Teen Machine-Ishita Agarwal

Book: Teen Machine
Author: Ishita Agarwal
Publisher: Rupa Publications

Do you have memorable stories from your coaching centers?

Teen Machine by Ishita Agarwal is the story of Avani, a tenth-grade student, who has been living in a bubble—she gets top grades at school, loves to read and spends way too much time on her laptop, despite her mother’s disapproving glares. Her life seems perfect—until she is faced with the consequences of a life-altering decision: she decides to prepare for one of the most competitive entrance exams in the world. Thrust into the cut-throat world of IIT JEE coaching in eleventh grade, she is determined to disprove her mother’s doubts about her abilities, live up to her father’s expectations of being a ‘smart kid’ and be on a par with her peers or even better. Will Avani be able to balance exam stress, her interests, new and old friendships, crushes, her parents’ expectations and still be the ‘best’?

The book is an excellent recollection of the mind of a teenager who is on the cusp of making a major life decision. Ishita traces the journey of Avani and how she realizes her potential and the value of relationships as she wades through a very turbulent time in our life. The plot is well thought of and Ishita keeps the story simple and the author focuses on the mind of a teenager and how she looks at the world and its expectation from her. The storytelling is linear and I liked how she keeps the story relatable. Having been in the same situation some years back, I could relate to quite a few incidents. The climax has been interestingly crafted and I liked how she gives the book a happy closure.

The characters are very interestingly crafted and quite apt for the story she is trying to tell. A teenage smart kid, who is best at everything meets her match at the coaching centre, and how things unfold is a wonderful set up. Avani’s character has been well crafted, and I liked how she represents her mind and her relationships with her friends and family. Another interesting aspect of the story is that she emphasizes the need for a support system and how the people around us are important for us to keep our sanity, and the very important part of our life is doing the things that make us happy.

This is a wonderful read, and regardless of your age, this can be a wonderful read. The book scores a 4.38/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your nearest bookstore.