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_askthebookbug's Reviews (1.34k)
The Expedition.
🍃
Thank you so much @realchrisbabu for sending the review copy.
🍃
The Expedition is sequel of The Initiation and I was sure that I'll come to love it like I did the first part. And I wasn't let down. The Expedition is an adventure filled book which had me gripped with excitement till the very last page. The story of Drayden left me in a daze and now I cannot wait for the next part.
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Just when Drayden and the gang thought the trauma of Initiation was over, a new horror was awaiting them at the Palace. Surviving the Initiation wasn't easy and when Premier Holst briefed time about the next task that they have to undertake, the teenagers are left in anguish. Drayden struggles to find out the truth about his mother's exile and picks up few clues. His relationship with Catrice turns to be fragile than ever. Will Drayden survive the Expedition?
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When the group is pushed to leave New America and move to Boston in search of life outside their city, they are met with many shocking sights. Drayden, Catrice, Sidney and Charlie who are barely adults are accompanied by four guardians who are ruthless as they expected. When things turn sour on their Expedition and as they split up with the guardians, Drayden assumes the role of the leader as he guides them to the destination.
🍃
This book talks about their journey to Boston as they discover life and people outside their premises. They are faced with a harsh reality that the New America hid from their people. Pick up this book to know whether Drayden and others reach Boston or not. Will they survive the deadly Aeru virus and beat the guardians to the destination or will they perish on the way? I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping there's a next part to it. The characters are exceptionally written and felt quite real. The plot strengthened from the very first chapter.
🍃
I would rate this book 5/5.
🍃
Thank you so much @realchrisbabu for sending the review copy.
🍃
The Expedition is sequel of The Initiation and I was sure that I'll come to love it like I did the first part. And I wasn't let down. The Expedition is an adventure filled book which had me gripped with excitement till the very last page. The story of Drayden left me in a daze and now I cannot wait for the next part.
🍃
Just when Drayden and the gang thought the trauma of Initiation was over, a new horror was awaiting them at the Palace. Surviving the Initiation wasn't easy and when Premier Holst briefed time about the next task that they have to undertake, the teenagers are left in anguish. Drayden struggles to find out the truth about his mother's exile and picks up few clues. His relationship with Catrice turns to be fragile than ever. Will Drayden survive the Expedition?
🍃
When the group is pushed to leave New America and move to Boston in search of life outside their city, they are met with many shocking sights. Drayden, Catrice, Sidney and Charlie who are barely adults are accompanied by four guardians who are ruthless as they expected. When things turn sour on their Expedition and as they split up with the guardians, Drayden assumes the role of the leader as he guides them to the destination.
🍃
This book talks about their journey to Boston as they discover life and people outside their premises. They are faced with a harsh reality that the New America hid from their people. Pick up this book to know whether Drayden and others reach Boston or not. Will they survive the deadly Aeru virus and beat the guardians to the destination or will they perish on the way? I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping there's a next part to it. The characters are exceptionally written and felt quite real. The plot strengthened from the very first chapter.
🍃
I would rate this book 5/5.
When the moon is low.
🌙
"Afghanistan is a land of widows and widowers, orphans and the missings. Missing a right leg, a left hand, a child,or a mother. Everyone was missing something, as if a black hole had openend in the centre of the country, sucking in bits and pieces of everyone into its harden belly." - Nadia Hashimi.
🌙
Tales of Afghanistan has always fascinated me and this book was no different. This beautiful book talks about the refugees who spend their entire lives in search of a home. This is the story of Fereiba and Saleem, mother and son, as they embark on their journey of finding their roots after facing a terrible tragedy in Kabul.
🌙
The story has been narrated from Fereiba and Saleem's view point. Fereiba, who loses her mother as soon as she's born faces unjust treatment of her stepmother while her father locks himself up in the study room everyday. Being subjected to household chores most of her childhood, she finally fights for her educational rights and completes highschool. Young Fereiba faces heartbreak time and again, from her family and also from her first love. But as life would have it, she gets married to Mahmood and finds her home in him.
🌙
When Mahmood is killed by the Taliban, Fereiba is left alone with her three children in tow as she leaves Kabul and decides to live with her sister in England. But life wasn't so easy back when the Taliban were ruling the city and they face numerous turmoils on their journey. Fereiba talks about deathly fear every times they step out and also about the comfort that she finds in strangers as they provide her shelter.
🌙
As Fereiba narrates her story, her eldest son Saleem opens up about his difficulties as he gets separated from the family. The book talks about how millions of refugees struggle day in and out to find food and shelter. How they fight death on the cold streets and pray not to be sent back to their ramshackled houses. I loved this book as much as I loved her first one.
🌙
I would rate this book 5 / 5.
🌙
"Afghanistan is a land of widows and widowers, orphans and the missings. Missing a right leg, a left hand, a child,or a mother. Everyone was missing something, as if a black hole had openend in the centre of the country, sucking in bits and pieces of everyone into its harden belly." - Nadia Hashimi.
🌙
Tales of Afghanistan has always fascinated me and this book was no different. This beautiful book talks about the refugees who spend their entire lives in search of a home. This is the story of Fereiba and Saleem, mother and son, as they embark on their journey of finding their roots after facing a terrible tragedy in Kabul.
🌙
The story has been narrated from Fereiba and Saleem's view point. Fereiba, who loses her mother as soon as she's born faces unjust treatment of her stepmother while her father locks himself up in the study room everyday. Being subjected to household chores most of her childhood, she finally fights for her educational rights and completes highschool. Young Fereiba faces heartbreak time and again, from her family and also from her first love. But as life would have it, she gets married to Mahmood and finds her home in him.
🌙
When Mahmood is killed by the Taliban, Fereiba is left alone with her three children in tow as she leaves Kabul and decides to live with her sister in England. But life wasn't so easy back when the Taliban were ruling the city and they face numerous turmoils on their journey. Fereiba talks about deathly fear every times they step out and also about the comfort that she finds in strangers as they provide her shelter.
🌙
As Fereiba narrates her story, her eldest son Saleem opens up about his difficulties as he gets separated from the family. The book talks about how millions of refugees struggle day in and out to find food and shelter. How they fight death on the cold streets and pray not to be sent back to their ramshackled houses. I loved this book as much as I loved her first one.
🌙
I would rate this book 5 / 5.
Part 1 starts with 'A hundred days ago' and that very moment I knew that something was amiss. Messed up but all for love is about a married couple, Neil and Gauri who seem to have run out of any romantic spark. Gauri takes over the role of being an adult while Neil turns out to be the irresponsible one. The story also involves their friends who stick to them throughout.
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When Neil and Gauri head out to Cuba with all their friends, things take a turn for the worst. Gauri ends up having a tiff with Neil's fitness consultant, Srinya. During their vacation, Neil bumps into a TV reporter Drishti and her husband Somesh who turns out to be a cop. Trouble seems to be sailing in their marriage just like in Neil and Gauri's.
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When they return back from their journey, Drishti gets abducted and somehow Neil gets entangled in it. He is then framed for the abduction and Gauri walks out on him. Is Neil really guilty or is he being a mere pawn in the crime? Will Drishti be saved in the end? And would he salvage his marriage with Gauri? Read this book if you'd like to know what happens.
🍂
The plot was very weak from the beginning and I literally had to struggle to read it till the end. The writing style is least impressive and was such a letdown. The characters needed more work rather than being shown in such a fickle manner. The language and dialogues failed to impress me. To conclude, this book needed to be more refine. There were too many Hindi words being used which could have been cut down a bit.
🍂
I would rate this book 2/5.
🍂
When Neil and Gauri head out to Cuba with all their friends, things take a turn for the worst. Gauri ends up having a tiff with Neil's fitness consultant, Srinya. During their vacation, Neil bumps into a TV reporter Drishti and her husband Somesh who turns out to be a cop. Trouble seems to be sailing in their marriage just like in Neil and Gauri's.
🍂
When they return back from their journey, Drishti gets abducted and somehow Neil gets entangled in it. He is then framed for the abduction and Gauri walks out on him. Is Neil really guilty or is he being a mere pawn in the crime? Will Drishti be saved in the end? And would he salvage his marriage with Gauri? Read this book if you'd like to know what happens.
🍂
The plot was very weak from the beginning and I literally had to struggle to read it till the end. The writing style is least impressive and was such a letdown. The characters needed more work rather than being shown in such a fickle manner. The language and dialogues failed to impress me. To conclude, this book needed to be more refine. There were too many Hindi words being used which could have been cut down a bit.
🍂
I would rate this book 2/5.
Magic Square.
🍁
Thank you for the review copy @half_baked_beans.
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Being a small read, this was an impactful one. When Amudha, a PhD student stumbles upon a mathematics textbook in the iconic Blossom bookstore in Bangalore, she gets curious about the book's previous owner. Amudha has always been a neglected middle child never receiving enough attention as a kid. When she finds the book, she knows she has to solve the mystery.
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L. V. Sreenivasan, the previous owner would have penned down a poem to a woman called Harini on the cover of the book which piques Amudha's interest. She decides to take a break from her routine research job and goes to Chennai in search of him. Her friend Dheeraj plays an important role in helping her out by giving her details from the internet. Post reaching Sreenivasan's college, she reads the termination letter of him and her curiousity increases a notch. Why was he termed a criminal?
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The journey then leads her to Pondicherry where she finally meets Sreenivasan. Throughout this expedition, Amudha gets time to dwell upon her choices both personally and career wise. Read this book if you'd like to know what deemed Sreenivasan as a criminal? Will he meet her expectations of being scholarly? Pick up this book to know about both Amudha as well as Sreenivasan's life.
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The book is merely of 60 pages but it will not let you keep it down even for a second. The characters are very well developed and the plot gets interesting with every page. If you're looking for a gripping yet small read, this is the one for you. There were however few grammatical errors in the book but you may overlook them considering how intense the story is.
🍁
I would rate this book 4.5/5.
🍁
Thank you for the review copy @half_baked_beans.
🍁
Being a small read, this was an impactful one. When Amudha, a PhD student stumbles upon a mathematics textbook in the iconic Blossom bookstore in Bangalore, she gets curious about the book's previous owner. Amudha has always been a neglected middle child never receiving enough attention as a kid. When she finds the book, she knows she has to solve the mystery.
🍁
L. V. Sreenivasan, the previous owner would have penned down a poem to a woman called Harini on the cover of the book which piques Amudha's interest. She decides to take a break from her routine research job and goes to Chennai in search of him. Her friend Dheeraj plays an important role in helping her out by giving her details from the internet. Post reaching Sreenivasan's college, she reads the termination letter of him and her curiousity increases a notch. Why was he termed a criminal?
🍁
The journey then leads her to Pondicherry where she finally meets Sreenivasan. Throughout this expedition, Amudha gets time to dwell upon her choices both personally and career wise. Read this book if you'd like to know what deemed Sreenivasan as a criminal? Will he meet her expectations of being scholarly? Pick up this book to know about both Amudha as well as Sreenivasan's life.
🍁
The book is merely of 60 pages but it will not let you keep it down even for a second. The characters are very well developed and the plot gets interesting with every page. If you're looking for a gripping yet small read, this is the one for you. There were however few grammatical errors in the book but you may overlook them considering how intense the story is.
🍁
I would rate this book 4.5/5.
You begin where I end.
🌠
Thank you for the review copy @powerpuffwords :)
🌠
You begin where I end is a concoction of two love stories that are set times apart. The modern day love story is of a girl Nafisa, who moves to Pune for her studies, away from her family. The second love story is of a woman called Tamanna which is set during the '90s.
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Young Nafisa who usually takes life head-on, faces her first heartbreak and decides to give dating app a chance. She stumbles upon a handsome man who goes by the name Amar and immediately starts dating him. Days pass by and while Amar falls in love with her, she strays away from him. She discovers Quora at the same time and starts penning her thoughts down. Here, she meets Kiaan and they become penpals and she starts developing feelings for him. Then tragedy strikes.
🌠
When Nafisa's mother Tamanna dies in an accident, she can't help but blame herself. She starts spiralling into depression and distances herself from Amar. When she finds a diary of her mother while clearing out her things, her perspective about love changes. Tamanna talks about her love story back when she was studying. She meets Jai and falls in love with him and soon realises that her wedding is already fixed with Kailash.
🌠
As fate would have it, Jai breaks her heart and Kailash picks it up. She marries Kailash and never regrets her decision. That diary opens Nafisa's eyes about the definition of true love and sacrifice. She starts connecting the dots and finally makes up her mind about whom she is in love with. Pick up this book to know whom Nafisa will choose in the end.
🌠
The story is witty and humourous while being relatable to most of the adults in this era. It talks about harsh realities about addition to phone, lust and every other distraction. The author has done a wonderful job in creating this plot by being utterly honest.
🌠
However, there were few things that held me back. The vocabulary was a bit crass and I wasn't too impressed about Nafisa's character on the whole. She could have been a bit more refined. The characters could have used a bit more development and the book a bit more formal.
🌠
I would rate this book 3/5.
🌠
Thank you for the review copy @powerpuffwords :)
🌠
You begin where I end is a concoction of two love stories that are set times apart. The modern day love story is of a girl Nafisa, who moves to Pune for her studies, away from her family. The second love story is of a woman called Tamanna which is set during the '90s.
🌠
Young Nafisa who usually takes life head-on, faces her first heartbreak and decides to give dating app a chance. She stumbles upon a handsome man who goes by the name Amar and immediately starts dating him. Days pass by and while Amar falls in love with her, she strays away from him. She discovers Quora at the same time and starts penning her thoughts down. Here, she meets Kiaan and they become penpals and she starts developing feelings for him. Then tragedy strikes.
🌠
When Nafisa's mother Tamanna dies in an accident, she can't help but blame herself. She starts spiralling into depression and distances herself from Amar. When she finds a diary of her mother while clearing out her things, her perspective about love changes. Tamanna talks about her love story back when she was studying. She meets Jai and falls in love with him and soon realises that her wedding is already fixed with Kailash.
🌠
As fate would have it, Jai breaks her heart and Kailash picks it up. She marries Kailash and never regrets her decision. That diary opens Nafisa's eyes about the definition of true love and sacrifice. She starts connecting the dots and finally makes up her mind about whom she is in love with. Pick up this book to know whom Nafisa will choose in the end.
🌠
The story is witty and humourous while being relatable to most of the adults in this era. It talks about harsh realities about addition to phone, lust and every other distraction. The author has done a wonderful job in creating this plot by being utterly honest.
🌠
However, there were few things that held me back. The vocabulary was a bit crass and I wasn't too impressed about Nafisa's character on the whole. She could have been a bit more refined. The characters could have used a bit more development and the book a bit more formal.
🌠
I would rate this book 3/5.
Circe.
✨
"We are sorry, we are sorry.
Sorry you were caught, I said. Sorry that you thought I was weak, but you were wrong." - Madeline Miller.
✨
Born to the mighty sun Helios, Circe was not a beautiful child. Her keen yellow eyes and sharp chin revolted her mother and her father was least interested in her. Craving for love ever since she was a child, Circe gets entrusted with taking care of her younger brother Aeetes. As they grow up, she realises that Aeetes never truly loved her either. It is then that the life of Circe truly starts.
✨
A nymph by nature, she always had immense love and kindness towards mortals and hence discovers her magical powers while converting her beloved fisherman (mortal) into a God. When her lover desires another nymph, Circe grows wild and does something unthinkable and gets punished into exile by her father. She walks alone in an abandoned Island and weaves magic amongst nature. She walks amongst lions and wolves, grows berries which are not in the season and fiercely protects her home.
✨
The story talks about how Circe falls in love many a times but realises that she can never win that game. She meets mighty Gods and faces their hatred for being a witch. She defies Gods and guards her son like a lioness. It shows courage of a woman who has never had any support from her family, with a heart as big as a never ending ocean. She does good by everyone only to be casted out.
✨
Circe is a character that I have truly come to admire for her strength, mistakes, love and struggle. The book gives a very detailed insight about the Gods and the legends that surround them. I was in a daze as I put this book down and after, I did my research about the characters involved in the book. I haven't come across such a marvelous read about Greek mythology till date.
✨
I would rate this book 5/5.
✨
"We are sorry, we are sorry.
Sorry you were caught, I said. Sorry that you thought I was weak, but you were wrong." - Madeline Miller.
✨
Born to the mighty sun Helios, Circe was not a beautiful child. Her keen yellow eyes and sharp chin revolted her mother and her father was least interested in her. Craving for love ever since she was a child, Circe gets entrusted with taking care of her younger brother Aeetes. As they grow up, she realises that Aeetes never truly loved her either. It is then that the life of Circe truly starts.
✨
A nymph by nature, she always had immense love and kindness towards mortals and hence discovers her magical powers while converting her beloved fisherman (mortal) into a God. When her lover desires another nymph, Circe grows wild and does something unthinkable and gets punished into exile by her father. She walks alone in an abandoned Island and weaves magic amongst nature. She walks amongst lions and wolves, grows berries which are not in the season and fiercely protects her home.
✨
The story talks about how Circe falls in love many a times but realises that she can never win that game. She meets mighty Gods and faces their hatred for being a witch. She defies Gods and guards her son like a lioness. It shows courage of a woman who has never had any support from her family, with a heart as big as a never ending ocean. She does good by everyone only to be casted out.
✨
Circe is a character that I have truly come to admire for her strength, mistakes, love and struggle. The book gives a very detailed insight about the Gods and the legends that surround them. I was in a daze as I put this book down and after, I did my research about the characters involved in the book. I haven't come across such a marvelous read about Greek mythology till date.
✨
I would rate this book 5/5.
The conquest of the East.
🍂
Thank you so much for the review copy @rupa_publications :)
🍂
We have all heard of the mighty tales of Cholas back when we were in school. As I kept reading, this book took me back to my History class and enlightened me of all the rulers and wars that were won by them. Being interested in Mythological reads, this book is now added to my list of "a must read" if one is truly curious to know about the country's history.
🍂
The story revolves around a character called Surya who would have been born to parents deemed as traitors. With his father not in the picture and mother who abandons him, he is then raised by Vikram who works for Chola army. Surya is not an ordinary child but has been born with exceptional skill to breathe, see and communicate under water. This leads him to be everybody's favourite and he gets recognised by the crown Prince himself.
🍂
Surya is then sent for education in the Kingdom which only privileged children can afford and then comes out as a fine young man. The story then talks about how Surya goes through the toughest journeys to retrieve the precious jewels that belong to the Cholas. He will be put through many tests that determine his courage and skillset as he undertakes the difficult journey of proving his capability to the kingdom. Will Surya retrieve the jewels from Pandyas and get them home where they rightfully belong? I'd suggest you to read the book to know the entire story.
🍂
The story has been thoroughly researched and the author has done a splendid job in adding all the important details to make it effective. The chapters are short and hence makes it easier to read them. It does a neat job in educating the readers about the Chola's reign and it's rulers. However, I do feel that there were too many characters to follow and this might confuse few readers who are trying a Mythology read for the first time. It could have been a little hassle-free.
🍂
I would rate this book 3.7/5.
🍂
Thank you so much for the review copy @rupa_publications :)
🍂
We have all heard of the mighty tales of Cholas back when we were in school. As I kept reading, this book took me back to my History class and enlightened me of all the rulers and wars that were won by them. Being interested in Mythological reads, this book is now added to my list of "a must read" if one is truly curious to know about the country's history.
🍂
The story revolves around a character called Surya who would have been born to parents deemed as traitors. With his father not in the picture and mother who abandons him, he is then raised by Vikram who works for Chola army. Surya is not an ordinary child but has been born with exceptional skill to breathe, see and communicate under water. This leads him to be everybody's favourite and he gets recognised by the crown Prince himself.
🍂
Surya is then sent for education in the Kingdom which only privileged children can afford and then comes out as a fine young man. The story then talks about how Surya goes through the toughest journeys to retrieve the precious jewels that belong to the Cholas. He will be put through many tests that determine his courage and skillset as he undertakes the difficult journey of proving his capability to the kingdom. Will Surya retrieve the jewels from Pandyas and get them home where they rightfully belong? I'd suggest you to read the book to know the entire story.
🍂
The story has been thoroughly researched and the author has done a splendid job in adding all the important details to make it effective. The chapters are short and hence makes it easier to read them. It does a neat job in educating the readers about the Chola's reign and it's rulers. However, I do feel that there were too many characters to follow and this might confuse few readers who are trying a Mythology read for the first time. It could have been a little hassle-free.
🍂
I would rate this book 3.7/5.
Day and night on a milestone.
🍂
Thank you for the review copy @anandkrishnapanicker :)
🍂
This is the second book by the author and in this he talks about his personal experiences when it comes to friendship and love. He starts the story by taking instances of his highschool. How from being a shy boy, he turns into a carefree teenager amidst his new friends.
🍂
Being young, Anand decides not to fall in love and creates an Anti lovers group in Orkut when it was still in trend. His friends actively take part in it and have daily night conference calls to celebrate the joy of being single. He enjoys life the way it is and moves on to pre-university. His life turns upside down when he finally meets a girl.
🍂
Melissa reaches out to Anand via Orkut and they instantly start texting each other. As much as he tries to resist, he cannot help but fall in love with her. He then faces the usual tantrums of being in a relationship where she demands attention every so often. He even ends up getting in fights while trying to defend her. Inspite of his friends warning him about her, he still continues to love her the same.
🍂
A tragic event occurs and Melissa decides to distance herself from Anand. A disturbed Anand meets with an accident and falls into depression without her around. A series of downfalls take place and he finds himself alone and away from her. This story talks about how it feels to be in love and the pain it comes with.
🍂
I strongly felt that the book could have been constructed in a much better way. The story was common with not many strong points to take notice of. I personally found Melissa's character to be annoying. A little improvement on the characters and plot would have done this book a better job.
🍂
I would rate this book 2.3/5.
🍂
Thank you for the review copy @anandkrishnapanicker :)
🍂
This is the second book by the author and in this he talks about his personal experiences when it comes to friendship and love. He starts the story by taking instances of his highschool. How from being a shy boy, he turns into a carefree teenager amidst his new friends.
🍂
Being young, Anand decides not to fall in love and creates an Anti lovers group in Orkut when it was still in trend. His friends actively take part in it and have daily night conference calls to celebrate the joy of being single. He enjoys life the way it is and moves on to pre-university. His life turns upside down when he finally meets a girl.
🍂
Melissa reaches out to Anand via Orkut and they instantly start texting each other. As much as he tries to resist, he cannot help but fall in love with her. He then faces the usual tantrums of being in a relationship where she demands attention every so often. He even ends up getting in fights while trying to defend her. Inspite of his friends warning him about her, he still continues to love her the same.
🍂
A tragic event occurs and Melissa decides to distance herself from Anand. A disturbed Anand meets with an accident and falls into depression without her around. A series of downfalls take place and he finds himself alone and away from her. This story talks about how it feels to be in love and the pain it comes with.
🍂
I strongly felt that the book could have been constructed in a much better way. The story was common with not many strong points to take notice of. I personally found Melissa's character to be annoying. A little improvement on the characters and plot would have done this book a better job.
🍂
I would rate this book 2.3/5.
Lost in love.
🍃
Thank you for this copy @srishtipub.
🍃
Lost in love is the second book in the trilogy of Messed up series and unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea. Read the full review to know why.
🍃
The story starts mysteriously when Gauri, girlfriend of Niel goes missing and the police starts questioning him for her disappearance. He gets entangled in the investigation and gets accused of being the culprit. This part had my attention because who doesn't love solving a crime mystery? But as soon as the book gained momentum, it fell flat.
🍃
I personally wasn't too fond of the protagonist's character. Niel is confused about his feelings, and unable to get over his first love Arya. It also makes us wonder as to why the author didn't stress much about Gauri's features. Her characterization wasn't part of this book and it makes you conjure up your imagination in picturing her. The plot was damp and the storyline wasn't too appealing.
🍃
This book is basically to know whether Guari was actually abducted and will they be able to revive their love. There were a few page-turning scenarios but without proper characters, it didn't seem to go anywhere. The pace of the story was too slow and my mind often kept wandering. I truly tried to enjoy this book but in the end, I realised that this book wasn't for me.
🍃
Though the author has a stronghold on vocabulary and language, he should have focussed more on developing the characters strongly. The plot was predictable and often ends up confusing readers while merging both past and present scenarios together. No offence to the author and readers but I rarely give ratings below 2 and this one falls under that category. The book was childish in my opinion.
🍃
I would rate this book 1.5/5.
🍃
Thank you for this copy @srishtipub.
🍃
Lost in love is the second book in the trilogy of Messed up series and unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea. Read the full review to know why.
🍃
The story starts mysteriously when Gauri, girlfriend of Niel goes missing and the police starts questioning him for her disappearance. He gets entangled in the investigation and gets accused of being the culprit. This part had my attention because who doesn't love solving a crime mystery? But as soon as the book gained momentum, it fell flat.
🍃
I personally wasn't too fond of the protagonist's character. Niel is confused about his feelings, and unable to get over his first love Arya. It also makes us wonder as to why the author didn't stress much about Gauri's features. Her characterization wasn't part of this book and it makes you conjure up your imagination in picturing her. The plot was damp and the storyline wasn't too appealing.
🍃
This book is basically to know whether Guari was actually abducted and will they be able to revive their love. There were a few page-turning scenarios but without proper characters, it didn't seem to go anywhere. The pace of the story was too slow and my mind often kept wandering. I truly tried to enjoy this book but in the end, I realised that this book wasn't for me.
🍃
Though the author has a stronghold on vocabulary and language, he should have focussed more on developing the characters strongly. The plot was predictable and often ends up confusing readers while merging both past and present scenarios together. No offence to the author and readers but I rarely give ratings below 2 and this one falls under that category. The book was childish in my opinion.
🍃
I would rate this book 1.5/5.
Oleander Girl.
🌸
I often end up picking books because of their pretty covers and this book was no exception. And as I read along, I knew I made the right choice of choosing it.
🌸
Oleander Girl is the story of a young woman called Korobi who was named after the pretty and wild Oleander flowers by her dear mother. Korobi grows up with her grandparents when her mother dies during childbirth and also when they inform her that her father died in an accident. As the years pass, she grows into a beautiful woman in the household of traditional Bengali family while following all the rules set by her grandparents.
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Rajat who comes from an affluent family falls in love with Korobi at the very first sight and courts her until she says yes to marriage. The grandparents are then thrilled for having received such a rich and classy matrimonial request while Rajat's parents are a little skeptical about their son's choice. When Korobi's grandfather dies of illness, she learns the hard truth that her father was never dead and also learns of her mother's death which was not a childbirth accident.
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A deeply hurt Korobi decides to go in search of her father to America which then puts a strain on her relationship with the future in laws. Rajat's ex, Sonia doesn't ease things either. What follows next is how Korobi longs to see her father in America while Rajat's family face the problem of going bankrupt. Doubts arise if Korobi will ever come back to India after being lured by a man in America. The story takes us on an emotional rollercoaster as it unfurls the truth about her father, about Rajat and then comes a point where she has to choose Rajat or her temptation.
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This book is beautifully written and I couldn't help falling in love all over again with @divakarunichitra's writing. It's so elegant and bold while she talks about strong women and standing up for one's own choice. The characters are moulded perfectly though I did feel that the story was slow in the middle. The ending was something that I'd never have guessed. A beautiful book on both inside as well as the outside.
🌸
I would rate this read 4/5.
🌸
I often end up picking books because of their pretty covers and this book was no exception. And as I read along, I knew I made the right choice of choosing it.
🌸
Oleander Girl is the story of a young woman called Korobi who was named after the pretty and wild Oleander flowers by her dear mother. Korobi grows up with her grandparents when her mother dies during childbirth and also when they inform her that her father died in an accident. As the years pass, she grows into a beautiful woman in the household of traditional Bengali family while following all the rules set by her grandparents.
🌸
Rajat who comes from an affluent family falls in love with Korobi at the very first sight and courts her until she says yes to marriage. The grandparents are then thrilled for having received such a rich and classy matrimonial request while Rajat's parents are a little skeptical about their son's choice. When Korobi's grandfather dies of illness, she learns the hard truth that her father was never dead and also learns of her mother's death which was not a childbirth accident.
🌸
A deeply hurt Korobi decides to go in search of her father to America which then puts a strain on her relationship with the future in laws. Rajat's ex, Sonia doesn't ease things either. What follows next is how Korobi longs to see her father in America while Rajat's family face the problem of going bankrupt. Doubts arise if Korobi will ever come back to India after being lured by a man in America. The story takes us on an emotional rollercoaster as it unfurls the truth about her father, about Rajat and then comes a point where she has to choose Rajat or her temptation.
🌸
This book is beautifully written and I couldn't help falling in love all over again with @divakarunichitra's writing. It's so elegant and bold while she talks about strong women and standing up for one's own choice. The characters are moulded perfectly though I did feel that the story was slow in the middle. The ending was something that I'd never have guessed. A beautiful book on both inside as well as the outside.
🌸
I would rate this read 4/5.