Until I Find You-Kanchana Banerjee

Book: Until I Find You
Author: Kanchana Banerjee
Publisher: Om Books International

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

What if your past catches up with your present?

When Jenny sees the picture of a boy in a travel magazine, she is stunned. He is a dead ringer for her friend Rubina. But the boy is supposed to be dead. Ten years ago, Jenny had failed to save Rubina and the infant from the clutches of the charming leader of a dangerous cult who led his flock to a mass suicide. Jenny’s journey to find the boy leads her to a sleepy village in Rajasthan, where she comes across Virat, a police officer investigating the discovery of a decomposed leg from a construction site. Are the two cases linked? As her past threatens to catch up with her, Virat and Jenny get involved in a cat-and mouse game that leads to a diabolical climax. Taking off from the notorious Peoples Temple mass suicide-murder led by the charismatic Jim Jones, and told from multiple points of view, Until I Find You is a grim and brutal thriller where the arid landscape of Rajasthan is as much a character as the shadowy dramatis personae.

Until I Find You has an interesting premise that draws itself from real events. Kanchana has painted an interesting picture of what happens when a person inspires a cult to commit mass suicide. The storytelling is quite imaginative, and having being set in a village in Rajasthan, the local dialects, food and the landscape play a crucial role in her storytelling. The plot moves quite fast and as a reader, you get engrossed in it till the very last page. The book starts with two very different threads, and you keep looking for a manner when they will cross each other and the real story would begin. There are elements of mystery that keep you guessing about the motives of each of the characters as you go along. The idea of two people looking for someone who could be connected has been explored in quite some detail. Another aspect that I liked about the story was that there are hints being thrown all around, which start making sense once you read the climax. While the overall feel of the story is gripping, I felt that the book became a bit of a drag in the middle, and preferably a bit of police procedural could have added that bit of taste into the plot. The big reveal in the climax, however, was quite unexpected and in hindsight made that character seem important.

Coming to the characters, I must commend Kanchana for creating a shortish cop named Virat. The jokes, puns and the sarcasm added to the intrigue of the plot, and adding a bit of the human touch in the story. Virat as a policeman was quite effective in the story, specially towards the end. I loved how he is shown as a normal cop, one you can see and relate, rather than a supercop. Another interesting character in the story is that of Jenny, and the layers that come off one by one as you keep reading. I loved the way her perseverance has been shown, specially after facing what she faced.

Overall, if you are looking for a thriller with a twist, then Until I Find You is a definite recommendation. The book scores a 4.44/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your nearest Bookstore!

Who Wants to Marry Kai Juicewalla?-Kainaz Jussawalla

Book: Who Wants to Marry Kai Juicewalla?
Author: Kainaz Jussawalla
Publisher: Om Books International

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

How many toads should a girl kiss before she finds her Prince Charming? Kai Juicewalla. Foodie. Sucker for Shah Rukh Khan movies and everything about him. A romantic feminist (no, that is not an oxymoron). Parsi by birth, so crazy by right. Likes making rules but keeps forgetting them. Is unconventional in the most conventional sense. Has ample curves but still rough around the edges. And loves to exercise—her opinions only. Who Wants to Marry Kai Juicewalla? is her racy, candid and juicy chronicle where she battles bullies, bulges and badmash company in a classy, sassy and bad assy way. An unending list of losers seems to be the bane of her life—a gold digger, a social climber, an unrequited love interest, an Italian Adonis, an identity thief (in the closet), a confused hot therapist, a raging narcissist. For this singleton, the global hunt for the perfect man always seems to crash and burn. Her life comes a full circle when she discovers the most important relationship of her life—her relationship with herself. This no-holds-barred assault on your funny bone upholds the universal truth that the journey is more important than the destination.

I have always thought that memoirs are boring, and that reading about someone’s life would be quite uninteresting. Kainaz, on the other hand, makes this journey quite interesting. The book explores Kainaz’s journey of finding her significant other, and how that journey has shaped out to be, till now. The book is quite candid and I loved the way how she has framed it in various sections. The prologue gives the reader a good taste as to what to expect when you are looking at Kai’s life through her eyes. The language of the book is simple, easy to understand, and filled with so much of the vernacular that you are almost in conversation with her. The frankness in the book is evident, and keeps you wanting more of the story. From the romantic liaisons to the sweet moments with friends, the emotions are always running high in the book.

Another interesting aspect of the book is that she is not just talking about her search for a groom, but also talks about body positivity, how she deals with various hurdles in her life in her style. Friendship is an important aspect in her life, and we see, first hand, how important it is to have good friends. The book focuses on the many hats she wears-journalist, air hostess, writer, friend, and how each chapter of her life taught her something interesting. The humor and sarcasm in the book are par-excellence, and with each instance, I almost fell off the bed laughing while reading.

Overall, this is a book that one should read, if you want to understand the power of love, friendship, and what goes in the mind of Kai. And as we pin our hopes that you get to meet your true love-SRK, here’s me recommending this book to anyone who is looking for motivation. The book gets a 4.75/5 for me.

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

Love & (Mellow) Drama (Love Trials II)-Manali Desai

Book: Love & (Mellow) Drama (Love Trials II)
Author: Manali Desai
Publisher: Self Published

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

What do you think is the biggest challenge for a romantic relationship?

Gayatri Kulkarni: A gen Z girl who has always lived under the shadow of her elder brother Sharad; so much so that she even chose her degree and college following in his footsteps. Although she doesn’t regret it, she wishes her parents would understand her dream to pursue her one true passion - DANCE. Varun Agarwal: A millennial who believes there are no shortcuts in life. He has learned the hard way that being born into a wealthy family comes with more cons than the world would ever understand. She belongs to a Maharashtrian middle-class family from the suburbs. He hails from an affluent family in South Bombay. The only common point between them - being Mumbaikars. How do their paths cross in this city of dreams? Gayatri believes it’s because of Abhi Agarwal, Varun’s younger brother, who also happens to be her brother’s batchmate and close friend. But Varun has harbored a crush on her long before they exchanged hellos and phone numbers. Their story is a meeting of two generations and families, who are poles apart. Is there drama involved? Gayatri is often called a drama queen by those who know her. But after Varun’s entry into her life, she’s transformed from Miss Melodrama to Miss Mellowed Drama. Find out all about that transition in this much-awaited spin-off from Manali Desai’s debut novel, Love (Try) Angle, Love & (Mellow) Drama (Love Trials-II)

The second book in the Love Trials series by Manali is wonderfully crafted. The plot has been planned in detail and the story keeps you hooked on till the last page. Manali has extensively used Bollywood as a plot point to emphasize on key moments in the story. The story spans across years and through the transition of time, the story takes you through unabashed love, heartbreak, pandemic, death and a slew of emotions that each of the characters is feeling. Taking the time to let each emotion sink in, the book has crests and troughs that make the journey oh so interesting. The storytelling is highly compelling and the drama of the characters is so extensively penned that it makes you read the book cover to cover in one go. What I loved about the book was that the story is relatable with real problems that love marriages go through. Another aspect of the book that stood out for me was the idea of using songs to add a layer to the characters, and that for me was truly wonderful. There are scenes in the book that will make you fall down laughing, and there are equally somber scenes that will bring you to the verge of tears. The pandemic sequence and the pre-climax sequences specially stood out for me for their sheer imagery and the emotional factor. The climax is quite interesting, and I loved that the book does not end the story, rather puts a break to it.

Coming to the characters, Gayatri’s character is very well created. I liked the way Manali has created a character who loves drama and being over the top, but at the same time is very clear about her priorities. The strength of this character was the fact that she stands up against every adversity and comes out stronger. Her DDLJ obsession is quite interestingly chronicled, and kudos to the author for using that as a pivot point of the story as well. Varun’s character is also created with a good detail in mind. His perspectives in the story are interesting. I liked the fact that he is created as an opposite to Gayatri, but there are traits which are quite similar as well. Another interesting character in the story is the city of Mumbai, and how Manali uses it as a part of the story. From eating places to the travel routes, the essence of the city comes out in the story and gives an interesting character to it.

A special mention to the titles and the quotes from the characters that form the beginning of each chapter. Reading them and getting a sense of the chapter was quite a good touch on the book. Including the playlist of the songs referred to in the book (46) is a wonderful way to enjoy the book, and personally I would highly recommend keeping the playlist handy while reading the book.

Overall, I can confidently say that this is one of the best works of Manali I have read, and specially for keeping me reading from the point where I thought the story had ended, and pivoting to a completely different situation was truly amazing. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India.

Check out my review of the first book of the Love Trials Series: Love (Try) Angle