Girl One-Sara Flannery Murphy

Book: Girl One
Author: Sara Flannery Murphy
Publisher: Bloomsbury

Have you heard of the concept of Parthenogenesis?

Girl One by Sara Flannery Murphy explores the story of nine “miracle babies” who were raised by nine women on an experimental commune. Everything was going well until one day a fire destroys the commune and the girls scatter around the country and lose touch with each other. Years later, Josephine’s mother is missing and to find her, she would have to find her remaining sisters and face the truth of what happened on the Homestead all those years ago. There is only one way she could face the truth that awaits her-together with her sisters. The question is would she be able to accept it, or would it change her view of the world and the person she idolizes forever?

The concept that the book explores is quite innovative and the idea of parthenogenesis is something I had just heard of and never understood in detail. Sara takes this scientific aspect and weaves a tale that incorporates thrill along with an aspect that is almost divine, which I would not like to mention in my review as it is one of the best revelations in the story. The storytelling is engaging that makes you turn the page and undertake Josephine’s journey with her. Another aspect of Girl One that I loved was the almost maze-like experience with twists and turns every few pages which will incite emotions ranging from awe to anger to love. There is no point in the story that seems disconnected or a filler. Each chapter in the book is relevant. This is a story that will take its own time to be read and while it is a long book, it is my recommendation that you follow the story through and not rush through it to understand what the author is trying to convey. The social message that jumps out is subtle, very subtle, from between the lines but would make you wonder who was the one in the right at the end. The climax is chilling and deserves a specific mention because it brings the story of the Homestead Girls to a close in a beautiful manner.

Coming to the characters, Girl One is a story that works primarily because of strong characterization. From Josephine to Cate and Dr. Bellanger, each of the characters have a separate character arc, independent of each other, yet intertwined somehow. Sara’s characters take time to evolve into what she wants and that is a journey that this book encompasses. None of the characters are at extremes and are equal measures of strength and weakness. I loved how Josephine’s character starts out and as she starts experiencing the events, her outlook changes, yet the initial innocence still lurks around. Another interesting I liked was that of Cate and how her relationship with Josie evolves and changes. Thomas’s role as the reporter is commendable, specially how he adds value to the group.

Overall, Girl One is a story that needs to be read, understood, and imbibed for it talks about something very primal and basic. The book scores a 4.94/5 for me.

Thank you Bloomsbury India for sending over the beautiful Proof for review!

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The Meeting Point-Olivia Lara

Book: The Meeting Point
Author: Olivia Lara
Publisher: Aria Fiction

What if the Lift driver who finds your cheating boyfriend's phone holds the directions to true love?

The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara is the story of what happens when Maya discovers that her boyfriend’s phone has been found by a Lift driver, and while she planned to surprise him, it is her who comes to know about the shocking betrayal by him. she finds herself single and stranded in an unknown city on her birthday. So, when the mystery driver rescues Maya with the suggestion that she cheers herself up at a nearby beach town, she jumps at the chance to get things back on track. She wasn't expecting a personalized itinerary or the easy companionship that comes from opening up to a stranger via text, let alone the possibility it might grow into something more.

This is an excellently planned romantic story that will warm you up from the inside. The storytelling is so natural and engaging that it is quite easy to imagine yourself see the scenes unfold. The story is simply told but the devil lies in the details which the author manages to convey beautifully. I loved how one day changed Maya’s life and it was as if I could empathize and understand the situation she found herself in. The way the first part of the book unfolds like an itinerary was one of the highlights for me. In the second part of the book, I loved how Maya retraces her journey to find one person, but ends up with a lot more. The message that the book manages to send across is subtle but quite powerful. The summer romance is the vibe that starts from page 1 and continues till the end, for I had a continuous smile plastered on my face the whole time. The climax is super cheesy and almost like a movie, but it fits in perfectly with the overall vibe of the  book.

Coming to the characters, Maya’s character is a bit complex in terms of her emotions and relationships, but I liked how her arc changes as the story progresses. The character development is quite steep, and I liked how different examples are given by her to set the tone for this transformation. Another interesting character is that of Max, and how he effortlessly managed to help a girl, facing one of her worst birthdays, turn it into a memory she cannot forget. Ethan’s character impressed me with the maturity that he displays.

Overall, if you love a romantic story, then this is a definite recommendation. The book scores a 4.9/5 for me.

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Let Love Take Over-Tomson Robert

Book: Let Love Take Over
Author: Tomson Robert
Publisher: Srishti Publications

What is your notion of a “hero”?

Let Love Take Over  by Tomson Robert is the story of Joshua who is tormented by the horrors of his past at many stops of his life, causing troubles for him and those around him. An incident from his teenage days leaves such a mark on his psyche that he decides to not take charge of his life anymore and let things go as they are going. Unable to take a tough stand, be it his toxic boss Mayur, or to solve a challenge his wife encounters, he always chooses to opt for a safer path. This has even led to his marriage being on the rocks. Would he be able to redeem himself and save his marriage? This is a story of true love that overcomes all adversities.

The concept of the book is quite interesting, and it takes a different path from the usual love stories that we see. The idea of a non-hero struggling to restrain himself is imaginative and I loved how the author uses a Greek Myth to draw parallels and drive the protagonist’s fears away. The storytelling moves across the past and the present setting up the tone of the story showing how one incident early in Joshua’s life affects his personal and professional life many times over. The language is simple and easy to understand. The book also has a couple of concepts from Project Management that show that the book is well planned and researched for those to make space in a romantic story. The second part of the book however did seem a bit weak to me, specially towards the end. The movie-like climax overshadowed the good storytelling of the first half, and I would have liked the story to have taken a more natural turn.

In terms of characterization, Tomson sets up each of them with ease, laying the groundwork and the reason for the existence for each of them. Joshua’s character as a person who dreams of being a writer and is the hero of his story, forced to keep himself in check, is executed beautifully. Susan’s character is another powerful one and I liked how her story works in tandem with that of Joshua. Josh’s grandfather was an interesting part of the story taking it forward at crucial times.

Overall, a good story that scores a 4.31/5 for me.

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Fatal Mistakes-Vedashree Khambete-Sharma

Book: Fatal Mistakes
Author: Vedashree Khambete-Sharma
Publisher: HarperCollins India

What if you received a series of cryptic messages asking for help?

Fatal Mistakes by Vedashree Khambete-Sharma is the story of what happens when Avantika Pandit, a reporter with Mumbai Daily, starts receiving a bunch of mysterious texts hinting at deadly crimes that have managed to stay hidden. While covering crime is her passion, but her editor makes her write features and listicles. To top things off, she is given a literal garbage assignment. Would she be able to decode the messages and unearth the truth without pissing off her boss, and cross over to the world of crime reporting, or is she on the path of committing a fatal mistake herself, both literally and figuratively?

Fatal Mistakes is a story that keeps you engaged from the very first page. As you read the author’s note about how to read this book, it sets you up and prepares you for the writing style of Vedashree. The storytelling is powerful and keeps you engrossed in the story with twists and turns so much so that you would not need a bookmark to accompany the book. The plot is quite linear, with a few flashbacks to set the tone of the plot. The language is simple and easy to understand. The thing I liked about this story is the way the author treats her story. It is not the usual crime thriller with silent corners and shady places. The crimes are explained and make sense to a reader as well as to the plot. Another thing that stands out about the book is that while the story dwells on crimes against women, it paints a picture from a neutral perspective and dies not cast aspersions on anyone. The descriptions are vivid, specially in a few scenes where the author uses all your senses to help you picture the scene. The climax is predictable but the way it is explored is fitting to the plot and closes the story beautifully, leaving just a thread to plot the next book.

The characters in the book are as unique as the story that is being told. Avantika’s character as a stubborn wannabe crime reporter is well created with enough examples to set her character arc. Her interactions with Uday, Dhruv and other people are quite detailed to help people understand her more than a crime reporter and empathize with her. Another character I liked was that if Nalini and the way her character arc shapes up was something that deserves a mention.

One aspect of the book that made it a tad bit more enjoyable were the footnotes that Vedashree has left that are a right mix of fact, sarcasm, and wit, introducing a cheeky narrator that jumps in to help the reader understand the reason why the said term is being used.

Overall, an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone who loves to read a well-plotted crime thriller that will not let you rest until the last page has been turned. The book scores a 4.84/5 for me.

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The Handover-David M Barnett

Book: The Handover
Author: David M Barnett
Publisher: Trapeze Books

Do you think you would meet your soulmate at work?

The Handover by David M Barnett is the story of Nate and Daisy who work at a Manchester Museum of Social History as security guards. Nate works days, while Daisy covers the nights. The only interaction they have is when they handover their shifts, a five-minute window. He passes the torch over to her - like a baton - always with a smirk on his face, and she asks him for a full report of the day, which he gives reluctantly. It’s the only interaction they have... until strange things begin to happen at the museum. Daisy notices priceless objects are going missing but then reappearing, with no explanation (and nothing showing on the CCTV, which is why she doesn’t trust technology). No one believes her except Nate, and he agrees to help her solve the mystery. They soon discover they have a lot more in common than they realized, and their investigations uncover more than just the truth. Could they have feelings for one another?

The book is a light hearted romance that explores the value of our past and the impact of our relationships on our future. I loved the storytelling and the manner in which David slowly unravels what he has planned for Nate and Daisy. The slow and steady storytelling keeps the reader wanting for more, the story is that addictive. Setting the plot in a museum and linking it to the climax makes it one of the best storylines I have come across and the subtlety that flows throughout David’s writing is something that I would commend. Another aspect that makes the story stand apart is the concept of being interconnected and while I would not like to dish out spoilers, this is an aspect of the story that is something worthy of mentioning. The language is simple and easy to understand. The climax is mushy and romantic and heart wrenching.

Coming to the characters, David created a pair of characters that define the idea of romantic partners, with a part that is opposite and a part that is perfectly in sync when we see Daisy and Nate. I loved how he keeps these shades alternating and how it comes together in the end. The postcard was a nice touch. Each of the supporting characters, be it Rosie or Daisy’s mother or Ben or Lucia, each of them have a purpose and I loved how each of them gets to play their part in the big picture as it unfolds.

Overall, a book I would definitely recommend to anyone who loves to read a good and easygoing romance with a dash of destiny. The book scores a 4.81/5 for me.

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Hindu Refugee Camp, Lahore-Sachin Garg

Book: Hindu Refugee Camp, Lahore
Author: Sachin Garg
Publisher: Grapevine India

What would you do if you were stuck on the other side of the border, with neither country accepting you as their own?

Hindu Refugee Camp, Lahore by Sachin Garg is written as an exchange of letters that narrates the true story of Havildar Ghulam Ali Limb-Fitter. Set in the events post-independence, in 1958, it rests on the fact that while the partition of India happened in 1947, its impact has continued to be felt on people on both sides of the border. The thing that Ghulam Ali desperately wants is to be able to go to his motherland, to Lucknow where the love of his life Zahira waits for him. His life takes a turn when he finds himself in a Hindu Refugee Camp, Lahore. Beaten up, injured and starving, he is at his lowest, but finds the will to try everything in his power to come back. Zahira had a dream to dance to her heart’s content, but there is one hiccup, the solution to which lies with Ghulam Ali. Living with her nani and her sister, she battles the challenge of being a working Muslim Woman in the 1950s. Would Ghulam Ali be able to return to his homeland and be reunited with his love, or are they destined to be separated by the line that divided the country?

The story is a very powerful telling of the impacts that the partition of India had on the people living in the erstwhile India. Through Ghulam Ali, the author manages to convey the pain that the people felt on both sides of the border and how religion was used as a tool to push people into doing something they wouldn’t usually do. Using letters, the condition of both the countries is told, as Ghulam narrates the events from Lahore and Zahira presents the events from the Indian side. The letters are very emotive and using a mix of Hindi, English and Urdu, the author manages to maintain the authenticity of the story. The descriptions of scenes are extremely vivid, and it helps the imagination of the reader. Another thing that stands out is the way the letters are structured and how, while narrating the present, he sets the foundation by telling the stories of the past. The end of the story was something I would not have expected in the way it happens. While fearing for the worst, I loved the way Sachin used the moment to plunge the reader into the depths of despair and then pulling them up sharply. That, for me, was the poetic way to end the story of Ghulam Ali.

Based on true events, Sachin has created wonderful characters in Ghulam Ali and Zahira Raza. Their character arcs are beautifully sketched, and the climax adds a shine to the buildup through the letters. Another striking aspect is that Sachin uses his secondary characters to enforce the idea that no matter what the situation, people have a tendency to look at optics and through various characters such as Pundit Ji, he manages to do that in an excellent manner. I loved the way Zahira’s character unfolds in the end, and I was truly impressed by the revelations in the last chapter.

Overall, a book worth reading, not just for the story and the plot, but to understand the emotions that people felt, and still feel post the events that night in 1947.

The book gets a 4.76/5 from me.

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India’s Most Haunted-K. Hari Kumar

Book: India’s Most Haunted: Tales of Terrifying Places
Author: K. Hari Kumar
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Have you ever had any scary encounter?

In India’s Most Haunted, K. Hari Kumar brings you the terrifying tales of some of India's most haunted places -- including Bhangarh Fort, Malabar Hill's Tower of Silence and Jammu and Kashmir's notorious Khooni Nala. Spanning the length and breadth of the country, the stories explore not just the paranormal, but also the fact that the living can be sometimes be more scary than the dead. Whether you read them at night or in daylight, these stories will remain with you long after you've turned the last page.

The book was a very different experience than the other books in the genre I have read. There are no ghosts appearing out of the blue or the classic late night sounds. Each of the story is told in a crisp manner and the storytelling is tightly focused on the narrative. While the stories would give goosebumps as it takes a turn, but the chills are measured and as a reader one begins to understand the other point of view. What I loved about the book is that the author has sourced the stories from across the country and they focus on events rather than the hauntings. Being short stories, it can act as a leisure read, to be read as a paced book, or for people who eat books (looks at self), the book is a one long journey across the country as we experience the events. Another aspect that Hari brings to light is that while we think that the paranormal beings are scary, sometimes humans can be scarier, and this is precisely the point he focuses on in a few stories. The climax of the stories is something that is extremely well crafted. The manner in which the feelings, emotions and imagination bind together is something quite surreal.

The characters in the stories seem drawn from real life, and are people like you and me. The characters are not the usual ones one thinks of finding in this genre. There are no damsels in distress or knights in shining armor, but local people that believe the local legends and how it influences them. Another thing I loved was the visual descriptions of the places where the stories are set and almost are a part of the stories as an independent character, which I feel is the true essence in this genre. Creaking doors and howling winds are described so intricately that one is transported into the scene.

Overall, a definite recommendation if you love to have chills run down your spine many times over. The book gets 4.75 spooks out of 5.

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