The Teen by Gyandeep Kaushal (Book Review)!!!

    As I have been picking up books of Srishti and Mahaveer from a long time, God has played a mischief and suddenly I find myself around Frog/Leadstart publication books these days. Recently, I have read many novels from them and right now, I have completed reading the one which was of 591 pages. This is the most thickest novel I have read till date. Finally breathing a sigh of relief. Seems as an achievement after completing this book in just 1.5 days (sleeping included). As the books from this publication has mixed reviews from me, I was scared as to what would my comment be after devoting so much time to this novel but fortunately, all worked well and I loved reading it. Not for a moment did I feel that I should skip a page or two. I loved reading each and every sentence. The name of the book is "The Teen" and it's written by debutante Gyandeep Kaushal. 

      Gyandeep Kaushal is a 17-year-old student of class 12th from Hazaribag, Jharkhand. Just like any other boy of his age, he is usually deep inside books with extra tuitions to take care of. His love for books is so much that he enjoys sleeping with his head into their pages almost every time he opens them. As a result, he has been a top-notch academic achiever in his class 10th examinations with a CGPA of 10 out of 10 of which he has no clue how he achieved that. Despite the high marks, he is not the nerd of the class. He enjoys taking regular breaks (rather long ones) from studies with his friends and hardly misses a new movie! When he is not with his books or friends, he would usually be disturbing neighbours with either his guitar or drums for he also plays those musical instruments. Well, the bad part for his neighbours is that he sings too.

            The synopsis of the book says- Love can make you do anything, absolutely anything. It can make you run out of your house in the middle of the night to save the girl you love, it can make you not fear anything, not even death when you feel you have been forgotten by someone you can never forget, it can make you choose to live in isolation for a complete year just so that you don't risk her peace; it can make you choose to wait for her forever, and it can make you choose to be awfully selfish so that you can see your whole life being ruined, at the cost of seeing her alive and breathing.

         

    Coming to the author, I would say that I never ever assumed that a 17 year old boy can write a novel of 591 pages. Secondly, the kind of maturity that is being reflected from the writing of Gyandeep, it can be easily said that we can get an epic story by him in the years to come. Normally, when a < 20 years old authors write, they normally write something that's too cliche or sentimental but there are very rare authors who really touch heart. Some of them for me are Durjoy Datta, Sanchit Goel, Prateek Verma etc. I can literally say that Gyandeep Kaushal is Durjoy Datta in making. The kind of words that he has chosen, the way he has taken his story forward, the incidents that he has included- all are being done perfectly. Even when the book is too thick to handle, as I have said above, I didn't get bored much. I liked his work very much and I am just looking forward to read more from him.

            Coming to the story, I would say that the way book has been started is perfect. I got intrigued into it as soon as I was done with first 10 pages. I learnt that this is going to be a phenomenal journey. The character of Ravi is given a good shape. Even I felt that I make the same mistake as him and I will have to improve it soon. :) What I liked the best is that author hasn't given the physical description of any character. Even when this is a hardcore love story, the physical outlook of the lead girl- Nikki is not discussed. It is left on us, the readers to imagine how the characters look. And again, as this is a love story, I was expecting lots of unwanted love-making and sex scenes but there isn't a single one. Author has done good justice to the title of the book- The Teen. He has maintained a dignity that when in this age, it should be pure love and no physical involvement. Awesome!!! 

           The plight of both the brothers seeing their parents' continuous fighting is something that made me be grateful of having parents who never raise a voice against each other. The maturity with which author has handled this part of story made him the winner for me. The love between Ravi and Varun, both the brothers is another beautiful part of the story. In Indian books, teachers are being given funny names by the lead characters and that particular names are being used throughout. Author, once again, showed how the teachers are meant to be respected in any case, even when they promise us something and goes against it. The twists and turns that author keeps introducing incessantly is another USP of the book that keeps us interested in turning the pages. The first half is exceptionally commendable.

           Now its time for some drawbacks- As I have continuously said in the review that 591 pages weren't much for me as this story had the power of keeping the reader intact with it but still, I would say that the story could have been summed up in 400 pages or something. But still it's fine but I request author to not write his 2nd novel this lengthy as people don't really like picking up a 600 pages novel when a love story is beautifully said by some other authors in 200-300 pages. Or else, plan a sequel if your story is really very long. Then, I was expecting some melodrama with which Ravi would have brought his parents together but it didn't happen till end. One scene in which the protagonist humiliates a girl in a get-together party after exam, according to me, was overdone and unfortunately, cliche too. And yes, I wanted climax to be the opposite of what it is. Happy endings is preferable, at least, when 600 pages are being read. Haha! And yes, it's very rare that I say 1st half of the book was better than the 2nd and here, I say this. I also felt that 2nd half was dragged too much. In all, I would give this attempt of author 4/5. It would have been 4.5/5 if the book would have been summed up in 300-400 pages. And yes, Gyandeep, I want you to write something else now. Not a love story again. Please.

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!