Take a photo of a barcode or cover
srivalli 's review for:
Holi Moly! & other stories
by Poornima Manco
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining (mostly)
Holy Moly! & Other Stories is a collection of eight short stories (set in India). The stories have varying themes, but family and relationships are the common threads that run through them all. The writing is light and easy to read, with a mild sprinkling of regional words to add to the authenticity.
Holi Moly!: A cute story about childhood crushes that blossom into something more. If only there wasn’t a sort of love triangle. But hey, that’s where the fun lies!
(Note: The Holy party in the story is the modernized city version rather than the actual traditional festival. It is not a representation of the festival but an example of societal life. Please don’t mistake one for another.)
An Unsuitable Boy: Families don’t want their children to marry firangis, do they? But what will happen to Sudha and Adam’s relationship? Will they get the family’s blessings? Another cute story with some light laughs.
Karma-Band: OTT sister-in-law, an overworked, ambitious brother, and a currently jobless sister who narrates the story of their supposed holiday. Oh, let’s not forget the little girl. This one went well, despite the drama but slipped into a philosophical lecture at the end. I don’t want to read a page of karmic musings when the story already showed it to me.
The Best Laid Plans: This is a favorite for sure. A lonely old man makes unexpected friends and family when he ends up with a broken arm. Life teaches him to reassess his priorities, and let’s say, he finds his new life more rewarding and content. A beautiful story.
The Return: The story has a typical setting- a poor village, a rich & cruel zamindar, and a smart girl who wants to find a way out. What makes this refreshing is the treatment and execution. Smart indeed.
Top That: Alright! Four friends share their most embarrassing moments at work. Not sure if there’s a point in the story or if the point is that there shouldn’t be one. It was meh.
Funk: This could’ve been super funny and hilarious. Alas! It made me roll my eyes. No offense to the author, but I got a friend who aces such characters and makes me root for them. This paled in comparison and reminded me of a silly teen on Twitter (the kind I do my best to avoid). It was rather OTT and fake.
Lost and Found: This had great potential but settled at average. There are emotions like grief, despair, longing, frustration, etc., but the overall impact was disjointed. It needed a little more churning and editing.
It does appear that the first half of the book is much better compared to the second half. But then, it’s a collection of stories, so each of us is bound to have a different taste.
To sum up, Holi Moly! & Other Stories is a short book with an array of uplifting and heartwarming stories.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
One Liner: Entertaining (mostly)
Holy Moly! & Other Stories is a collection of eight short stories (set in India). The stories have varying themes, but family and relationships are the common threads that run through them all. The writing is light and easy to read, with a mild sprinkling of regional words to add to the authenticity.
Holi Moly!: A cute story about childhood crushes that blossom into something more. If only there wasn’t a sort of love triangle. But hey, that’s where the fun lies!
(Note: The Holy party in the story is the modernized city version rather than the actual traditional festival. It is not a representation of the festival but an example of societal life. Please don’t mistake one for another.)
An Unsuitable Boy: Families don’t want their children to marry firangis, do they? But what will happen to Sudha and Adam’s relationship? Will they get the family’s blessings? Another cute story with some light laughs.
Karma-Band: OTT sister-in-law, an overworked, ambitious brother, and a currently jobless sister who narrates the story of their supposed holiday. Oh, let’s not forget the little girl. This one went well, despite the drama but slipped into a philosophical lecture at the end. I don’t want to read a page of karmic musings when the story already showed it to me.
The Best Laid Plans: This is a favorite for sure. A lonely old man makes unexpected friends and family when he ends up with a broken arm. Life teaches him to reassess his priorities, and let’s say, he finds his new life more rewarding and content. A beautiful story.
The Return: The story has a typical setting- a poor village, a rich & cruel zamindar, and a smart girl who wants to find a way out. What makes this refreshing is the treatment and execution. Smart indeed.
Top That: Alright! Four friends share their most embarrassing moments at work. Not sure if there’s a point in the story or if the point is that there shouldn’t be one. It was meh.
Funk: This could’ve been super funny and hilarious. Alas! It made me roll my eyes. No offense to the author, but I got a friend who aces such characters and makes me root for them. This paled in comparison and reminded me of a silly teen on Twitter (the kind I do my best to avoid). It was rather OTT and fake.
Lost and Found: This had great potential but settled at average. There are emotions like grief, despair, longing, frustration, etc., but the overall impact was disjointed. It needed a little more churning and editing.
It does appear that the first half of the book is much better compared to the second half. But then, it’s a collection of stories, so each of us is bound to have a different taste.
To sum up, Holi Moly! & Other Stories is a short book with an array of uplifting and heartwarming stories.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.