Synopsis:
Mrityunjoy Roy is a fifteen year old Bengali who has spent the last ten years of his life growing up in Shimla. While his family is completely academically oriented, he wants something more. Finally he meets Akanksha in school, who turns his world upside down with her gorgeous looks and mind boggling smile. As fate would have it, she joins his tuition, and thus begins the torrid year of puppy love, romance, heartbreak, tragedy, and self discovery. Set among the scenic Shivalik hills of Shimla when mobile phones and internet were non-existent, this is a story of how an average young teenager comes to terms with his destiny. My Thoughts: A coming-of-age fiction story about Mrityunjoy Roy, his school life, his family, his puppy love, his first heart break, and how he had come to his senses and moved on from Akanksha. The simplicity of Roy family's lifestyle, the humiliating and slapping of a teacher to students for cheating, the beatings of a very strict and academically-oriented father to his children, parents who aren't showy with their love to their children, the misadventures of Roy and his brother Sid, the pressure to get high grades and fear to fail to do so, Roy's obsessiveness to Akanksha and its consequences on his studies, the tragic death of Roy's elder sister, how a supportive friend listened and helped Roy get through his studies and heart ache, and how Roy got better his life.....This is an emotional read that will keep you rooting for Roy to have a better life as you turn pages. I felt the fear, the pain, and the sadness of Roy from how his father treated them when they made mistakes; the expectations, the rejection, the heart ache of Roy from Akanksha. The characters and events are relatable which reminded me of my teenage years and the events in my own life that were similar with Roy. This is a recommended light and fresh read especially to teens and will not only captivate the reader with the beautiful scenic views of Shimla and Kasauli from the author's vivid descriptions but also will leave the reader reminders and lessons of life such as these quoted lines from the book: It gets better with time. I know you feel like this is the end of the world, but it isn't. Time heals all wounds. The scars remain but you can always live with them. It’s weird how some people alter your perceptions about love, life, and lust. Life was a textbook. And I was learning every chapter of it. Life has a way of taking unexpected twists and turns every now and then. I respected all religions because I believed that every religion taught a person how to lead a humble and sincere life. It's strange how the people you want to get close to so badly end up pushing you away, and yet the people who you don’t even consider getting close to, end up drawing themselves towards you. Sometimes, the smallest incidents in life change your entire destiny. Rating: 4 stars
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About the Author: Ritoban Chakrabarti is an entrepreneur who ran an internet marketing company for five years, before trying his hand at writing. His first novel, When She Smiled, a coming-of-age fiction released in 2014. He is an avid traveller, and believes in a life without boundaries.
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June 2016
The Bookish Ailurophile
Shin is a 27-year-old bookworm who loves books that give her adrenaline rush and makes her feel the characters' emotions. When she's not reading, she's either spending her time listening to oldies music while making some crafty stuffs made out of old book pages, or spending her time reading books with children at an orphanage. |