Amidst the Whirlwind by Sayan Banerjee: a review

In the midst of all the light and extreme breathtaking books that you might read on a daily basis, this sparkling debut by Sayan Banerjee titled Amidst the Whirlwind is something that will take you aback. To begin with, the cover dutifully done in black enhances the whole feel of the book which makes it all the more tempting to pick it up. The back cover says a lot about the book but don't just keep it at that. Read on to find out…

About the book- Trapped in the labyrinth of the 21st century, this novella is an expression of the underlying conflict of the social, emotional, and the carnal turmoil of the narrator. Surfing through the waves of morality, immorality, helplessness, the narrator with journalism as his surfboard takes us through an enthralling, nail biting and emotional roller-coaster ride that is bound to raise the heartbeat of the audience just a bit more. The whirlwind inside our minds confront us every now and then and we are trying to cope with our existential crisis. The embedded emotions, realisations and the conflict that the narrator experiences is an apt metaphor of the current modern world…

Having got the opportunity to read this book before it's release (and yes, it's released now) this book made me sit and think. The book is set in Kolkata and that made me relate to the book even more. I loved the way the blurb itself caught my eyes enough to pick this one book. The way the blurb has been written carefully showcases the writing style of the journalist that the author is.

Starting with the characters of the book, I loved the way the author has sketched the characters. The graph of every character was properly shown and that is commendable for a debut author. The story is free flowing and never looks clumsy. While reading the story, as it isn't with many authors these days, you as a reader could very well imagine the scenario and feel as if you're a part of what's going on in the book. My favorite character has to be Manni!

For the cons of the book I would like to mention the fact that after reading the blurb I had huge expectations out of the author. And I would have to mention that I was a tad bit disappointed with the writing style dripping a notch. Grammatical errors and a few errors here and there set aside, the book was overall a worthy read. Once the book got over I really wanted to know what happens next and that's very important for any author I believe. Since it is a novella, I felt that it should've been a bit more crisp. All that said, this one book is worth the read and it takes aalot to give in such a bold attempt at first go. Commending the writer on the same, I would give it 3.5 out of 5.