It Must Have Been Love by Jigar Prajapati | Book Review

 

It Must Have Been Love by Jigar Prajapati

Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

It Must Have Been Love by Jigar Prajapati

Author: Jigar Prajapati

ISBN: 978-9390441068

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 168 Pages

Publication Date: 8th December 2020

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3y8WHM0

About the author:

Jigar Prajapati holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Having finished his schooling in regional language, writing a book in English seemed like a distant dream. But writing became his passion during his post-graduation in Construction Management. Now, along with being a well-known builder in Ahmedabad, he is also writing to his heart’s content.

Jigar Prajapati

Instagram: @jigar_author

Facebook: @JigarMPrajapati

REVIEW

It Must Have Been Love, as the title and cover suggest, is a contemporary romance book written with the plainest of words that stirs up a storm of thoughts, questions, opinions, and judgments regarding the characters’ actions; whether they are right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate, good or bad. While some dramatic fragments seem to be inspired by Bollywood and daily soap operas, other segments are creative, fun, and cleverly plotted that keep you rooted in the story being told. 

The book starts with chapter zero called ‘The Beginning’ where Jigar has used author surrogate to narrate the chapter with humour. However, that doesn’t last long as he finds one of the lead characters Maan crying at the airport. The rest of the chapters are narrated by Maan, telling his story until the last chapter, which is again narrated by the author surrogate.

Maan’s story starts with his first day at college followed by the making of friends and their hostel adventures. Here, he becomes best friends with Naaz, who is a brilliant character. While they are still not sure about their feelings for each other, Maan decides to marry the girl he met in the process of matchmaking upon his parents’ insistence. This results in subsequent imprudent choices that they both are going to regret later. Maan and Naaz are pretty decent characters but confused AF nonetheless. This makes them classically tragic hero and heroine. 

What I liked:

My most favourite part of this book is the ending that starts shortly before the author surrogate takes over the narration once again. The end makes it up for the mess that has been created by these two. Again, Jigar and his wife, Mona steal the show with their humour-filled venture. 

Secondly, I liked many scenes that could be viewed independently of the storyline, character arcs, etc. These are mostly witty situations sprinkled throughout the book. For instance, Hostel Diaries, College Fun Moments, Attending Marriage and Other Functions, Friendship Goals, etc.

Lastly, I admire the fact that this book is balanced in every way. For instance, I think there is the presence of karma, which serves the characters well. There is also a balance of misery and pleasure, love and deceit, f-ups created by Maan and Naaz, etc. 

What I disliked: 

The book is written in plain language that obviously goes to follow ‘tell, don’t show’, which is quite understandable, although it leaves the onus on readers to wholly interpret and comprehend the storyline, scenes, character arcs, and most importantly, relationship dynamics with the text constrained by limited creativity and exposition.

Another thing that I didn’t like about this book is that I found Maan to be an unreliable narrator. 

Lastly, the typical dramatic stuff, particularly, the ones that went to an extent to make you believe that it’s not the choices of a person but the destiny that is to be blamed.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: The Myth: Prince Chandra and Demon's War by Dr. Piyush Kumar

Book Review

The Myth: Prince Chandra and Demon's War by Dr. Piyush Kumar

The Myth: Prince Chandra and Demon's War by Dr. Piyush Kumar

Author: Dr. Piyush Kumar

ISBN: 978-1644295229

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Length: 287 Pages

Publisher:  NotionPress.com (2018)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/35HY5Y6

About the author: 

Piyush Kumar is a doctor who grew up in the small towns of Bihar and Jharkhand. As a child, he was fond of listening to the stories of kings, kingdoms, demons and hunters. As he grew up, his fascination for stories grew as well. What began as a simple practice of listening to stories turned into a serious habit, as he started reading novels of master storytellers. This inspired Piyush to tell good stories. Soon after his graduation, he started writing stories.

Then there was a time when it became difficult for him to write. Writer's block, perhaps? But soon the story of a boy, a prince-to-be, who had everything taken from him, cropped up in his mind. Thus, began an adventurous and intriguing journey into the mythical world of Aryavart. The journey is an ongoing one.

The author lives in Ranchi where he is a practicing surgeon. During his free time at home, he lives his childhood dream of sharing stories with his parents, wife and friends.

Follow him on Instagram: @themyth_novelseries

Connect with the author on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piyush2602

REVIEW

It won’t be a long insightful review like usual, rather an average length. I’ll just point out what you need to know about this book.

The Myth: Prince Chandra and Demon’s War is a fictional story set in ancient India, maybe before Medieval India. It can be categorized as a fantasy because it had dark magic aspects also. Talking about the narration, it was third-person point of view and followed many characters throughout the plot.

Along with that comes writing style, it was exhausting. Author has used very simple language, though expositions are divided into many numbers of short sentences which was really tiring to read. There were paragraphs which I thought could be interpreted in one sentence as well. Other than that, this habit resulted in redundancy. Like the same thing was being conveyed through various different sentences. So, according to me, the narration was bit stretched otherwise, the format, sequence of different scenes were good.

Location and setting were great. The portion of Aryavart on which author focused in the book was built just perfect, the Gurukul and Sindhudurg are fine example of that. Talking about the theme, the plot was mysterious and very unpredictable as it was completely concealed from the reader what actually was going on. The secrets indeed were revealed on the go which made sense. The action part of the book is really interesting, as I’m writing this, I remember those scenes. My favorites were the one battle in grassland and the fight in the climax.

Although the end wasn’t much interesting to me because of some reasons but the climax was satisfying. Also, few supporting characters were just strong and amazing like Aditi and a few of Gurus.

Meanwhile, the writing style thing ruined my experience of this book and it became too confusing when the narrator talked about people without addressing them by specific identities, like an old man, the person who did this and that. That’s all. Good plot and exhausting writing style which consumed much more time than it should.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: The Curse of Anuganga by Harini Srinivasan

Book Review

The Curse of Anuganga by Harini Srinivasan

The Curse of Anuganga by Harini Srinivasan

Author: Harini Srinivasan

ISBN: 978-8193642498

Genre: Historical Fiction (Mystery)

Length: 280 Pages

Publisher: TreeShade Books (28 April 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2KzF00u

About the author:

An aficionado of literature, history and dance, Harini Srinivasan has found innovative ways of bringing her passions to her work. Among her achievements is her contribution as an editor of several prestigious publications published by the Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, such as Selected Speeches of the President: Pranab Mukherjee; The Republican Ethic: Selected Speeches of Shri Ram Nath Kovind; Indian Dance – Through a Critic’s Eye; Abode Under the Dome; Legends of Indian Silver Screen; and Selected Speeches of the Vice President: M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Harini Srinivasan

She also has to her credit a children’s book “The Wizard Tales - Adventures of Bun-Bun” (now into its second print) and a blog on classic Hindi films and books. Along the way, she undertook different roles (Civil Servant, Project Manager, Communications Professional and Editor) across countries (India, Germany and the Netherlands). A doting mother of a 10 year old son, Harini Srinivasan lives with her family in Gurgaon.

Check her blog: www.bagsbooksandmore.wordpress.com

Follow her on Instagram: @hsriniv12

Twitter Handle: @HSriniv12
Visit her Website: http://harinisrinivasan.com/

REVIEW

Narration

The Curse of Anuganga is a Historical Fiction based on the history of Vakataka dynasty capital, which is Nandivardhana. Driving the inspiration from the history of ancient India, the author Harini Srinivasan has tried to put her views and story which could have caused the mysterious events that took place at the end of the 4^th century. The story is narrated in the third-person point of view which follows the main character Shaunaka. The author has tried her best to portray Ancient India with the wealth of rich culture of architecture, developed imperial government, language and literature. She has used many Sanskrit words throughout the book quite often which affected the efficiency of writing style. The writing style and the structure is very good and the story is consistent and average paced throughout the book.

Location and Setting

The story takes place in 403 CE when the Rani Prabhavatigupta (390 CE – 410 CE) was the regent Queen, ruling over the kingdom Nandivardhana on behalf of her two young sons. Harini Srinivasan has successfully portrayed the image of this kingdom and how it worked, it is just perfect and is a remarkable point about The Curse of Anuganga. There are different quarters in the kingdom of Nandivardhana and the story mainly revolves around Buddhist Quarter, Administrative Quarter, Jewellers’ Quarter and the market of the city. The book also described the infrastructure of various constructions which added value to the magnificent period of Indian history.

Theme

The Curse of Anuganga follows a murder mystery and the constant threat to the kingdom from an unknown source throughout the course. The main character Shaunaka is the son of a well-known goldsmith, Vishnuveera. The prologue and the opening took me by surprise and my expectation got higher, but nothing sort of happened until towards the end. After studying the theories about Kalidasa, author went along with the theory that associates Kalidasa to the court of King Chandragupta II. So, there is this great element to read about, which is Mahakavi and his invaluable creations and accomplishments.

Plot

Shaunaka is given the charge to work on the bride’s jewellry at the corner house in Buddhist Quarters. Unfortunate Shaunaka and his brother Ashwini find themselves in front of the Vinayashura’s dead body. Vinayashura, the owner of that corner house who was rumored to have deep connections with the royal family, was mysterious enough to Shaunaka and now after the murder, he is intrigued to know more about the mystery at hand. Because of their logic and keen observation skills, Shaunaka and Ashwini have land duty of assisting the head of police to solve this murder. Also another event, the royal wedding of the prince is facing the obstacles and both mysteries are causing a threat to the security of Nandivardhana.

My Views

The use of Sanskrit might have compromised the capacity of the narration but it was very essential to the story and it was fun to learn bits of Sanskrit this way. I loved many characters and the list includes Devi Tanirika (wife of Vinayashura and mother of bride─ Tarika), Pitamahi Ahalyabai (Grandmother of Shaunaka and Ashwini), Bharavi and Yakshvatsa. I expected more from the character of Mahakavi Kalidasa. The story was not much intriguing as it was just moving straight forward without any major events in between. Thus, the climax was burdened with all the mysteries. While the language, setting and the representation of mysterious events in the ancient history of India were expertly carried out.

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Book Review: A Year of Wednesdays by Sonia bahl | Exceptionally Brilliant

Book Review

A Year of Wednesdays by Sonia Bahl

A Year of Wednesdays by Sonia Bahl

Author: Sonia Bahl

ISBN: 978-9388810654

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Length: 280 Pages

Publisher:  FingerprintPublishing (1 March 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2LYIKvw

About the author:

Born and raised in Kolkata, Sonia has lived and worked in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Jakarta, Miami, Brussels, Johannesburg, and Singapore. With home being everywhere and nowhere, her belief in the power of the moment became a religion. An affirmation that unexpected and undeniable human connections are everything. Meanwhile, on the work front, she spent a huge chunk of her life, her days, and sleepless nights, in advertising—writing ads for all things from coffee and cars to condoms and candy—while dreaming of morphing 30-second commercials to full-length feature films. Not surprisingly, she threw caution, and her full-time job as creative director, to the winds and embarked on a riveting rejection-filled screenwriting journey in the US.

Finally her day job entails writing movies! In a recent, delightful plot twist, her debut novel, The Spectacular Miss, was optioned by a leading Bollywood studio and she was commissioned to write the screenplay. Sonia writes and re-writes in Singapore where she lives with her menagerie: gorgeous itinerant daughter, honorary proofreader husband, and her made-for-the-movies golden retriever, Ari Gold.

Sonia Bahl in conversation with HerStory

Follow the author on Instagram: @soniabahl.ink

Twitter Handle: @soniabahl
Check out her Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/soniabahl.writer/

REVIEW

A Year of Wednesdays is a work of Contemporary-Fiction, written with exceptional brilliancy and I’m not even exaggerating. The book felt more like an impromptu journey than a perfect plotted story. It’s a first-person point of view narration of two strangers connected through their first and only encounter. I found it wittiest that how these characters present their point of view to each other and even in their own minds. And oh, I can’t even describe how well the writing style is, like A++ minus─ (minus), eventually A+++. It is absolutely brilliant, the author Sonia Bahl enlightens us with insights on the planet & its population, climate change, lefties, a lot of movies and quotes.

"You should never have to tell someone how to love you."

The strangers are called Seat 7A and Seat 7B. Seat 7A is the cool Wall Street guy and Seat 7B is the mom-with-the-drool-stained-sweater-and-ordinary-aspirations. After the first encounter, they leave and continue to live their distinct and way too different lifestyles in New York. Seat 7A is a goal-oriented working in an oil-trading firm. Seat 7B works for a small nature fund, she’s a green warrior. Seat 7A has a girlfriend; Natasha is nothing-or-nobody-can-stand-between-me-and-my-career girl. Seat 7B is married to her love of life, Riz with two kids and one of them is a toddler. They have a pet also.

"Losing someone is always unfair."

A Year of Wednesdays, the collection of Wednesdays to look into their individual life and understand their perspective on life, whether it’s all about winning or the love and why is that? They might have left the flight, but not the memories of never-ending arguments. It’s like they are living in each other’s mind, still connected. Sonia Bahl has represented their lives in Wednesdays, through their daily struggles and for one reason or another happens to remember those arguments and defend their point of views.

"Imagine what a gift it is to have someone give you their full attention because they really do want to hear you."

One thing they don’t know is, what the other one’s going through currently in their life. The Wednesdays continue with its course, portraying moments of happiness, sorrow, fun, their life stories and never-ending thoughts. The major conflict of the book is capitalism and how that approach to the economy does not take into consideration the preserving of natural resources. The constant use of such economic system can result in depletion of natural resources and that we are living at the expense of our future generation. Anyways, Seat 7A does his job as demanded, enjoying the perks of being a trader and exaggerate the idea of saving the earth and there’s nothing wrong in what he is doing, supporting capitalism through oil trading firm. He would not understand the idea of pausing and reflecting back on life. Seat 7B is all about little moments of love, joy and kindness, she believes that if her boys learn and teaches kindness, her job is done. But we all know that nothing’s right or wrong. It always varies.

Towards the end, the author Sonia Bahl opens the secret doors to their lives, reveals their close-to-heart moments and the life stories, and explains what makes them who they are now. As the pages turn, the words seem to be touched by poignance. The feeling grows intense of confronting each other and putting the full stop to the never-ending arguments they’re having in the head. And that is what exactly happens.

"I can't decide if it's worse to carry the load of crazy sadness from losing a parent or the one that comes from knowing you'll never miss a parent you'll lose."

You would ask what all so good about A Year of Wednesdays, I will say ‘EVERYTHING’. As you start reading the book, you start laughing out loud. Like, the analogies and the comparisons the author has used are hilarious sometimes. Moving forward, you get used to the fun and joyful moments. A Year of Wednesdays is full of references─ quotes, movies, pop-culture and what not. Yes, Harry Potter is also a part of this, whose 39^th birthday was the last Wednesday of July. There are life-changing and life-saving insights that made me wonder only, how didn’t I know this before. That adorable couple parenting two little boys. With that, emotions take over you─ love, compassion, care and warmth. Then comes the feelings of sorrow and loss. But that humour, insights and arguments never fade away. In the end, the book leaves you filled with emotions yet numb. You get so used to with those impactful and captivating characters that you would not want to leave them because that means giving up those ever-lasting Wednesdays.

HAPPY READING WEDNESDAY!

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Book Review: Ringo and the Yogi by Prasun Roy | Children's Literature

Book Review

Ringo and the Yogi by Prasun Roy

Ringo and the Yogi by Prasun Roy

Author: Prasun Roy

ISBN: 978-9387022621

Genre: Children’s Literature and Fiction

Length: 184 Pages

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors (10th June 2019)

My Ratings: 4.5/5

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2Je3uwT

About the author:

Prasun Roy lives with his family in Kolkata and writes stories in genres of adventure, mystery, thrill and young adult fiction. He is the Director of his family-owned business of pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing. Professionally trained in western classical piano, he is also an active blogger.

Prasun Roy

Follow him on Instagram: @prasun.author.2018

Check out his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/prasun.roy.581

Twitter Handle: @PrasunRoy1981

REVIEW

Narration

Ringo and the Yogi is a fictional story mainly for children between ages 6 to 12. The story is narrated in the third-person point of view. The story follows a kid named Ringo, who has just turned ten. Ringo and the Yogi mostly contain exposition and there are fewer dialogues and conversations comparatively. Considering the age group, the writing style is great and expositions are very well written that it emotionally connects with you. There are all sorts of experiences we face in our childhood and make us reminisce those memories.

Location and Setting

Ringo lives in Kolkata and is a member of Bharat Scouts and Guides, a boys scout group, in which he would be able to experience adventurous activities like trekking, skating, nature studies and so on after he has turned ten. Ringo gets selected for a ten-day long expedition to a trekking camp at Joshimath, Uttarakhand. So, the book contains all the expositions about the beauty of those hills and Mother Nature. The author Prasun Roy has mentioned every detail about the camp and about trekking.

Theme

Ringo and the Yogi is a children’s literature and fiction book. At first, Ringo is yearning for his parents to spend time with him. His father’s job and the timings don’t allow him to do so. His mother always working at household, doesn’t realize that she’s spending much time with her son. As being parents they love Ringo and when he goes far away for trekking and alone for the first time, they realize it. Whereas Ringo meets his best friend Sambhu, the Yogi. Yogi says he is a hundred years old and carries a lot of stories and experiences with him. Ringo listens to his stories of bravery, Mother Nature and the wrath of God. Also when Ringo was feeling alone, he consoles Ringo and teaches some great life lessons which are worth reading.

Plot

The story begins with Ringo’s birthday and we get to know much about Ringo and his family and friends and what he is suffering from. Later, as he has turned ten, gets selected for the ten days long expedition to trekking camp, where the Yogi resolves his all confusions and leads him towards self-confidence and shows him a direction to follow. Also, there is a big message about Mother Nature and the calamities we are facing, that how we continue to bleed Mother Nature even after facing such wrath of God. Yogi’s character is very very interesting and I loved his character personally. A sudden and unpredicted cloudburst in Uttarakhand causes devastating floods and landslides. At this time to rescue his campmates, Ringo takes a brave step and try to reach the nearby army camp which is two valleys ahead of their base camp with the help of Yogi, but it is an impossible task. So, you will need to read the book to know what happens.

"The path to success and victory needs to be walked alone; only at the end you would find the company of your loved ones to cheer over your triumph."

My Views

The book contains illustrations also that is great for a children’s book like this. The Yogi became my favorite character and his lessons are really worth applying in real life. The book holds a great message about climate change and now at this point in time, we know how things will turn out if we continue to harm Mother Nature. The exposition is the very essence of the book as it directly connects with you without the need for dialogues. In the end, I would say that you need to read this and recite to young kids or children and it will definitely make a positive difference.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: Narasimha by Kevin Missal (The Mahaavatar Trilogy Book 1)

Book Review

Narasimha by Kevin Missal

Narasimha by Kevin Missal

Author: Kevin Missal

ISBN: 978-9353570767

Genre: Mythological Fiction (Fantasy)

Length:  350 Pages

Publisher: HarperCollins India (10th June, 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2X0IZMw

About the author:

Kevin Missal wrote his first book at the age of 14, and at 22, the St Stephens graduate is a bestselling author and a fulltime writer, with the first two books in his Kalki series being runaway successes. Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar of Vishnu and its sequel Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma have sold one lakh copies in under a year.

Kevin Missal

Kevin loves fantasy fiction and has always been a fan of mythology. His books have been featured in publications like The Sunday Guardian, The New Indian Express and Millennium Post.

Follow him on Instagram: @kevin_9695

Check out his Facebook Page: Kevin Missal

Twitter Handle: @kevin_missal

REVIEW

Narration

Narasimha is first of ‘The Mahaavatar Trilogy’, the reimagining of mythological tale about Lord Narasimha, fourth Avatar of Lord Vishnu. Narasimha is written in third-person narrative, where chapters are narrated through different POV characters. The thoughts of particular characters are presented in each chapter. The story starts with prologue, where POV character is Kayadhu, Hiranyakashyap’s wife. Hiranyakashyap is ruler of the Asura Empire. The writing style is simple yet gripping.

Location and Setting

As we all know that Narasimha is the fourth Vishnu Avatar from time of Satya Yuga according to Hindu mythology. The story takes place in the world of Illavarti, a fictionalized fantastical version of Vedic Age. The conception of this world is just amazing and more realistic. Asuras are foreigners from island of Pataal and Devas are foreigners from island of Swarg. Apart from Manavs, there are Danavs, Nagas, Shivas, Ganas and Simhas. And Nara belongs to the Tribe of the Simhas, thus Narasimha. The story reflects the rich architecture through fortresses and palaces. There are mountains and rivers; Mandara hills are talked about often as almost half of the story revolves around Sonitpur (where Andhaka rules─ Hiranya’s nephew) and the mini kingdom of Shiva, which are situated at the feet of these hills. City of Kashyapuri is ruled by Hiranya and the story depicts the type of corrupt government he leads.

Theme

Narasimha falls under the category Myths, Legends and Sagas. There are different beings with opposite beliefs. Devas stand for Dharm and Asuras stand for Adharm. So the wars are being fought for one reason or another. And Indra has made it worse by breaking the truce, not once but twice. Kevin Missal has done great job by putting in perspectives of both Devas and Asuras without being biased that reader will find it difficult to sympathize with either of them. We all have heard this tale at some point of our life as a part of Holika Dahan tradition. An epic of the legends like Prahlad, Hiranyakashyap, Holika and Narasimha. Prahlad who being son of Asura king, starts worshiping Lord Vishnu, however that was most essential for eradicating Adharm and that provides the central point for this novel.

Characters

Narasimha is full of characters and I think, is the sole essence of the book apart from the story itself. Kevin Missal has provided with such distinct voices through the POV characters that I loved all of them. Kevin presented such definite vision through the third-person POV of such discrete characters that made me question whether the character is wrong at all even if he/she is rebellious and depraved. Kevin Missal has created such strong and phenomenal characters. Narasimha the soldier. Anuhrad and Prahlad. Anuhrad goes to help his cousin Andhaka (main antagonist for this novel) by the orders of his father. Prahlad remains in the city for being interim king of Kashyapuri while his father Hiranya, goes to fight with Vigyasa against Lord Agni. Hiranya’s sister Holika is searching for the mastermind behind the Vishnusena, a threat to the Asura Empire. 

SPOILER ALERT!

Plot

Well, the storyline for this first installment is all about Hiranyakashyap getting that ultimate boon/weapon from Lord Brahma and Prahlad converting from non-believer to believer and betraying his own subjects. The book ends with the epilogue stating that it won’t be that easy for Narasimha to protect Dharm.

“In the name of religion, one must preach and spread peace, not violence.”

My Views

The story was very unpredictable and bit slow at first until Holika made her first appearance. Then it started to build speed and remained steady but was still unpredictable. The story then accelerated when Hiranya discovers about Brahmashastra but it still remained unpredictable despite the fact that we all know this tale since childhood. The character arcs are very dynamic, be it Holika or Prahlad. Each supporting character contributes to the storyline. The conception of weapons and the stones that fuels them, like any other modern fiction but is meaningful for the future of story. Romance is the inevitable part of the storyline and gives the very reason for the succeeding plot. The end is satisfying and I am already waiting for the sequel.

Final words. This book is an epic in the true sense for author has mind-blowingly written providing multi perspective view of ancient epic, makes it more realistic and more stimulating.

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Chamaeleonaire by Dhiraj Sindhi | Fantasy Fiction Story

Hello, readers fam, friends and fiction lovers! I am back with another endeavor and to practice storytelling via this blog. Thank you so much for your support all the way here.

FOR MORE CONTENT PLEASE FOLLOW MY BLOG (Click the button here somewhere👉)

Featuring

The Art of Animation

Picture credits: The Art of Animation

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DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Chamaeleonaire

A Fantasy Fiction by Dhiraj Sindhi

Book Review: Rewind and play by Tarun Gautam

Book Review

Rewind and Play by Tarun Gautam

Rewind and Play by Tarun Gautam

Author: Tarun Gautam

ISBN: 978-8193642474

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Length: 166 Pages

Publisher: TreeShade Books (16 February 2019)

My Ratings: 3.5/5

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2QSb2HP

About the author:

Tarun Gautam or TeeGee is a free thinker and a writer with a soul. When not penning books, he is the Regional Sales Head for a leading banking technology firm and has travelled to over 20 countries. He believes experiencing varying cultures of countries such as Latvia and South Africa have given him a unique world-view.

Tarun Gautam

An engineer and an executive MBA from IIM Lucknow, Tarun played a key role in the formative years of two consulting start-ups. Tarun is also a keen golfer and yoga enthusiast.

Follow him on Instagram: @tarungautam4777
Check out his Goodreads Page: Tarun Gautam

Twitter Handle: @tg4777

REVIEW

Narration

Rewind and Play: Hostel diaries of a frustrated B.Tech is, as the title suggests─ collection of hostel memories. The story begins with Raghav Diwan accepting the award for ‘most innovative consumer product of the year’. The story is narrated in the third-person point of view. Later, Raghav Diwan meets his batch mates from the hostel in evening get-together and the story kicks off. They all start reciting their best memories from their graduation days. So, each chapter is the third person narration of those stories, making it a sort of collection of different short stories with even different characters. The language is simple but there are many grammatical errors as well.

Time, Location and Setting

Being contemporary fiction, Rewind and Play sets in current time but the most part of the book is flashback which set in the late ’90s and most of the events happening around their hostel. The story starts and ends with one main character, Raghav Diwan but he cannot be called a protagonist because there are lot other characters and have their fair share in the stories, or maybe more than Raghav (if neglected opening and ending). Of course, we would follow his character to see what changes the get-together brings to him, would it be any helpful? As being B.Tech hostel diaries, it gives that back-to-college vibes. Competitions, events, exams and projects are happening. And like many other college books or specifically movies, there is ragging and conflicts.

Theme

As I mentioned before, Rewind and Play is a contemporary fiction based on engineering-hostel life in India. First of all Tarun Gautam describes Raghav’s life in America, who then faces some consequences at his work. However, the main essence of the book is the life of an engineering student. Which author has depicted very well using these short stories. Harpreet, Venky, Aadil, Nafisa, Francis are his former batch mates and are in the US only so they all meet for an evening get-together. It wasn’t predictable at all as there is not anything to look forward other than what happens with Raghav Diwan after get-together. 

Plot

Talking about the plot, there are 14 out of 19 chapters which are the stories from their college days. First, there is a flashback of their childhood, portraying how they grew to be engineers. Nafisa is the only girl in their group but she is brilliant enough to not give up on her dreams. Harpreet is that techie guy having coding skills. These are the stories of their triumphs, from conquering their ragging task to acing inter-college competitions. With each story, there is a learning lesson for their lifetime. That makes it a worthy read that provides with unique and memorable experiences. Though the end is satisfying and meaningful.

'The Universe tries to reveal its plan for you. If you get what it is, don't mess with it.'

My Views

Finally. I loved the element of politics in inter-college competitions. Also, corporate politics. At some points, it was really funny that I couldn’t control my laugh. There are lots of references used by the author here and there. The stories were all worth it, but opening and ending seemed quite disconnected to the stories being told. But that is my opinion. I’m sure anyone who has been through engineering, like me, would love to read this book. It is evocative to relive your college memories and it sometimes moves you.

Thank you Bookgeniepr for this review copy!! Happy Reading!

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