Bhavya Kaushik
The character building was executed with pure exquisiteness. Though I enjoyed reading almost each and every page of it, but somehow I felt that the ending was over stretched. Nevertheless, a great story and even a better story telling concept. Beautifully written.
One Last Time is the second novel by Shubham Arora which has been published by Paper Clips. The book takes the reader on a journey of its own, travelling from Ambala to New York via Delhi. When I first grabbed the paperback, it turned me a little off to see that the novel has been set up at three different locations. Since all the other novels which I have read in the past with this same pattern were a huge disappointment. But as soon as I started reading the book, the author proved me wrong by taking me in a different word of his work. All the three sections: Ambala, New Delhi and New York have been written with utmost sincerity and as a reader it was a pure delight for me to read the elucidations and intriguing details of each and every time frame of the protagonist's life as he goes through with different notions of it at various locations.
Each city had an essence of its own, and one can observe the transformation of the protagonist's maturity level while flipping through each and every page of the book. Although, I had no complaint with either the narration or the writing style of the author, but the ending of the novel left me waiting for more; May be because it was written so well, that I never wanted it to end. I meticulously enjoyed reading each and every section of it, but it was the Delhi section of the novel which stole my heart away. I'm not at all a romantic guy, but the teenage budding and unadulterated romance literally took my heart away.
Shubhan Arora really knows how to write a heartfelt and gripping piece, having the competence to hold the interest of its readers right till the last page, with words weaved together so flawlessly and an elucidation to die for! The best part about the novel was its realism. There was not even a single scene which I thought could be unreal. There were no over the top dialogues, any unwanted scene or over – stretched conversations. Author conveyed a very simple and profound story in the most poignant possible way.
Shubham is an Indian writer with international caliber! Next time, when you visit a bookstore, do not forget to grab a copy of One Last Time!
Okay! So, what am I supposed to rate this. Well, I worked really hard on this, and it made me cry while I was writing it. So, yes! Call me narcissist but I'm going to give it a 5! :D
Broken People embark the debut of Scott Hildreth, but while reading the book I could not make out that it was his maiden attempt. The narration was very mature and almost flawless. I was going through from one chapter to another without realizing the passage of time.
This is not a book about just one character; instead the narration has been shifted from one chapter to another. Usually, it is very hard to justify with the flow of any novel while changing the narration between chapters, but the Author has done a remarkable job in narrating the storyline from different perceptions in a single book.
The storyline revolves around a “Fat-Kid”, who runs an internet blog, helping troubled people (read Broken People), suffering from depression, peer pressure, parental problems, sexuality, eating disorders and suicidal tendencies. He started the blog after losing his girlfriend and another “incident” which happened in his life. His girlfriend committed suicide and left a letter for him, which he carried throughout his life, and with that letter he carried guilt, resentment, and the weight of this entire world. If you want to know about the other “incident”, then you have to read the book!
But his life was changed when he met another broken soul like him, who changed his life entirely. The book does not entirely revolve around just these two people; it elucidates struggles, failures, and hardships that are faced by people like us every day. It is an amalgamation of stories of broken people, not one or two, but a lot – which I believe is the best part about this book.
The author is a brilliant storyteller, a wordsmith, and the way with which he has interwoven these people together is absolutely above my comprehension. I was able to relate with almost each and every character, but it was one specific character which reflected me entirely and I cried while reading all of its narration.
It is written with utmost thoughtfulness and will leave a deep impression on your mind after a read, because of its depth. It has some hauntingly beautiful descriptions and metaphors, and is filled with breathtaking quotes. There are numerous quotes in this book which broke my heart and created a space for them inside of my soul, but this one quote stood out for me from the entire text -
“I wondered what was behind the suicide. There is always a reason, something, an event that takes them over the edge, making the pain unbearable. Sometimes it may be a combination of items that the person just can't comprehend living with, but it's always one thing that takes them over the edge. It's not that they actually want to die. Generally, they just want the pain to stop.”
I admit in this review that all my life I have felt broken. Well, not entirely, but a part of me was always broken. And after reading this book I realized that I was not alone. There are people like me – damaged, broken, shattered, who are waiting for someone to heal them, for someone to put them back at their place.
I have to admit that this book broke my heart while reading. I cried so many times while reading it, that I lost the count. But it also inspired me to wipe my tears away, and to put a smile on my face. This book inspired me to look at my scars – my battle wounds, and the broken piece of my soul with my eyes full of empathy and heal them. It is one of the first times in my life when I found solace in words that are written by someone else. It was like, as if his words were healing my soul. I never felt that way before.
I can clearly admit that this is a life changing book. You may ask me now, how am I so certain about it? The reason is pretty simple. It changed my life, and that is more than enough to prove my beliefs right.
This is not just a piece of fiction, this is more than that. These are stories which will tear you apart, and heal your heart – surprisingly both at the same time. It is a kind of those “self-help” books that makes you a better person after a read. It doesn't matter if you are a teenager, or a single parent, an Egyptian or an Indian (like me), a research scholar or a teacher – but this is a book which everyone should read, regardless of their age and the genres which they prefer to read.
I will cherish this book for the rest of my life, and I express my gratitude to the Author for writing such an honest and heart-wrenching tale. You certainly changed my life. I might be broken, but I think, I will find peace with that. And someday, one day, I won't be this broken. No more.
Beautiful. Poignant and heartwrenching.
Entire review: http://bhavyakaushik.com/post/88161674455/book-review-keeping-the-promises-by-dhruv-gajjar
Though the story was not so captivating, but the narration was absolutely flawless. Very heart-wrenching
“When did we see each other face-to-face? Not until you saw into my cracks and I saw into yours. Before that, we were just looking at ideas of each other, like looking at your window shade but never seeing inside. But once the vessel cracks, the light can get in. The light can get out.”
It was such a roller coaster ride reading this book. So full packed with emotions which takes the readers on a journey of their own. Truly amazing. I rarely give 5/5 star to a novel, but this one really deserves it!
I had very high expectations from the book, but in the end - it left me wanting for more. The author could have gone deeper into the lives of characters. I was just unsatisfied by the end of it :/
It was a pure delight to read this novel. I know now that some writers can touch your soul no matter what they write, or how they age. Susan Dessen is one of those writers.
“I mean, it's not surprising, really. Once you love something, you always love it in some way. You have to. It's, like, part of you for good”
“Like a blinking cursor on an empty page, it was just the first thing. The beginning of the beginning. But at least it was done.” “It was kind of soothing, these sounds of lives being lived all around me, for better or for worse. And there I was, in the middle of them all, newly reborn and still waiting for mine to begin”
Such an amazing book, loved it, each and every bit of it.
This was not just a science fiction, it was a cry, a cry for help, a cry for acknowledgement. It is undoubtedly, one of the best books I have ever read in my entire lifetime so far.
