Anya's Lyric -Review

AUTHOR: Nikhil Kumar
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2016
ISBN: 9781530307210
GENRE: Fiction
PUBLISHER: Create space Independent Publishing Platform

EXCERPT: (Credits: Goodreads)

A story of one girl's courage in the face of our society's worst offences. Anya's Lyric is the critically acclaimed new book by Nikhil Kumar, that tracks the journey of a young girl's self-discovery and the roads that lead her from a turbulent childhood to peace. We see the world through Anya's eyes - a girl who suffers from a learning disability - and discover places, incidents, and people through her. A girl born on an unlikely day to an unlikely couple, Anya stumbles through her chaotic life that gets undone at every step because of her inability to communicate what she wants to say. Follow her journey of courage, self-discovery, and empowerment as she gradually finds the hidden path to peace.

REVIEW: 

Sometimes when you read something, it stays with you for a while longer. Both to ruminate it and then process it. The longer you sink into it the more mystic it turns out to be. To me this book came across as that; mystical yet linked  together in a very mysterious manner leaving a profound impact on the reader.

There are very few books that compel you to think, to delve deeper. This novel begins that right at the start and takes you through a series of events linked together hooking you till the end. At times it may seem a bit confusing but that's the beauty of it, reading between the lines. 

The novel sticks to the main character Anya, exploring life through her eyes, through her memories. What I liked the most was, even though there were multiple characters none of them crowded the space, the book at the crux was Anya's story and it remained that till the very end. The non-usage of other character names but depicting them by their features, profession et al. was ingenious. 

As the tale unfolds you try to find a pattern, and it is there but just not that obvious. It's not just multi-layered but one story is connected to the other. eventually tying the lose knots at the ends. 

We come to know how Anya came to be, what is it that makes her special? Her journey of being a simple naive child in a ruthless world, who is so very different from others. Is being different bad? was the one question that kept on haunting me all throughout this novel. Perhaps, it is because the world chooses to ignore you, to mock you, to not understand you. But it is after all, the 'power of one' your own self to evolve or to suffer. Even though Anya was different, she was courageous in her own ways. 

The writing style is lyrical, the imagery and setting brilliantly graphic making you feel like you're in the moment. The language is crisp and the words artful. The novel has the power to transfer you to an alternate universe where Anya lives and you're just a spectator. Reminded me of the pensive experience from Harry Potter. Although the novel is short and can be finished in one setting, it took me time because of my over hectic schedule. And even though I read it three slots it didn't feel like I needed to begin from the start, I could connect to it even then, that's the beauty.

Read it to cherish it. Simple, poignant and deeply touching. Do give it a try.

RATING: 4/5
PRICE: Rs. 564| $ 7.54
BINDING: Paperback
PAGES: 182

P.S: You can also check out the review here,
Goodreads
Amazon India

I got this book from The Readers Cosmos as part of their Book Review Program.

Love, Peace & Happiness - Review

AUTHOR: Rituraj Verma
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2012

ISBN: 978-93-81836-34-7

GENRE: Anthology of short stories

EXCERPT: 

Each story centers on the life of an urban middle class character caught in a set of circumstances beyond his or her control. A hindu girl living in with a muslim boy is suddenly in the glare of global media in a reality TV show, a divorced cynical man faces the prospects of committing himself to a prostitute, a highly talented small town girl must chose between life and death. All must resolve the conflicts within their beliefs. 

REVIEW:

It was a normal day; everything was the same with the same old routine when I got a mail from the author himself asking me to review his book on the other blog that I managed. I was astonished but nevertheless accepted the offer. 

The cover was the very first thing that impressed me, it was the perfect culmination of the title and though it was simple it held you, the same cannot be said about the title. This novel is a collection of several short stories. Every story has a different theme yet the core genre is maintained throughout. The book comprises of a total of nine different stories each circulating around the relationships, way of living, trials and tribulations that the normal person faces. How these factors are responsible for impacting the various spheres of life and most importantly relationship. 

What is good about this book is that it is nicely written, the characters as well as the circumstances are relatable. The people in the story are real because everyone is different and everyone experiences things differently. There were instances when I felt like questioning the protagonist and even the author, really can someone be so very like this. At that moment I got my answer, “What is meat for one is poison for another!” truly you and I even if we face similar issues we deal with them in our own different manner. And with this concept in mind, the author introduced the concept of alternate ending. This is a very unique idea but personally I did not like it much, reason being simple you read for pleasure for seeking answers to the untold questions. But what if, the story itself leaves you in a dilemma and you end up complicating everything around. This being said, when you actually are able to relate to the character and the circumstances completely. 

For me as a reader who takes in everything this was not a one setting read, it took me a maximum of two days. This happened because I kept on thinking is an alternative end better or was this perfect? The one best thing about this novel is that the stories are not dragged beyond a point, where the reader eventually starts losing interest. The stories keep you engaged and you feel like exploring it. It was like a psyche analysis thing for me, getting to know the characters deeply and relating to them. Though this is not a self help or a healing book, it helps you.

Being a first time author this book was a good attempt to explore love and relationships in another light. Yet there are times when you feel something is missing, maybe it is just because the writing is a bit messed up and rushed up, which could have been avoided. Anyways, it is a simple book that focuses on the current contemporary lifestyle and urban issues, a bit philosophical too which in a way forces you to contemplate in a good way.

Given a choice, would I recommend this book to a friend? Yes, I would.   

RATING: 6/10
PRICE: Rs. 145
BINDING: Paperback
PAGES: 223

The Bankster -Review

This review was originally written on my first and only blog "Clandestine Rendezvous" as a part of the BlogAdda book review program. But due to some personal reasons I have shut down the blog. Hence, this review has been taken down from there and put up here.

AUTHOR: Ravi Subramanian
FIRST PUBLISHED:  2012

ISBN:  978-81-291-2048-9

GENRE:  Fiction, Financial Crime

EXCERPT: 

Bankers build their careers on trust, or so everyone thinks, till a series of murders threatens to destroy the reputation that Greater Boston Global Bank has built over the years. Who is behind these killings, and what is their motive? Is the banker at GB2 fast turning into a bankster?Or was he always one?

REVIEW:

This is the very first time I'm reading the author and I agree with The Wall Street Journal that rightly calls him the John Grisham of Banking. Winner of the Golden Quill’s Readers Awards he’s none other than Ravi Subramanian and he is back with another crime thriller.

The backdrop is again a banking environment for which the author is famous for, but what sets this novel apart is the concept of two parallel series going along with the main plot. The prelude begins in Angola where a secret CIA agent Joseph Braganza plans to exchange military weapons for uncut blood diamonds. Following this the plot suddenly changes and you land in an entirely different setting. Devikulam, Kerala where an old man fights for justice with his wife and son; with an added twist of a nuclear attack some years later that is somehow all interlinked.

The story sets in almost more than a decade later in the Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) opening with Vikram Bhal the flamboyant and shrewd Head of Retail Banking GB2 and Tanuja, the Head HR in a conversation. As the story progresses you realize Vikram is not only cunning but also dual and manipulative in every sense and Tanuja isn’t far behind. The plot focuses on the Bandra branch of the bank where everything is not as it seems and no one can trust another; double crosses, deceit and looks rule. Apart from the little issues and corruption life at the bank is pretty normal until accidents and suicides of employees start happening all of a sudden. What seem as regular deaths all happening at once due to some personal reason or external affairs are coined as murders by an ex-employee. Karan Punjabi a financial editor at the Times of India and an ex-employee of the GB2 firmly believes there is a much greater mystery behind the sudden deaths of the employees. Also they all are linked to Bandra branch one way of the other and thus starts the journey of unraveling the mystery with the help of the CEO.

The plot keeps on shifting to Devikulam, Kerala where the old man fights the government to be transparent about the nuclear power plant project in the vicinity and back to GB2 Mumbai. At times it gets difficult to relate where all this is heading. Personally, I had to leaf backward through pages to read about a certain character again. At that point, there is loss of focus and one keeps on thinking how all of this is interconnected, as there are no interconnections but the story just moves along in a parallel fashion.

The good thing is that at the end all the queries, the parallel story backdrop all is answered and there is no loose string which one can question. Another strong point of the novel is the writer’s ability to maintain the mystery till the very end. The climax keeps you on your toes and you yourself get involved.

For people who love corporate thrillers and even for those like me who have recently started liking thriller, this is a must read. The Bankster is not only well researched and presented but also incorporates the conventional corporate lifestyle.

I enjoyed reading it and I hope you too will love it. The 358 pages don’t look much once you begin reading; at least I read the book in one go.

Happy Reading Folks !

RATING:  8.7/10
PRICE:  Rs.250
BINDING:  Paperback
PAGES: 358

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

Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Totalitarian Future Society

AUTHOR: George Orwell FIRST PUBLISHED: 1949

ISBN: 978-0-452-28423-4 

GENRE: Dystopian, Political Fiction, Social Science Fiction

EXCERPT:

Nobody heard what Big Brother was saying. It was merely a few words of encouragement, the sort of words that are uttered in the din of battle, not distinguishable individually but restoring confidence by the fact of being spoken. Then the face of Big Brother faded away again, and instead the three slogans of the Party stood out in bold capitals: 

War is Peace

Freedom is Slavery

Ignorance is Strength.

REVIEW:

Published in 1949 and set in the imaginary future, Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of the most brilliant satires on totalitarianism and the power-hungry. The world is divided into three countries: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia.

The story is set in London, Oceania an illusory world that is far from the best. It is one of the three intercontinental super-states formed after the global war. The state of Oceania is run by a Party led by Big Brother, where privacy is a long lost cause and not only an individual’s behavior but also thoughts censored.
         
Several struggled against the pervasive Big Brother who dictated the lives of people but none were ever successful under the rightful eye of the Party.

The story unfolds depicting the life of Winston Smith the main protagonist, a member of the outer party who is repulsed with the oppressed and controlled life in Oceania and longs to join the Brotherhood, a supposed group of rebels with a basic intent of overthrowing the Party. Winston is quiet a thinker who hopes for the Party’s downfall and maintains a diary that holds his thoughts and ideas yet living a slow and safe life working as an editor in the Ministry of Truth. During this course of time, he meets and falls in love with Julia and an illicit affair brews in the background. O’Brien is the final protagonist, a faithful member of the inner party who poses as one amongst the Brotherhood luring Winston to join in, indirectly setting a trap for him and Julia to fall and give into the government.

The book focuses on the journey of Winston Smith, his belief and his dreams in an attempt to escape the clutches of Big Brother and the Party and also from a society that has robbed one’s free will.

On a whole the book is descriptive and informative and warns of the horrifying dangers that man himself may create in his quest for power.

Orwell's main goal in writing this novel was to warn of the serious dangers totalitarianism poses to society and the startling degree to which such an authoritarian reign can acquire and maintain.

At the end, we are left with a feeling that freedom comes with a price, though it is not always achieved. Although the plot is a terrifying and disturbing at times, it is one of the best portrayals of a dystopian world. Nineteen Eighty-Four rightly deserves accolade, not only for its diverse outlook and thinking that makes one seek and question not just the government but also oneself.


RATING: 10/10

PRICE: Rs. 134
BINDING: Paperback
NUMBER OF PAGES: 326

P.S: This is one of my favorite novel and so the very first review. Also the opinion at the end is what I felt about the novel. 

-Fatima