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466 reviews by:
allthatissim
Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages
Prince and the Dressmaker was so cute and utter perfection. I loved how the story contains gender non-conformity. It was such a refreshing topic to read in a graphic novel. This novel contains multiple themes and this is the highlight of the story.
Frances and Sebastian relationship dynamics were so cute and refreshing. Frances wanted to be a fashion designer and gets her dream job when the prince Sebastian hires her for making his dresses. Sebastian wasn’t able, to tell the truth about himself to his father, the King, and Frances becomes his friend in loneliness. In the night, Prince Sebastian goes by the name Lady Crystallia wearing the creations of Frances and together they roam around Paris. But in the morning, he has to return to his true self-being a prince.
Both the characters and amazing and also we get to see a wonderful set of secondary characters too. The artwork is cute but simple and perfectly captures the essence of the story.
If you are looking for a fun, light and diverse graphic novel to read, this could be a perfect choice.
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Prince and the Dressmaker was so cute and utter perfection. I loved how the story contains gender non-conformity. It was such a refreshing topic to read in a graphic novel. This novel contains multiple themes and this is the highlight of the story.
Frances and Sebastian relationship dynamics were so cute and refreshing. Frances wanted to be a fashion designer and gets her dream job when the prince Sebastian hires her for making his dresses. Sebastian wasn’t able, to tell the truth about himself to his father, the King, and Frances becomes his friend in loneliness. In the night, Prince Sebastian goes by the name Lady Crystallia wearing the creations of Frances and together they roam around Paris. But in the morning, he has to return to his true self-being a prince.
Both the characters and amazing and also we get to see a wonderful set of secondary characters too. The artwork is cute but simple and perfectly captures the essence of the story.
If you are looking for a fun, light and diverse graphic novel to read, this could be a perfect choice.
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Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages
The Yellow Wall-Paper is a short-story collection by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
The first story is The Yellow Wall-Paper, because of which Charlotte Perkins Gilman is generally known for. And surely, after reading this, I can say that this story needs all the attention. This is a story about a woman in the Victorian era who was suffering from depression, after giving birth to her child and wasn’t given the proper medical attention. Those days a general physician was considered qualified enough to treat the depression and “rest cure” was said to be the possible solution. Her husband was a physician too and he confined her into a room having a yellow wallpaper. He though that she would be best cured if she would stay home doing nothing and interacting with no one. But, being trapped in her home all day with only that yellow wallpaper to see, she slowly starts getting mad.
This story seems normal in the beginning but near the end, I was really creeped out too and also started imagining that yellow wallpaper. This really shows how impactful the writing of the author is. This is also a feminist piece of literature that shows how much control men had over women and the medical profession in the 19th century. The end of the story is like an open interpretation. Different scholars have different views about that ending. Whatever the views are, it is really a moving and horrific tale of feminism and mental illness.
The second story is called The Rocking Chair which is a Gothic horror. This is a story about two friends, Maurice and Hal, who were looking for rooms to rent but halts in a shabby guesthouse, enchanted by a golden-haired girl sitting on a rocking chair. Soon the supernatural events starts happening. Both the men got transfixed by the golden-haired girl and wanted to meet her. They get obsessed with her and gradually destroys their own relationship after they accuse each other of rocking with her on the chair.
The pace of the story is definitely fast which doesn’t let you get bored till the end. However, I felt that the relationship of Maurice and Hal was little disintegrated and was bit abrupt. Though I predicted the end earlier, it was an interesting gothic horror tale.
The third story, Old Water, is not my favourite and I was a little confused about the ending. Old Water is a story about a mother, her daughter and a poet. The mother and daughter are like opposites. The mother is romantic, likes poetry and is cultured, whereas her daughter is athletic, doesn’t like poetry and is sensible. The mother was once married to a man with good job and prospects but she always desired for romantic passion. She wanted her daughter to give what she herself never had. So she tries to foist a young handsome poet to her daughter. Something supernatural happens by the end but the overall tone of the story is quite comic.
At the core, this story is about the mother-daughter relationship. It is about the love of a mother, doesn't matter how flawed it is. The story was a little tragic from the mother’s point-of-view. She wanted her daughter to have love, but her daughter doesn’t want the same. This explains the nature of love.
I would really recommend this story collection if you want to read something different. The Yellow wall-paper was my favourite and truly is a classic to remember. While The Rocking Chair was overall good, I found Old Water to be an average read.
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The Yellow Wall-Paper is a short-story collection by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
The first story is The Yellow Wall-Paper, because of which Charlotte Perkins Gilman is generally known for. And surely, after reading this, I can say that this story needs all the attention. This is a story about a woman in the Victorian era who was suffering from depression, after giving birth to her child and wasn’t given the proper medical attention. Those days a general physician was considered qualified enough to treat the depression and “rest cure” was said to be the possible solution. Her husband was a physician too and he confined her into a room having a yellow wallpaper. He though that she would be best cured if she would stay home doing nothing and interacting with no one. But, being trapped in her home all day with only that yellow wallpaper to see, she slowly starts getting mad.
This story seems normal in the beginning but near the end, I was really creeped out too and also started imagining that yellow wallpaper. This really shows how impactful the writing of the author is. This is also a feminist piece of literature that shows how much control men had over women and the medical profession in the 19th century. The end of the story is like an open interpretation. Different scholars have different views about that ending. Whatever the views are, it is really a moving and horrific tale of feminism and mental illness.
The second story is called The Rocking Chair which is a Gothic horror. This is a story about two friends, Maurice and Hal, who were looking for rooms to rent but halts in a shabby guesthouse, enchanted by a golden-haired girl sitting on a rocking chair. Soon the supernatural events starts happening. Both the men got transfixed by the golden-haired girl and wanted to meet her. They get obsessed with her and gradually destroys their own relationship after they accuse each other of rocking with her on the chair.
The pace of the story is definitely fast which doesn’t let you get bored till the end. However, I felt that the relationship of Maurice and Hal was little disintegrated and was bit abrupt. Though I predicted the end earlier, it was an interesting gothic horror tale.
The third story, Old Water, is not my favourite and I was a little confused about the ending. Old Water is a story about a mother, her daughter and a poet. The mother and daughter are like opposites. The mother is romantic, likes poetry and is cultured, whereas her daughter is athletic, doesn’t like poetry and is sensible. The mother was once married to a man with good job and prospects but she always desired for romantic passion. She wanted her daughter to give what she herself never had. So she tries to foist a young handsome poet to her daughter. Something supernatural happens by the end but the overall tone of the story is quite comic.
At the core, this story is about the mother-daughter relationship. It is about the love of a mother, doesn't matter how flawed it is. The story was a little tragic from the mother’s point-of-view. She wanted her daughter to have love, but her daughter doesn’t want the same. This explains the nature of love.
I would really recommend this story collection if you want to read something different. The Yellow wall-paper was my favourite and truly is a classic to remember. While The Rocking Chair was overall good, I found Old Water to be an average read.
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11th Sep, 2020: Some books blur the line between fiction and reality. They make you think hard and compel you to be in the shoes of the characters of the story, to live their lives. No matter how much you try to reason that it is just a fiction, you can't help but ask yourself-"What I would have done if this was my story?"
An American Marriage is one such story. Even after hours of finishing it, I can't help but think of all the things that Celestial did in the novel and what I would have done if I was in her shoes. And that's a sign of good writing. This story, as the title indicates, is about a married couple, Roy and Celestial, and the way their lives changes, along with their long-term friend Andre, after Roy was sent to jail for 5 years because of a false rape charge.
The main characters—Roy, Celestial and Andre—weren't likeable at all. They took some worst decisions but despite this, I wasn't able to hate them? I understood the decisions they took because of love, the mistake they made because of love. "Love is the enemy of sound judgement" and all the three characters showed this. You can hate them, but in the end, you can't help but keep nodding at the turns the story took.
Celestial is a kind of women who wants love but doesn't want to be 'tied'-"It was a wonderful feeling to be grown and yet young. To be married but not settled. To be tied down yet free." Her marriage to Roy was still new, only one and a half year down the lane, and she couldn't decide what to do after Roy went to jail. We see a strong woman in her, a woman who wants to take lead in her life, a woman who wants to make a name for herself. During a scene someone asks Roy, why Celestial hadn't mentioned his name as part of her success, I couldn't help but think- why men always need credit for women's success?
This story also highlights an important point- you can't escape your origins. Roy grew up in a small town but he always dreamt about living in a big city. He makes a big life for himself there. But he later realises, no matter how far you reach, you can't escape your "family and native land".
And when you are a black man in America, you have only a little luck on your side. "That's your fate as a black man. Carried by six or judged by twelve." There is a question at the end of the book in discussion section-"do you think that the woman, who was supposedly raped by Roy, was white?" and I think my answer would be yes. The author didn't mention the race of the woman in the book but is it too hard to imagine? I might be wrong, but Black man and people of color are always an easy target. And this story of Roy and Celestial is proof of the way these false convictions destroys black families.
There is so much more to say about this book but I think I am still struggling with my words. In the end, I would say that read this story of love and dreams and the decisions people make to survive. And after you finish reading this book, do not forget to read the author's notes and highlights on Goodreads.
27th August, 2020: I loved the book (besides some minor issues). The writing is wonderful and I am filled with emotions.
It is definitely more than 4 stars, probably 4.5. Will post a full review soon. Buddy read with amazing Kate
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An American Marriage is one such story. Even after hours of finishing it, I can't help but think of all the things that Celestial did in the novel and what I would have done if I was in her shoes. And that's a sign of good writing. This story, as the title indicates, is about a married couple, Roy and Celestial, and the way their lives changes, along with their long-term friend Andre, after Roy was sent to jail for 5 years because of a false rape charge.
The main characters—Roy, Celestial and Andre—weren't likeable at all. They took some worst decisions but despite this, I wasn't able to hate them? I understood the decisions they took because of love, the mistake they made because of love. "Love is the enemy of sound judgement" and all the three characters showed this. You can hate them, but in the end, you can't help but keep nodding at the turns the story took.
Celestial is a kind of women who wants love but doesn't want to be 'tied'-"It was a wonderful feeling to be grown and yet young. To be married but not settled. To be tied down yet free." Her marriage to Roy was still new, only one and a half year down the lane, and she couldn't decide what to do after Roy went to jail. We see a strong woman in her, a woman who wants to take lead in her life, a woman who wants to make a name for herself. During a scene someone asks Roy, why Celestial hadn't mentioned his name as part of her success, I couldn't help but think- why men always need credit for women's success?
This story also highlights an important point- you can't escape your origins. Roy grew up in a small town but he always dreamt about living in a big city. He makes a big life for himself there. But he later realises, no matter how far you reach, you can't escape your "family and native land".
And when you are a black man in America, you have only a little luck on your side. "That's your fate as a black man. Carried by six or judged by twelve." There is a question at the end of the book in discussion section-"do you think that the woman, who was supposedly raped by Roy, was white?" and I think my answer would be yes. The author didn't mention the race of the woman in the book but is it too hard to imagine? I might be wrong, but Black man and people of color are always an easy target. And this story of Roy and Celestial is proof of the way these false convictions destroys black families.
There is so much more to say about this book but I think I am still struggling with my words. In the end, I would say that read this story of love and dreams and the decisions people make to survive. And after you finish reading this book, do not forget to read the author's notes and highlights on Goodreads.
27th August, 2020: I loved the book (besides some minor issues). The writing is wonderful and I am filled with emotions.
It is definitely more than 4 stars, probably 4.5. Will post a full review soon. Buddy read with amazing Kate
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Full review here: FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES
This was my first read from the author Kavita Kane. I had heard great things about her work and how she chooses different female characters from Indian mythology and present them with a new angle. And I would say, I loved Kavita Kané and her unusual story about Surpanakha.
Ramayana is the epic tale which I believe every Indian have heard while growing up. All the main characters are household names – Ram, Laxman, Sita, Ravan. But the character of Surpanakha is something that we grew up hating. We have been taught that how Laxman cut her nose and in turn, Ravan abducted Sita and then it started the epic war between Ram and Ravan. But do we know more than this about Surpanakha? Do we know who was Surpanakha other than a girl having a cut nose and sister of Ravan? I surely hadn’t known. This story is a fresh take on Surpanakha’s life and lets you go to the details of why she did what she did.
The story starts when Krishna meet Kubja, a hunchback and he cures her. He tells her the story of her past life in which she was Meenakshi a.k.a Surpanakha.
Meenakshi was the fourth child to the learned Rishi Vishravas and Asur Kanya Kaikesi. When she was born, Kaikesi was not at all happy as she wanted a boy, instead she got an ugly, dark-skinned girl. Visharavas was happy with the girl and thought she was as beautiful and dark skinned as her mother but Kaikesi opposed him and never gave that love to Meenakshi that she gave to her fair skinned son Ravan.
When Ravan wins Lanka, as it was her mother’s dream, their father leaves them to live back at the Ashram while the whole family moves to the Lanka. Meenakshi was devastated when her father left. She found her love in Vidyujiva who was an enemy to Ravan. in spite of the hatred from everyone towards Vidyujiva, Meenkashi managed to get married to him. But the fate snatched him from her too. She had hatred for her brother Ravan too much and she was burning in the fire of vengeance. She cursed her brother to die and plotted schemes for his death. her choices lead to the destruction of not only Ravan but the death of her entire generation.
Kavita Kane has portrayed a strong and vicious female character here. She proved herself to be a feminist and decide to stand up for her own rights when no one supported her. Surpanakha had her own opinions and knew when to use something to hurt someone. She was courageous enough to go against her brother Ravan when no one else can be stood against him.
She was the woman portrayed a vamp in Ramayan. We get to know a little more about her in this book as the author here has given her another life in the book.
There are not vast differences in the portrayal of other characters in Ramayan. The main focus was given to the characters in her family like Ravan, Kumbhkaran, Vibhishan, Mandodari, Kaikesi, Vishravas etc. It was quite interesting to read about some lesser known characters specially about Kumbha. All we know about him is he used to spend six-month sleeping/eating. But here it was good to know his point of view on some major events. It was good to know that how loyality to his brother ended him up dead.
The narration of the story is simple and kind of modern-day. The writing is simple and will keep you engaged through each character.
The storyline hasn’t been changed to a great extent. Kavita Kane has kept the story same as the Ramayan. However, the story is from Surpanakha‘s point of view. We all know her role in the epic but I am glad that Kavita Kane presented a whole new recognition for this character. Lanka’s Princess is a book that will make you realize the extent of her involvement in the epic war and the turn of events! The character of Meenakshi is something that will keep you mesmerized. We can find both the sides of Meenakshi here. Another thing that is worth mentioning is that Kavita has not wasted her time dragging each and every part of the Ramayan.
Being the first book of Kavita Kane that I read, I really liked it. Mythological fiction is a very tricky genre as I understand. The writer has to keep their facts straight sothat they don’t change them too much and also there is a challenge to bring something new to the reader. Kavita Kane has perfectly blend that mixture in Lanka’s Princess. It is simply brilliant, new and refreshing. I am definitely picking more books by the author in near future. If you love Indian mythology and need some new angle, you should definitely read this.
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This was my first read from the author Kavita Kane. I had heard great things about her work and how she chooses different female characters from Indian mythology and present them with a new angle. And I would say, I loved Kavita Kané and her unusual story about Surpanakha.
Ramayana is the epic tale which I believe every Indian have heard while growing up. All the main characters are household names – Ram, Laxman, Sita, Ravan. But the character of Surpanakha is something that we grew up hating. We have been taught that how Laxman cut her nose and in turn, Ravan abducted Sita and then it started the epic war between Ram and Ravan. But do we know more than this about Surpanakha? Do we know who was Surpanakha other than a girl having a cut nose and sister of Ravan? I surely hadn’t known. This story is a fresh take on Surpanakha’s life and lets you go to the details of why she did what she did.
The story starts when Krishna meet Kubja, a hunchback and he cures her. He tells her the story of her past life in which she was Meenakshi a.k.a Surpanakha.
Meenakshi was the fourth child to the learned Rishi Vishravas and Asur Kanya Kaikesi. When she was born, Kaikesi was not at all happy as she wanted a boy, instead she got an ugly, dark-skinned girl. Visharavas was happy with the girl and thought she was as beautiful and dark skinned as her mother but Kaikesi opposed him and never gave that love to Meenakshi that she gave to her fair skinned son Ravan.
When Ravan wins Lanka, as it was her mother’s dream, their father leaves them to live back at the Ashram while the whole family moves to the Lanka. Meenakshi was devastated when her father left. She found her love in Vidyujiva who was an enemy to Ravan. in spite of the hatred from everyone towards Vidyujiva, Meenkashi managed to get married to him. But the fate snatched him from her too. She had hatred for her brother Ravan too much and she was burning in the fire of vengeance. She cursed her brother to die and plotted schemes for his death. her choices lead to the destruction of not only Ravan but the death of her entire generation.
Kavita Kane has portrayed a strong and vicious female character here. She proved herself to be a feminist and decide to stand up for her own rights when no one supported her. Surpanakha had her own opinions and knew when to use something to hurt someone. She was courageous enough to go against her brother Ravan when no one else can be stood against him.
She was the woman portrayed a vamp in Ramayan. We get to know a little more about her in this book as the author here has given her another life in the book.
There are not vast differences in the portrayal of other characters in Ramayan. The main focus was given to the characters in her family like Ravan, Kumbhkaran, Vibhishan, Mandodari, Kaikesi, Vishravas etc. It was quite interesting to read about some lesser known characters specially about Kumbha. All we know about him is he used to spend six-month sleeping/eating. But here it was good to know his point of view on some major events. It was good to know that how loyality to his brother ended him up dead.
The narration of the story is simple and kind of modern-day. The writing is simple and will keep you engaged through each character.
The storyline hasn’t been changed to a great extent. Kavita Kane has kept the story same as the Ramayan. However, the story is from Surpanakha‘s point of view. We all know her role in the epic but I am glad that Kavita Kane presented a whole new recognition for this character. Lanka’s Princess is a book that will make you realize the extent of her involvement in the epic war and the turn of events! The character of Meenakshi is something that will keep you mesmerized. We can find both the sides of Meenakshi here. Another thing that is worth mentioning is that Kavita has not wasted her time dragging each and every part of the Ramayan.
Being the first book of Kavita Kane that I read, I really liked it. Mythological fiction is a very tricky genre as I understand. The writer has to keep their facts straight sothat they don’t change them too much and also there is a challenge to bring something new to the reader. Kavita Kane has perfectly blend that mixture in Lanka’s Princess. It is simply brilliant, new and refreshing. I am definitely picking more books by the author in near future. If you love Indian mythology and need some new angle, you should definitely read this.
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OH MY GOD!! *screaming*
I just finished it last night and I can't get over it. IT WAS MAGICAL!!
I haven't felt anything so good about any book recently. I just loved every bit of it. Every character, every scene.. just everything.
I don't know, why it took me so long to finally pick it :p I had watched all the movies, but reading the series for the first time, and I am telling you this: "this book is much more wonderful than the movie".
Rowling is my new obsession. Now I need to watch the movie again :D
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I just finished it last night and I can't get over it. IT WAS MAGICAL!!
I haven't felt anything so good about any book recently. I just loved every bit of it. Every character, every scene.. just everything.
I don't know, why it took me so long to finally pick it :p I had watched all the movies, but reading the series for the first time, and I am telling you this: "this book is much more wonderful than the movie".
Rowling is my new obsession. Now I need to watch the movie again :D
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I never thought that I would cry so much after finishing this book
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Find this review on: FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES
I actually enjoyed this graphic novel. This is a story about 4 kids (11-12 years old) who try to rob a bank. This is a dark and humorous tale. Paige is the leader of this gang and she has been shown as a fierce character. Because of an upcoming trouble her father can lead into, she makes that idea of robbing that bank. I liked her portrayal of a strong girl. Also, I loved her relationship with her father.
My favorite character was, however, Berger. He was so funny and notorious and was always a troublemaker for the group. The other characters were also dynamic and I like the overall group as each child has different qualities.
This book has been publicised as a middle-grade read because of the age group of the children involved in the story. But after reading this, I would say that this is not a suitable read for the children of that age group for sure. There is the use of strong language and graphic violence.
I liked the idea of using video games at the start of each chapter to represent the current planning of the kids. That idea was really unique and refreshing. I like the artwork to some extent but it was really simple as compared to the concept of the story.
I would definitely recommend this to someone who loves reading graphic novels and in need of something dark and humorous.
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Find this review on: FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES
I actually enjoyed this graphic novel. This is a story about 4 kids (11-12 years old) who try to rob a bank. This is a dark and humorous tale. Paige is the leader of this gang and she has been shown as a fierce character. Because of an upcoming trouble her father can lead into, she makes that idea of robbing that bank. I liked her portrayal of a strong girl. Also, I loved her relationship with her father.
My favorite character was, however, Berger. He was so funny and notorious and was always a troublemaker for the group. The other characters were also dynamic and I like the overall group as each child has different qualities.
This book has been publicised as a middle-grade read because of the age group of the children involved in the story. But after reading this, I would say that this is not a suitable read for the children of that age group for sure. There is the use of strong language and graphic violence.
I liked the idea of using video games at the start of each chapter to represent the current planning of the kids. That idea was really unique and refreshing. I like the artwork to some extent but it was really simple as compared to the concept of the story.
I would definitely recommend this to someone who loves reading graphic novels and in need of something dark and humorous.
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Full Review on: Flipping Through the Pages
A Word Thrice Uttered is an anthology of sixteen short stories, each packed with different emotions. Most of these stories are set in rural and urban India, mainly in Lucknow and its nearby cities, before Independence and a few are set after independence. Through these stories, we get to see the different aspects of Indian culture. The title and the subtitle of the book are definitely catchy. Though the cover is not my favorite, it does depict the stance of various stories beautifully.
There are a number of characters in these stories including human and animals and in some cases supernaturals too. Through these stories, we get to see the difficulties they face in life and how they overcome it. I am so glad that the author chose a different kind of story to tell in each one and none of those felt repeated.
I really liked how the author has incorporated different themes in each of the stories. Each story has talked about relevant social issues like women empowerment, literacy, animal harm, to name a few. These stories are full of meanings and you would find yourself attached to the characters even in those few pages. I felt a bit emotional even in a few stories.
These stories were like some old memories. You know the story you parents or grandmother used to tell you in childhood? This collection is certainly close to that, though the stories are not fairy-tales, but rather contains the complex subjects. A few stories take you to the bitter time of partition of India while a few take you to the life after that.
Among these stories, it is very hard to pick a favorite one. All of these are equally important and good one. But if I had to pick one, then I would pick Rustam. That story literally put tears in my eyes. The author’s writing is too simple and I guess it is a perfect read for any age group. But the simple writing even worked better in capturing your attention to the book. Each story is like a fresh breeze and you would automatically flip the pages one after the another.
As I mentioned earlier, the stories are set in different timelines, though the majority are set around the time of independence days. The author herself is from Lucknow so I liked how she incorporated the lifestyle of Lucknow in the stories. It would not be wrong to say that this book consists of Lucknow and its people.
Overall, A Word Thrice Uttered by Parveen Talha is a beautiful collection of emotions packed with hard-hitting real-life tragedies. It takes you to a roller-coaster ride and gives you a feeling of home with each of the stories. This book should definitely be read, especially by the Indian readers. It is a heartwarming read to lighten up your mood and probably to make you think about life realities.
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A Word Thrice Uttered is an anthology of sixteen short stories, each packed with different emotions. Most of these stories are set in rural and urban India, mainly in Lucknow and its nearby cities, before Independence and a few are set after independence. Through these stories, we get to see the different aspects of Indian culture. The title and the subtitle of the book are definitely catchy. Though the cover is not my favorite, it does depict the stance of various stories beautifully.
There are a number of characters in these stories including human and animals and in some cases supernaturals too. Through these stories, we get to see the difficulties they face in life and how they overcome it. I am so glad that the author chose a different kind of story to tell in each one and none of those felt repeated.
I really liked how the author has incorporated different themes in each of the stories. Each story has talked about relevant social issues like women empowerment, literacy, animal harm, to name a few. These stories are full of meanings and you would find yourself attached to the characters even in those few pages. I felt a bit emotional even in a few stories.
These stories were like some old memories. You know the story you parents or grandmother used to tell you in childhood? This collection is certainly close to that, though the stories are not fairy-tales, but rather contains the complex subjects. A few stories take you to the bitter time of partition of India while a few take you to the life after that.
Among these stories, it is very hard to pick a favorite one. All of these are equally important and good one. But if I had to pick one, then I would pick Rustam. That story literally put tears in my eyes. The author’s writing is too simple and I guess it is a perfect read for any age group. But the simple writing even worked better in capturing your attention to the book. Each story is like a fresh breeze and you would automatically flip the pages one after the another.
As I mentioned earlier, the stories are set in different timelines, though the majority are set around the time of independence days. The author herself is from Lucknow so I liked how she incorporated the lifestyle of Lucknow in the stories. It would not be wrong to say that this book consists of Lucknow and its people.
Overall, A Word Thrice Uttered by Parveen Talha is a beautiful collection of emotions packed with hard-hitting real-life tragedies. It takes you to a roller-coaster ride and gives you a feeling of home with each of the stories. This book should definitely be read, especially by the Indian readers. It is a heartwarming read to lighten up your mood and probably to make you think about life realities.
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Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages
[b:The Accidental Bad Girl|35960814|The Accidental Bad Girl|Maxine Kaplan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1511988476s/35960814.jpg|55656738] by [a:Maxine Kaplan|16549755|Maxine Kaplan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1506099822p2/16549755.jpg] was a surprise read. I never expected to like it so much and also wasn’t aware that this book deals with some important issues like slut-shaming and drug intake. I thought it to be some high-school based teenage drama but this book was more than that.
This story is about Kendall Evans. Her start of the senior year in high school is already rocky because of an incident that took place in the Junior year. She was caught in the school half-naked with her best friend’s ex-boyfriend, Grant. Now everyone has made the distance from her even her best friend Audrey. Then she comes to know that her Facebook profile has been hacked and in the process of finding the hacker, she finds herself in the middle of some shady drug dealers. Mason, the drug dealer starts blackmailing her to find out his missing drugs or he will make sure that Kendall doesn’t attend the Space program which was her dream. She made friends with Simone and Gilly in this whole mess up and with their help, she tries to get out of this situation and to recover her image of "bad girl".
Overall, The Accidental Bad Girl was a great read and it exceeded my expectations. It is a story about one girl’s journey into finding herself and accepting who she is without thinking much of what others say, and it is well-executed. With so many issues talked about, [a:Maxine Kaplan|16549755|Maxine Kaplan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1506099822p2/16549755.jpg] has done a wonderful job and we can see that her writing is fierce and unapologetic. I definitely recommend this book.
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[b:The Accidental Bad Girl|35960814|The Accidental Bad Girl|Maxine Kaplan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1511988476s/35960814.jpg|55656738] by [a:Maxine Kaplan|16549755|Maxine Kaplan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1506099822p2/16549755.jpg] was a surprise read. I never expected to like it so much and also wasn’t aware that this book deals with some important issues like slut-shaming and drug intake. I thought it to be some high-school based teenage drama but this book was more than that.
This story is about Kendall Evans. Her start of the senior year in high school is already rocky because of an incident that took place in the Junior year. She was caught in the school half-naked with her best friend’s ex-boyfriend, Grant. Now everyone has made the distance from her even her best friend Audrey. Then she comes to know that her Facebook profile has been hacked and in the process of finding the hacker, she finds herself in the middle of some shady drug dealers. Mason, the drug dealer starts blackmailing her to find out his missing drugs or he will make sure that Kendall doesn’t attend the Space program which was her dream. She made friends with Simone and Gilly in this whole mess up and with their help, she tries to get out of this situation and to recover her image of "bad girl".
- I really liked Kendall’s character. She is a badass female character, the one who refuses to be labeled by the gossip surrounding her. She somehow reminded me of Serena from Gossip Girl 😀 Kendall is not always an easy and likable girl. She is mean and at times she even doesn’t realize that. Even though she intentionally doesn’t try to be mean, she if often the part of it because she doesn’t try to stop her friends from being mean to others.
- I really loved that [a:Maxine Kaplan|16549755|Maxine Kaplan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1506099822p2/16549755.jpg] never tried to prove the character of Kendall as a good one. She was as flawed as her so-called friends. Initially, I was not sure that whether she would be able to get out of her circle and would redeem herself. But in the end we get to see that how despite making bad choices one after another, she wasn’t an unlikeable character.
- I loved Simone. Meeting and befriending her was like a turning point for Kendall. She started seeing the things from a different angle and rocked her image of the bad girl, with the newly found new girl, fantastically.
- This book centers around drug dealing and Kendall’s involvement in it. It shows the real issue that our teenagers are facing these days. This drug issue is a real threat this book highlights how a teenager gets involved in this circle.
- Apart from drug use, there is also a lot of thoughtful discussion on rape and rape culture, during the second half of the book. Surely, I never thought the story to contain this, but it definitely works as an advantage to the story.
- The best thing that you can take from this book is the thing that as much as girls/women feel independent, there is always this stigma of jealousy and making others feel low. In this male-dominated world, girls cursing others, fighting over boys and even slut-shaming, is the thing that needs to be avoided.
- The slut-shaming issue is also an important issue which many girls have faced. While the boys get a free pass, it’s always the girl who has to suffer from the consequences.
- This book also focusses on the misuse of social media and tries to make aware the readers to ensure the safety of their accounts.
- The mystery thrown in the story is quite good. I kept it guessing till the end that who the real culprit was. I was really shocked to know the person behind hacking Kendall’s profile.
- Mason was a perfect villain this story needed. He was charming, witty and manipulative and knew his ways to make anyone believe him.
- With so many strong characters, character development is definitely the strongest point of this book. We see so many changes in almost all the characters journey and I loved seeing how they evolved throughout the story.
- The story was super fast and well written, so it doesn’t give you time to get bored.
- The biggest problem that I have with this book is that there was so much going on. This story was too plot-heavy. I love a story with a good plot, but here sometimes I felt that there were so many things going on and that too in a fast pace and I was unable to grab all the details.
- Also, we can see that because of this fast-paced thing, the ending got little disruptive. Though all the things bound up nicely, I wish it was little slower for the better understanding. there was too much info to gather.
- The romance was clearly not done in the best way. But I think that because the focus of the story was different, it is okay.
Overall, The Accidental Bad Girl was a great read and it exceeded my expectations. It is a story about one girl’s journey into finding herself and accepting who she is without thinking much of what others say, and it is well-executed. With so many issues talked about, [a:Maxine Kaplan|16549755|Maxine Kaplan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1506099822p2/16549755.jpg] has done a wonderful job and we can see that her writing is fierce and unapologetic. I definitely recommend this book.
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Thank you Tokyopop and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me a free ARC of this book via NetGalley
My rating: 4/5 stars
This is the second part of Disney Beauty and the Beast series which is the tale from Beast's point of view. I have give it an extra half point, you know why? Because it was refreshing to read this story from Beast's POV. Everybody knows Belle's POV but it was different to see this new angle.
And similar to the first one, this was also beautiful. Although, I think Beast is drawn more beautifully than Belle. Also, the artwork was very detailed like the Rose room, beasts's library and his court. It felt really great to read about different emotions of Beast. We have always seen him angry, but we didn't knew what was in his back of mind. But here, all his emotions were portrayed greatly.
"In learning to become human again, I realized...
There is never just one lesson to be learned, there are many.
Growing is a process, it never stops.
Beauty isn't about what you have... Its about what you can share.
I may not be there yet, But I can see the path.
And for once I realize.. I'm not walking it alone."
I really enjoyed reading it. It was a quick read. I highly recommend this complete series to all the Beauty and the Beast lovers out there :)
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My rating: 4/5 stars
This is the second part of Disney Beauty and the Beast series which is the tale from Beast's point of view. I have give it an extra half point, you know why? Because it was refreshing to read this story from Beast's POV. Everybody knows Belle's POV but it was different to see this new angle.
And similar to the first one, this was also beautiful. Although, I think Beast is drawn more beautifully than Belle. Also, the artwork was very detailed like the Rose room, beasts's library and his court. It felt really great to read about different emotions of Beast. We have always seen him angry, but we didn't knew what was in his back of mind. But here, all his emotions were portrayed greatly.
"In learning to become human again, I realized...
There is never just one lesson to be learned, there are many.
Growing is a process, it never stops.
Beauty isn't about what you have... Its about what you can share.
I may not be there yet, But I can see the path.
And for once I realize.. I'm not walking it alone."
I really enjoyed reading it. It was a quick read. I highly recommend this complete series to all the Beauty and the Beast lovers out there :)
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Amazon