IM So Hacked-Gautam Mayekar

Book: !M S0 H@CK3D

Author: Gautam Mayekar

Publisher: Jufic Books (Leadstart Corp)

How secure are you while you browse the internet? Isn’t it the latest fad to have a Internet-enabled TV or maybe go up a notch and have IoT enabled gadgets controlling your house? Makes you pretty safe seeing a CCTV camera?

What if one day you wake up and find out you are no longer in control of your own house, own computer or for that matter your mind?

Welcome to Avidit’s world, or should I say @v!, as he calls himself. A hacker who works for India’s numero uno antivirus company as a security researcher and at night, crawls the deep recesses of the darkweb into the hacking forums. A general recluse, he despises his routine office work and lacks purpose in his life. Everything changes when he receives a letter from a person calling himself M@dR1; a revolutionary who wants to change the world. To convince @v!, he uses his horrific past to motivate him into doing what he wants, which begins with a not so damaging task of shutting down the internet of the entire city. Just the beginning, the innocuous hack transforms into a complex web of interconnected events leading to a major cyber attack that rocks the foundation of the country’s technological unit with the help of @v!’s friends, $@m and K!LL3R.

!M S0 H@CK3D is a book that keeps you on your toes all the time. The plot of the book is tightly bound and keeps you engaged. With common yet not-so-common hacking terms like DDOS and XSS are used but explained in detail, thus help keep the reader understand the technical aspects and keep track with what is happening in the plot. Moving along the plot at a brisk pace, you are sure to make some assumptions that are confirmed in the penultimate chapter of the book. Relating with Avidit with his corporate life is easy for any person who is working in that setup. For a person who is into hacking or understands the concepts, this book is going to be a wonderful ride.

The book also has some wonderful song recommendations and my personal suggestion would be to plug in your earphones and listen to the songs as they come into the plot and them move ahead. This would enhance your reading experience multifold.

The characters of @v!, M@dR!, $@m and K!LL3R are wonderfully crafted with careful details and specific roles each of them plays in the plot development. The character arcs move without a hitch and close all loose ends at the end in an amazing manner.

The title of the book is just apt and will become crystal clear one you read the book.

The plot twist at the end is just mindblowing and will make you question the very concept of Hacking! Just for this, I am adding half-a-star to the rating.

A sure shot recommendation for your TBRs, I will give the book 4.5/5.

Snakes in the Meadows-Ayaz Kohli

Book: Snakes in the Meadows

Author: Ayaz Kohli

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Snakes in the Meadows by Ayaz Kohli is begins in the year 1987 in a hilly village called Pathri Aali in Jammu and Kashmir. Aptly titled, the book deals with the onset of militancy, the suffering and the changes in the life of the people of Pathri Aali as times progress.

The book opens with a bull fight where the village head Haji Mir Baksh and his friend Avdal oversee the event, hoping to win it against the neighboring village. Everything is calm and happy with Haji’s son Aslam managing to win the bullfight. Later in the evening, he regales his grandsons, Kabir & Riaz with old stories, and also the one which made him a heroic figure in the eyes of the residents of Pathri Aali. We are also introduced to Ashwar, who is a strong-willed woman of the village and aims to become a teacher one day. As fate would have it, Aslam falls in love with Ashwar, who rejects his advances and says that she’ll marry him after 16 years or after she becomes a teacher, whatever happens first. With the turn of events, the village court directs Haji Mir Baksh to marry his son to Zaitoon, a woman who was spurned by her lover. A man of his words and asool, Haji instructs Aslam to marry Zaitoon but he runs away from home to Mumbai.

On a parallel note, we are introduced to the Army who is posted nearby at Jabari Hills. We meet Dr. Himanshu, who is a doctor with the Army on a short service commission and later becomes a crucial part of the narrative with his story intermingling with that of the people of Pathri Aali. Another character we meet is Major Dharam Pal Singh who symbolizes the people who abuse power and instead of being the protectors, become the oppressors. This is highlighted through multiple instances in the story. His lust for power, greed for money and stupor of having an upper hand makes him commit unspeakable acts. Then we have characters like Altaf Dastarkhan, Adalat Shah & Shaghir Khan whose lust for money becomes so high that even patriotism becomes a commodity for sale for them. How greed becomes a tool for corruption is another facet of life that has been discussed upon by Ayaz in the book.

The book is basically a social commentary on how life functions in the region of Jammu and Kashmir under the constant threat of militancy. The book takes the reader through the valley, both literally and figuratively, by introducing them to happier times which turn into a downslide of bad times and finally coming back up on a happy ending. Through the book is mainly focused on the state of affairs in Pathri Aali and how the village handles the influx of militancy, it also has, through the sub plots, commented on the psyche of the people in the surrounding regions. With a commentary on the lust of money corrupting the army, the merchant and the local people, it is well directed discussion on how we have changed with the times. With each character getting poetic justice, be it Altaf, Adalat or even Major Dharam Pal Singh, the author has emphasized on the fact that greed always leads to corruption of the mind.

All characters of the book are defined properly with the background of each one of them detailed. The reasons behind action of each character can be understood and the psyche behind making the character in that way becomes clearer as the plot progresses.The book spans exactly 16 years, and ends on a happy note.

A pleasant surprise was the name of Major Navniet Sekera who is quite an important character for the climax in the book. As I suspected during the reading, and later confirmed in the acknowledgement, it is inspired by the Supercop by the same name.

For me the book deserves a 4.5/5.

What Mina Did-Geeta Menon

Book: What Mina Did

Author: Geeta Menon

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Do you have a person who knows every inch of you, who can tell when you are lying or when you are smiling to hide a sorrow deep down?

“What Mina Did” explores how one betrayal can have catastrophic consequences, while delving into the complex bonds that link mothers and daughters, and best friends.

The book opens in 1998, where we see a terrified 22-year old Mina escaping from her house while something terrible is happening. Cut to 2002, Mina returns to Bangalore with her husband when she is confronted with the demons of the past. She gets quite weak mentally. Another blow comes to her when she comes to know that Neelu, her best friend, who had supported her unconditionally 4 years ago is in a sticky situation and wants her help. Though she does what Neelu had asked, she does so half-heartedly.

Once back in the US, Mina now starts getting multiple job assignments and long working hours, thus widening the crevice between Mina & Neelu more and more as time passes. Sensing that Neelu is unhappy with her life in the US, Mina goes to her place and stays there for a couple of days to understand her situation better. After coming back, one day, Mina decides to give some unsolicited marital advice to Neelu, leading to her accusing Mina of something unimaginable.

“What Mina Did” is a story alternating between present day and flashbacks. The plot is very well planned and executed. The history is unraveled in parts which keeps the reader guessing as to what has happened. With the story moving from Bangalore to Chennai, Bangalore, California and New York, the transitions are planned beautifully. The character of Mina is blessed with emotions. She goes to all lengths to make sure her friends and family are always put on first, but at the same time, she is a determined career woman who balances her work and personal life perfectly. This is highlighted multiple times through various incidents in the plot.  Neelu as a person is strong-headed and compassionate person. She is very protective of her friends and this is very well accentuated in one of the moments where we see her coming to the rescue of Mina in an alley where cards were stacked against them. The character of Vijay, Mina’s better half, is a portrayal of a friend. He is understanding of Mina’s situation, gets mad when Mina takes reckless decisions but ultimately supports her. On the other hand, Ajit, Neelu’s husband, is portrayed as a person with a limited emotional wavelength, who is supportive but not very much and is in the relationship for the need of it.

Other characters of Neelu’s family, Vijay’s Mother, Mina’s co-workers and others are also well-placed and a wonderful word-picture can be painted of them.

The title of the book “What Mina Did” is apt as it shows how our actions have consequences. The entire book is based on the cause-effect premise. What Mina Does propels the story forward at all junctures.

I would rate the book 4/5.

Gun Island-Amitav Ghosh

Book: Gun Island-A Novel

Author: Amitav Ghosh

Publisher: Penguin Hamish Hamilton

Has it ever happened to you that a story that you heard as a child have stuck with you, only to resurface years later, triggered by a recent occurrence?

Gun Island is based on one such folk tale based in the region of Bengal, both West Bengal (India) & Bangladesh. Dinanath Chatterjee is a Brooklyn-based rare book dealer and our protagonist. On one of his visits to Calcutta, he comes in contact with the legend of the Bonduki Sadagar or The Gun Merchant accidentally when he is asked about that in a party by an acquaintance, Kanai Dutta. Elaborating further on this, he mentions about a Dhaam, a shrine, in the Sunderbans connected to this legend and dedicated to Manasa Devi, the goddess of snakes. Kanai tells him that his Aunt Nilima had mentioned this and Dinanath meet her to get more information on this purported dhaam. On reaching Nilima’s place the next day, he comes to know that Nilima had come across this legend while she was working in the Sunderbans and had met the caretaker of the shrine and he had told her the first two lines of the legend. Knowing that Dinanath had a keen interest in the folklore, she asked him whether he would like to go and see the shrine since Nilima’s Trust does work in the area and could help him seek that shrine out. Though reluctantly, he decides to take the trip. Deep in the Mangroves of Sunderbans, he goes to the temple and has an encounter with a King Cobra. What follows this incident is an uncanny series of events that cannot be explained easily with rational arguments.

Gun Island is a powerful novel with the plots touching multiple social topics. Amitav Ghosh has taken a folk tale and set it in contemporary times with some very impactful characters. The plot of the book, though seems to untangle the journey of the Bonduki Sadagar and the Gun Island, but infact works with social topics such as Human trafficking, environmental impacts and has a very deep usage of fate as a theme. Amitav has taken examples of animal migration, forest fires, change in seasons to show that we, as humans are impacting environment in a large way. At one point in the beginning we have a discussion between Dinanath and Tipu about passports being a matter of belief, which sets the tone of the parallel theme of the book-illegal migrations and the methods people resort to. With apt examples and occurrings, the entangled plots of environmental impact, human trafficking and the folk tale move smoothly in the book.

The characters are created beautifully with each having a relevant back story, which is introduced at the perfect time. Be it the character of the depressed, rare book dealer Dinanath or the all-knowing professor Cinta to the rational researcher Piya, each character has their role perfectly defined and is related to one theme of the book or another.

The location of the book moves from Kolkata to the swamps of Sunderbans and from Brooklyn to Venice, taking into its arms Egypt, Turkey and Afghanistan. Each location has been chosen with its relation to the folktale of the Gun Merchant that unfolds in the last part of the book, but not before we have experienced a ride of paranoia, sadness, thrill and most of all, hope through the eyes of our protagonist.

For me, the book is a 5/5.

Room No 904-Shivani Singhal

Book: Room No 904?

Author: Shivani Singhal

Publisher: Partridge India

Each of us has that familiar memory of walking into a college for the first time, exhilarated yet nervous, butterflies in the stomach. This becomes more prominent when you stay away from your home for the first time, in a hostel. This is when friends become important, having a support system becomes a necessity.

Room No 904? Is based in a similar setting. Tamanna moves from Srinagar to Delhi to pursue a degree in law. Luckily, she gets a room in the hostel, but from the beginning, she starts getting a feeling that something is not right. Like every college, this one also has its secrets hidden inside the walls of the college. Allotted room 904 in the Narmada Hostel, she gets a nightmare on the very first night in the hostel. Coupled with the warden behaving weirdly during the room allocation and the hostel mates treating it like a taboo, things start becoming difficult for Tamanna. On top of the mysterious room, she has a run in with a senior, Tanya, who is bossy and vengeful. As a silver lining to this cloud, she befriends a girl opposite to her hostel room, Smera, who is 4 years senior to her but acts an anchor to her. She also gets involved with Tanya’s classmate, Surya. We are also introduced to Nandini, Tamanna’s paternal aunt, who is her guardian after the tragic death of Tamanna’s parents.

As the book moves ahead, we get to understand the reason why Room no 904 is central to the plot. We also get to move along the psyche of the characters and how they change as the time progresses. Why is Room No 904 such a taboo in the college? Why is Tamanna feeling uneasy in the college life? Are Surya & Smera truly helping her in the college?

Room No 904? explores different themes in the plot. Though the mail plot is a mystery, the subplots explore topics such as depression, teenage bullying, ragging in colleges and teenage love. It expertly weaves all the subplots into a coherent narrative that has equal amounts of mystery, thrill and emotions. Shivani has described the characters in detail and the scenes are believable. The theme of depression and bullying by peers has been handled extremely well by her. The plot of romance in the book has been shown with multiple perspectives and has a mature writing on the theme.

The climax of the book is quite unexpected and deserves due credit for its proper execution and planning. Guessing the ending is a bit difficult and that has earned this story another half-star.

For me, the book deserves a 4/5.

The Prisoner of Yakutsk-The Subhash Chandra Bose Mystery Final Chapter

Book: The Prisoner of Yakutsk-The Subhash Chandra Bose Mystery Final Chapter

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

Author: Shreyas Bhave

Taking the often-retold story of the disappearance of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Shreyas has beautifully woven a storyline around it, moving across countries. It is a pacing story with multiple twists and with an even amazing climax. The story moves between the past and the present where Shreyas has taken seemingly unrelated events and given a plot to the timelines. 

The characters are constructed in detail and the individual stories of the characters move in sync with the complete plotline.

It has a gripping plot that keeps you engaged and waiting for the next chapter to start and no wonder, I finished the book in one sitting.

It is a definite must read for anyone who has read or researched the history of Netaji’s disappearance.

The plus point in the book is the discussion in the beginning where Shreyas details the background the work that went in. it is definitely something different that I saw for the first time in a fiction that is inspired from historical events.

Recommendation: A Definite Read