The Things We Fear | A Book Review
The Things We Fear By Sharit Sinha This one starts off with the dramatic incident of two collegians in the nearby Cemetery and the birth of Zombies. Cut to their HGRE College where the quiet, brooding Harsh is bullied by the College Football Star Rohit and his cronies as his girlfriend Rita watches in glee. A humiliated Harsh assaults Rohit not paying any heed to his timid friend, Deep as Lata, the college newspaper editor encourages him to fight back. Enter the main college bully Rudra Pratap who thrashes Harsh for daring to hit his man, Rohit. Talk about clichés galore. In an unexpected turn events, enters our Superhero and new entrant, Neel. He’s here to do what he does best- fighting zombies, witches and vampires while also taking down the odd Bully or two. Naturally the Ghostbuster soon becomes their Savior. A strange twist of faith results in this motley group of 6 suddenly finding themselves in a most unlikely adventure when they have to face their own deepest, darkest fears discovering strength, friendship and brotherhood in the most unrealistic circumstances as they rush to save themselves from the ultimate witch- Akshita. Recommendation: Having started off reading about Zombies, I was totally dismayed and skeptical about this one. To make matters worse, the language wasn’t all that great. It took me a good 100+ pages to actually start getting into the book despite its supernatural theme. That’s when the story picked up with friendships being formed and inner conflicts being addressed. The characters suddenly became a bit more interesting what with them having to deal with their inner most demons. As they say, Horrors lie not just in the obvious ghosts and monsters but in ordinary people and their evil actions as well. Rating: 2.5/5
The Chennai Killings | A Book Review
The Chennai Killings by Chital Mehta Inspector Vikram has been reeling ever since his younger sister, Priya’s mindless murder 2 years ago. Despite trying his best to move on, he seems to be stuck in limbo unable to accept the grief as the cold blooded killer seems to have gotten away. Anusha, his wife keeps reminding him of his duties to her and their 7-year-old son Aarav but Vikram just can’t let go of the past. The spine chilling murder of another collegian, Sandhya leads to Vikram being assigned to the case. This one seems to hit a bit too close to home. As he goes about trying to piece together the murder, he comes upon the most unlikely connections between the two victims. As the plot unravels with the entry of new characters, Vikram tries his best to keep it together and not let his emotions cloud his thoughts and perceptions. While dealing with the girl’s family members and friends, the Inspector slowly starts connecting to dots in order to figure out the whole agenda behind the sinister death. Vikram edges closer and closer towards discovering the real truth; one that will finally set him free or will it really? Does he make sure that Justice is served or does the culprit manage to get away with it all? Recommendation: A gripping read that kept me guessing till the very end. Initially the plot felt fairly simplistic with more focus on the play of human emotions rather than any real mystery. I mean, the murder itself didn’t feel like there was any real mystery and that’s wherein the true brilliance lies. The well-defined characters and respective backstories were enjoyable and have been pieced together without letting the tautness of the main plot drop. However as the plot unfolded, a series of events and characters enfolded quick and fast. Not once could I have predicted the final twist. This one turned out to be a brilliant book that I practically read from cover to cover. Good thing it wasn’t too long. Rating: 5/5
The Soul of Truth By Shaji Madathil | A Book Review
Publication: Bloomsbury India Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Page Count: 360 pages Review: Fiction This book starts off where we would usually expect most to end. After all, it’s not every day that one would start off reading about the death of the main protagonist. I mean isn’t that the most unlikely if not shocking way to begin a book. The sudden and unexpected death of Uthaman in Bahrain sets off a whole flurry of events. The initial actions and reactions of his friends, workmates, employers and of course his family are expressed in such a matter of fact manner that one can simply look on in a detached manner. According to Hindu customs, over the next 42 days, the Soul takes its time to get ready and move on to the next realm of its onward and upward journey. That is when the final rites are performed and the soul is set free. Over this period, the Author takes us back and forth telling us about the short life of Uthaman. The youngest and eagerly awaited boy born after several sisters in an idyllic village of Kerala. His journey from childhood to college is interspersed with glimpses of young love followed by the inevitable hurdles, responsibilities and youthful dilemmas. Despite his initial reluctance, Uthaman does take on the mantle of responsibilities though unfortunately succumbing way earlier leaving behind the distraught women and innocent son who regroup and slowly build on their inner quiet strength. Recommendation: Despite its morbid theme, this novel turned out to be quite the page-turner. Simply yet beautifully written, the author manages to keep you engrossed right till the very end. The characterization is well defined and you can actually imagine as the events unfold. Though inherently a tragic book that deals with a young death, you still find some kind of hope and peace by the end. Not really philosophical but you do get insights about Hindu traditions and culture. Rating: 3/5
