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allthatissim
** Note: This review may contain sections inappropriate for young readers
I won this book in a giveaway so I had no idea what this book was about. But the main reason why I decided to enter the giveaway in the first place was its title. Don’t you think the title is different and suspenseful?
Well, the THC stands for The Holistic Center. It’s a fictional center setup in the story where the broken hearts are cured, those looking for closure get insights and return to the world with repaired soul. Basically, they do the treatments for both physical and mental problems of the patient by some unique methods of their own. I don’t know about you, but it sounds a little too fictional to me, isn’t it?
Plot
There are three main characters in this book around whom the story revolves – Samar, Sanjaneka, and Varun. All of them are in their mid-forties (though the cover shows that they all are young). Each person has their own problems. Samar is a chain smoker and going through impotence. Sanjaneka has Osteoporosis (pain in joints) and Genophobia (fear of sex). Varun was suffering through Insomnia and depression. All three of them decides to come to THC for their treatment and meet there at a coffee table. The story then develops upon the past of each of them, as each one of them tells their story in a different manner. Will they be able to cover their fears? Will they overcome their weaknesses and return to the world happily? What are the dark secrets that all of them are hiding?
All the three main characters were built correctly and they portrayed our society (mainly the Indian society). They played their respective parts perfectly. As each of them were telling their own stories, you can easily get into their minds and can guess their emotions and can feel them. There were true to their stories. Each character was a person from our day-to-day life and no fictional ones.
After a long time I have read anything diferent by an Indian author. In general, I don’t find Indian books talking easily and so clearly about the topics like impotence, sexual relations, homosexuality etc. Even if there are any such scenes required in the story, they are often cut to the chase. But here, Manoj V Jain has not used such scenes easily but also have talked about them (offcourse not to the points of Eroticas), but in the right amount.
The writing is simple and to the point, making it a quick read. The main thing that I liked about this book was the three different stories of three different persons, yet they were interconnected somehow. All those stories make you think twice about your decisions that you take randomly. Author has tried to give some lessons through the story of each one of them.
Samar: Samar was a chain smoker. Because of this habit he was suffering through mental depression and impotence. Now here, what one can take out of Samar’s story is that smoking and particularly the chain smoking can really be your life destroyer, if it is not cured permanently. Samar came to THC for his cure and after just a day of quitting smoking, he felt relaxed and refreshed. He also had the male ego because of which he had troubled relationship with her wife.
Sanjaneka: I really liked her name first of all. She was suffering for Osteoporosis and Genophobia. One bad incident led her to a path which she never imagined and turned her world upside down. One night, drinking too much, she did what she regreted her whole life. What I can conclude from this is whatever things you do in your life or make decisions, come back to you. It’s upto you to make it a mistake or blessing. Any event can turn the events of your life. Sometimes its not your fault, but you are bound to the outcomes.
Varun: I really liked the story of Varun . For the first time, I read about a homosexual affair by an Indian author. Varun was in a realtionship with his father’s friends’ son (or he thought he was). He was too young at that time to understand this flick. He had troubled relationship with his father, and now he had the same kind of relationship with his son. He always demanded the attentions from others. First, he wanted the attention of Jaiveer and now of his own son. His story don’t just tell you about the complicated relationships but also take you to the insight of the relation between parents and children in today’s world. Any troubled relationship can have a great impact on anyone’s life and thus the person can be affected by depression. This is exactly what happened to Varun.
I was disappointed by the ending. I didn’t expected the last encounter between Sanjaneka and Samar. It was difficult for me to understand how it was closure for them and how it helped them in their cure.
I enjoyed this book overall, though I has some issues. I liked the writing style of author and the way he presented the content. It was a one time read for me, with enjoyable plot but a little lack of after story.
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I won this book in a giveaway so I had no idea what this book was about. But the main reason why I decided to enter the giveaway in the first place was its title. Don’t you think the title is different and suspenseful?
Well, the THC stands for The Holistic Center. It’s a fictional center setup in the story where the broken hearts are cured, those looking for closure get insights and return to the world with repaired soul. Basically, they do the treatments for both physical and mental problems of the patient by some unique methods of their own. I don’t know about you, but it sounds a little too fictional to me, isn’t it?
Plot
There are three main characters in this book around whom the story revolves – Samar, Sanjaneka, and Varun. All of them are in their mid-forties (though the cover shows that they all are young). Each person has their own problems. Samar is a chain smoker and going through impotence. Sanjaneka has Osteoporosis (pain in joints) and Genophobia (fear of sex). Varun was suffering through Insomnia and depression. All three of them decides to come to THC for their treatment and meet there at a coffee table. The story then develops upon the past of each of them, as each one of them tells their story in a different manner. Will they be able to cover their fears? Will they overcome their weaknesses and return to the world happily? What are the dark secrets that all of them are hiding?
All the three main characters were built correctly and they portrayed our society (mainly the Indian society). They played their respective parts perfectly. As each of them were telling their own stories, you can easily get into their minds and can guess their emotions and can feel them. There were true to their stories. Each character was a person from our day-to-day life and no fictional ones.
After a long time I have read anything diferent by an Indian author. In general, I don’t find Indian books talking easily and so clearly about the topics like impotence, sexual relations, homosexuality etc. Even if there are any such scenes required in the story, they are often cut to the chase. But here, Manoj V Jain has not used such scenes easily but also have talked about them (offcourse not to the points of Eroticas), but in the right amount.
The writing is simple and to the point, making it a quick read. The main thing that I liked about this book was the three different stories of three different persons, yet they were interconnected somehow. All those stories make you think twice about your decisions that you take randomly. Author has tried to give some lessons through the story of each one of them.
Samar: Samar was a chain smoker. Because of this habit he was suffering through mental depression and impotence. Now here, what one can take out of Samar’s story is that smoking and particularly the chain smoking can really be your life destroyer, if it is not cured permanently. Samar came to THC for his cure and after just a day of quitting smoking, he felt relaxed and refreshed. He also had the male ego because of which he had troubled relationship with her wife.
Sanjaneka: I really liked her name first of all. She was suffering for Osteoporosis and Genophobia. One bad incident led her to a path which she never imagined and turned her world upside down. One night, drinking too much, she did what she regreted her whole life. What I can conclude from this is whatever things you do in your life or make decisions, come back to you. It’s upto you to make it a mistake or blessing. Any event can turn the events of your life. Sometimes its not your fault, but you are bound to the outcomes.
Varun: I really liked the story of Varun . For the first time, I read about a homosexual affair by an Indian author. Varun was in a realtionship with his father’s friends’ son (or he thought he was). He was too young at that time to understand this flick. He had troubled relationship with his father, and now he had the same kind of relationship with his son. He always demanded the attentions from others. First, he wanted the attention of Jaiveer and now of his own son. His story don’t just tell you about the complicated relationships but also take you to the insight of the relation between parents and children in today’s world. Any troubled relationship can have a great impact on anyone’s life and thus the person can be affected by depression. This is exactly what happened to Varun.
I was disappointed by the ending. I didn’t expected the last encounter between Sanjaneka and Samar. It was difficult for me to understand how it was closure for them and how it helped them in their cure.
I enjoyed this book overall, though I has some issues. I liked the writing style of author and the way he presented the content. It was a one time read for me, with enjoyable plot but a little lack of after story.
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Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
This was my third poetry book that I read this year after [b:Milk and Honey|23513349|Milk and Honey|Rupi Kaur|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491595510l/23513349._SY75_.jpg|43116473] and [b:Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately|29059581|Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately|Alicia Cook|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1455132988l/29059581._SY75_.jpg|49289043]. I loved both those poetries and expected same from it, as the title seemed entruiging. I came to know about this title through poetry recommendations on NetGalley. However, it was way too different than the formers.
Theme and Writing
------------------------------------
The theme of this poetry was eroticism which makes it sensual in a way. But it was a little difficult for me to gasp sexuality in this genre and I was feeling uncomfortable in lot of poems (though I like Eroticas, it din’t worked in poetry for me).
This poetry collection is divided into four parts: Inception, Longing, Chaos and Epiphany. The good thing about this poetry was that the author is speaking about herself in most of the parts. She is a woman of color (WoC) and we can imagine to some point that what she might have been gone through in her childhood. A few poems shows her roots and felt like raw thoughts.
This collection is like a story where the author is speaking about her growing experience (moreover how it affected her) like lust, heartbreak, healing and self love. I really liked that how she started the book with a “trigger warning” showing that she cares about the mental health of her readers. This was really a thing to appreciate. In today’s world, where everyone is going through too much stress because of their professional or personal lives, mental health is something which is being compromised the most and often goes unattended.
It highlights another good point – effects of longing. Sometimes, we are so engrossed in something that we can’t think properly and take better decisions, like loving someone so blindly that that person often neglects the bad effect that it is having on them and thus makes them indecisive. They just become desperate.
However, writing was beautiful and felt true. I enjoyed the overall emotional journey of the author. Some of the poems were sad but in the end, it gives the perfect and hopeful message. My favourite part was definitively Epiphany. There were some poems which I liked while I couldn’t make any connections to others. Two of my favourites are below:
"elements ii
there’s a universe
swirling inside you.
you have to learn to be
your own earth,
wind, fire
and water.
you are a natural
phenomenon—
not a natural disaster."
"the galaxy is yours
star your own sky.
drink the shooting stars.
lasso the moon.
take a bite.
feel the juice
of self-love
running
down your chin
and laugh madly.
you’re still alive.
you’re still alive.
you’re still alive."
Final Thoughts
--------------------------------
I like this collection, not whole but definitely a few poems were good. I liked the writing style of the author and I am definitely waiting to read some more from her. If you are into poetry and like this kind of theme, then you should definitely read it.
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This was my third poetry book that I read this year after [b:Milk and Honey|23513349|Milk and Honey|Rupi Kaur|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491595510l/23513349._SY75_.jpg|43116473] and [b:Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately|29059581|Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately|Alicia Cook|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1455132988l/29059581._SY75_.jpg|49289043]. I loved both those poetries and expected same from it, as the title seemed entruiging. I came to know about this title through poetry recommendations on NetGalley. However, it was way too different than the formers.
Theme and Writing
------------------------------------
The theme of this poetry was eroticism which makes it sensual in a way. But it was a little difficult for me to gasp sexuality in this genre and I was feeling uncomfortable in lot of poems (though I like Eroticas, it din’t worked in poetry for me).
This poetry collection is divided into four parts: Inception, Longing, Chaos and Epiphany. The good thing about this poetry was that the author is speaking about herself in most of the parts. She is a woman of color (WoC) and we can imagine to some point that what she might have been gone through in her childhood. A few poems shows her roots and felt like raw thoughts.
This collection is like a story where the author is speaking about her growing experience (moreover how it affected her) like lust, heartbreak, healing and self love. I really liked that how she started the book with a “trigger warning” showing that she cares about the mental health of her readers. This was really a thing to appreciate. In today’s world, where everyone is going through too much stress because of their professional or personal lives, mental health is something which is being compromised the most and often goes unattended.
It highlights another good point – effects of longing. Sometimes, we are so engrossed in something that we can’t think properly and take better decisions, like loving someone so blindly that that person often neglects the bad effect that it is having on them and thus makes them indecisive. They just become desperate.
However, writing was beautiful and felt true. I enjoyed the overall emotional journey of the author. Some of the poems were sad but in the end, it gives the perfect and hopeful message. My favourite part was definitively Epiphany. There were some poems which I liked while I couldn’t make any connections to others. Two of my favourites are below:
"elements ii
there’s a universe
swirling inside you.
you have to learn to be
your own earth,
wind, fire
and water.
you are a natural
phenomenon—
not a natural disaster."
"the galaxy is yours
star your own sky.
drink the shooting stars.
lasso the moon.
take a bite.
feel the juice
of self-love
running
down your chin
and laugh madly.
you’re still alive.
you’re still alive.
you’re still alive."
Final Thoughts
--------------------------------
I like this collection, not whole but definitely a few poems were good. I liked the writing style of the author and I am definitely waiting to read some more from her. If you are into poetry and like this kind of theme, then you should definitely read it.
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** Thank you NetGalley for providing me a free copy in exchange of an honest review.
This is a story about three nurses during World War 2. Between all the war and horrific conditions, it was really difficult for Scarlet, Ellie, and Lucy to cope up in those conditions. But there was one thing for those women to keep going and that was their friendship and the hope for returning home safely and living their lives with their loved ones.
Smile and the world will see the woman you want them to see, no matter how you feel inside.
I found myself too comfortable reading this novel. I really liked how she had given the details of each scene and the characters. The story was written from the third person’s PoV but there were chapters for each of the three main ladies. I really liked how the whole WWII setup was shown. The details about the war camps and their hospitals felt really uncomfortable. It was heartbreaking to know how they lived during that war in those horrific conditions. All the three main protagonists displayed their story pretty well and it was good to know their backgrounds. I really liked the romance building there amidst all that horrors of war. Each of the love stories was lovely but Scarlet’s was really a conflicted one. I even imagined myself in her place thought what I would have done in that case
This is a story about three nurses during World War 2. Between all the war and horrific conditions, it was really difficult for Scarlet, Ellie, and Lucy to cope up in those conditions. But there was one thing for those women to keep going and that was their friendship and the hope for returning home safely and living their lives with their loved ones.
Smile and the world will see the woman you want them to see, no matter how you feel inside.
I found myself too comfortable reading this novel. I really liked how she had given the details of each scene and the characters. The story was written from the third person’s PoV but there were chapters for each of the three main ladies. I really liked how the whole WWII setup was shown. The details about the war camps and their hospitals felt really uncomfortable. It was heartbreaking to know how they lived during that war in those horrific conditions. All the three main protagonists displayed their story pretty well and it was good to know their backgrounds. I really liked the romance building there amidst all that horrors of war. Each of the love stories was lovely but Scarlet’s was really a conflicted one. I even imagined myself in her place thought what I would have done in that case
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I don’t think that anyone in the book community doesn’t know about this book. This is a classic – a must read classic which everyone is supposed to read. I mean that’s the point of including it in the list of must read classics in a lifetime. I couldn’t agree more. This is an epic tale of family love, racism before world war and the existential circumstances way back then. I know this is one of the favourite books of most of the people and I can understand the reasons, but for me, it was not a perfect 5-star read. I had some issues with this book which explains a star less rating.
I was amazed by the character building of the writer. All the characters were great and well created. Every character was portrayed with detailed characteristics, even the neighbours. Scout was a very brave and curious girl. Her character represents a strong woman, though she was 6-9 years old. She not only loved and respected her father but also did the same for her brother Jem. Jem was a strong boy too. he wanted to take care of his father, to understand him well. He took care of Scout as his father would take. He often became furious when anyone said anything about his father. Atticus was an ideal father. he was a father that children would wish to have. Both of his children loved him very much and so did he. Atticus was an honest man, a man of his words.
The whole story was believable. The writing was simple but somewhat was like old American English. It was easy to understand but there were some words which were unfamiliar to me. The writing is remarkable if we speak of the author. The flow of the story was perfectly set. It was a littlebit slow at the starting . Apart from family love, this story was highly about the racism issue which was at its peak at that time in America.
Sometimes, it was hard for me to believe that the story was being told from a PoV of a six years old. There were various introductions of the neighbours that I felt were totally unnecessary. I actually lost my concentration at many points while reading this extra details. Though it was good to know the lives of neighbours in the county, the details of every one of them were not at all helping to the story.
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.
Though I did have some issues with this book, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it. I really did. In fact, this is such a book that is a must read not just for adults but for children too. One can learn many things from this story like the value of family, the value of truth, difference between right and wrong etc. It gives a very good insight of living in that era like thinking of the people, how girls were supposed to dress, how they were supposed to talk etc. This book teaches you the value of friendship and to be stronger and helpful, and also tells you the importance of family bond. This is definitely worth reading at least once. I am really glad that I finally read it.
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I was amazed by the character building of the writer. All the characters were great and well created. Every character was portrayed with detailed characteristics, even the neighbours. Scout was a very brave and curious girl. Her character represents a strong woman, though she was 6-9 years old. She not only loved and respected her father but also did the same for her brother Jem. Jem was a strong boy too. he wanted to take care of his father, to understand him well. He took care of Scout as his father would take. He often became furious when anyone said anything about his father. Atticus was an ideal father. he was a father that children would wish to have. Both of his children loved him very much and so did he. Atticus was an honest man, a man of his words.
The whole story was believable. The writing was simple but somewhat was like old American English. It was easy to understand but there were some words which were unfamiliar to me. The writing is remarkable if we speak of the author. The flow of the story was perfectly set. It was a little
Sometimes, it was hard for me to believe that the story was being told from a PoV of a six years old. There were various introductions of the neighbours that I felt were totally unnecessary. I actually lost my concentration at many points while reading this extra details. Though it was good to know the lives of neighbours in the county, the details of every one of them were not at all helping to the story.
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.
Though I did have some issues with this book, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it. I really did. In fact, this is such a book that is a must read not just for adults but for children too. One can learn many things from this story like the value of family, the value of truth, difference between right and wrong etc. It gives a very good insight of living in that era like thinking of the people, how girls were supposed to dress, how they were supposed to talk etc. This book teaches you the value of friendship and to be stronger and helpful, and also tells you the importance of family bond. This is definitely worth reading at least once. I am really glad that I finally read it.
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I hadn’t read a romance novel for a long time and when I saw this book on NetGalley I instantly requested for it because of its cover and the synopsis looked good too. But I have to say I was little disappointed. The story could have been turned out better.
The main protagonists of the story are Ted Spencer and Olivia de la Vega. The story follows their lives over decades of time, narrated by Ted. Ted is a violinist and wants to pursue his career in this. He met Olivia in his senior year of High School in the 1960s and instantly fell in love with her. Ted was from a wealthy background while Olivia was the daughter of a cleaning lady at the school. Despite their background differences, they planned to spend their lives together. But the fate was not with them and they got separated because of the family issues and Ted’s compassion for music.
The time forwards and they meet again after decades when both are doing good in their careers. They realize that after so many years their love for each other is still alive. But this time they were not able to get together because of their family commitments and career ambitions.
Will they meet again? Will they ever be got together? Why they got separated in the first place? And the second time?
The story was little weak for me in terms of character development. I never got to understand what was the main thing that attracted both Ted and Olivia towards each other. I guess the writer never explained properly what was the point of affection there. Being said that, it was good to see a story being told from a man’s PoV. This was really Ted’s story, his life, his relationships, and we got to learn about Olivia only through their interactions.
One of the major things to appreciate here is the use of music as the main theme. Besides love being the theme, there was a little suspense too for this missing Violin which was revealed in the last pages. I wished though that the Violin should have made a bigger part of the story.
This book started out slow for me but was fast paced later on. The story is not divided nicely into the present and the past. It was confusing many times and it took me seconds to realizes that the story has shifted from one time to another. The writing was simple. It doesn’t bore you or make the story tough to understand.
I generally love the romances, but with this, I felt that the basic plot of the story was repetitive – boy meets the girl with a different background, they fell in love but their families won’t approve and they got separated, they meet later on but still love each other. Like many other reviewers, I too believe that it could be made into a good movie. I think that a movie can do a proper justice to the story.
It was a light and quick read and somewhat enjoyable too. There is this belief in this story that the true love can live long after the circumstances have separated two people. I believe that this notion alone will touch the hearts of many. This sort of book is best suitable when you just want to read without thinking too much and just want to simply enjoy the story during your break or on vacation.
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The main protagonists of the story are Ted Spencer and Olivia de la Vega. The story follows their lives over decades of time, narrated by Ted. Ted is a violinist and wants to pursue his career in this. He met Olivia in his senior year of High School in the 1960s and instantly fell in love with her. Ted was from a wealthy background while Olivia was the daughter of a cleaning lady at the school. Despite their background differences, they planned to spend their lives together. But the fate was not with them and they got separated because of the family issues and Ted’s compassion for music.
The time forwards and they meet again after decades when both are doing good in their careers. They realize that after so many years their love for each other is still alive. But this time they were not able to get together because of their family commitments and career ambitions.
Will they meet again? Will they ever be got together? Why they got separated in the first place? And the second time?
The story was little weak for me in terms of character development. I never got to understand what was the main thing that attracted both Ted and Olivia towards each other. I guess the writer never explained properly what was the point of affection there. Being said that, it was good to see a story being told from a man’s PoV. This was really Ted’s story, his life, his relationships, and we got to learn about Olivia only through their interactions.
One of the major things to appreciate here is the use of music as the main theme. Besides love being the theme, there was a little suspense too for this missing Violin which was revealed in the last pages. I wished though that the Violin should have made a bigger part of the story.
This book started out slow for me but was fast paced later on. The story is not divided nicely into the present and the past. It was confusing many times and it took me seconds to realizes that the story has shifted from one time to another. The writing was simple. It doesn’t bore you or make the story tough to understand.
I generally love the romances, but with this, I felt that the basic plot of the story was repetitive – boy meets the girl with a different background, they fell in love but their families won’t approve and they got separated, they meet later on but still love each other. Like many other reviewers, I too believe that it could be made into a good movie. I think that a movie can do a proper justice to the story.
It was a light and quick read and somewhat enjoyable too. There is this belief in this story that the true love can live long after the circumstances have separated two people. I believe that this notion alone will touch the hearts of many. This sort of book is best suitable when you just want to read without thinking too much and just want to simply enjoy the story during your break or on vacation.
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Austenistan
Mahlia S Lone, Saniyya Gauhar, Mishayl Naek, Sonya Rehman, Gayathri Warnasuriya, Laaleen Sukhera, Nida Elley
What comes to your mind when you first read the name “Jane Austen"? Probably Pride & Prejudice? or any other novel written by her? Jane Austen doesn’t need any introduction (at least to the bookworms I guess?). Austenistan is an anthology containing 7 different stories inspired by Jane Austen’s work and are set in modern Pakistan. Sounds fun, eh?
The book starts with a wonderful foreword by Caroline Jane Knight who is related to Jane Austen. This book has 7 different stories and most of these are based on P&P. Every story is written by different author and overall the book is edited by Laaleen Sukhera. At the starting of each story, there is a quote from the Jane Austen story that is being retold. So you get the idea instantly that a particular story is an adaptation of which one.
Each of the stories has the character names similar to Jane Austen characters, so it makes it easier to recognize them. I think the best way to review this anthology is to go into details about each story. So let’s talk about them story-wise.
The Fabulous Banker Boys by Mahila S Lone: This was a typical P&P story based on the similar storyline. I was so glad the first story itself was based on P&P and I was able to relate to it. This is a story about Jameela Baig and her daughters. Jameela Baig is a middle-aged woman who has four daughters. All she ever think is about marrying her daughters to suitable grooms. When she heard about the Mirza wedding, she was happy with the prospect of finding many eligible bachelors there. In the wedding, her second daughter Elisha met Mr. Dar (sounds familiar?
The book starts with a wonderful foreword by Caroline Jane Knight who is related to Jane Austen. This book has 7 different stories and most of these are based on P&P. Every story is written by different author and overall the book is edited by Laaleen Sukhera. At the starting of each story, there is a quote from the Jane Austen story that is being retold. So you get the idea instantly that a particular story is an adaptation of which one.
Each of the stories has the character names similar to Jane Austen characters, so it makes it easier to recognize them. I think the best way to review this anthology is to go into details about each story. So let’s talk about them story-wise.
The Fabulous Banker Boys by Mahila S Lone: This was a typical P&P story based on the similar storyline. I was so glad the first story itself was based on P&P and I was able to relate to it. This is a story about Jameela Baig and her daughters. Jameela Baig is a middle-aged woman who has four daughters. All she ever think is about marrying her daughters to suitable grooms. When she heard about the Mirza wedding, she was happy with the prospect of finding many eligible bachelors there. In the wedding, her second daughter Elisha met Mr. Dar (sounds familiar?
John Green was already one of my favourite authors before reading this book. I had read just The Fault in Our Stars by him yet I liked him. His writing is so raw and real. When I finished this book, I was not sure how to write its review. Whether to be happy or to be sad. I was conflicted literally because of the ending? I am not sure if it was meant to end like that or it was on purpose? But yet, I love the overall book. But here, I should definitely mention that I would have enjoyed it way more if I would have read it like 3-4 years back.
Miles Halter is the main protagonist of the story who lives in Florida. He is not a social person and is in search of his “Great Perhaps”. So Miles decides to attend the Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama to start a fresh life. There he makes his first friend Chip, known as “the Colonel” by all. He nicknamed Miles as “Pudge” and called him with the same name throughout the book. The Colonel introduces him to his friend, Alaska, who was a fierce and mysterious girl. Miles instantly falls in love with her. All of them are then involves in various pranks and mishappenings and then BAM! There is the unexpected mid-way surprise. I am not telling what that middle thing is (for the sake of spoilers) but that event divides the book into two part. One Before and one After that event.
The Before part is filled with a lot of high school events, the building of relations, the pranks that student plays and all. Yes, the typical high-school environment has been explained. The After part describes what happens after that tragic event, how the truth unfolds and how the lives of everyone involved changes. The Before part is kind of happier while the After is the one with lots of sorrow and heartbreak.
The best thing about Looking for Alaska is that it doesn’t feel like it’s a debut novel of John Green. It has so much more hidden things to say then the words can explain. John green has definitely shown his best raw talent in this and proving that you can literally emerge like a different person after you finish his book. It is a gripping tale. It is not a typical boy-meets-girl-falls-in-love-then-separate kind of story. It is a tale of true friendship, the effect of love, the longing for survival, the void in a relationship.
The story is more about Miles then about Alaska (as the title may confuse). The center point for both of them is looking for “labyrinth". I actually didn’t know about this word at the beginning but then it was used so many times in the book that it made itself clear. A unique thing that John Green has put as the hobby of Miles is “remembering the last lines of famous persons". I was like, why would anyone like to remember that? But surely, after reading many such sentences in the book it surely made me interested in those last lines.
The only problem that I had with this story was its ending. I felt like cheated. No seriously I wanted it to end correctly and to know the truth. But I think, the valid point in its favour can be that John wanted to think the readers about it?
All the characters that are mentioned feel like in real life. There are no cheesy ones, not even Alaska (though girls are generally shown as cheesy). I liked how the character of Alaska was made mysterious. And the fact is we often come across such characters in our lives too, who are mysterious in their own ways. The writing was typical John Green style – easy and flowing. And the best things is the beautiful quotes that he writes, which always make me love his work more.
This story clearly reminded me of many things that were long forgotten. One such thing is the use of “Yellow Pages”. DO you remember this service? I used to use it like 6-7 years ago? There were other events too which clearly reminded that I am reading it little bit late
Miles Halter is the main protagonist of the story who lives in Florida. He is not a social person and is in search of his “Great Perhaps”. So Miles decides to attend the Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama to start a fresh life. There he makes his first friend Chip, known as “the Colonel” by all. He nicknamed Miles as “Pudge” and called him with the same name throughout the book. The Colonel introduces him to his friend, Alaska, who was a fierce and mysterious girl. Miles instantly falls in love with her. All of them are then involves in various pranks and mishappenings and then BAM! There is the unexpected mid-way surprise. I am not telling what that middle thing is (for the sake of spoilers) but that event divides the book into two part. One Before and one After that event.
The Before part is filled with a lot of high school events, the building of relations, the pranks that student plays and all. Yes, the typical high-school environment has been explained. The After part describes what happens after that tragic event, how the truth unfolds and how the lives of everyone involved changes. The Before part is kind of happier while the After is the one with lots of sorrow and heartbreak.
The best thing about Looking for Alaska is that it doesn’t feel like it’s a debut novel of John Green. It has so much more hidden things to say then the words can explain. John green has definitely shown his best raw talent in this and proving that you can literally emerge like a different person after you finish his book. It is a gripping tale. It is not a typical boy-meets-girl-falls-in-love-then-separate kind of story. It is a tale of true friendship, the effect of love, the longing for survival, the void in a relationship.
The story is more about Miles then about Alaska (as the title may confuse). The center point for both of them is looking for “labyrinth". I actually didn’t know about this word at the beginning but then it was used so many times in the book that it made itself clear. A unique thing that John Green has put as the hobby of Miles is “remembering the last lines of famous persons". I was like, why would anyone like to remember that? But surely, after reading many such sentences in the book it surely made me interested in those last lines.
Thomas Edison’s last words were “It’s very beautiful over there”. I don’t know where there is, but I believe it’s somewhere, and I hope it’s beautiful.”
The only problem that I had with this story was its ending. I felt like cheated. No seriously I wanted it to end correctly and to know the truth. But I think, the valid point in its favour can be that John wanted to think the readers about it?
All the characters that are mentioned feel like in real life. There are no cheesy ones, not even Alaska (though girls are generally shown as cheesy). I liked how the character of Alaska was made mysterious. And the fact is we often come across such characters in our lives too, who are mysterious in their own ways. The writing was typical John Green style – easy and flowing. And the best things is the beautiful quotes that he writes, which always make me love his work more.
I may die young, but at least I’ll die smart.
This story clearly reminded me of many things that were long forgotten. One such thing is the use of “Yellow Pages”. DO you remember this service? I used to use it like 6-7 years ago? There were other events too which clearly reminded that I am reading it little bit late
This is a story about billionaire Shekhar Kapoor, owner of Aerowalk shoes. He did many wrong things to remain in the industry and is quite arrogant because of his money. He destroyed lives of many people because of his desires to always be on top. But then, something happens which he didn’t believe “can happen to him because he was rich”. Yes, the death! He got several warnings from The City of Justice to correct his mistakes but he ignored them. Finally, he met a car accident and goes to The City of Justice. There the Bookkeeper shows him all his wrong deeds and the God of Justice punishes him and sens him to hell. But because of her mother’s prayers, he got a second chance. Will he b able to correct all his wrong-doings? Would he become an honorable and good man?
The story is the classic tale of your Karmas. What you do comes back to you. I don’t know about you but I definitely believe this. Every good or bad thing that you do comes back to you, later or sooner. The author really has a vivid imagination. The picture of hell that the author has created is actually what we are listening from our grandparents and parents since our childhood. The description of the hell is very compelling. The chapters including The City of Justice are really entertaining and keeps you hooked throughout the story.
Author’s writing style is really simple and easy. It is flowy and you can easily feel yourself going with the story. The story was quite predictable in the second half as Shekhar Kapoor was trying to fix all his wrong-doings. Despite being predictable, the writing style of the author kept it interesting. Sometimes you need to just leave your judgment and need to enjoy the story
The story is the classic tale of your Karmas. What you do comes back to you. I don’t know about you but I definitely believe this. Every good or bad thing that you do comes back to you, later or sooner. The author really has a vivid imagination. The picture of hell that the author has created is actually what we are listening from our grandparents and parents since our childhood. The description of the hell is very compelling. The chapters including The City of Justice are really entertaining and keeps you hooked throughout the story.
Author’s writing style is really simple and easy. It is flowy and you can easily feel yourself going with the story. The story was quite predictable in the second half as Shekhar Kapoor was trying to fix all his wrong-doings. Despite being predictable, the writing style of the author kept it interesting. Sometimes you need to just leave your judgment and need to enjoy the story
WHAT I LIKED
1. Good depiction of Malayali culture: This point will also appear in the “What I didn’t like” section but first let’s talk about the positive side. The author has very aptly depicted the culture of Malayalis. For those of you who don’t know what’s a Malayali is- Malayalam is a language spoken in the Indian state Kerala and the people of that state are called Malayali. The exact details of the Malayalis and the people living near the shores, mainly fishermen, was accurate and will tell you many details about the culture of Kerala.
2. An Apt description of Dubai: Dubai is the second place in which the story mainly takes place and the author has used his words beautifully to describe Dubai and its fast and rich life.
3. Heart-breaking description of immigrant workers: The main theme of this book is depicting the truth behind the glorious life of Dubai and basically making aware of the conditions of immigrants workers in that country. All that description was really heart-breaking. You will feel bad for those people after reading the poor conditions in which they were forced to live just because they wanted to earn and send back home some money.
4. The good writing style of the author: I have to confess here that I was going to leave this book in between, at one point but it was the writing style of the author that kept me going.
5. Perfect satire: Author was humorous at times and the satire was perfect when he was saying “how it is a dream of every Malayali to go to Gulf to earn more money.”
6. Simple language and narration: The author has used a very simple language and narration is quite good too. So if you would be interested in such stories, you can complete it quickly.
7. Author has raised some intense issues like human exploitation, recession, suicide etc. That’s is really a good aspect of the story.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
1. Over explanation of Malayali culture: I should explain here that why it is both a good as well as the bad point. It feels good to read about a new culture and its people. But how would you feel if the starting 3-4 chapters are just about that, repeating same things again and again? And it didn’t stop after a few chapters, but it returns after a gap! Now I bet that’s really boring. For me certainly it was!
2. The blurb reveals too much: Yes, in fact the whole story has been revealed there. After finishing the book you will feel as if there was nothing extra in the story apart from the characters description.
3. Weak storyline: This story was character driven. It’s not that I hate the character-driven storyline but there should be at least something in the plot to keep your interest.
4. Boring cover and title: Yes we can judge a book on these aspects too, especially a person like me who proclaims to be a “cover hoarder”
1. Good depiction of Malayali culture: This point will also appear in the “What I didn’t like” section but first let’s talk about the positive side. The author has very aptly depicted the culture of Malayalis. For those of you who don’t know what’s a Malayali is- Malayalam is a language spoken in the Indian state Kerala and the people of that state are called Malayali. The exact details of the Malayalis and the people living near the shores, mainly fishermen, was accurate and will tell you many details about the culture of Kerala.
2. An Apt description of Dubai: Dubai is the second place in which the story mainly takes place and the author has used his words beautifully to describe Dubai and its fast and rich life.
3. Heart-breaking description of immigrant workers: The main theme of this book is depicting the truth behind the glorious life of Dubai and basically making aware of the conditions of immigrants workers in that country. All that description was really heart-breaking. You will feel bad for those people after reading the poor conditions in which they were forced to live just because they wanted to earn and send back home some money.
4. The good writing style of the author: I have to confess here that I was going to leave this book in between, at one point but it was the writing style of the author that kept me going.
5. Perfect satire: Author was humorous at times and the satire was perfect when he was saying “how it is a dream of every Malayali to go to Gulf to earn more money.”
6. Simple language and narration: The author has used a very simple language and narration is quite good too. So if you would be interested in such stories, you can complete it quickly.
7. Author has raised some intense issues like human exploitation, recession, suicide etc. That’s is really a good aspect of the story.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
1. Over explanation of Malayali culture: I should explain here that why it is both a good as well as the bad point. It feels good to read about a new culture and its people. But how would you feel if the starting 3-4 chapters are just about that, repeating same things again and again? And it didn’t stop after a few chapters, but it returns after a gap! Now I bet that’s really boring. For me certainly it was!
2. The blurb reveals too much: Yes, in fact the whole story has been revealed there. After finishing the book you will feel as if there was nothing extra in the story apart from the characters description.
3. Weak storyline: This story was character driven. It’s not that I hate the character-driven storyline but there should be at least something in the plot to keep your interest.
4. Boring cover and title: Yes we can judge a book on these aspects too, especially a person like me who proclaims to be a “cover hoarder”
“You Never Know” is a phrase which instantly catches your eyes. It kind of seems true. You never know what is going “You Never Know” is a phrase which instantly catches your eyes. It kind of seems true. You never know what is going to happen in your life or who you are going to meet and what secrets they are hiding. One such story is this book written by Akash Verma.
Dhruv is the main protagonist who is a marketing professional at C&M. He is happily married to his wife Shalini, a psychiatrist, and have two kids. He got promoted as branch head in C&M. Soon he meets Anuradha, a new joinee in C&M and was instantly attracted towards her. This attraction was mutual. Soon they start seeing each other and were deeply in love in spite of the marital status of Dhruv. He hides his relationship with Anuradha very well from his family and colleagues. Anuradha had a dark past because of his ex-boyfriend Sid who committed suicide. Little did Dhruv know that Anuradha’s dark past was going to haunt him too and would create havoc in his world.
The plot really looks interesting when you just read the blurb. But I would say here that I expected much more from this book but it disappointed me. So let’s talk about the basic points here:
+ The beginning is fast and intriguing that’s a good point for it because I generally find it hard to indulge in the story from the beginning. The first chapter mentioned Dhruv in a deep and secluded forest of Dehradun and that scene instantly attracts you towards rest of the story.
+ There is extramarital affair which I just despise. I don’t know how people even think of infidelity. Being in love is another thing and being unfaithful to your partner is another. Dhruv was in a relationship with Anuradha, physically, though he claimed throughout the book that he loves her wife too. He talks about not living without her. I can’t understand this conflict of mind. Can you be in love with two persons at the same time? I think yes, for those people who are scared enough to show their real face to the society. This extramarital affair plot hasn’t worked for me (because I don’t like it personally?). All the characters felt simple and unrealistic. Akash Verma has portrayed almost all of them as a terrible person. Dhruv was not guilty aout his affair with another woman most of the times and neither did Anuradha. I couldn’t understand their love for each other.
+ The suspense of the story is good but I was able to guess the actual suspense before the end. The author has maintained good voice throughout the story and it makes the readers stick to it. There are no extra talk or exaggeration in the plot, which I really appreciate. So in a way, it was a fast-moving story but nothing close to a psychological thriller, as it claims.
+ Shalini’s side of the story was not shown at all which I really wanted to know. I wanted to know if she even doubted a little on Dhruv? I wanted to know what would have been her reaction when Dhruv was for most of the time and was coming late at home? I wished the author has presented her part also, as he had explained the story from all the other three characters POVs- Dhruv, Anuradha and Sid.
+ Through this extramarital affair plot, the author does want to show a fact. Though the author hasn’t managed to prove the worth of these characters, he sure managed to capture the essence of the plot. It awakens us that we have still people like Dhruv and Anuradha in our society who can go to any extent for “claiming” the love. I guess it is lust more than love actually? It is horrifying to see that how love can turn a person into something else and can change their world. The title fits perfectly here: You Never Know…Sometimes love can drag you through hell..
+ And one important thing that I always consider first – The cover of the book. I didn’t like the cover at all. I felt that given the title, it could have been better but it was just like no real work was done for creating a good cover. It felt FLAT!
Final thoughts
Though the story is relatable to some extent, it is not a kind of book that I would pick by myself. The language is simple and easy to read and the author has somewhat justified the plot. It is the lack of character building that makes this book a low rated one. This book is perfect if you are looking for a light and breezy read or if you like to read the stories similar to dramatic Bollywood masala movies
Dhruv is the main protagonist who is a marketing professional at C&M. He is happily married to his wife Shalini, a psychiatrist, and have two kids. He got promoted as branch head in C&M. Soon he meets Anuradha, a new joinee in C&M and was instantly attracted towards her. This attraction was mutual. Soon they start seeing each other and were deeply in love in spite of the marital status of Dhruv. He hides his relationship with Anuradha very well from his family and colleagues. Anuradha had a dark past because of his ex-boyfriend Sid who committed suicide. Little did Dhruv know that Anuradha’s dark past was going to haunt him too and would create havoc in his world.
The plot really looks interesting when you just read the blurb. But I would say here that I expected much more from this book but it disappointed me. So let’s talk about the basic points here:
+ The beginning is fast and intriguing that’s a good point for it because I generally find it hard to indulge in the story from the beginning. The first chapter mentioned Dhruv in a deep and secluded forest of Dehradun and that scene instantly attracts you towards rest of the story.
+ There is extramarital affair which I just despise. I don’t know how people even think of infidelity. Being in love is another thing and being unfaithful to your partner is another. Dhruv was in a relationship with Anuradha, physically, though he claimed throughout the book that he loves her wife too. He talks about not living without her. I can’t understand this conflict of mind. Can you be in love with two persons at the same time? I think yes, for those people who are scared enough to show their real face to the society. This extramarital affair plot hasn’t worked for me (because I don’t like it personally?). All the characters felt simple and unrealistic. Akash Verma has portrayed almost all of them as a terrible person. Dhruv was not guilty aout his affair with another woman most of the times and neither did Anuradha. I couldn’t understand their love for each other.
+ The suspense of the story is good but I was able to guess the actual suspense before the end. The author has maintained good voice throughout the story and it makes the readers stick to it. There are no extra talk or exaggeration in the plot, which I really appreciate. So in a way, it was a fast-moving story but nothing close to a psychological thriller, as it claims.
+ Shalini’s side of the story was not shown at all which I really wanted to know. I wanted to know if she even doubted a little on Dhruv? I wanted to know what would have been her reaction when Dhruv was for most of the time and was coming late at home? I wished the author has presented her part also, as he had explained the story from all the other three characters POVs- Dhruv, Anuradha and Sid.
+ Through this extramarital affair plot, the author does want to show a fact. Though the author hasn’t managed to prove the worth of these characters, he sure managed to capture the essence of the plot. It awakens us that we have still people like Dhruv and Anuradha in our society who can go to any extent for “claiming” the love. I guess it is lust more than love actually? It is horrifying to see that how love can turn a person into something else and can change their world. The title fits perfectly here: You Never Know…Sometimes love can drag you through hell..
+ And one important thing that I always consider first – The cover of the book. I didn’t like the cover at all. I felt that given the title, it could have been better but it was just like no real work was done for creating a good cover. It felt FLAT!
Final thoughts
Though the story is relatable to some extent, it is not a kind of book that I would pick by myself. The language is simple and easy to read and the author has somewhat justified the plot. It is the lack of character building that makes this book a low rated one. This book is perfect if you are looking for a light and breezy read or if you like to read the stories similar to dramatic Bollywood masala movies