Book Review - If It's Not Forever

“IF IT’S NOT FOREVER ”  ... it’s CERTAINLY not Love....

Genre: Romance/Fiction

Publishers: Grapevine

“IF IT’S NOT FOREVER” is a Romance/Fiction novel, penned by best-selling authors Nikita Singh and Durjoy Datta. It is the story of Deb, a writer cum publisher, whose life takes a dramatic turn when he miraculously escapes a powerful blast in New Delhi. He escapes unhurt, but he is emotionally weakened. He realizes that life is too short, and one should not shy away from confessing his/her true feelings. Still scarred and haunted by the tragic incident, he visits the blast site and finds a half-burnt diary – a diary written by someone, with initials RD, who, possibly, died in the blast. He reads the diary, and realises that they are the unspoken words of RD, who loved Ragini truly, but ‘somehow’ never mustered enough courage to convey his feelings.  Deb takes up the responsibility and a journey, to convey the ‘final’ words of RD to his true love, Ragini. But the road is not easy. The last few pages of the diary are burnt, and Deb has very limited clues.

Avantika - Deb’s true love, Shrey – Deb’s best friend, and Tiya – Shrey’s girl friend join him on this journey to unravel the unsolved and unspoken love story of RD. Their journey takes them to different cities, as they slowly put together the pieces of RD’s love story. But, will they be able to solve the mystery of RD’s story? Will they be able to find Ragini, the true love of RD? Who is RD? Is he really dead? You will get all the answers, after reading this book. I don’t want to spoil the magic by revealing the details of the story and the climax.

Now the REVIEW!!! 

Nikita Singh and Durjoy Datta, being the expert writers, have done a fantastic job. The story is intriguing, right from the word go. The characters of Deb, Avantika, Shrey and Tiya are beautifully sketched. The writers have done full justice to the supporting characters like – Piyush, Nivedita, Sumi, RD and Ragini. The story starts on a strong note, and continues effortlessly till the end. The scenes, the dialogues, the expressions and the emotions are perfectly expressed. The language is typical Nikita-Durjoy style, which I generally don’t prefer. But in this book, the way the characters have been written, few slangs here and there don’t do any harm. The humor is witty, and will make you smile and laugh. The emotional scenes are well written, and will make you sad (weak-hearts may cry). As a reader, you will smile and laugh on Shrey’s and Deb’s witty dialogues, and the inner pain of Deb and RD will make you sad as well. Avantika’s character is adorable and Tiya is sweet. My favourite chapter is the one in which Deb meets Nivedita, RD’s sister.

The only negative, which I felt, is too much reference about sex, in the first half of the book. It, momentarily, diverts the reader from the main story line, which otherwise is very captivating.

In a nut shell, “IF IT’S NOT FOREVER” is Nikita Singh’s and Durjoy Datta’s best work till date. The story is strong, the characters are adorable and powerful, and stay with you long after you have finished reading the book. The book is fast paced, and offers lot many moments to remember. I am going with 4 out of 5 stars for Nikita Singh’s and Durjoy Datta’s “IF IT’S NOT FOREVER”. 

Love is beautiful...

Love is strong...

It flows...

Like a romantic song...

It makes you believe

To face the odds, rise above

But, if it’s not FOREVER...

IT IS CERTAINLY NOT LOVE...

(Sorry for the stupid poem...)

Verdict: A Sure Shot Best Seller!!!

Book Review : Few Things Left Unsaid

“FEW THINGS LEFT UNSAID ” conveys very FEW THINGS!!!

Genre: Romance/Fiction

Publishers: Srishti

“FEW THINGS LEFT UNSAID” is the first novel by Mr. Sudeep Nagarkar. It is the story of Aditya, who does not know what he wants in his life. He hates engineering, but ends up taking admission in an engineering college, just because his parents want him to be an engineer. His search for his perfect girl ends when he meets Riya, a beautiful girl, and one of his classmates. One fine day, he proposes to her, to which she agrees. They bunk classes, go on multiple dates, enjoy their newly found love, and their bonding strengthens. And then, the “not so” unexpected happens. One of them starts taking the other for granted, then the regular fights and patch ups, and finally the BREAK UP!!! I will leave the answer to the question “Will they be together again?” for the readers.

Well this is the gist of the 231 page story, and as I said earlier, this book conveys very FEW THINGS. The title of the book promises a lot, and the book has received an overwhelming response (a National Best Seller and 4+ rating on Flipkart.com). But when I read the “hook” of the book, I knew what was in my hands. One of the lines, in the hook (back side of the book), is “FROLOCKING WITH HIS CARRIER”. I guess, the author meant, “FROLICKING WITH HIS CAREER”. But few mistakes can happen... few!!!

Let’s begin with some positives. The last 1/4^th part of the book is impressive. As a reader, you tend to feel sorry for Aditya. The climax, though predictable, is well written, and there is no ending. In fact, Sudeep Nagarkar has left the scope for the sequel. So, the readers who have loved this book, this is good news for you. I am sure; the sequel will be out soon. Few moments, in the love story of Riya and Aditya, are sweet and adorable. This book will appeal only to love-breakup-heartache college going “chiclit” lovers. They will not feel disappointed.

Now the negatives... Very very poorly written and edited book. There are innumerable grammatical and spelling mistakes. I always blame the editors/publishers for this, but, I think, it is the responsibility of writers as well to write “somewhat” correct English. The story, itself, offers nothing new. The same love-breakup-heartache college story, with repetitive scenes and cheesy dialogues (my Bachcha, my Bachchu, my Jaan...).  The descriptions are poor as well. Just by saying over and over again, that she was looking beautiful, will not make the character beautiful. Readers cannot imagine the characters, unless and until the writers don’t describe them. The ragging scene in which Aditya French-kisses his class-mate (Nikita), is indigestible and totally unnecessary. First of all, Nikita raises no objection, in French-kissing a stranger (Aditya), and secondly, such kind of ragging does not happen in college campuses (anything can happen in hostels, but in campuses???!!! I doubt!!)

In a nut shell, after reading the story, I realized that the author had very few things to convey. The entire story could have been conveyed in less than 230 pages. The scenes are repetitive, and the reader tends to feel bored. The story offers nothing fresh, and the HINGLISH dialogues spoil the magic. The unnecessary usage of “F**k” word is also a letdown.

On the whole, Sudeep Nagarkar’s “FEW THINGS LEFT UNSAID” is an okay first attempt. The story offers nothing new, for the readers of good books. Readers, who like college-going chiclits may/will like this book. The book’s pace is slow, and it offers very few good moments. I am going with 2 out of 5 stars for Sudeep Nagarkar’s “FEW THINGS LEFT UNSAID”.

Verdict:  A National Best Seller... but a Letdown, as the story conveys very FEW THINGS.

Book Review - The Immortals of Meluha

“THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA” is ENGAGING, FASCINATING, AND DARING!!!

Genre: Mythology/ Fiction

“THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA” is the first novel by Amish, and is the first book of Shiva Trilogy. Set in 1900 BC, it’s a fascinating story of an extraordinary man, Shiva, who eventually turns into a MAHADEV (God of Gods). Shiva, a man with uncommon gifts, is the tribal leader in Mount Kailash. But, his destiny takes him to a “near perfect” empire of Meluha, the land of Suryavanshis. The Suryavanshis are constantly being troubled and attacked by Chandravanshis. To make the matters worse, the Chandravanshis have the support of the “Nagas”, the sinister race of deformed human beings with astonishing martial skills. The only hope for Suryavanshis is Neelkanth, a Legend, for whom they have been waiting for hundred years. Their hope turns into the reality, when they find their Neelkanth in Shiva, who promises to be the saviour of Meluha.  Under the expert leadership of Shiva, the Suryavanshis plan to attack the Chandravanshis. Amid some conspiracies, terrorist attacks and brutal battles, Shiva finds his soul-mate in Sati, the princess of Meluha. Now it is up to Shiva to overcome his inner torments, and destroy the “so called” evil.

Well, this is just the gist of a 400 page mythological saga. First thing first, “The Immortals of Meluha” is NOT a Shivpuran. So those who are expecting to learn about the Lord Shiva, will be disappointed. Amish has picked up the mythological characters and fascinatingly blended them into a fictional story. But, what a story it is!!! It’s MAGNIFICANT!!! It’s 400 page of sheer brilliance. Every scene is so well written, be it the fearsome battle scenes, or the sweet love story of Sati and Shiva.

Amish, being the first time author, has done an outstanding job. Right from imagining the story, the characters, the events, the places, the descriptions, and blending them with mythological characters of Shiva, Sati and Daksha, Amish has announced his strong arrival. Today, when most Indian authors are blindly following the spineless love-breakup “desi-chiclits”, I truly applaud Amish for his first book. Scripting your first book, with 400 pages, needs guts and confidence.

Now the few negatives... The story is set in 1900 BC, but the usage of certain words, like “Dammit, Oh Hell” should have been avoided. I personally believe, no one would have used such words 4000 years ago. Secondly, some of the concepts described in this book, may baffle the readers, e.g. the explanation of the word “Aum”, or the concept of Saptrishis, the name of certain places (like Rajasthan).  But as I said, this is not a Shivpuran, and the readers, who are expecting the “real” mythological Lord Shiva story, will be disappointed.

To sum up, Amish’s “THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA” is a near-perfect book. It will keep you engaged, it will keep you mesmerized, and it will make you chant “Har Har Mahadev”. I am going with 4 out of 5 stars and two thumbs up for Amish’s “THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA”.

Verdict: “THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA” is ENGAGING and FASCINATING, and contains some DARING IDEAS... This Book should and must be read by ALL!!! I am right away ordering the next book in the trilogy.

Book Review : I'M HEARTLESS by VINIT K. BANSAL

“I’M HEARTLESS” is an HONEST CONFESSION

Genre: Romance Fiction

“I’M HEARTLESS” is the first novel by Mr. Vinit K. Bansal. It is the story of Viren, a day dreamer, who dreams that one day he will definitely find his true love (or Pari, as he fondly calls her).  One fine day, he finally finds his Pari, when he falls in love with Rashi, who ‘quite unsurprisingly’ treats him as ‘just a good friend’.  He expresses his strong and true love to Rashi, makes many sacrifices for her, but she continues to treat him like a normal friend. Amidst all this, Viren ignores the true love of Manasi, who is Rashi’s best friend. He ridicules Manasi, ignores her often, but she remains honest and true to him. Viren, instead, waits endlessly for Rashi, and one fine day, Rashi informs him that she in a relationship with Pratap. Viren is heartbroken, and starts behaving like a hopeless loser. At this stage, Manasi takes care of him, and ‘quite unsurprisingly’ they become very close. But, Viren is not the same guy any more. He has lost all his faith over love and relationships. He treats his relationship with Manasi, very casually. There comes a stage, when he becomes total ignorant, mad, psycho, and even gets involved with another girl – Neetika. His life takes a serious turn when Manasi gets to know the truth about him, and his wrong doings. She leaves him, forever!  Years fly by, and Viren realizes that Manasi was the real “Pari” , who he always ignored, and also used as per his needs. He realizes his mistakes and sins, and expresses his “real confessions”, before attempting suicide.

As a first time writer, Vinit K. Bansal has done a good job, and I really liked the way he has penned the character of Viren. It looks very real, and many people can easily relate to him. The second half of the book flows superbly, especially from the scene when Manasi starts taking care of Viren. The book contains many words that may prompt readers to consult a dictionary. But, Vinit has used them aptly. There are certain instances, in other books, where authors have used complex words without knowing the exact meaning and usage. The climax of the book is very good, very engrossing, makes you feel sad as well, and is very well written. Clap Clap Clap!

Enough of Appreciations!!!  

The first half of the book, literally, drags. It is slow, very slow in fact, and most of the scenes are not properly connected to each other. That is the stage, when the reader tends to lose patience. But, as I said earlier, the story kicks off superbly well post “interval”.

The plot, on the whole, is very predictable; in fact, the prologue will tell you the gist of the story. There are many editorial mistakes, for which I will not blame the author. I want to appeal to all the publishers out here, please take care of editorial mistakes. They make a good book, look bad! And lastly, the usage of certain words will force a layman to refer a dictionary every now and then. Usage of complex English words is acceptable, maybe in descriptions etc. But, I personally believe, we don’t use complex English words in normal communication. So such words should be avoided, while writing the dialogues.

On the whole, Vinit K. Bansal’s “I’M HEARTLESS” is a good (yet, not perfect) book. As this is Vinit’s first book, he has done a good job. He has potential, and is here to stay. I am going with 3 out of 5 stars for Vinit K. Bansal’s “I’M HEARTLESS”.

Verdict: Read it. Be Patient with the first half. You will definitely love the second half, because it’s an HONEST CONFESSION.   

Quick Review - Life Is What You Make It

“LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT” is FLAWLESSLY INSPIRING

“LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT” is the second novel by “best selling” author Preeti Shenoy.  Set in early 80s, it is the story of Ankita Sharma – a young, good looking and talented girl. She completes her graduation from St. Agnes (Cochin), and manages to get into a premier MBA college in Bombay (yes not Mumbai, as the story is set in 80s.) Everything goes exceptionally right for her, as she explores her hidden talents and excels and progresses in whatever she does. But a few months later, she gets admitted to a mental health hospital.

“Life Is What You Make It” is the story of how Ankita touches the pinnacle of success, the events that lead to her descent, and how she takes control of her life, and comes out as a WINNER. Thus, proving that life is CERTAINLY what you make it. Preeti Shenoy is, by far, one of the best Indian writers I have read. Her impeccably strong hold on the language, her clarity of the story, and her way of expressing her thoughts are her biggest strengths. As a book, “Life is what you make it” is certainly one of the most well written books in the recent times. The story is well narrated, though it drags a little at certain points, but by the time you finish reading the book, you realise that your life is not that bad either. When the current Indian market is flooded with Love-BreakUp-HeartAche kind of ‘chiclit’ books, “Life Is What You Make It” comes as a fresh breather. Young writers (including myself) should take a cue from Preeti Shenoy, and realise that books can DO WELL, without writing too many slangs.

On the whole, Preeti Shonoy’s “Life Is What You Make It” is FLAWLESSLY INSPIRING. Readers of any age group can and should read this book, at least once. I give 4 stars out of 5, and thumbs up for Preeti Shenoy’s “Life Is What You Make It”.

Verdict: One of the best books in recent times. Flawlessly Written and Inspires to Live... Happily!

Quick Review : Accidentally in Love... With Him? Again?? by Nikita Singh

“ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE... WITH HIM? AGAIN??” is BOLD but NOT BEAUTIFUL

“ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE... WITH HIM? AGAIN??” is the second novel by “best selling” author Nikita Singh.  It’s the story of Chhavi Mukharjee, a struggling print model in Mumbai, who “accidentally” falls in love with Tushar Mehra, a photographer. “Accidentally” because, they had decided to be sex partners only (Friends with Benefits types... or No Strings Attached Types). So, the sex partners very predictably fall in love, and then the problem starts – Expectations, Long distance Relationships, Breakups etc.

As this is Nikita Singh’s second novel, so I am allowed to be a little strict. Firstly, I must applaud Nikita for choosing a bold subject, and scripting it very boldly. But here lies the problem. The story, which starts with a reference to sex, drags slowly, with almost each chapter mentioning about sex and love making. At one stage, the reader tends to feel, bored, and irritated also. It’s not wrong to write love making scenes in the books, in fact, they bring more reality to love stories. However emphasising only on sex makes a story very weak and boring. Too much of everything is bad, and this is one major drawback of this book. Too much of sex! This is the main reason, the story becomes weak, and you don’t feel sad when the characters are sad or happy when they are happy.

Another problem – Young Indian writers are too much (or blindly) following Chetan Bhagat’s style of writing. They don’t understand that, excessive usage of slangs, like ‘F#ck’ etc., makes literature very weak. Or, maybe, they are not writing literature at all. There were times, when people used to read novels, not only for a good story, but also to improve their language skills. But, unfortunately, most of the books written by modern authors do not help in any way. Such kind of literature is called “Fast Food Literature”, and it is also affecting the readership quality.

On the whole, Nikita Singh’s “Accidentally in Love... with him? Again?” is BOLD but NOT BEAUTIFUL. It may go well with the readers, who actually love the “F#ck” lingo and repeated sex scenes”, but the readers of authentic literature will feel a letdown. Just because of a bold attempt, I give 2 stars out of 5, for Nikita Singh’s “Accidentally in Love... with him? Again?”

Verdict: You won’t be disappointed, if this book is not there in your library.

Quick Review - ENTRAPPED by SNEHA KEDAR

ENTRAPPED is a Roller Coaster FUN RIDE

ENTRAPPED is a paranormal fantasy fiction novel by first time author Sneha Kedar. It’s the story of Myra Bose, a fairy but born to human parents. It’s a story about her life and adventures at Fae High (a High School for Faes and Fairies).  Without going into the details of the story line (which you can check at Flipkart.com and many other websites), and coming straight to the book review, I would like to applaud Sneha for her Vision and Imagination. She is a first time author, and she has done a commendable job by imagining all the characters, places and events mentioned in the book. The book, itself, is very easy to read, and quite intriguing. The book is fast paced, and every chapter ends leaving you curious to read the next one. This is one major quality, which I found missing in many other books.

On the “little” flip side, I felt that the pace of this book is too fast. Maybe, it was due to the publisher who may have forced the author to cut down the word-count. But, I personally felt that the events were moving too fast, specially the climax. Another thing which disappointed me, and I actually complain Sneha, for her usage of the word “B##bs”. It was used at only one place, but it destroyed the simplicity and innocence of the book, for a moment. A more aesthetic word would have been a better choice.

On the whole, Sneha Kedar’s Entrapped is a Roller Coaster FUN RIDE. People of all ages can read it, love it, and enjoy it. I give 3.5 stars out of 5, for Sneha Kedar’s Entrapped.

Verdict: It’s Fun. It’s Riveting. It’s a Roller Coster Ride. It’s Worth A Read.