Book Review: SHE-Ekla chalo re by Dr. Shayan Haq & Santosh Avvannavar

SHE- Ekla chalo re

Author: Dr. Shayan Haq & Santosh Avvannavar

Publisher: Authors & Hoffen

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary

‘Our identity has already been chosen for us; but it is up to us to accept it, or fight and change.’ ‘SHE’ is a story about Kusum’s search for her identity. Fighting all the myths and the superstitions and beliefs, Kusum decides to take a stand for herself and challenge everyone around her.  

Grab your copies to know more about Kusum, her life and get inspired!

My opinion

A different concept, concise content, lucid language and top notch characterization- SHE has it all. This is a really quick read as the story has been concluded beautifully in sixty pages. The language is understandable and keeps the interest alive all throughout. The cover of the book is way too simple. It could have been made better. The title is predictable to some extent, yet catchy.

Coming to the technicalities of the book, the font size and style is not up to the mark. The proofreading and editing is horrible. Time and again the readers can spot punctuation errors (especially in dialogues), missing words, wrong formation of sentences and wrong use of tense. Although the plot of the story is gripping, the lack of proper editing acts as a major turnoff.

Best wishes to the author duo!

Buy this book from:

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Book Review: All I need is you by Mukund Verma

All I need is you

Author: Mukund Verma

Publisher: Half Baked Beans

Rating: 2.5/5

Summary

“All I need is” is a subtle love tale that is relatable and sweet. The story revolves around Mohit and Pihu, who come in contact by chance and are struck hard by Cupid’s arrow. But destiny is probably not in Mohit’s favor, for the sudden turn of events sets the alarm bells ringing. Will Mohit be able to turn the odds in his favor or will he suffer at the hands of his destiny? 

Grab your copy soon to unveil the climax!

My opinion

‘All I need is you’ is a love tale, which revolves around the two main characters- Mohit and Pihu. The title of the book is fine. The cover page is nice- sober and subtle. The blurb is unnecessarily long. The font is smaller than usual but the language is lucid and understandable. I would like to compliment the author’s ability to present this piece of fiction in a language that can be understood by everyone.

The plot is gripping but the major drawback lies in the extended content about the text messages, from chapter 1 to chapter 3, where the protagonists are trying to figure out the names of each other. Here, to be clearer, I would prefer quoting Doris Orens- ‘Not everything that you want to say, needs to be said.’ It is high time that the authors realize that penning down each and every minute detail that is either inspired or adopted from a personal experience, makes the story boring and can result in turning the odds against you.

Another point that I would like to highlight is the abrupt ending of the book. The plot moves at a comfortable pace but suddenly the air sends across happy vibes and the story ends. Instead of such an ending, the last line of the book could have been- ‘Wait! Did she just blink her eyes or am I hallucinating?

The book lacks proper editing and proofreading as one can encounter punctuation errors (tenses, wrong use of apostrophe), missing words, wrong formation of sentences- time and again. There is frequent use of hindi words, which might act as a turn off for the ones who prefer reading rich literature.

Best wishes to the author!

Buy this book from:

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                         Review copy: Courtesy HBB                                                                                                                          

Book Review: Beloved bread and butter and other stories by Chaitanya Vyas

Beloved bread and butter and other stories

Author: Chaitanya Vyas

Publisher: Cyberwit.net

Rating: 1.5/5

Summary

“Beloved bread and butter and other stories” is a collection of short stories by Dr. Chaitanya Vyas. The author has penned down various subjects and has tried his best to make every story as thought provoking as it can be.

My opinion

The very first impression of the book is a total failure because the title in itself is baffling. It is neither attractive nor indicative of anything. Another turn off is the blurb, which has been written in a slapdash way. The concept or the main theme of the book is not clear. The cover could have been made better by using more images/ sketches and a catchy font.

The font- style and size, is not the one that is generally preferred but looks fine as the content is lucid and legible. I longed for a content section, though. The stories are subtle and deep. The climax is good in almost all the stories but the body seems rigid. A more flexible/ varied approach could have done the trick.

Majority of the stories have a fair storyline and cater to various audience groups. For example, ‘A ghost of a chance’ can be classified as kids’ story. But the editing and proofreading of the book is awful. Even the punctuation (inverted commas) are different for every story. The tenses, punctuation, sentence formation and grammar is wrong. Moreover, there are blunders in the titles too (eg. ‘A ghost of a chance’ should ideally be ‘The Ghost of a chance’).

Overall, a book that is not recommended by me.

Sincere advice: Please proofread and edit your work before giving it for publication. Secondly, read more books to improvise on setting of the plot.

Buy this book from:

Amazon

                                                                                                          

                    Review copy: courtesy Cyberwit.net