'Criti....que not Criti....cize'

Never Gone by Anusha Subramaniam My rating: 3 of 5 stars Name of the book: Never Gone Name of the Author: Anusha Subramanian Publisher: Penguin Books by Penguin Random House India 2016 ISBN: 9780143424963 Price: Rs.299; Pages: 268 Before writing about the book, it is important to mention here that the author is one of the youngest published authors in India. She was 15 while penning this tale. Also, she happens to be the daughter of banker-turned-writer Ravi Subramanian, who at 36 wrote his first book ‘If God was a banker’ and more recently, ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’. Coming to the book, considering the author’s age and experiences till now, it’s a reflection of new-age school kids on the cusp of being adults – their friendships, relations with parents, their fears for the future and so much more. For elders, reading the book would be like revisiting the school days with its own share of fun and frolic tinged with board exam stress. For young adults, th...

  Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern My rating: 2 of 5 stars Name of the book: Lyrebird Author: Cecelia Ahern Publisher: HarperCollins Pages: 416 Price: Rs 350 Lyrebird- ‘She will change your life forever’ greets you the moment you pick up the book. The cover is designed beautifully by Heike Schüssler and it foretells what is about to be experienced by the reader in the first few pages. Reading Cecelia’s tales are like free falling. You never know where you will land up. The plot just keeps you guessing. Often, the landing is in a lovely state of mind that leaves one spellbound, with a bittersweet feeling. That was the case with many of her previous books which I read over a period of time right from my school days. Be it P.S.I love You , Where Rainbows End , The Year I Met You ,  The Book of Tomorrow or The Time of My Life , they all had something to offer that remained with the reader long after the storytelling ended. Cecelia has that rare power of great storytelling that remai...

Leave Me by Gayle Forman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Life’s about swimming through an ocean of troubles, to reach the shore that soothes. Author: Gayle Forman Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pages: 340 Price: Rs 550 You may also find the review here . ‘So this was how it was. People entered your life. Some would stay. Some would not. Some would drift but would return to you.’ Marriages are those events that get ingrained into one’s mind from the time one is growing up. Girls grow up dreaming about their “happily ever after” while boys about their “princesses”. Even though the dynamics of the same is changing – with girls claiming to be their own superheroes and girls and guys preferring to travel the world rather than settling down with a family of their own – to some “marriage” still means what has often been popularized by popular media: A silhouette of a man and woman walking towards the sunset, holding hands. Troubles before marriage abound and often movi...

One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat My rating: 3 of 5 stars So the moment I picked up the book for reading (after beating competition from the receptionist at the workplace as well as a colleague) and reviewing it, I wondered, for the hundredth time, why the euphoria? Why the adrenaline rush in trains among teenagers when they spoke about the book, irrespective of their views about the author being either totally positive or lashing at him for his contribution to bad literature if I may add ‘literature’ at all. I read it while commuting to and fro my workplace, via the Mumbai Local. It was surprising to find posters of One Indian Girl on a local train. No kidding. In fact, I even attempted to click a picture of it but the train moved and Bhagat blurred away. Mumbai, a cosmopolitan city, thrives because of the variety of people and cultures co-existing here. And yet, Chetan manages to reserve a place for himself so prominently, on the local trains, mind you! Alright, loos...

It's All in the Planets by Preeti Shenoy My rating: 3 of 5 stars So Preeti Shenoy is back with her latest book. Veering once again towards her forte, fiction, after her non-fiction work titled 'Why We Love The Way We Do,' this time she has advices, life lessons and even a diet chart for her fan following that is not restricted to one particular age group. This author's books are solely to be read for her distinct, subtle and motherly way of doling out tips to young and old, without being bossy. She brings in an element of fun just to make her tales seem like they are of people we find around us. Her characters are never larger-than-life because they could be you and me. However, do not expect to find an out-of-the-box plot. In fact, there could be surprise elements but for many, it won't be surprising at all. Despite the characters and situations they find themselves in, Shenoy gives them her touch and then something changes. A very simple book ...

The Last Queen of India by Michelle Moran My rating: 4 of 5 stars सिंहासन हिल उठे राजवंशों ने भृकुटी तानी थी, बूढ़े भारत में आई फिर से नयी जवानी थी, गुमी हुई आज़ादी की कीमत सबने पहचानी थी, दूर फिरंगी को करने की सबने मन में ठानी थी। चमक उठी सन सत्तावन में, वह तलवार पुरानी थी, बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी, खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।। ..... जाओ रानी याद रखेंगे ये कृतज्ञ भारतवासी, यह तेरा बलिदान जगावेगा स्वतंत्रता अविनासी, होवे चुप इतिहास, लगे सच्चाई को चाहे फाँसी, हो मदमाती विजय, मिटा दे गोलों से चाहे झाँसी। तेरा स्मारक तू ही होगी, तू खुद अमिट निशानी थी, बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी, खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।। - सुभद्रा कुमारी चौहान As a child growing up in India, it is only rare if the above poem is unknown to him/her. Recited in schools with actions that could simply give goosebumps to the listeners, this poem has always struck a chord within my heart. And yet, I wonder wh...

Basanti by Bhisham Sahni My rating: 4 of 5 stars A tale that makes a mark upon your heart in its utmost simplicity - by way of words, emotions and the description of the lives of the characters. As simple as it may seem, it delves into some of the big problems faced by the poor- the fear of displacement, a sense of security and the feeling of "arriving home" when forced to live a nomadic life. Basanti is the soul of the tale. It's her tale and the tale of many others like her who live their lives with an infectious laughter at the most unlikeliest of hours, even when their lives seem to be doomed to the well-off. It is a startling glimpse into the lives of the ones whose stories often go untold. Their lives may seem shallow at first sight but delve a bit deeper. Often, they are the fighters, the brave warriors who face life boldly, even if it means to life with a 'bad' name, a child with his father having escaped with his wife and child, a shatt...