My Fantastic Failures - Book Review

Title: My Fantastic Failures 

Author: Shreya Upadhyaya & Siddhartha Upadhyaya

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

ISBN: 978-93-82665-41-0

Number of Pages: 255

Price: 250 [INR]

Genre: Fiction

The Blurb:

It is a book about – College courage. Dreams. Failures. Entrepreneurship. And a ....Relationship

A work of fiction 'My Fantastic Failures' is based on a real life story of a brother and sister who entered an interesting pact to safeguard each other’s dreams in face of all failures.

This powerful and fast paced story brings out a beautiful relationship of the two and how far they went to finally fail the failure.

Set in the backdrop of college life, this inspiring, dramatic, daring and yet humour filled story has the ‘what next element’ to keep you hooked.

A roller coaster ride in itself, the story deals with managing expectations when one is born and brought up in an IIT campus, entrepreneurship, braving countless failures and also facing the threat of getting dropped out of college (India’s no. 1 fashion institute). 

My Review:

       Money is the ultimate goal for many people. What crossroads can one take to earn more? How much greed can a person have and to what extent will this be satisfied?

       Vijay and Paul, back in their college days, invented a machine which they called God or Noek. It had the capability of earning huge profit for them at the cost of jeopardizing the whole nation's financial market. But what happens when Paul kicks out Vijay out of his own machine?

       Akram, JASON's head is facing some fluctuations in their trade and he has no idea what or who it is responsible for the loss he is suffering from. Rahul, the young to-be entrepreneur is found dead as soon as he signed his contract with JASON.

       When Sahil connects the dot and finds a link with all these incidents, will he be able to take his revenge? Could he bring justice or will he fall prey to his own trap?

Things I Liked:

• The chapters are short and precise.
• The author has narrated the story in a no-nonsense manner.
• The language was simple and the narration quite engaging.
• The whole idea of Noek and MemoryWall was fascinating to read. 
• Sahil's plan and the way he executed it was something I liked.

Things I Disliked:

• The pace was too quick. The dots were getting connected sooner that I would have liked. It gives the reader little time to get into the mystery cracking mode but the story ends very soon.

Verdict:

       A fast paced book in which the dots get connected soon and the game is over even before you have realized it. It will leave you asking for more.

My Rating:

Until the next review,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Starry Eyed Reader :)

Keeping the Promises - Book Review

Title: Keeping the Promises 

Author: Dhruv Gajjar

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

ISBN: 978-93-82665-51-9

Number of Pages: 185

Price: 195 [INR]

Genre: Fiction

The Blurb:

No one, not even god can write a perfect end for you! Unless he is dying. 

Mighty and irreplaceable as they are, words are lethal weapons that change lives… by sometimes linking two hearts and sometimes shattering everything irreparably. 

But when they are woven into promises, the change lasts forever. 

He had almost lost himself when she brought him back to life with her promises. Dying from a dreadful tumour, every night before they went to sleep, she took a portion of his heart and soul as promises. For better or worse, he'd have to keep the promises for the rest of his life. 

On his journey of fulfilling those promises, his bond is strengthened with all those who, like him, are keeping their promises. 

What were those amusing, surprising and painful promises they all kept? 

Can you live and die…both at the same time? 

Meet the girl who changed the lives of the people she loved, and those who find their true selves in Keeping the Promises.

My Review:

Characters:

       Meet Dhruv. An MBBS student who got admission purely because of his dad's money, fitness freak, nerd and a cool guy with a devil-may-care attitude. He can go to any length to help his friends. Bound by promises he made to his dying girl friend, he is on a mission to bring his life back on track.

       Meet M, the cheerful and bubbly girl, who puts her friends and family's needs before her own happiness. On her death bed, M wants to leave behind her loved ones in a state from where they can carry on with their lives without brooding.

Plot:

       To what lengths will you go to ensure the happiness of someone you love? What would you do if you are left with no choice but to watch the love of your life die in front of your eyes even though you could save them? This is the story of M and Dhruv. M, who is suffering from Neurofibrosarcoma, makes everything in her power to ensure that her loved ones remain happy even after her death and Dhruv, even though belongs to a family of doctors, couldn't get his girl friend treated because she refuses to.

       Dhruv's life changes drastically when he discovers M has Neurofibrosarcoma. He would have lost himself if not for the promises M takes from him every night. Though some of them seem absurd, they does make sense in the end. Discover their journey together as Dhruv narrates their story to her everyday and as they relive those magical moments once again. It is a beautiful love story that will touch your heart and makes you both happy and sad.

Things I Liked:

• The narration is what caught my attention first. Narrated through Nirali's view and then through Dhruv as he writes the novel, it flowed pretty smoothly.
• The suspense as to how Nirali is associated with M kept me curious till the end.
• The small notes with which Dhruv woke M everyday were my favorite. I loved reading these sweet notes.
• The characterization was done well and the side characters were also given equal importance. The way Ansh and Angie's story developed and the way it ended (no I am not including spoilers!) was a treat to read.
• I loved the way emotions were handled throughout the story. There were also many LOL moments in the story which I enjoyed thoroughly.
• From M's stubbornness to her love, from Dhruv's carelessness attitude to his tender nature, M's parents' bonding with Dhruv, Ansh and Angie's love and break up, from Badepapa's threats to Rishi's love for his sister, it made an awesome read.
• There were many flavors to the story - friendship, love, mystery, humor and yes, break ups too and it was a perfect blend of all these.

Things I Disliked:

• I was expecting something more about Nirali and M's association considering how Nirali was scared about Dhruv not talking to her when he finds out the truth. I must say, this was where I was a bit disappointed.
• I couldn't help but hate M sometimes for being so stubborn about the treatment. Though it was for the good, there were some times, when I just hated her for putting Dhruv and others through so much.

Verdict:

       It's not just another cancer patients' lover story; this much I can guarantee you. The story is written and narrated so beautifully that you wouldn't want to stop reading it till the end. One of the most beautiful tale I have read recently. Highly Recommended!

My Rating:

Until the next review,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Starry Eyed Reader :)

3 @ a Time - Book Review

Title: 3 @ a Time 

Author: Diptendu Sekhar Chakraborty

Publisher: Omji Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

ISBN: 9789384028367

Number of Pages: 192

Price: 140 [INR]

The Blurb:

Falling in love is one of the most exquisite feelings that one can experience in their lifespan. But what if while searching for your true soul mate, you end up having that 'exquisite feeling' for three people at the same time. 

3 @ a time is the story of Deepankar and his tryst with trust, love, relationship, betrayal and humiliation with 3 girls at the same time along with maintaining his reputation as the wonder boy of his college. Deepankar - Strong, laborious, with a never-say-die attitude while searching for true love ends up in a relation with three girls from his college...

Notorious yet dedicated for his deeds at college, Deepankar seeks love from his dream girl who turns out to be homosexual! And then destiny plays its game...

And the reason - Girlfriends...

But one should never back down and nor did Deepankar, Pooja stood by him in full support. 

And in the end...

It does matter...

Will the search for his soul mate be completed after his rendezvous with all the 3 girls? 

Will Deepankar restore his faith in others or will life throw curve balls at him? 

Will he be able to maintain his reputation or will be hailed as a onetime wonder? 

'Three at a time' tells us not to be complacent on our victories and neither be demotivated on our losses.

My Review:

Characters:

       Meet Deepankar, our famous MBA student. Great dancer, good at winning hearts and no doubt 'The Dude' whom girls can't seem to resist. Confident, playboy and unfaithful - that's Deepankar for beginners!

Plot:

       The story revolves around Deepankar, aka Deep, and his endeavors in college. Though it is set in campus, the story is more about Deep's trysts than studies. His three-timing nature (or should I say 4?), the way he manages his girl friends, his success in the non-academic front; these things make up the most of the stories. But how far can luck go? What happens when his girlfriends find out about his reality? Will Deep be able to handle the situation and emerge out unscathed? And will he be able to recognize true love when he finds it?

Things I Liked:

• The story doesn't flow in a single direction. It has many faces and thus keeps the reader's interest alive.
• Our protagonist isn't really a guy that one can fall in love with but there were few aspects about him that does help in maintaining the balance.
• There are some simple yet valuable lessons you can learn through Deepankar.
• I liked Deepankar's never give up attitude. Though things go against him, he never stops fighting. His perseverance is something worth appreciating.

Things I Disliked:

• The book needs some serious editing! It is sad to see a novel getting negative remarks due to bad editing. 
• The cover design - the blurb is written in black letters on black background. Last few lines can't be deciphered. 
• Too much drama in few places.

Verdict:

       A quick read advised for youngsters and those who like reading college stories. 

My Rating: 3/5 Stars!

PS: I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.

Until the next Review,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Swathi :)

And We Remained - Book Review

Title: And We Remained

Author & Publisher: Asad Ali Junaid 

ISBN: 978-1495378928

Number of Pages: 268

Price: 249 [INR]

Genre: Fiction

The Blurb:

It is Bangalore in the late 1990's. There are tremendous socio-economic and cultural transformations taking place as a result of liberalization. How would these changes impact a group of friends in their late teens? How would they cope, find opportunities and what of their original identities would they be left with, after western ideologies are brought in and bombarded into their awareness by cable TV and new media?

Told through emails and first person account of events, And We Remained is a light and entertaining read of these friends as they experience love, heartbreak, prison, politics, drunken binges, strip clubs, sexcapades, US and Europe during their journey into adulthood.

My Review:

Characters:

      Meet Sahir Hassan, Sanndeep Gadwal, Anand Nair, Gopal V and David Williams - five students of the Engineering College of Vidyakeerthi University (ECVU). These are the five teenagers, who have seen possible variations in their engineering life. They have gone through so much, even fallen for the same girl (three of them) but still, in the end, their friendship is intact. Not exactly hero types but they will manage to make you smile.

       Meet Wardha, the girl on whom Sahir, Sandeep and Gopal have a crush on! Daughter of a Major General of Indian Army, Wardha has entered ECVU through a special merit list and has the ability to cause some serious havoc in the life of three guys, who are friends.

Plot:

      The story is about five friends and their life at engineering college and post graduation. It takes you through different phases of college life - friendship, love, lectures, bunking, canteen, politics, student body elections and back logs! Struggling through all these are our five friends, whose life becomes and entangled mess when they are accused of ragging and are sent to jail. Time there is certainly not what we can call rosy. If anything it is hell and the only thing that survives through this difficulty is their friendship. 

       The story continues about the rest of their college life which includes all sorts of fun and politics. What follows post graduation is another story altogether. Further studies, jobs, foreign trips, strip clubs, guy talks, money problem, unemployment; there is a lot to add spice to the story. And the email conversations between friends just keeps us in the loop of their life, witnessing each of their life from a certain angle.

Things that Worked:

      The narration style - unique and catchy. The past is narrated in first person and the present through email chats between the friends. There is a frequent switch between the past and present and each part gives you just enough hint to anticipate what will be next. In no way was it predictive, which was good.

       Also, the story is narrated like a conversation between friends. It makes it appear more realistic, like listening to friends talk and that made the story all more believable. There are incidents which make you laugh, like you would do when with your friends. The typical 'Guy Chats' were fun to read and gave a glimpse into the minds of boys.

       Here is a line that I loved from this book -

       The most telling sign of receding youth is not balding or a paunch, it is when you do not feel like laughing as much anymore.

Things that didn't Work:

      The frequent switch between narrations caused some confusion because in one chapter, where the narration was from Anand and he once refers to Anand, like it is someone else (Chapter 3, Page no 12)

      Sometimes, all that there was in the email conversations were the chat about girls and sex. Though it might have been the way the friends chatted, the overdose it made me lose interest at some points. But when the chapter ends and a new one begins, the interest and curiosity will be back.

      The characters lacked depth, especially during the narration of their engineering life. Though the narration was from different view points, they all sounded like the same voice to me. And Wardha! Her role, though should have been dominant considering how three out of five friends had fallen for her, is really insignificant. I really didn't understand why so much hype was given to her after all!

Verdict:

      It was a light read. The narration was different and managed to keep the interest alive, though it faltered at few points. A quick read. If you love to read about college life, friendship and fun, then this book is for you.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

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Until the next review,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Swathi :)