Author: Deepak Dalal
Publisher: Penguin India
Have you experienced trekking in the Sahyadris?
Sahyadri Adventure (Anirudh’s Dream) takes the reader on a journey to the Sahyadris in the first part of this
riveting tale where history meets adventure in one of the most beautiful locales
of India. Once upon a time, there were fields in the city of Mumbai. Panthers
roamed the forests of Malabar Hill and the occasional tiger could still be
spotted, swimming the harbor or prowling the fringes of the city. The sea
flooded the channels that separated the seven islands of the city. And on one
of the islands stood a Fort, guarded by cannons that bristled from black
ramparts. Vikram, Aditya and their friends Anirudh and Chitra no idea of the
existence of this Fort. But in a cave, on a windswept mountain in the Sahyadris,
Anirudh has a dream. He dreams of a boy named Irfan who once lived in this
Fort. He dreams of a city long lost and a friendship both transformative and
life-affirming.
When you read the blurb of the book, it sets an expectation of a story of
a group of young adults on a trek to the Sahyadris and the events that take
place on that trip, however this is a story that goes beyond. Written in two
distinct parts, the present and the past, the trek is just a small part of the
story. The story is primarily focused on friendship and the power of true human
relationships. In both the timelines, we see that family, friendship and human
connections have been emphasized upon, and in fact they form a critical part of
the story. What I liked about the book is that the primary idea of the plot
builds up page by page, and this is what keeps the reader hooked. Another
aspect that I loved is the detailing and the word picture that the author
paints as he describes various events and places as we journey. The language of
the book is quite good, and while there might be some bit of complexity for the
young readers, it would also be a good learning opportunity for them. The dream
sequences are nicely planned and as we flit from one scene to another, there is
almost a stage like feeling of seeing the curtains drop on one act. Since the story
continues in the second book, I would hold on to my analysis of the climax, but
the cliffhanger where this book ends is certainly provoking me to pick up the
next one immediately.
Coming to the characters, Deepak has created the characters of the book
with utmost precision, giving detailed individualistic characters to each one
of the people we meet in the book. Be it Vikram, Anirudh or even Smita Dongre,
each of them gets their time on stage and leave a mark on the reader. I loved
how the author builds in contrasting phobias in Anirudh and Vikram, and how
they help each other overcome them through the course of the story. Another
character I am looking for in the second part is that of Salim and how his
story fits into the narrative that we went through in this book.
Overall, this is a book I would highly recommend if you like reading a
well penned young adult story. The book scores a 4.81/5 for me.
I was provided a copy of the book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your local bookstore!
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