Book Review: Diabolical by Supriya Parulekar

Diabolical

Author: Supriya Parulekar

Publisher: Gargi Publishers

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary

“The monster I run from is in me.” Diabolical is all about the strength and the courage that is required to fight the internal demons. The protagonist of the story is Sonya, who is haunted by the monster of her past, Vikram Uncle. Going through the whirlpool of emotions, Sonya somehow reaches the peak of her career but happiness is amiss. Why? Because the diabolical within takes its toll over the willpower to survive. On one hand is Ramola, the shrewd step mother, who can go any limits to earn indirectly, from her step daughter’s profession and on the other hand is Jay, who is considerate, caring and very patient. This story portrays many relationships and the loopholes in them- the bond between the step sisters, the compelled love of a mother for her step daughter, the selfless love of a lover and the strained relationship with the devil within!

Grab this book to have a sneak-peek into Sonya’s life and experience the trauma that she goes through every single day.

My Opinion

‘Your dragons are frightened parts of your personality, and you alone can experience and heal them’. Diabolical is a heart wrenching novella, with a twisted plot and a distressing climax. The cover of the book is nice (Credits: Amol Karambe), the title is very captivating and the typesetting and editing is fine.

It is not necessary that every story ends on a happy note because every story does not originate in cloud cuckoo land! Diabolical is one such story that can make you jump out of your skin. The plot is gripping and the lucid narration acts like a cherry on the cake. There are no lengthy descriptions and the use of vocabulary is splendid. The best and the most striking feature of the book is the ‘crisp and short chapters’ and the appalling (rather unexpected) climax.

Somehow I felt that the use of ‘babes’ spoilt the fun of reading. Secondly, the inclusion of some chapters seemed unnecessary.

Overall, Diabolical is strong, emotional and intelligent piece of fiction which will definitely touch your heart.

Drawbacks

The book lacks proofreading as time and again one can spot missing words, punctuation errors and other grammatical mistakes.

Buy this book at:

Amazon

Book Review: Life & Promises by Pulkit Gupta and Ila Garg

Life & Promises

Author: Pulkit Gupta and Ila Garg

Publisher: Gargi Publishers

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary

“Life & Promises” is all about love, hope, trust and success. What happens when the odds turn against you and force you to divert from the usual path? Is it that easy to change the course of life? Well, Life and Promises offers an answer to this question. The story revolves around Rachit, who is a determined and ambitious boy. His life is nearly perfect. But tables are turned when his dad denies permission for him to go to IIT. The reason leaves him aghast and he takes refuge in his never ending thoughts. Eventually, he comes up with the verdict of changing his line and becoming a CA. What causes this sudden switch?

The plot of the story gets further complicated when the protagonist suffers the agony of break-up. The story has a third character too- Khushi. What is her story and what role does she play in Rachit’s life? To unravel the mysteries of the lives of these three youngsters, grab a copy soon!

My opinion

“You often meet your fate on the road you take to avoid it”. Rachit has been portrayed as a diligent and ambitious boy who, like any other IIT aspirant, burns the midnight oil to get into IIT. The authors have done a wonderful job in sketching the character of Rachit. However, the depiction/ description of Radhika is limited to what she writes in her ‘secret’ diary only. A little more of Radhika would have acted as a cherry on the cake. The narration is simple and lucid. The break in the story left me befuddled (the chapters beginning in an entirely different setting, at a different time, altogether made me helpless to keep up).

The cover of the book is palatable. The title is ambiguous. The climax is what makes the story worth reading.  The last monologue of the protagonist could have been made shorter (just a suggestion). The print quality is nice (Kudos Gargi Publishers). A plus point in the book is the ‘sneak-a-peek’ into the characters and the accompanying sketches.

Overall, a great feat!

Drawbacks

There is lack of flow and continuity, mainly because of the division of the story in different parts/settings/time,  thereby failing to hold the attention of readers for long.

Buy this book at:

Amazon

   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Book Review: Anything to look hot by Jas Kohli

Anything to look hot

Author: Jas Kohli

Publisher: Srishti Publishers

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary

“People will stare. Make it worth their while”- Harry Winston. ‘Anything to look hot’ serves beauty, glamour and the secrets- hot on the platter. The book is an episode from one phase of the life of a plastic surgeon, when he was at his career peak. Dr. Dhruv is passionate about his job but the knick-knacks of daily life try to make him quit. On one side is his career and on the other side is the temptation of getting involved with the ravishing beauties of the glamour world. Will Dr. Dhruv make his way out successfully and be able to bring the house down? Or will his health issue and other problems surpass his desire to become a successful surgeon?

The book discloses the secrets of those who can do anything to look hot. Grab your copies today!

My opinion

If the words you spoke appeared on your skin, would you still be beautiful? “Anything to look hot” answers this question perfectly. The book explores the cobweb of celeb world and throws light on what it takes to subsist oneself. Often we, the ordinary people, hold skeptical views on how beautiful these celebrities can be! But somewhere deep inside our subconscious mind we know- all that glitters is not gold! The author has brought forth the strident reality behind all those good looks and the mastermind behind it.

The title of the book, although initially sounded boring, is relevant to the content. The cover could have been better. The print quality and the typesetting are fine. The concept of the book is new and can have mixed reviews. The narration is simple and easy to comprehend.

Some chapters are stretched just for the sake of adding words and simultaneously the use of incomplete sentences makes the reading wobbly. Secondly, the blurb of the book seemed a little off track. Overall, it is indeed great effort by the author!

Best Wishes!

**This is one of the books in which the editing and proofreading has actually been done- kudos Srishti Publishers.

Buy this book at:

Amazon