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.

State of the Heart - Review

AUTHOR: Nelton D'Souza
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2013
ISBN: 978-93-83271-32-0
GENRE: Anthology of Short Stories

EXCERPT:

This collection celebrates the 3 aspects every human being enjoys - relationships, love and life. You may see them in different lights but they're as interconnected as can get. These stories are about people, not the ones you see and meet often but the ones who are connected more to life, the ones you didn't think could be so interesting. In short, it could be a story about you or someone like you. 

These stories are recommended across all ages and sections of society. They're long enough to be a good company when you need it the most and short enough not to bore you.

REVIEW:

This book came as a surprise to me, not because the author himself gave me the copy of the book but because the author is a friend of mine. Having read his blogs and loved them. My anticipation for the book began, when roughly six months ago Nelton started campaigning for it. I started imagining what kind of stories might be in store, would they be different to the writer I know et al. I don't think I've ever waited so anxiously for a book ever before. And it gives me immense happiness to his efforts, dreams and hard work paying off, it reflects in the pages of the book.

Love and relationships is the central theme of this books and it is clearly reflected in the cover of the book. The cover image and the name made me smile instantly, how could it not? A big heart with several small emotions that bind everything together.   

This book is made up of several short stories, stories that have a long lasting impact. They touch the heart leaving an imprint. There is happiness, there is grief and umpteen untold emotions. Some stories made me imagine, some made me connect to them. The book is a fresh and unconventional, each painting a different sentiment like watercolor on canvas. 

They say, every story is common someone somewhere has lived it. What makes a difference is the way it is written. This book has that, the characters start forming in mind with each line and you get engrossed in it. It charms you completely as you are able to relate to it. The language used is not heavy and easy to understand.   

For a debut author, this is a very beautifully written novel. There are some instances where you feel maybe something could be modified a bit but maybe it is just a personal perspective. On the weaker end, there are some grammatical and typo errors that could have been avoiding while editing. Yet in some ways, this is a good book with lots of wisdom in store.    

RATING: 5.5/10

PRICE: Rs. 199

BINDING: Paperback

PAGES: 146

This is an author-requested review, given for a review copy of the book

Me Before You - Review

AUTHOR: Jojo Moyes

FIRST PUBLISHED: 2012

ISBN: 978-07-181578-38

GENRE: Romance

EXCERPT: 

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.

REVIEW:

There are some stories that touch the very soul; this is one of those stories. By the end of it I had tears streaming down my face. And it took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that it’s over. It made me emotional and though my life bears no resemblance to the story I felt connected. Also though the genre says this is a romance novel, this is much more than romance.

Louisa ‘Lou’ Clark is a regular girl living an ordinary life in a small town with her parents and grandfather. Having recently lost her job at a small café and being hard pressed at money she lands a job as the care taker of a quadriplegic Will Traynor. The story follows the bonding of Lou and Will. The various medical and emotional issues that Will faces and how Lou handles them, sometimes effectively sometimes otherwise.

The author has researched brilliantly on quadriplegia, the complexities of being in that state coupled with the emotional and mental condition. There is a lot of depth in the story, it is not just about a paralyzed person but even the other supporting characters that of the parents, sibling, friends and lovers. The story chalks out wonderfully with a different perspective of every personality. Some stories force you to contemplate, this is one of them. It not only makes you think it stirs your heart, makes you smile and even clenches you tightly with the sentiments.

Saying that it is not beautiful or it didn’t touch my heart would be an understatement. I was so moved by the plot that even now when I’m writing this review, the scenes are playing in my mind like a movie. I felt like I was living with Lou and Will, experiencing the desires and even the deep sated loneliness.

The story is enigmatic, not in the mysterious way but in a life changing manner. There is a profound sadness the kind that is so powerful enough it shakes you completely. When I read the story at first I felt it is a depressing one but on further realization it dawned on me, it makes you emotionally vulnerable. It is more of relatable intricate plot albeit a painful one.

The one thing that is best about it is love that spills from it. People generally these days have a notion love is just about physical relationship, in short materialistic. This story explores love in a different dimension. Friendship, care, companionship these are the feelings that truly make or break a relationship. The constant courage being to be for one and other, till death do us part is explored beautifully. It is much more than romance.

There is a lot to say, but then some things are best experienced. This is a story where you are bound to laugh with the characters in their times of happiness and also you’re so moved in times of grief that you can’t help but cry.

This story in a way talks about the writer, the way she writes. She wins you totally. It is easy to write happy stories but to write painful ones requires a great deal more. Me Before You, in simple words is an intensely emotional and a heart touching story.

Do not miss this one!

RATING: 9.8/10

PRICE: Rs.693
BINDING: Paperback
PAGES: 480

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