The Hidden Gems
Compiler &
Editor: Abhisar
Garg & Isha Sharma (respectively)
Publisher: Notion press
Rating: 2.5/5
Summary
“The hidden gems” is a collection of
short stories and poems that reflect the other side of being human. That side
is the side that has the audacity to take a stand for what is right. This book
is a sincere attempt to throw light on all those not-so-important moments of
life, which were left ignored once, but which were supposed to be the turning
point of the life.
My opinion
The very first impression of the
book is pleasant. The glossy cover with intense imagery is thought provoking
and catchy. The title of the book is perfect- suiting the theme in all respect.
Technical details are fine, with satisfying font style and size and the
indents, etc..
The organization is fine but somehow
the stories failed to leave a lasting impact on me. The very first story by
Supriya Parulekar is more like an article. No doubt it has been written with
deep insights and creative language. But it definitely fails to appeal as a
story. Although, looking at the brighter side, I can say that Supriya has
provided information on institutions that we should be aware of and that is
much needed today. ‘A friend’s reward’ made my mind go crazy. The plot did not
match well with the theme. The use of Hindi words like ‘yaar’, ‘na’, etc. was a
total turn off. ‘Life line’ is a good read. The plotting is fine and the
sequential organization of events is good. ‘He knocked me’ is again off-track.
The sad part of this is that even if the story is nice, the reader cannot
relate to it. ‘Life changer’ is more like words without feelings. The emotional
turmoil was somewhere lost in the drama. Overdone
is the right word! Poetry is varied- subtle and sweet. ‘Days of her life’ is a
short and sweet rhyming poem that has rhythm and apogee of feelings in it. ‘Aunty’-
a compelling read. The characters are strong, plot is strong and it is one of
the best suited, theme based story. ‘Vows conveyed’ is a beautiful poem. It has
much more to it than it seems. ‘Missing hours’ has been well put and well
drafted. It is a good one. ‘Asha- the Braveheart’ and ‘The Benevolent Driver’
are inspiring tales that will force the readers to empathize with the
characters and relive their life. Other stories and poems are good and well
amalgamated with the theme of the book.
The major drawback is editing.
Several punctuation errors, wrong use of tenses, wrong sentence structure can
be encountered time and again.
Buy this book
at:
