Three Impossible Wishes-Anmol Malik

Book: Three Impossible Wishes
Author: Anmol Malik
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Do you believe that if we do something we love, it becomes something more than a profession?

Three Impossible Wishes by Anmol Malik is the story of nineteen-year old Arya Mahtani who has been accepted at the University of Westley but there is a nagging feeling inside her that she does not belong there. Her life at Westley is a comedy of errors as she is stuck doing a course she does not understand, has a crush on Sahil Malhotra, which seems to take its own curvy path, ego-crushing lectures by her over achieving father and her actions have placed her in the way of a peer, Vladimir Petrov, the one person who can save her from deportation, but has no inclination to help her. This is Arya’s story of finding herself, and how she realizes her true calling in life.

The book is an extremely honest writing, one that is written in a language that fits the plot perfectly with slangs and common words. Set in a college backdrop, it chronicles the journey of our protagonist Arya, who seems to attract unwanted attention wherever she goes, and her life is just a collection of some unfortunate events. The storytelling is interesting with some cleverly crafted plot points and well thought out twists which make this journey even better. The book has a strong connection to food and each of the chapters bear a title corresponding to a particular food or drink, one that forms a crucial part of that chapter. The underlying idea of how parents influence their children’s life is explored efficiently and while that is not apparent in the beginning, that is an interesting tone that the story takes. From friendships to one-sided love to social acceptance of non-binary orientations, quite a lot has been covered, and this is one story that is guaranteed to keep you smiling. The climax of the book is amazing, and the last chapter just ties up the entire life of Arya in a bow.

Coming to the characters, Anmol has picked some people that can be found in our college lives or we would have met such people for sure. The easy-going person who loves everything apart from studying, the heartthrob of the college who has a line of people swooning behind them and so on. I loved the character arc of Vladimir and the nuances of the character that he carries. With different perspectives of him presented in the story, it was interesting how each thing linked his personality. Arya as a character did attract me, but only because of the zeal that she exhibited in her pursuits. Other characters such as Sahil, Simran etc. were crafted well. A special mention to Simran and the DDLJ reference, which was a grinning moment for me.

Overall, the book is a great read that is going to brighten up your day and leave a wonderful taste in your mouth once you finish it. The book scores a 4.06/5 for me.

 Grab a copy of the book here.