Sunday 31 March 2019

The Sun Shines Down by Sankha Ghosh: a review

There are books that you love from the first glance at the cover.  Then there are those books which seem pretty basic at first but when you read them,  you get to know what they are all about. The sun shines down by Sankha Ghosh is one such book.  Here's something about the book…

About the book- Shreya Basu is a kind of politician India has hardly ever witnessed and that too from a political party which has been suffering from an existential crisis for the last few years. Within impeccable beauty and excellent oratory skills, Shreya Basu’s hot to Fame is no less than a Fairytale. But now she wishes to contest election with the powerful incumbent government at their own bastion. But little did she know about the dirty inlands of this murky game of politics. And, in this topsy-turvy right to power, she came across the enigmatic Hector Fernandes. Obscured by thousands of unanswered questions, Hector Fernandes is haunted by the Ghosts of his past. And, to put them to rest, he wants one single thing. Vengeance. And, when Shreya’s seamless ambition to acquire power meets hectares heathfield stigma of Retribution, it wrecks war.



A political saga like no other,  this book is much more than what it seems it is. First things first,  the cover is pretty simple but if you take a close look at it, you would know what it actually speaks.  The ongoing crisis faced by the nation is depicted wonderfully in the cover. Done in bright colours, it would surely capture your attention to the fullest.  Coming to the writing style, well, it needs a lot of polishing.

The narration skills were really good but the writing style and errors take it one notch down than it already is,  making it sound like a fairytale, yes, but forced one at that. I loved how descriptive the book is and how the author has managed to put across his thoughts in action.  This thriller is an edge of the seat one which will keep your nails biting and you sweating as you keep on reading it.

As for the cons of the book,  the ending and the book in its whole essence couldve been much more tighter than it already is. I took a long time to read it and probably half the credit for that would go to the errors I found in the book.  Having said that, the author has a really good potential which could be used further. Looking forward to reading more books from him, this was a 3 on 5 for me.

Thursday 28 March 2019

Dead to Them by Smita Bhattacharya: a review

This book had me at thriller.  Next, the blurb gave me goosebumps. I agree I took a long time finishing it and an even longer time to write what I felt for the book,  this book is surely there to stay with me. Yes. I'm talking about Smita Bhattacharya's Dead to them.

About the book-Moira Madhwa is the typical young, beautiful and successful urban woman until the day she goes missing. Her friends start looking for her, but quickly realize nothing is as it seems. Moira had kept devastating secrets—secrets that could wreck their lives if revealed. As days roll by, one by one, skeletons tumble out of closets, and each of Moira’s friends’ looks guilty. But did one among them hate her enough to do the worst? A nail-biting, psychological suspense thriller, Dead to Them weaves a web of deception, lies, and paranoia in the city of Mumbai, where every face hides a dark story and uncovering it can lead to disastrous consequences.

See?  Exactly. What might seem a mystery is much more than that. Those who know me would know thriller is my latest forte and this book was a pleasure to read. This does not only have a plot but it has layers enclosed within the safe confines of subplots which mesmerized me as a reader.  A regret that I'll always have is not reading this book at a stretch because of which I had to struggle to keep the feel of the book with me.

Having said that,  once I finished this roller coaster, it challenged me psychologically.  Deception, lies and everything that is mentioned in the blurb actually happens in the book in a way that you might feel it is happening right next to you. Coming to the narrating style,  this book was a crisp read so the narration had to be quick and on its toes. Yes, at certain parts it failed but there were some that amazed me to another level.

Coming to the cons, having read this book I know what the potential of the author is. Sharpening it a bit and another round of proofreading would have made this an amazing experience. All in all, this awesomeness deserves a 3.5 out of 5 from me. Looking forward to reading more from the author.  

Friday 15 March 2019

Until Love Sets us Apart by Aditya Nighhot: a review

White covers always attract me and this book was no different.  Until love sets us apart by debut author Aditya Nighhot is not just any other book.  It is a love story that caught my attention and will be in my mind for a long time to come. To love,  with love; the tagline stole it for me. Here's what the back blurb has to say about the book…



About the book- Aisha and Rohit are like chalk and cheese.  While Rohit is completely aimless and imperfect,  Aisha is focused and a perfectionist. Just two opposites.  But don't they say opposites attract? He loves her. She loves him.  Their wedding is on the cards but their love is put to test when an unforeseen incident hits their lives.

The rest of the blurb says exactly what my feelings were.  “Can loving somebody immensely set you apart?  Can everything just change in the blink of an eye? Inspired from real life incidents,  this Best romance book of the year award winning novel is a heart wrenching tale of true love, friendship,  and destiny. And a young author's quest to find out what exactly happened… “ That's exactly what the book is all about.  What I loved the most about this book was it's writing style. The narrative was bang on which gave me enough space to imagine yet perceive what the writer was trying to tell me.  

At times,  yes, the book gave me the pleasure of thinking that it is written by a debut author. But barring those times,  the book was a delight. There was a simple yet engaging narrative about Rohit and Aisha and many more characters (which I will not talk about because it is for you to know once you read it)!  Written in an exceptionally simple language, this had hindi poems also duly translated which struck me. The impersonal tone that the author has used gave me a personal read to the mind of the characters.

Talking about the cons of the book,  I believe only the grammatical errors could summarize it.  That said, the writing needs to be a bit more polished. A great one time read from a debut author who I would love to read more from,  this one would be a 3.5 out of 5 for me. Looking forward to more books…