Book Name: Not Totally Unbelievable
Author: Vibhuti Bhandarkar- Vibhuti Bhandarkar was born and brought up in Mumbai, India. A graphic designer and copywriter by profession, Vibhuti is a passionate and prolific writer. She discovered blogging in 2006 and found it to be a fantastic tool for honing her creative writing skills. A doting mother to an extremely naughty two-year old son, Vibhuti has not let go off her pen and keeps her MoJo intact. Numerous accolades and awards from fellow bloggers and writers from around the world, has strengthened Vibhuti-s belief in her pen. -Not Totally Unbelievable- will be her first published collection of fiction short stories book for young adults. She is currently working on a novella.
Book is a collection 10 stories. Every character is different and unique. All the stories have different outlook. The locations and backgrounds on which the stories are based are different from one another. I would compliment Vibhuti Bhandarkar for this. But, not even a single story touched my heart. She is a blogger and she started her journey through this but I have seen many bloggers posting much better stories than this one. And, I also feel that the cost of the book is extremely high in comparison to its quality and content. For 10 short stories, who pays 95 rs? Publishing house should see this. I don't have anything more to speak on this. Totally Disappointed. Sorry.
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ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU
Let's talk about the story first, Dev has found a very good friend in Sid. He has finally realized that he can do anything for Sid and he can go till any level for the friendship he had with him. Sid opined his affection towards Tehzeeb to Dev. Now, Dev starts trying to make Tehzeeb attract towards Sid too. He wants Sid to be happy all his life and he knows that without Tehzeeb in his life, Sid can never be happy at all. But, the life plays according to it and not according to the protagonist Dev. Tehzeeb said to Dev that I know what are you trying to do and let me tell you I have no feeling for Sid. Dev and Tehzeeb starts bonding nicely. The developing stage of the feeling of love between both of them was visible to everyone around them. Seeing this, Sid gets addicted to smoking. And this is just the first half of the book, for the second-half which delivers an effective and inspiring message, go get the book and read it in a go. :-)
Coming to the review, as I have said in starting, the book effects you once you finish it and not while you are reading it. TDDS is an easy book to read with nice narration and you'll experience an unique style of writing by Mr. Mohata. The craze of the story begins from the Prologue section itself. You want to know about how a cool boy like Sid gets laid into hospital. You want to know what went wrong between friends like Sid and Dev. You start loving Tehzeeb as she is defined so real in the book. The first half of the book is very entertaining while the second half has many twists in the tale so I may not call it entertaining but it is confusing on your part as you can't think about what will be the next. But in the end, when the book finishes, you will close the book, keep it aside and you will sit still for next 15 minutes thinking about what can happen if there's a feeling of possession for anything in life. Mr. Mohata has delivered a very strong message through this book that obsession and possessiveness for anything in this world may lead you to a place where you will cry your heart out for committing those crimes in your past. The obsession of a girl, a friend, drugs or SMSing or anything can be dangerous for you. It can change your life because you start behaving carelessly towards other aspects of life.
Book is wonderful as I have said above but there are some drawbacks too(not much). The characters haven't got a proper description in the book except Dev, Sid and Tehzeeb. The characters of Sheena and Riteish has nothing to do with the progress of the story. Then why did the author included them in the story? And, once the story used to take turn, author used to concentrate only on the one character of the book and others were ignored. For Tehzeeb, Sheena was ignored. For Sid, Tehzeeb was ignored. For Tehzeeb, again Sid was ignored till many pages. Author should have taken story forward with all the characters all-together. Else, I didn't find any such drawback in the book. Book is powerful and everyone should read it once. Its a One-time read. I would have rated this book 3 for its story and narration but for the strong message delivered through the book, I give it .5 more and hence, 3.5 out of 5. Go for it. And yes, the cover page of the book is 5 on 5. It's attractive and beautiful.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU
Coming to the story, the protagonist of the book- Manav is in love with Meha. He follows her and finally succeeds in winning her. As soon as he gets her, he realizes that he just like Meha but he loves Diva. He dumps Meha for Diva and finally manages to win over Diva. His friend Karan keeps helping him throughout his love stories. Diva's boyfriend KAbir comes into the scene and Diva dumps Manav. Now, Manav gets into a mysterious friendship with his teacher and have physical fun with her. His crush-Gauri knows everything whatever he had with Meha and Diva and also with the teacher. But he proposes her too. Just when he proposes her, Diva comes back into scene. Now, read the book for knowing where did Manav stopped and whom did he selected as his last girlfriend. :-)
Nikhil Mahajan has used an easy language to write this novel. He has tried to make this book more funnier than his last one and somewhat he has managed to do so. The poems written periodically in the book are very nice. You can use some of them to impress your partner. :-) The quotes written by Nikhil Mahajan are meant to make you laugh and he succeeds in making you smile in some of them. Story is not very unique and you don't expect the same love stories every time you pick up a book. This book, as promised by the author, is a confusing love story. Yes, it is but the problem is, the readers gets more confused than the story. Nikhil Mahajan is not a writer who is working on this from his childhood as a passion but he has grown last year itself and I personally think that we should give him time to improve. It's not right to expect very much from him. But still, he has improved 10 times better than the time when he came out with his first book. This book si fine for the people who are going to pick up a book for the first time as they will find it easy to read.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU
In a sitting, "Love in the Reality Is not always that easy" by Hardik Dhamija has been finished by me. The author is a second year student at UIET in Punjab, Chandigarh. He is not a regular blogger but he writes whenever he feels to do it. He is also a RJ at P.U. Community Radio and runs the show named "The Road Less Taken". I have personally talked with him and let me tell you all, this boy is too innocent and too pure by heart. Now don't contradict my words by saying that he described Sex for lots of time in the book. :-) The cover page of the book is too attractive and it made me to pick it up as soon as I felt like reading something easy and beautiful. I didn't had much faith in the book when I picked it up but as soon as I started reading it, I got a very new feeling and the book quested me to read it more and finally I completed it in one go.
Coming to the story, read the synopsis of it as it is perfectly written (not fooled the reader like the synopsis of some books do): "The word drishya in the name Drishya Roy means 'the sight to see a relationship develop' and as per the meaning, he did try to strike a friendship with each and every girl he came in contact but could not build a lasting bond with any of them as he could not forget his past, when he had been sexually abused.So what did he do to get rid of his past and free himself from the guilt of having harmed his loved ones? Did he have the right to fall in love and if yes, would the world allow him to continue? Did he deserve to lead a happy life? What provoked him to build a Business Empire?This is a story which shows how Drishya Roy's story affects Aditya's life and makes him realize that love actually means rejection of the word 'practical' and adoption of the reality. Will Aditya be able to recover from his screwed life? Despite losing his best friend in an accident and his girlfriend subsequently, with whom he had been in a relationship for at least five years, was he able to find the way to happiness? read on to find more...... "
Coming to the review of the book, let me tell you that this is the book which starts magnetizing you right from its first page. Author hasn't taken time to describe how he fell in love with his love Aprajita but directly started with a conversation with her. This interests the reader. The book is full of decent sense of humour and you smile reading the funny statements written by the author. The mischief of the Monster Group- the name given to his school friends by him are very naughty and exciting. The friendship part with those friends and Shahid is described very beautifully. You feel like having such friends after reading few chapters. The birthday part of his girlfriend is described so romantically that you start imagining the whole scenario in front of your eyes. The Chapter' An Unusual Call is very disturbing and depressing. When the author gets confused whether he should continue with his love Aprajita or leave the relationship, he goes to his favorite uncle- Uncle D i.e. Mr. Drishya Roy. And the whole story of Drishya Roy which works as a flashback in the midst of the book is the USP of "Love In The Reality". It teaches you so much. The part when a speech on Parent's importance in life comes, you feel like going to your parents and ask them to forgive you for all the sins you have committed in your life.
Now coming to some drawbacks of the book(there are not much but still the errors should be pointed out too): The incessant deaths of characters make you feel depressed throughout the book. The first half makes you laugh while the second half makes you cry. But still, author has chosen a topic like Child Abuse and he has narrated it very distinctly which helps you understand how this incidents takes place in life and depresses you and ruins your life. So, the depression part is justified but still the deaths of certain characters were not required. Mr. Hardik Dhamija could have made this book much better by eliminating those plots. Else, the book is different from other love stories. It is indeed a love story but it captures other surprises of life too. It makes you think about your life if those conditions would have happened with you. The book is something which you can keep with you for the whole lifetime and gift it to the special people in your life. I rate this book- 3.8 on 5. That means, you can purchase it without giving a thought. Well done Mr. Hardik Dhamija.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU
So, I have finally finished reading Jyoti Arora's Dream Sake. First let me share the story of the book as per it's synopsis:
He can be as good as he wants to be and I'll be as bad as I need to be! We'll see where it all ends up,??? says Aashi.
She believes she has a right to fight for her dreams. She believes a little bit of selfishness is necessary to survive in this world. Abhi, however, has not learnt that lesson. And he can't accept the fulfilment of his hopes when they seem to rise from the ruins of Aashi's dreams.
His sister Priyam and friend Sid are made from much the same mould. And in the path of their love too lies a dream ?..... the dream of a dead and betrayed mother.
Feelings rise, and are suppressed. Past grips the present and threatens the future. Memories refuse to wane their shadows from the heart. Hope and despair fight a battle. Guilt rises up and resent the forgiveness. Revenge weaves a web. Friendship is tested. And love demands a sacrifice. A tumultuous battle wages on...
What lies at the end of this battle?
Coming to the review, Jyoti Arora has defined each and every character so articulately that you don't feel it's a fiction at all. At one point of a time, you start feeling that the story is true and you want the book to end as soon as possible so that you can know what happened with all the characters in the end. Book is based in Delhi and hence you may feel that the book will have all those elements of a city but Jyoti Arora has defined the story as a world of only those 5 characters. It has no connection with any thing else. The whole book concentrates only on the story of the characters. She has perfectly shown a hatred of a son for his father who he thinks is the criminal of his mother's death. She has perfectly shown the trauma of the orphan brother and sister. She has shown the heart of a father who loves his child a lot but remains sad because he don't want to talk to him because of misunderstandings. She has perfectly shown the romantic triangle between the character. The one who is receiving the love is all fine while the one who is bearing his/her love go to somebody else is feeling depressed throughout.
The story of Dream's Sake is too slow and Jyoti Arora could have made it little short. The story flows very slowly in the beginning while it gains speed in the midst of it but you start feeling annoyed till then. The climax part is too fast and you get a sense of fiction while reading it. Because, the whole book remains so real that you start pretending story as a real incident but in the climax, you get the feel of story-being-scripted. Jyoti Arora has used a very distinct and unique style of writing. She has used beautiful words throughout the book. If someone wants to improve his language and vocabulary, they should pick up this book and read it with full dedication. Else, I would like to give a salute and standing ovation to Jyoti Arora because this girl is suffering with Thalassemia which makes a patient visit hospital every week for dialysis. This made her leave schooling after her seventh class. But she kept reading and the dream of writing motivated her to keep going. Today, she has her book in her hand. What more will you expect from such a girl. Let's pray for her that she turns into National Bestseller very soon.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU
My exams are going on but still I managed to pick this book by Sachin Garg and completed it within 3.5 hours. It's the first book written by Sachin Garg and the name of it is "I'm Not Twenty Four... I've been nineteen for five years...". The cover page of the book shows a girl's leg with blue jeans and red sandal which makes it look like another Indian pulp-fiction-love-story. But when you finish half of it, you come to know that you have something different in your hand and you have really got the right book. Sachin Garg, the author has done engineering and also completed his management. He has quit his job in 2011 to start his own venture "Grapevine Productions". I am too happy that Sachin Garg is a publisher now because a writer can better understand other writers than a publisher. The first few books which are being released under his Grapevine Publishing house are from his friends but I hope he gives chance to passionate writers who haven't got chance still.
Coming to the story of INTF, it is about a girl "Saumya Kapoor" from Delhi who is selected in the placement offering in her college and sent to a village- Toranagallu which is based in the heart of Northern Karnataka. The journey starts from here. A girl who has addiction to malls, handsome boys, fashion and shopping is sent to a village where the population is just 5000 and there's no one who has ever seen a girl from city, has no malls, handsome boys, fashion and shopping material. She was ready to welcome hell in her life in few days. She went to a restaurant and ate lot and expected bill of thousand when the waiter came and told that her bill was just 40. She was surprised by seeing the cheapness in value of products in this village. She started enjoying her life. She gets her friend Amit and Malappa too. After the training period ends in the Lala steels where she is placed, she is appointed in a department where she has to tell the relatives of employees that dies in the accidents in the organization. All the enjoyment blows away. Her boss asks her to visit some live spots where the accident took place and she fainted every time she saw these workers struggling between the machines or already flooded with lots of blood around or the body being divided into several parts. She starts hating her job. In the training period, she meets a boy named- Shubrodeep Shyamchaudhary who tells his wonderful past to her. She starts liking him but the conditions of Shubrodeep's life doesn't permit her to stay with him for longer. She is confused about this part of her life too. But one day, she finally gets to know about many facts of this guy and her life changes after this. How Shubrodeep brings a change in Saumya's life is the USP of this book. I'll not reveal much. Go for the book. I would say, purchase it and keep it with you. You will love reading it every time you feel depressed and lonely.
Finally reviewing I'm Not Twenty Four, I would first applaud Sachin Garg for writing a book where girl is a protagonist and not a boy. Being a boy, it is hard to write a book in a girl's narration. Coming to the story, the way Saumya is introduced is mind-blasting. I have never read such an introduction of the protagonist in any book. Something very creative. Her expression in words after getting the job in a village is too funny and you start loving the character of Saumya. The way the village- Tornagallu is described is the best part of the book. I read it twice after completing the book. If I will be asked about one part why this book will always remain in my mind and heart, I would say the part when Shubrodeep tells about his past to Saumya, Amit and Malappa. The "move-on theory" described by Shubrodeep is something on which I can write 1000 pages book. A very nice insight of life by Sachin Garg. I read this part for 3 times after completing the book. This is the only book which I have read again in parts just after completing it. The part when one of the friend of Saumya dies and the way her emotions and trauma is described makes you shiver too. I was on bed when I was reading it and I almost jumped after reading that part. Just imagine if one of your friend is thrown by his boss in furnace where iron is melted just because of you. Fuck! I am still shocked.
Coming to some bad points (Ohh, there's nothing bad in this book but when you read such a book, you want nothing to go bad and when it goes, you don't like it even a bit), Amit and Malappa are sidelined when Saumya starts describing her job and her journey with those dead bodies and shattered bodies in blood. Sachin Garg should have tried to add some more adventures with the job profile of Amit too. Malappa's was described later. :-) And the blogs written by Shubrodeep in the end could have been more effective but it didn't bought that effect which you expect after what Sachin Garg has done right from the first page of the book. These are the only two points I want to point out. Ohh Yes, one more thing, I am also disappointed with the cover page and the title of the book. Actually, there's nothing wrong in them but it makes the book look like just-another-love-story but it is something far above than that. Sachin Garg should have chosen a Revolutionary kind of thing to show on the cover-page of the book and the book should have been named - MOVE-ON THEORY... 90 days of life.... Hahaha. Else, this book is an epic in Indian-pulp-fiction-writing. The easy language and beautiful narration makes it more beautiful. And yes, once again, an Indian writer showed that its not necessary to write an all-and-all Love Story and Sex to make a book bestseller, popular and sell-able. You can use a good story with life in it rather than writing those stupid romance between the protagonist and their love partner throughout the book. Kudos for this to Sachin Garg and lots of respect.
I rate this book 4 on 5. I didn't even wanted to cut that 1 but those blogs from Shubrodeep compelled me to. In the end, A Salute to Mr. Sachin Garg.
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Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU
I finished reading "Accidentally In Love" by one of the most favorite pulp-fiction writer of youth- Nikita Singh. I came to know about her first book through Facebook which is "Love @ Facebook". I saw the cover page and I read some reviews and I got to know that her first book is something very special. I never got to read it because I was busy in reading other books as I committed those writers that I'm reviewing them soon. Nikita Singh published her first book when she was just 17. This is something which attracted me towards her. The second thing which attracted was that she hails from Bihar- the place where girls don't even take education seriously, Nikita from there had written a book at the age of 17. Truly, an inspiration for all the girls residing in Bihar who thinks that they don't have any future and scope. She came up with "Accidentally In Love" in September this year and I luckily got this book to read.
Coming to the book, AIL is a story about two girls- Chhavi- the protagonist and Vatsala- friend of Chhavi. Chhavi is a model who gets small advertisements and she is happy with her looks as everyone keeps complimenting her for that. Vatsala is happy with her relation with Ankit. Suddenly, Chhavi meets this guy- Tushar who is a photographer and he is too in struggling phase. The first time she meets Tushar, she ends up sleeping with him as she was too drunk that night and in the morning, she was not even sure whether she had sex with him or not. Then both of them get committed in an open relationship where they decide that they have nothing to do with love and commitment, they will just have fun with each other's body. And with time and several meetings, Chhavi starts liking him and he likes her back. Both of them get into relation and then the real problem arises for both and the story takes a twist. While Vatsala is confused whether to get back to her first muse- Ronit or to stay with this guy- Ankit who loves her a lot and even she loves him. To know the end of the love story of Chhavi and Vatsala' go and buy this book.
Here comes the Review: This is the 3rd female writer I have picked and I found Nikita Singh the most open writer who describes everything in detail- Either it is love or hatred or abusing scenarios or Sex. This will surely lead to other female writers to try their hand on sex after reading this. Book starts with the open relationship between the main character- Chhavi and her partner Tushar. Too much sex in the first half of the book pisses you off. Sex in book is good up to a level. Once you start talking only about it, it becomes boring. Everyone cannot be Durjoy Datta who knows how to keep story going with Sex at every 10 pages. He is good in doing that but that doesn't mean you will try it out too. Another drawback of the story is that that Chhavi is shown a struggling model in Mumbai. Having this concept in the book, she should have researched little more and worked on this thing better. She didn't disclosed any interesting fact about the struggle of a model. This is another thing which disappointed me.
One thing for which I'll really applause Nikita is for portraying the character of Vatsala in very sweet manner. Her love story is much interesting than Chhavi's love story. I wanted to know more about Vatsala than about Chhavi. Actually, Vatsala is the main character in her previous book- Love @ Facebook and hence, I think Nikita is still lost in her love story. Hahaha. And the relationship of Chhavi and Vatsala is also sweet and nourishing. Both are shown as totally opposite characters and their argument sections are very interesting to read. The best chapter of the book was 17th where Vatsala narrated her story. I just can't get over it till now. That chapter reflects the real skill of writing Nikita possess. She should use that kind of narration in her future book rather than this typical kind of Indian-pulp-fiction-writer's narration. The last 40% part of the book is something one should look forward to. There, the Sex gets lost somewhere and the story comes in front. Nikita should not have stretched Sex part so much. It was over and kind of boring to read it again and again. It seems like she wrote it for those people who haven't read books still and this will be their first book. Definitely, they will like to read such things and they will go for more novels but when it comes for avid readers like me, I search for story and I found it lacking here. She should write what she wants to rather than trying something which today's reader are enjoying. She has the capability but it didn't came out in her 2nd book. One more thing about Nikita- Boys, she is too beautiful. Even I fell for her once when I saw her pictures in her gallery on her website. :-) In the end, I rate this book 2.5 out of 5. Even if you miss it, you haven't lost anything.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU
