Batshit-Kritika Kapoor

Book: Batshit
Author: Kritika Kapoor
Publisher: Pan Macmillan India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What if there was a demon being inside you?

A monster is on the loose. And it’s dressed to impress the posh South Delhi social scene. Twenty-something Pia Bhandari has the ideal life – or so it seems. As long as she puts on a happy face, no one is any the wiser about the sinister voices in her head. Not her boyfriend Raghav, or her soon-to-be-married younger sister Khushi, her long-time psychiatrist Dr Agarwal, her father Ajit or even her mother Neeta, who is otherwise obsessed with controlling her daughter’s life. But Pia’s demons follow her wherever she goes. One yellow-eyed demon in particular. Feral and bloodthirsty, it threatens to rip through Pia’s life, leaving a murderous trail in its wake. Hurtling between the opulent kothis of GK-2 and the plush bungalows of Sainik Farms, this twisted tale about a Delhi girl’s fight against the dark forces is about to get batshit.

Batshit explores an interesting concept where the author has tried to pen a psychological thriller by using a paranormal being as a central idea to the plot. The overall storytelling is interesting and keeps you turning the pages. What worked me in the book was that the events in the book keep you interested in the future of the characters. Another aspect which I liked was that the author has kept the pace of the book steady. What didn’t work for me was that the first half of the book and the second part seem completely poles apart. The idea of a possessed character seemed interesting, but the initial part of the story takes too long to set up the plot, and the clarification seems rushed towards the end. Blending the idea of Mother Complex with the concept of a Yakshini, Kritika has attempted to bridge horror and thriller genres. The plot justifies the concept, however the blend could have been a bit more detailed to extract the best of both worlds. The climax, for me, could have been a bit more worked upon to get that moment where the reader holds their breath.

Coming to the characters in the book, I felt that while Pia’s character had the complexity and the depth that the plot needed, the details were too little, too late. The level of detail about her character could have been explored a bit more and the background to her actions could have been introduced earlier on, so as to help the reader connect with the concept throughout the book. Neeta as a character did catch my attention and her actions were interesting to note, specially in hindsight of the climax.

Overall, Batshit has an interesting concept that will impress the lovers of both the thriller genre and the horror buffs. The book scores a 3.88/5 for me.

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

Good for Nothing - Debaprasad Mukherjee

Book: Good for Nothing
Author: Debaprasad Mukherjee
Publisher: Readomania

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you believe in planning out your life, or would you rather each day as it comes?

Have you ever met a good-for-nothing person? Say hello to Krishna, a Brahmin by birth, who leaves his home Madai, a quaint hamlet in Chhattisgarh plateau, at the age of 32 with no goal to pursue. Pure hearted, his scant-educated mind is muddled with the invisible walls of religion, caste, and creed. Jobless and ambitionless, everyone thinks he is good for nothing. In come his eventful associations with Jamil—a fellow vendor, Shivani—a widow, Ankur—a young entrepreneur, and Shambhu—a tribal youth and social reformer. Barriers are broken, things are learned and unlearned, and a transformation begins. Does Krishna become any good? And, does the world change its opinion?

The concept of the book is quite interesting as the author tells the story about India and its hinterlands through the eyes of a common citizen. The book is told like a flashback into the life of Krishna Mishra, and how he journeys from Madai to Shahdol and back to Madai, but not before travelling in the inner areas of Chhattisgarh. The book is told in a wonderful manner where the author, through Krishna, comments on the social fabric of a changing country. Debaprasad talks about the religious divide, the caste equations and the politics of it all as Krishna goes through life. Through a person considered as a “good-for-nothing” by all, the way he builds up his life is wonderfully captured in the book. Another good aspect of the book is the fact that the book works on a positive note and sends out a message that anything can be achieved in life, as long as you can take it on a positive note. The storytelling keeps you engaged, and until the climax you are continuously turning the pages. The climax brings the story a full circle, and has been executed beautifully.

The characters in the story have been crafted wonderfully and each of the primary ones are perfect for the story being told. The Mishra family has been created with each of the brothers having a unique character and how they react to situations. Krishna Mishra’s character is quite nuanced, and the simplicity that has been built in into his character comes out in his actions at each point in his life. Shivani’s character is a wonderful support to Krishna’s and how she becomes a critical person in his life’s journey. Jamil is another character worth mentioning, and how his friendship became a bed rock for Krishna’s life.

Overall, a wonderful book on life that is recommended for sure. The book scores a 4.44/5 for me.

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

My Name is Not Devdas-Aayush Gupta

Book: My Name is Not Devdas
Author: Aayush Gupta
Publisher: HarperCollins India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What if Devdas, Paro, and Chandramukhi lived in contemporary times?

A slick and contemporary reimagining of an enduring classic, My Name Is Not Devdas brings together the participants of a skewed love triangle. But Devdas is not the tragic, misunderstood lover of yore; Paro is not the spurned woman who’d shut herself in; and Chandramukhi is not your next-door hooker with a heart of gold. As each narrates their own version of events, a tale of half-truths emerges that swiftly boils to a crescendo with bruised egos, deadly obsessions, and electrifying revelations. Turning a page is all the time you will get to catch your breath.

Reimagining classics and setting them in current times is a wonderful way to go for any book. The essence of the original story with the present setting usually makes for an interesting read. My Name is not Devdas attempts to do just this. The concept of the book is good, and Aayush manages to bring the idea of the original into the book, however the context he sets the story in does not completely work for me. The story starts on an interesting note, and the form of storytelling he uses to give each character their own voice is quite gripping. Aayush has presented societal issues through his characters and subtly comments on them. The thing that did not work for me was the fact that his message couldn’t get across completely. Another aspect that could have been improved was the detailing in the story because I felt that the author moved too quickly and did not do complete justice to the story.

The characters have been inspired from the original, and Aayush has retained the basic nature of Devdas, Paro and Chandramukhi, but given them a modern twist. From a girl with modest background to a student of Delhi University, both the female characters are interestingly crafted and they are painted as powerful women in their own rights. Devdas as a character is crafted nicely, however I felt that as the titular character he could have had a better role in the narrative.

Overall, a good book, but could have been better. The book scores a 3.75/5 for me.

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

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Bad Girl Gone Wicked (Bad Girls #3)-Shilpa Suraj

Book: Bad Girl Gone Wicked (Bad Girls #3)
Author: Shilpa Suraj
Publisher: Self Published

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you think relationships can affect your focus on your goal?

Everyone knew that when she stepped up to the crease, she always came out swinging. Tara Wadhwa, Captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket team, was living the dream. She got to play the sport she loved and to live close to her friends, the family of her heart. But when her friends start to fall in love, a sliver of loneliness works its way into her heart pushing her to make a reckless mistake. Nikhil Upadhyay, owner of a pristine reputation and the nation’s best fixer, is called in to save the day. Fix Tara’s reputation and babysit her till she brings home the World Cup. A dream assignment for a man who otherwise spent way too much time cleaning up far messier situations. Until he met his newest client and the dream turned into a nightmare. Can Tara work past her childhood grooming to see that there could be a life beyond the game? Can Nikhil see the value of the girl behind the polished façade he was working on presenting to the world? And will the two of them ever stop fighting long enough to allow their simmering attraction a chance to come out and play? For when the Bad Girl met the Good Boy, she realised, that just this once, she wanted to let her inner ‘wicked’ out to play. And we all know what happens when Tara Wadhwa steps up to the crease.

In the third book of the Bad Girl Series, we explore Tara’s story and how the journey of her being “wicked” happens. The plot is wonderfully crafted and keeps you on the tenterhooks with the “will-they-won’t-they” romance brewing right from the very first page. The concept that the Captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team getting embroiled in a controversy is quite interesting, specially in India where we consider cricket very important. The idea to bring in an Adonis-like PR consultant was just the perfect fuel for the fire that is Tara. Shilpa keeps on bringing in situations that keep you turning the pages, and each of the character she has put in the story keeps gaffing up. Another aspect of the story I loved was the fact that there is a layer of personal arc for both Tara and Nikhil that keeps propping up and messing up Nikhil’s work. The climax has 2 parts, atleast for me, and while one of them had me feeling warm and fuzzy, the second part had me laughing off my desk.

Tara’s character is layered and as an integral part of the trio who is wicked to the core. I loved her focus to her career and how she puts it ahead of everything else, but at the same time there is a space that she is looking to fill. Nikhil, on the other hand, is crafted as a person who puts everyone else before him. When these two cross paths, the best of the both comes to the fore. Another aspect I loved was the idea of using their families as a character and how they drive the narrative.

Overall, loved the story of Tara and Nikhil, which scores a 4.88/5 for me.

Get a copy on Amazon Kindle here. 

Bad Girl Gone Rogue (Bad Girls #2)-Andaleeb Wajid

Book: Bad Girl Gone Rogue (Bad Girls #2)
Author: Andaleeb Wajid
Publisher: Self Published

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you had to choose between your company and the girl you love?

When Inaya Khan is told she’s meeting a boy for marriage, the last thing she expects is for beetroot juice to play spoilsport. As CEO of Ixora Skincare, Inaya has achieved money, fame and power all at the age of twenty-seven. But to her mother, the only labels that apply to her are overweight and unmarried. A CEO himself, but of a struggling startup, Ayaz Ahmed has no time or energy to even think of marriage. Until his mother shows him Inaya’s picture and he’s instantly smitten. Despite a disastrous start that included beetroot juice spewage, multiple suitors for Inaya’s hand and judgy onlookers, Inaya and Ayaz are instinctively drawn to each other. Until Ayaz finds out that his company is being taken over by none other than his prospective bride-to-be. Ayaz may be smitten but he isn’t stupid. And he most certainly isn’t letting Inaya take his precious company from him. Can love find a way to survive in the heart of business deals, mergers and acquisitions? Or will this bad girl have to go rogue to bring her own ‘Ranveer Singh’ home?

The second book of the Bad Girl trilogy brings to us the story of Inaya Khan and how she manages to find the love of her life. The plot of the book is quite interesting, and the highlight for me in the first half of the book is the crazy case of the beetroot juice. Andaleeb’s storytelling is engaging and keeps you engrossed throughout the book as Inaya tries to juggle her professional and personal life. The idea of making the two cross paths adds the conflict in the story that acts as a spice between the romance that is brewing between our protagonists. The second half of the book focuses more on the journey Inaya and Ayaz have to take, each battling their own demons to find out a path where the two could be together. What I loved about the book was the fact that love remains a central plot point, but at the same time Andaleeb also brings in societal expectations and the stereotypical idea of marriage where the parents feel offended if not included in the decision of a life partner. The climax, however, was something I don’t think I’ll come across again in a book. The idea to go overboard in just those few pages made the book go a notch higher.

Andaleeb has sketched Inaya beautifully. The strong-willed and independent businesswoman who is on the path to achieve the pinnacle in her chosen career has been brought out with perfection. The initial scenes where she and Ayaz meet is a wonderful study as to how you can layer a character that with each page you can explore a different side of that person. Coming to Ayaz, I loved the way she gave him a calm and composed exterior, but at the same time a side that makes you think whether the other guy is a different person. Apart from our protagonists, another set of characters I would like to talk about are the families and how Andaleeb puts a different shade in those members we meet. Be it Inaya’s parents or her sister, each of them leave a mark on you as you read the book.

Overall, an excellent continuation of the series that scores a 4.81/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon Kindle!