Book Review: Never Apart by Shiven & Mayuri ( Rating: 4/5)

Title: Never Apart

Author: Shiven & Mayuri

ISBN: 9789382035169

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Blurb:

Sagar is exhilarated, as he meets Prakriti, his childhood love, who had mysteriously disappeared from his life twelve years back. Soon, this friendship of yesteryears rekindles. Blown by her simplicity and undiminished zest for life, he wishes to settle down with her.

But destiny plays the roulette, when Sagar stumbles upon Prakriti’s dark past. Dejected, he leaves the town in search of solace. But time fails to heal his wounds, for he misses her, and inner peace continues to elude him. Consumed by anger over his own miserable failures, he returns to her to resolve his past once and for all. At dawn, he takes her blindfolded to a mountain cliff.

Can love eradicate its own existence? Would Sagar push Prakriti from this peak or love

would bind them together, forever? Or life would spring some other staggering surprise? 

This love story doesn't end on a happy or a sad note but when does love end, after all? Never Apart is an intriguing love story that would keep you bound up in love… 

My Take:

Most of the books by Indian authors these days come with a thousand editing mistakes and senseless grammar, courtesy the fact that we have an author in every street, and most of them are reluctant to get the manuscripts proofread before publishing. Fed up of reviewing a senseless heap of books, I decided to read Never Apart by Shiven & Mayuri, launched by Ruskin Bond. And, it turned out to be a perfectly written romantic novel. 

This is the story of Sagar, who leaves a beautiful girl and a lucrative job abroad to search for the lost love of his life, Prakriti. He finds her in Delhi, and the novel goes back in time when as a child Sagar had met Prakriti for the first time.The authors recount tiny details of their childhood. Most of these details are trivial but relevant and proper. You can relate to them as a reader, as they make the protagonists seem real life characters. The authors deserve applaud for keeping it as simple as that.

In the present, the  relationship goes on from where it had stopped years ago when fate had played its part to separate the two lovers. Now, everything seems perfect. But as no good thing lasts forever, one day Sagar comes face to face with a harsh truth which sabotages the relationship. Unlike his, Prakriti's life has seen countless ups and downs, and her past is something she is not comfortable to discuss or share with others. What follows is a gripping tale of love and loss, with its fair share of twists and turns, surprise and shock. 

The way the story about how they met has been written, it pushes your mind to think of your own school days. Read through it and all those days will flash in front of your eyes. The feeling of nostalgia it evokes is what I liked the most about the book. The story then proceeds to the present time, with a flawless job done at story-telling. The plot runs smoothly, and everything else - editing, proof-reading and cover page - is perfect. However, the best part of the novel is the climax. It has a perfect twist that steals your heart. 

Recommendation: 

This is the book every love story fan should read. Sick of unedited college romance stuff? Read this one. It will change your perception about engineers writing love stories; it has already changed mine *wink*. 

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Love Story? Seriously! by Shivi Pandey

Title: Love Story? Seriously!

Author: Shivi Pandey

ISBN: 9385440144 (ISBN13: 9789385440144)

Blurb:

The sanguine sun is just preparing to slumber and the filtered glare from it striking the scene makes it even more alluring. The flock of birds are moving together in a v shaped structure and it looks as if they are returning to their home after a long tedious day's hard work .The fact that they are all together in every aspect of life brings strength and calmness to my dilapidating heart. It is even more mesmerizing to find the three best people of my life beside me. 

SAMAR: The epitome of the story, takes you on an amazing voyage of his life. He recalls his friends and all his unsuccessful love interests - Sapna, Samriddhi and Surbhi. 

What happens when you fall in love? What happens when you fall out of it? What happens when you are unwanted? What happens when you are cheated and still coined a cheater? Can there be a reason to not like someone? Can there always be a reason to like someone? Explore answers to all these questions along with Samar on his journey in search of true love. 

It brings you, yet another unconventional love story of all times. The author intends to bring about the fact that can this also be a love story and leaves the readers to decide enquiring them Love Story? Seriously!

My Review:

'Love Story? Seriously!’ is the story of Samar’s infatuation with three girls – Sapna, Samriddhi and Surbhi – which he confuses with love and his trials and tribulations that he fails to handle. Consequently, he lands into depression and develops suicidal tendencies till a few of his friends make him cheerful again. 

Shivi Pandey, the author, has tried his best to evoke the readers’ interest though fails to make an impact with the story, and the causes of failure are many. The incidents are narrated in a haphazard manner at some places, while at others, useless anecdotes have been inserted. The grammar is poor, and the editing worse than that. Too many statements have been typed in BOLD, and that makes no sense at all. The book is supposed to be biographical, but it lacks the charm. However, the end is heart touching and beautiful.

Rating: 2/5

Reviewed in association with Lab Academia Research group.

Book Review: Karna's Alter Ego by Surendra Nath

Title: Karna's Alter Ego

Author: Surendra Nath 

ISBN: 9789384180119

Blurb:

Karna, the ill-fated hero of Mahabharata. Many feel he deserved to win. If only luck had favoured him...

5000 years later, we have a man named Vasu, who is much like Karna – illegitimate birth, very talented but denied all credits in life, rejected in love, misses a medal in the Asian games, gets caught for telling an innocent lie, overlooked for promotion. He begins to identify himself with Karna, and interestingly Karna appears to him after every debacle to assuage and encourage him. 

It seems Vasu is Karna’s alter ego.

My Take: 

The hero of this story is Vasu, who at the age of twelve is shattered to know that he is not a legitimate son of his parents. Having heard of stories from Mahabharata, he begins to relate to and identify himself with Karna, which gives him solace and inspiration. This novel then goes on to documenting how he misses a number of rewards in life in spite of being exceptionally talented and the most deserving.

The writer has done an exceptionally well job through this novel, first by choosing a unique theme, and then by going on to do justice to it. Though the theme is not mythological, there still remains an element of it presented in a novel way e.g. the story of Karna. The author deviates often from the mainstream viewpoint and provides newer insights into the persona of Karna. Reading this novel, you will thus come across a different story of Karna at the places; even though the setting is modern, the element of antiquity is still there.

As far as novelty is concerned, this book scores at par with Dr Sweety Shinde’s Arjuna: Without A Doubt. If you are tired of reading love stories, and want to read something new and more interesting, read Karna’s Alter Ego. It is a wonderful book.

Rating: 4/5

Recommendation: GO FOR IT

Book Review: Chela by Saurabh Kumar

Title: Chela - The Adventures of Jack and Ty

Author: Saurabh Kumar

ISBN: 9789385440205

Blurb:

Chela: The Adventures of Jack and Ty is in part a tribute to one of the greatest writers and humorists of the twentieth century, Sir P.G. Wodehouse, and a spoof on the fantasy genre where anything and everything can happen at any given moment and time. Jack is a hungry jackal, booted out of his clan for being lazy and incapable of providing for himself. One night while wandering a patch of forest he accidentally steps on the tail of a tiger that is understandably furious at the jackal. The tiger Ty, confronts the jackal with the latter begging forgiveness. The commotion dies down and they soon go their separate ways. Fate, however, brings them together again and they soon realize they are both facing a similar predicament - an acute shortage of food. The two strangers soon become comrades and along with Herbert, a cross between a wolf and a pariah dog, set out on a journey through the vast woodland of Baganpore and beyond in search of food. On the way they face perils aplenty in the form of diabolical relatives, cunning scavengers, a mysterious banyan tree and a lake that isn't what it appears to be.

My Take:

Jack (the lazy jackal), Ty (the coward son of a tiger) and Herbert (the heart-broken cross between a wolf and a pariah dog) have suffered a lot many injustices – hunger, deception, social boycott, harsh vagaries of nature and what not. Each of them had been all of this alone, till one day they become friends & come together to find a way out for their survival. Thus starts the fable of ‘Chela: The Adventures of Jack and Ty’. 

The theme is unique and the book is very well written. The story flows smoothly and perfectly, laden with wit and humour. The author has done a great job through his fantastic story-telling traits. At no point of time did I feel bored or disinterested. Though fables are usually read by a limited set of readers, laughter and fun are infectious, so is this book. It has a universal appeal given that it is a spoof on fantasy genre. The use of language is innovative, so is the plot. Justice has been to the characters and plot, and the theme as well. Hats off to the author for this beautiful book.

Rating: 4/5

Recommendation: GO FOR IT....

Reviewed by Dr Waseem in association with Lab Academia Book Reviewers group.

Book Review: Rohzin by Rahman Abbas

Title: Rohzin

Author: Rahman Abbas

ISBN: 9789383322503

My take:

Rohzin is a novel about Asrar and Hina; more than that, it's a novel about the city of Mumbai. One day, Mumbai is flooded, and that day is the last day of Asrar and Hina's lives. This is where the novel starts, and the author leads us back in time to tell us a story that deals with mythology, legend, religion, magic realism, sexuality, sensuality, love, loyalty and all nuances of one's life.

Rohzin by Rahman Abbas is a reflection of human emotions - big and small. As you read through it, you come face to face with the writing genius Rahman Abbas is. 

For me, reading Rohzin was that one-of-a-kind experience. While going through it, I would pause at times and try to savour each line, each emotion that this magical novel deals with. It's about everything what being human means. Every tiniest detail has been taken care of, thus proving the majestic observational prowess of the author, which is at its best here. This unique novel speaks to you, touches your heart, and creates waves in your soul as massive as the ones that flood Mumbai in the novel.

Recommendation: 

Rohzin is a carefully crafted masterpiece, as mysterious as its name... if you know Urdu, go for it. If you don't, wait for an English translation. 

Rating: 5/5