A Walk in the Rain (Book Review)

A walk in the rain, said the title of the book. Please not another mushy love story, I prayed. It did start like one. Oh… please no, I prayed. It was the line below the title that kept me going as it said- ‘A journey of love and redemption’. Love and redemption sounded like a lethal combination. To an extent it was. The fact that it was a romance thriller further fuelled my interest.

For a first time writer, he has done a good job. But I really would like to suggest that often, self publishing has its cons too. For one- there is a tendency to look over minor mistakes that are bound to be committed in the eagerness to complete our book. The second, as told by a professor in my college once, never ever fall in love with your work. When that is followed, you seem to be in a better position to access your own work.

Coming back to the book, it has got many instances where the innocence of a childhood crush or the many little moments, that are said to bring immense joy to one’s life, are all there. It does make the reader smile at times, also capable of tugging at the heart, at other times.

The twists were well placed, unfurling the story bit by bit. There were minor flaws, bound to happen.

In the beginning, I found that there were too many characters- some needed, some worth avoidance. The introduction of Sunny’s (protagonist) friends were nice but as the story progresses, some of the characterizations fall flat, making the reader wonder what happened to those instances of their lives.

Life in a brothel has been elucidated with a human touch to it. The so-called ‘body-sellers’ and their often painful, better forgotten pasts as well as their permanent ostracization from the society of the so-called well mannered, civilized citizens is worth more than just a thought. I wish people could see beyond mere professions of people, for behind each face is a story of which, we have no idea.

As a reader, I found the resolution building part a bit too dragged. The description of the fight could have been cut short because the darkness during the entire fight ended up clouding my mind as well. But that said, I definitely would like to appreciate the author’s storytelling capability that can at many times make the reader feel as if a movie is being played- which reminds me to say that the writing seems more like a script for a movie rather than a novel. Well, that could be taken as a compliment or otherwise, whichever suits better. :)

Best wishes to the promising author with a long way to go!

- Divya Nambiar

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