid, and with time, the two protagonists of this story fall in love with each other.

In a few months, their love story is met with a tragic incident that shatters their tranquil lives. This is when the true test of love is administered by fate. Will Rihaan and Naina persevere and pass this test or will their story end in tragedy? Only this novel holds the answer.

The story at first seems like a regular chick lit or romance novel with the usual elements of two attractive characters besotted with each other, some tiffs and some scenes of unbridled passion. But Simi shows her real skill when she brings in the surprise element in the latter part of the book. That is when the book gets really intense, and enters the realm of a serious novel.


My Verdict:-

The two lead characters are undeniably well fleshed out and have interesting personalities. The plot is very tight and the editing rather good! (I could only spot a couple of typos in the entire book.) Simi is quite adroit with dialogues, and she creates very natural scenes, especially with the words exchanged between Naina and Rihaan. Despite the predictability of the romance scenes, the adept writing makes you enjoy every moment. The first half of the book seems like a run-of-the-mill Bollywood romance movie, but the author ups her game in the second half with the story taking a very grave turn. The animal-passion in the former half of the book transforms into a deeper love that has little to do with bodies.

This book gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for putting an unusual and interesting spin on an otherwise regular love story. The good quality of writing, easy pace and charming story makes 'The Accidental Wife' an unputdownable book!

Book Review - The Winner's Curse

A couple of weeks back, I read The Winner's Curse by Dee Walker. The author was kind enough to sign my copy for me! :-)

Cover Page

Signed by the author

Fast Facts:-

Title: The Winner's Curse 

Author: Dee Walker

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Pages: 277

Price: Rs.195 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Harsh Mittal: A flamboyant business tycoon who has risen to his current heights through sheer hard work, his genius and the alliance of his "Master"
2. The Master: The Prime Minister of India
3. Raghav Badhwar: A successful bureaucrat and Harsh's nemesis since their days in IIT.
4. Khosla: Harsh's adversary in the Telecom business
5. Robbie: The Master's son in law, a dimwit but very attractive
6. Kamal Pandey: Harsh's best friend from IIT and a righteous and austere personality.
7. Savita Bhambi: A political and corporate lobbyist who hails from a scheduled caste family in a small town.

The Review:-

The Winner's Curse is a novel that explores the dark side of success. The author maintains that as people grow more successful, they fall prey to greed. This "greed" is the curse that always chases the "winner". This is essentially the story of Harsh, a business magnate who was born an orphan. Harsh is discovered by an IITian and the founder of FIITJEE who bring him up an watch as the genius makes it to IIT himself. The book explores the stories and characters of a batch of IITians who study together and grow to be very successful in each of their chosen domains - business, politics, technology, corporate lobbying and social activism.

Harsh is asked by his Master to develop a technology that will uniquely identify all Indians and give powers to the government to directly disburse benefits and subsidies without any middlemen. And thus, Jan Shakti is born. Jan Shakti has the power to unearth corruption and make India clean. But in the shadow of Jan Shakti, there is a sinister program that will impeach on the privacy of people and lead to espionage.

In a parallel world, Arvind Pandey, an honest civil engineer, fights corruption and makes it difficult for Raghav and his corrupt politician friend to carry out their illegal mining and transportation jobs. But Arvind's foes are brutal. Kamal, Arvind's brother, takes up his case as a social activist and seeks some help from his best friend, Harsh. Only the book can tell you whether Harsh will listen to his conscience or let his promise to his Master compel him to do what he shouldn't.

Dee Walker sketches his characters really well. They are all well fleshed out, and the common thread of IIT is woven very well into the story. The story is fast paced and very interesting. The best thing about this story is the fact that you can relate the characters to many real world people. I could draw similarities to Manmohan Singh, Robert Vadra and Nira Radia [the (in)famous lobbyist from the Radia tapes fame]. Many of the incidents also bear resemblance to real life scandals.

My Verdict:-

Walker's grip on the story is very good. His dialogues are impactful and fresh. The book still needs another round of proof reading, but is entertaining nevertheless.

This book gets an overall rating of 9.5 on 10 from me for keeping the book so engrossing throughout. Dee Walker's novel has all the trappings of a classic corporate fiction. You must pick this book up wherever your can!

*  *  *

This book review is part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To get free books, reach out to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.

Book Review - Ramayana: The Game of Life (Shattered Dreams: Book-2)

After reading a modern rendition of the Mahabharata last month, I got my hands on the other epic in Indian mythology - Ramayana. Shubha Vilas's Ramayana is the age-old retelling with an "extra something". Let's find out what:-

Fast Facts:-

Title: Ramayana: The Game of Life (Shattered Dreams: Book-2) 

Author: Shubha Vilas

Genre: Mythology

Publisher: Jaico

Pages: 387

Price: Rs.350 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Dasaratha: The king of Ayodhya. He is often regarded as the king of the world.
2. Keikeyi: King Dasaratha's second wife, renowned for her beauty and valiance as her husband's charioteer in the battle against Sambara.
3. Manthara: Keikeyi's sour-natured servant and confidante.
4. Rama: Eldest son of Dasaratha from Kaushalya, his first wife.
5. Sita: Rama's virtuous wife.
6. Lakshmana: Rama's most loyal follower and Dasaratha's third son from his third wife, Sumitra.
7. Bharata: Keikeyi's only son, and a worshipper of his elder brother - Rama.

The Review:-

'Shattered Dreams' is the second volume (parva or kanda) in the 'Game of Life' series. The story in this version of Ramayana remains largely intact. The author, however, captures valuable lessons in management (at work and for life) and mentions these learnings as footnotes throughout the book.

This part explores Dasaratha's desire to handover the reigns of his kingdom (Ayodhya) to his eldest son - the able and righteous Rama. Rama has an impeccable character and is extremely popular across the kingdom. Dasaratha's decision to coronate Rama brings a lot of joy to all of Dasaratha's well-wishers. This joy, however, vanishes when Keikeyi, brainwashed by Manthara, redeems two of her boons which she had received from Dasaratha many years ago.

The first boon is used to install Keikeyi's own blood, Bharata, as the king. And, the second boon is redeemed by banishing Rama for fourteen years to live an austere life in the forests. This news shatters Dasaratha's dreams and leads him and the entire kingdom to mourn the loss of Rama and condemn Keikeyi. On the brighter side, Rama is lucky to have Lakshmana, his younger brother, and Sita, his loving wife, pledge their companionship throughout the exile. Most of the latter part of the book describes the trio's journey through the mountains and the forests in the first few years of their exile.

The book also briefly introduces Ravana, the learned but conceited king of Lanka. The story of his predecessors and their misdeeds are explored in the second chapter. Shubha leads us to believe that Rama was exiled for a bigger reason. If he would drown in the daily business of ruling a kingdom, he would never have the time or opportunity to later defeat Ravana - the tyrant.

The novel takes the reader through Bharata's selfless nature, and his anger at the knowledge of his mother's rancorous deed. He sets out to right the wrong, and takes the entire kingdom on a mission to bring back Rama to Ayodhya and be the ruler everyone has prayed for. The suspense (obviously, only for those rare souls who have never heard of or read the Ramayana) is in Rama's answer. Will he accept Bharata's apology and accede to his request to reclaim his throne? Or will he continue on his arduous journey through the woods?

My Verdict:-

Shubha Vilas's storytelling seems quite preachy at parts, but he can be forgiven for the original Ramayan is almost a moral guidebook for many Indians. The narration is slightly dull and slow in the beginning, but soon grasps the readers' interest as the story paces ahead. What is most interesting is the small stories, many of those unheard of, that make up the huge Ramayana.

Shubha does a commendable job of weaving in all the little tales to keep up the interest levels of the readers. This is necessary as the story otherwise progresses in an abysmally low rate. His style of proffering management gyan at every opportunity, is a little irritating at times as it distracts one from the story. But some pearls of wisdom are valuable indeed. Also, the author's phraseology is flowery and very ornate. This manner is perfect for an epic that bears the burden of disseminating moral education to the masses.

I give Shattered Dreams a strong rating of 8 on 10 for the priceless insights into every situation, the beautiful language and the intricately drawn scenes (through words) throughout the book. This novel should be read in leisure so you can soak in every lesson in the footnotes.

This review is part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Book Review - Rapescars

This Sunday, I'm reviewing Rapescars by Gaurav Sharma. This is a book that perhaps every female (and even male) should read. It's a thin one and can be finished in a single sitting.

The coverpage

I was sent an autographed copy of the book.

Fast Facts:-

Title: Rapescars 

Author: Gaurav Sharma

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Petals Publishers

Pages: 151

Price: Rs.150 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Akriti: The protagonist - a young girl in her early twenties
2. Raman: Akriti's love interest in the beginning of the story, and later, her rapist
3. Seema: An advocate who fights for Akriti's rights

The Review:-

'Rapescars' begins with the description of a girl's (Akriti) state of mind when she is left to her own elements after being ruthlessly raped. The story then proceeds in flashback and takes the reader to the very beginning of how the victim met the perpetrator of the rape. Akriti and Raman are college students who travel to their respective colleges in the same bus. Over the period of a few months, Raman manages to attract Akriti towards him and convinces her to raise her level of comfort and agree to various intimate rendezvous with him behind closed doors. Akriti's world comes crashing down when on one such occasion she is filmed, by two other boys, having sex with Raman. Those two boys turn out to be Raman's friends and they take turns to rape her as Raman abets the crime. Akriti is shattered at this juncture.

The girl, however, is a brave one. She promptly tells her mother and her parents take her to the police to file an FIR. There begins the long and arduous journey of this rape-survivor who is made to revisit her trauma again and again as she is repeatedly questioned by various people who will supposedly help her - the police, the doctor, the lawyers and the judge. The book details every stage a rape victim is made to go through, right from having her medical examination done to getting the criminals punished. All the hurdles that a victim has to endure just to prove the genuineness of the crime is simply enraging! In India, victims have to undertake the two-finger test (to determine forceful penetration in the vagina). At many hospitals, the victim does not even have the right to a female doctor for the medical tests! The court proceedings progress at a snail's pace and it takes ages for justice to finally be delivered.

The book effectively captures what goes on in the family of a victim - how the neighbours and relatives take pleasure in picking at their wounds and revisiting the story on the pretext of offering condolences. Fingers are first pointed at the victim for her dressing and "culture" and the inordinate amount of "freedom" enjoyed by her. Narrated largely through the perspective of Akriti, the book has an unpolished tone.

Besides the victim, Seema is a strong character in the novel. Seema is Akriti's lawyer who first counsels her and prepares her mentally for the impending court-hearings, and then fights ferociously in the courtroom to seek justice on behalf of her client. The story takes a sharp turn while Raman is at the brink of  being imprisoned. After the long court battle, Akriti asks the judge not to imprison him. She decides to impart Raman a lesson he will remember forever! And here begins an unusual journey that Akriti scripts for her offender... The story's twist has a strong justification. What remains to be seen is whether this new method makes Raman repent or not.

My Verdict:-

Gaurav's style of narration is inconsistent throughout the book. He attempts to speak through the voice of a young lady in some parts, and switches to a more professional discourse at others. The book is littered with grammatical mistakes and misapplication of words and idioms. The story proceeds smoothly, but the pace is perhaps too quick to deal with a sensitive issue such as rape.

Nevertheless, I salute the author for taking up this subject and succinctly educating the reader about all the steps one should take if (God forbid) one finds herself (or himself) in a similar horrendous situation. One very important takeaway for me is to not wash the victim's wounds (to allow the doctors and police to collect ample evidence of the heinous act) and to not delay in reporting the crime.

I give this book an overall rating of 6 on 10 for effectively handling the complete story from start to finish, and teaching the readers a lot in the process. Unfortunately, the author fails to impress me on the literary front. Irrespective of my rating, I urge all of you to use this book to educate yourself about rape and how to help a victim.

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This book review is part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To get free books, reach out to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.

Book Review - Best. Generation. Ever.

It is with a lot of admiration that I present today's book review. The author is a young boy of only seventeen, and this is his first ebook.

Source: smashwords.com

Fast Facts:-

Title: Best. Generation. Ever. 

Author: Aditya Jha

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 71
File Size: 431 KB (PDF version)

Price: US$ 1 (Smashwords)

The Review:-

'Best. Generation. Ever.' is a collection of Aditya's essays on various topics that are relevant to the youth of this millennium. The entire book is written in first person and is divided into eleven chapters. The first essay is on Internet and how today's generation is embracing the IT sector. In the second chapter, the monologue drifts to politics and the need for young blood in public administration.

Somewhere in the middle of the discourse, Aditya emphasizes the importance of  communication skills  and touches upon the issues of brain drain and unemployment. He further expounds on the inspiring efforts of young entrepreneurs and the attitudes of the corporate world in the present age. Towards the end of the book, the focus tilts towards the initiatives needed to develop the youth of India. A discussion on Indian education and sports draws the set of essays to an end.

The book transitions smoothly from one chapter to another. There are some gaping grammatical and spelling mistakes throughout the ebook which call for a round of good editing. The thought behind every essay, however, remains very lucid and mature. It is evident from the statistics and sources quoted across the book that the author has put in a decent amount of research and has checked his numbers before stating them.

The book bears no page numbers and makes for a very quick read. (I finished this in under 90 minutes while I was at work ;-) ).


My Verdict:-

Aditya Jha impresses me not for his style or language but for his maturity of thought. This school boy puts in a good amount of effort to clearly express his views on a lot of issues that affect the youth of our country. He backs most observations with data from newspapers. I feel, he can cover a few other topics too - health, for example. Another observation is that most of the views expressed are generic and slightly cliched. For a boy who hasn't yet reached adulthood, I would have liked to hear some unique ideas and thoughts that only his generation can think of.

Best. Generation. Ever. gets a strong rating of 6 on 10 from me for the hard work and articulate exposition. I wish Aditya all the best for his future! I would love to read more books from this budding author.

Book Review - Thar Express

Last week, I read another new Indian author - Nagendra Murti. This time, it was an ebook, but I loved it nevertheless. So, here's my review of the 'Thar Express'.

Source: amazon.in

Fast Facts:-

Title: Thar Express 

Author: Nagendra Murti

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 409
File Size: 1.18MB (PDF version)

Price: Rs.181 (Kindle Edition)

The Review:-

'Thar Express' is the unbelievable story of a man who is discovered in Poonch, at the the India-Pakistan LOC (Line of Control) after a team from the India BRO (Border Road Organization) finds him trapped unconscious in a landslide. After this badly injured man is admitted to the nearest military hospital in Anantnag, Kashmir, the doctor learns that his patient has lost his memory and has no recognition of his identity or any recollection of his past. After a few days, this man recollects his nickname (Mano) through a dream.

'Thar Express' is the story of Mano's journey through various cities in India in search of his lost identity and memories of his past. Mano is shifted from Anantnag to Nashik to be treated by memory-loss specialist. It is here that he makes some progress and regains most of his health. On the advice of the doctor, Mano undertakes a journey to Srirangam, Tamil Nadu after he recollects being in a temple there. One thing leads to another, and Mano gradually finds familiar memories from various places and dreams. He ends up changing a few jobs in his quest to start earning and be independent. His search for his past life leads him to Goa, Mumbai, Rourkela (Odisha) and Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh).

All this while, the army, the local police of several cities and the NIA (National Investigation Agency) keep an eye on Mano and later are alarmed by his frequent change of location without their knowledge. They suspect Mano to be a terrorist from Pakistan due to the sensitivity of the location where he was found. They also don't entirely believe his story of memory loss. They start a fierce search for this alleged insurgent and try to piece together his whereabouts by questioning every single person who comes in contact with Mano.

The last part of the story leads up to a crescendo as the mystery of Mano's identity and past is disclosed. The reality is unfathomable and horrifying! It makes one think of the condition of people in similar situations. The revelation also answers why the book is titled 'Thar Express'.


My Verdict:-

Nagendra Murti does a commendable job of tying up all the loose ends of the story and the ending is a satisfying one. His style of writing is smooth and undistracting. The prose is mostly simple and straightforward with dialogues that lack much impact. The author takes a very clinical approach to the story an presents it as is without much effort to turn his book into a travelogue of sorts. Mano's character, though, develops gradually, and makes one sympathize with him at every turn of the story.

Even though the narration is crisp, it makes the reader long for vivid descriptions of the myriad places that Mano visits. Murti misses many great opportunities to paint picturesque images of Indian and Pakistani lands. The book also needs some proofreading as a few typos surface. I believe the change of scenes can be better depicted by effective formatting. The sequence changes (especially between Mano's parts and the police-army-NIA parts) are rather abrupt in the second half of the story.

Thar Express gets a rating of 7 on 10 from me for keeping my level of interest fairly high and for the compelling and unusual story that may actually be real for many.

This review is part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Kurukshetra (The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 3) - Review

Krishna Udayasankar's third book in The Aryavarta Chronicles released last month and found its way into my hands last week. All three of her books have received the thumbs up from the press in India and Singapore. I haven't read the first two books in this series, but I figured I would be just fine. After all, she retells one of the most famous epics in Indian mythology - The Mahabharata!

Fast Facts:-

Title: Kurukshetra 

Author: Krishna Udayasankar

Genre: Mythology

Publisher: Hachette India

Pages: 427

Price: Rs.350 or SG$25 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Krishna: A cowherd turned crown prince of Dwarka who envisions a revolution for the people for Aryavarta
2. Panchali Draupadi: Empress of Aryavarta and wife to all of the Pandavas - the five sons of former King Pandu
3. Dharma Yudhisthir: Eldest of the Pandavas and rightful heir to the Aryavarta throne
4. Syoddhan Kauravya: Eldest son of King Dhritarastra and present ruler of Aryavarta

The Review:-

'Kurukshetra' is an interesting rendition of the Indian epic. This part of the chronicle mainly elaborates the famous war at Kurukshetra. The entire episode transpires in flashback and is discussed in a conclave of eminent sages in the second millennium BCE.

The story begins before the war as Krishna makes multiple offers of peace to Syoddhan to avert a major battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Syoddhan, however, rejects every such proposal on the advice of his dear uncle, Shakuni. Fearing an imminent war, Krishna endeavours to gather forces of loyal vassals and rulers of nearby lands.

Neither Dharma nor Syoddhan truly desire war, and keep hoping against hope that they will arrive at peace without the loss of precious lives. Krishna, however, tells Dharma it is best to be prepared for the war as although preparation will make the war seem inevitable, it is the only way to prevent it. His intention is to gather enough allegiance for the Pandavas so as to compel Syoddhan into agreeing to his peace-treaty. Krishna also urges the eldest Kaurava to annul the infamous game of dice between the Pandavas and the Kauravas in which Dharma wagered his kingdom and his wife, Panchali, and lost both. Krishna's plan is not to merely reinstate the righteous Dharma as the king of Aryavarta but also to bring about a revolution. He dreams of a world where every human is treated equally and the leader is chosen by the people.

The war that lasts 18 days finally takes place after Dharma rejects a final peace-brokerage effort from the Kauravas when the emissary mocks him. He understands that it is his duty to fight for justice and to give his people a peaceful life.

Throughout the book, Krishna reiterates his ideology and tries to convince multiple people of the world he wishes for his countrymen. But most listeners, especially Syoddhan and the dangerous Devala Asita of the Firewright clan, refuse to believe him. Krishna has a dubious reputation of tricking people with his fancy words and ideas. It is only Draupadi who trusts him without a shade of doubt. Partha, the skilled archer and third of the Pandavas, has immense faith in his friend, Krishna, but even his trust falters as he sees his own kith and kin die before him on the battlefield.

The novel has a surprise ending - one that we have never read or heard of before. There is also the mystery of the identity of the Secret Keeper of the Firewrights, which is not revealed until the very end of the book.

My Verdict:-

Krishna Udayasankar has a remarkable hold over the language she has used to vividly describe scenes and build conversations in her book. Every dialogue is powerful and every sentence is steeped in meaning. She has done a lot of research from several sources and her interpretation is different in the way that she has done away with all supernatural elements from the story. She saves herself the trouble of coming up with an original story altogether, but makes up for that with her novel motive that binds her version of the story together.

Many aspects in this book are different from what we have read/watched or learned of the traditional Mahabharata. Apart from the names (Arjun => Partha, Duryodhan => Syoddhan, etc.), the essence of the characters and some relationships also differ. Syoddhan is portrayed as good person overall, with a humane sense of right and wrong. His agony at having to wage a war against his cousins and put at stake the lives of many innocents is acutely conspicuous in the book. Also, the bond shared between Panchali and Krishna is shown as being very complex. It has no name, although the story tricks one into thinking there is more to their friendship than meets the eye.

What I absolutely love about this book is how lifelike every character is! Udayasankar shows how even good people lose their calm and succumb to the pressures of preserving self-worth and pride. Dharma's arrogance on certain days in the battle-command-tent and Abhimanyu's blood-lust (as he breaks into the wheel formation at the battle) that overtakes his ability to think logically, are some examples. But what redeems her literary work is her idea that there must have been a larger purpose behind the war of Kurukshetra. The idea of revolution, as expounded by Krishna, is uplifting, and lends the book a happy ending despite the grotesque killings, gut-wrenching blood loss and mindless destruction. The story is not all tragic and dispiriting, though. There are light and romantic moments too, especially between Uttara and Abhimanyu.

Kurukshetra gets a full rating of 10 on 10 from me for doing justice to the original masterpiece whilst erecting a strong message as the backbone of the story. The book makes for a great read and is undeniably interesting.

This review is part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Spotlight on Fraudster by RV Raman

This post has been provided by RV Raman's PR associates. It doesn't contain my words.

Author: RV Raman

Title: Fraudster

Author: RV Raman

Category: Fiction

Publisher: Hachette

Year: 2014

Price: Rs. 250

ISBN: 9350098008

Fraudster : The Story of Corporate India’s Black Sheep:

Fraudster is a suspense thriller from R. V. Raman set in the world of corporate finance.

Summary of the Book

Some people will do anything to silence anyone they think are obstacles. They won’t stop at anything, not even murder. In this thrilling novel, a young banker deposes before a commission investigating large-scale financial fraud. She is found dead the very next day. Meanwhile, a leader of corporate India falls to his death from his South Bombay flat. In a multinational accounting firm, the high-security server room is hacked. The hackers want more than just company secrets. Illegal finance, high-profile crimes and brutal manipulation combine in this tale of greed, treachery and corruption amidst corporate India’s worst members.

About R. V. Raman

R. V. Raman is an Indian writer and the former head of KPMG's Consulting Practice and the co-head of their Risk Advisory Services. He was also partnered with A.T. Kearney and Arthur Andersen, and boasts an experience of over three decades and covering four continents. Currently a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Management, Trichy, he teaches Business Strategy. He is based in Chennai and this is his first book.

Copies Available at all online stores:

1. Flipkart
2. Amazon
3. Infibeam

Know More Inside Stories, Connect with The Author:

Twitter: @RvRaman_

Read the book? Write a review on Goodreads.

Oindrila Interviews RV Raman

Last week, I reviewed Fraudster, the first corporate thriller written by RV Raman. Today, I am pleased to showcase this budding writer on my blog! I asked him a few questions and he took me a little deeper into his world with his answers. Here's a glimpse of our exchange:-

Oindrila: What made you want to write a thriller after so many years in the corporate world?

Raman: I guess it was the desire to do something different, something other than regular work. When I was approaching 50, I decided that I wanted to write and teach. 

I began my writing hobby with epic fantasy, but soon realised that the Indian market for it is very small. So, I tried my hand at crime fiction aimed at the Indian reader. I will continue writing both genres.

Oindrila: What struggles did you face while writing your novel? How did you overcome them?

Raman: While I wouldn’t call it a struggle, the primary challenge was about striking balances on several fronts:

• The plot must be exciting, yet credible. I didn’t want it to be too fantastic or too mundane.

• How much of plot development v/s how much of character building? Especially when I needed multiple characters for credibly painting an industry-wide scam, and I didn’t want to exceed a certain word limit.

• What kind of language do I use? Closer to the literary end of the spectrum, or the simpler end? Some choices are mutually exclusive.

• How do I make it appealing to the seasoned business executive as well as the common reader? What each looks for is different. Each one’s understanding of corporate India is different. How much do I explain? Familiarity with financial matters vary widely. This issue has been reiterated in reader feedback. While a couple of readers have found it difficult to follow, a couple have said that I’ve explained too much.

Oindrila: How long did it take you to write Fraudster? Were you in a full time job while you wrote it?

Raman: The first draft took four months, but the book underwent considerable changes after that, as friends gave feedback and suggestions. Overall, it took the better part of a year.

Oindrila: How easy/difficult is it to find a publisher for your first book. How did you go about it?

Raman: There were two issues here. First, which were the publishers I wanted to work with? Second, which of them had space for me – a new writer in a sub-genre (corporate thriller) that was yet to see volumes? All we could do was approach them and hope for the best. I’m glad Hachette thought it worthwhile to work with me.

Oindrila: How does it feel now to be a published writer?

Raman: Honestly, it feels no different. In my mind, having the first book published is but the first step. What is important is how readers receive it. If it is received well, it then becomes a question of my ability to write more such books. Only after a few books, and only when he builds a respectable readership, does a writer consider himself established. There is a long way to go for me.

Oindrila: Which are your favourite books?

Raman: The genres I like best are crime fiction, SFF (Science Fiction & Fantasy) and humour. Sherlock Holmes, Poirot and Father Brown mysteries are the ones I like the best in detective fiction. The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, Sphere and Congo were excellent thrillers. In SFF, it is Asimov’s Foundation/Robot Series and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. In humour, anything Wodehouse.

Oindrila: Your favourite author?

Raman: It is impossible to name one author, as they are so different from each other. I like Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Edgar Wallace & GK Chesterton in mysteries, Michael Crichton & Frederick Forsyth in thrillers, and Tolkien & Asimov in SFF. And in humour, there is only one - Wodehouse.

Oindrila: Any plans for a second novel? 

Raman: Another corporate thriller is now underway. It is set in the Indian stock market.

Fraudster - Review

Today, I'm reviewing the first novel of RV Raman, a new author. I received this in the mail when I was vacationing in Mussoorie, and I finally found the time to finish this book.

Fast Facts:-

Title: Fraudster 

Author: RV Raman

Genre: CorporateThriller (Fiction)

Publisher: Hachette India

Pages: 289

Price: Rs.250 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Varsha: Assistant Manager at CBS & Co., one of the 'Big Five' global accounting firms
2. K. Subramaniam a.k.a. Subbu: Senior Partner at CBS, and a mentor and fatherly figure to Varsha
3. R.C. Visht: Chairman of First Line Credit (FLC) Bank
4. Praveen Ranade: Detective Inspector

The Review:-

'Fraudster' opens with the death of Shruti Mathur, a young employee at Devalkar Bank. She is killed when she falls off a local train between Sion and Kurla. This comes shortly after she gives her statement to the commission investigating a large scale fraud, and is fired by her employer who considers her negligent.

Visht, who is on the panel investigating the fraud, discovers that Shruti has been framed and his bank (FLC) has been a victim of deceit. A tragedy befalls Visht and his close associate, Subbu. This devastates Kamini (Visht's daughter) and Varsha, but they pull themselves together and help the police in their task.

The story mainly revolves around Varsha and Kamini who are attacked for an important piece of evidence that incriminates the powerful mastermind behind the fraud. The perpetrator of the crimes is somebody close to them, but the girls are not sure who. There is some action in the story, complete with fire, gunshots, fisticuffs and chasing in dark, narrow and desolate alleys.

The book seeks to answer some glaring questions:-

• Are the deaths by accident or by design?
• Who is the real fraudster?
• Will the fraudster ever be brought to book?

The book cleverly examines in a story the real-world scams that many a politician has been imprisoned for, but takes care to remove any direct reference to any individual/incident/party.

My Verdict:-

Raman's story has no loopholes, but it is evident that he is not a natural storyteller. The book is very focussed and the plot is linear. The content gets a bit repetitive as the structure of the fraud is revisited every few chapters, but the story largely remains interesting.

The author does a great job of detailing the day-to-day functions of risk management teams in banks, audit firms and IT Security personnel. The fact that Raman has experience in related fields is clear. He draws inspiration from his own world and makes a bold attempt at using similar scenarios for the novel.

I give this book an overall rating of 6 on 10 for a crisp plot and even pace. It misses a few points for keeping the story too simple and the language a tad bit ordinary. Nevertheless, it's a good book to keep you from getting bored on train journeys.

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This book review is part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To get free books, reach out to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.