Eye On You-Kanchana Banerjee

Book: Eye On You
Author: Kanchana Banerjee
Publisher: Self Published

Do you think that our digital identity is a risk we are taking?

Eye On You by Kanchana Banerjee is a psychological thriller that tells the story of Myra, who is a young, single woman living in Gurugram. After a house party, she wakes up the following morning to realise that her life has taken a turn. She realizes that she had been raped that last night but the thing that flummoxes her is that she was surrounded by friends, the people she trusted. The question is who the wolf in the sheep’s skin was who betrayed her trust. A cautionary tale of the perils of the ever-connected world, now more than ever and the threat poses to us as individuals and as a society. So, are we truly safe, or does someone has an eye on you?

With the world coming closer thanks to technology, the threats of the same are cropping up faster than we can plug them. With everything from lights to security systems to documents being online, there is a pertinent question that Kanchana puts up through the story, and that is of the idea of privacy and security. The story opens on point with the readers being introduced to Myra the morning after the assault and how the realization dawns on her. What follows is a well-told whodunnit as Inspector Dipti tries to catch hold of a thread that could unravel the mystery of the upheaval in Myra’s life. The one thing that stands out about the book are its vivid descriptions and the time Kanchana takes to set up a scene so that the continuity in the story does not break. This helps the reader visualize and internalize the story, investing into the premise and compelling them to turn the page. Another thing that amazed me were the little clues scattered around the story, that in hindsight, scream out the identity of the perpetrator, and I believe that this is the mark of a well-plotted thriller. Apart from the risks of a world going digital, Kanchana also touches upon how the society looks at women and their choice of lifestyle. That was a wonderful discourse that flows throughout the story. The climax was a wonderful ending to the story, almost poetic, especially the way it is explained.

Coming to the characters, Myra’s character as a modern millennial, living life to the fullest is well crafted. I liked how Kanchana did not hold back in creating her identity, whether be it her professional side, or her social media life. On the contrast, Dipti’s character is a complete opposite, yet create with the same attention to detail, same finesse. Another character that impressed me was that of Hridi and the complexity that she brings to the story. Kanchana also sketched the character of the perpetrator really well, keeping the identity secret hidden in plain sight.

Overall, I would recommend Eye on You to anyone who loves to read a well-written thriller. The book scores a 4.75/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book here.

This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program