Book: The Velvet Hotline
Author: Arsh Verma
Publisher: Penguin India
I was provided a Media Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
What if a phone rings and you hear something you never expected to hear?
Ayingbi Mayengbam, a well-meaning primary school teacher, wants to take
on some part-time work over the summer, ideally a job through which she can
help people. When her first day as a volunteer at a suicide hotline ends in her
finding a dead body, she is done with this line of work. But soon, she is
approached by the winsome Dr Rastogi, a man who runs another suicide hotline
with a more altruistic approach, and she is unable to say no. While initially
shy and uncertain, Ayingbi learns quickly, her warmth and sincerity enabling
her to connect well with callers, her fierce determination to save lives
compensating for lack of experience. Over time, however, Ayingbi is confronted
with an unfortunate realization: when working at a suicide hotline, you simply
can’t save everyone. On top of that, there is something sinister afoot at
Rastogi’s agency, least of which are the three phones in Ayingbi’s cubicle, one
of which begins to ring without being plugged in.
The premise of the book is quite interesting and the first few pages of the book really set the tone and draw you into the plot. I was quite excited as the events were quite unexpected and the thrill of discovering things was adding to the joy of reading. The storyline has been planned well and keeps you engaged throughout, even though the interest starts dropping a bit towards the end. What I liked about the book that the themes have been planned well and the book is quite structured in the manner it is presented. The author has given time for the concept of the hotline to set in and understand its machinations, however this buildup is what affects the reading experience. The climax seems quite hurried, compared to the initial story and with all the details told in the story, the climax falls flat due to its swiftness and lack of a rush that should have developed after being a part of Ayingbi’s journey. The mystical element of the story was explained hurriedly towards the end, just before the climax and that somehow brough down the pace and the fun I was having with the book until that point.
Coming to the characters, Arsh has created interesting characters that fit
well into the story’s mould. Ayingbi’s character as a schoolteacher contrasts
nicely with her experience over the summer and the climax, which according to
me, was a nice character arc. I also liked the eclectic and secretive nature of
Dr. Rastogi and his character also rounds up nicely towards the end. I felt
that the characters of Chaitanya and Hardeep could have been explored a bit
more.
The book is a good read and a definite recommendation for anyone looking
for a chilling read. The book scores a 4.38/5 for me.
Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your nearest bookstore.
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