Book Review - "UNNS The Captivation" by Sapan Saxena

Theme

A classic tale of love and romance marked beautifully by its own rustic old school charm. The book is a romantic fiction with a clear mix of love, betrayal, suspense and drama with an interesting end. As the name suggests "Unns"- the captivation, it does keeps you on the edge with twists and turns that are just unpredictable. The book takes you through the different stages of love in a very unique way that was a complete new experience for me as a reader.


Main Characters


Atharva, the protagonist is a sharp, intelligent and a matured boy who falls for Meher during Adolescence. The perfect combination of intelligence, grounded by values and emotions is my favourite character in the book.

Meher, a bold and a strong headed girl with great personality finds her lover in Atharva who was equally fond of her intelligence and beauty.

Professor Miyaz, Dev and Vasu are the other important characters among others who take the story forward as a part for the Raw mission and further on.


Plot

Love strikes them during adolescence and the lovebirds Atharva and Meher starts  spending most part of their lives together. However it didn't last long. Soon they were separated as Meher decides to go by their parents wish who were against their relationship. Meher breaks all her contacts with Atharva and leaves the country with her parents. The whole episode leaves Atharva shattered and heartbroken who was genuinely in love with Meher and dreamt of spending his whole life with her.


Fifteen years later, Destiny brings them together once again. Atharva Rathod a RAW agent meets Meher Qasim during one of his assignments in Germany. Atharva's love for Meher hadn't changed a
bit ... he had lived all those memories from the past in last fifteen years and his love for Meher was still as fresh as it was... When life gave him another chance to win his love after so many years, he couldn't let it go.

They discover everything about each other that had happened in past years... Meher's heartfelt apology for walking away from his life years back strengthened the bond that they shared during school days. Just when Atharva thought he is on the verge of getting the love of his life back ... something happens that changes the course of the story. ... Do they unite and live happily ever after ? Or life has its own plans ? Read to find this captivating tale of love and emotions while they meet and depart due to circumstances .


Review

"Unns- the Captivation" is a beautifully written tale of love and betrayal. Being just the second book of the author, I felt the book is a perfect combination of romance, drama, suspense that offers its readers a thrilling experience. The cover of the book is very well designed by Ajitabha Bose. I personally felt the cover is very captivating and catches readers attention immediately. The name of the chapters got me confused initially, However after reading the book it made complete sense and felt appropriate. The seven stages of love got me thinking too.. I had never heard of those stages but after reading the book, I liked the writers approach towards the in depth emotions of love and its way of expression.

The only thing that confused me about this story was the vague endings and the beginnings of the scenes. Few grammatical glitches could have been avoided looking at the good language of the book. Author has tried to bring an effect of a cinema through his narration however it fails to express the desired result especially while narrating the Raw mission.

Overall, it's a great story for anyone who likes romantic thrillers and contemporary fiction. It will definitely make for a great read for youngsters, couples or anyone who believes in love.


Quotes from the book 

“If the intent is right, why waste time thinking about the consequences.”

“You have been the summary of my entire existence; my biggest weakness, my greatest strength. The weathers of my life start and end with you. You complete me.”

“Sometimes, it’s worth living the dreams, tasks, hopes or ambitions of the people you love, however unjustifiable or stupid they may sound. Sometimes, it’s worth completing what they stood up for. That is the best gift you can give to the people you love."

“That girl who doesn’t even understand my language properly, understands my heart, but the one who should, doesn’t even try”

“I never thought of a future without you. That was the reason I always lived in the present, hoping I would find you someday.”


About the author

The book is authored by Sapan Saxena who is a software engineer by profession and an author by choice. Sapan started writing while his engineering days and penned a fictional story. Unns the captivation is his second attempt of writing fiction. Originally from the city of nawabs, Lucknow, He is currently based in Hampshire and is an acclaimed author of the book Finders, Keepers. The book Unns the captivation is published by Inspire India.

I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

My review of the book 'UNNS- the captivation' can also be read at
Goodreads and Amazon .

Book Review - "Think with Me" by Subrata Roy Sahara

Theme

The book is a sincere effort by the author to surface the harsh realities of our country. Through his book "Think with Me" he makes an honest attempt to reach the roots of  the issues that are bigger than it seems and provides a solution that can help our nation become an ideal one.

The book has been categorically written to emphasise on the major fundamental issues that our country is facing today. Author believes these fundamental problems, if not taken seriously will lead to a national crisis of unimaginable proportion.
   
Plot

Author has presented five fundamental issues that we are facing in India today. The book is divided into 5 portions focusing on each issue at length. Electoral and Leadership being the first and foremost issue that needs amendments. Likewise the other issues that are eating up our country are population, education system, media and religion.

Author tries to give an explanatory view on some of the questions that's been haunting us as citizens for many generations. Where did we go wrong? What happened to the honest Leaders with ethical values we had before independence, whose struggle for freedom was selfless and not a personal motive? Why is our education system so hollow inspite of our rich knowledge resource from ancient India?

The concept of morality and immorality is very well explained by dividing human emotional sphere into I, My, We, We All and Us. According to him there is a need to widen our emotional sphere in order to serve the mankind and bring an overall change in the society.

Author's willingness to bring the change isn't over with the writing of the book, he is open to feedback and suggestions from the people of India and also agrees to provide elaborate plan on each issue to the government if needed. His humble appeal to share views, questions or even disagreements speaks volumes about his genuine efforts towards making India an ideal country.


Review

The book has an appealing title and a decent cover page without making it look too loud. The book is truly inspiring and it invokes a desire in a reader to be able to bring the change for a better life and a better country. Author's writing style is very simple and uncluttered. It's thought provoking and I related to every issue and the agenda that has been brought about by the author. I completely agree that with the loopholes in the system and weak authorities we will reach no where inspite of our rich knowledge resource from the old days.

I would recommend politicians and people in power to read this book and reinforce the ideas discussed in the book. Much can be achieved by strengthening our education and political system. The book definitely is a complete food for thought.

Some references from the book that keeps you thinking!

"Why couldn't we teach people occupying places of responsibility that rights are given to perform genuine duties, not to serve your personal whims, false ego and greed?"

"Our population is flourishing on poor qualifications and low merits. It means we are being defeated in terms of qualitative workforce. This is the biggest reason for our downfall."

"Another worrisome aspect of education or literacy is the lack of good quality teachers. India is short of 12 lac teachers to provide quality education at primary level."


About the Author

The book is authored by Subrata Roy Sahara popularly known as "Saharasri". One of the most successful figures of corporate India and founder of 'Sahara India Pariwar' is a teacher, a guide and a proud guardian to his 1.2 million fellow workers. "Think with Me" is his second book in the 'Thoughts from Tihar' trilogy and is published by Rupa Publications. His first book 'Life Mantras' was a National Bestseller and was among the top 5 best selling books across India.


I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

My review of the book "Think with Me" can also be read at Goodreads and Amazon 

Book Review - "Finding Juliet" by Toffee

Theme

"Finding Juliet" is a realistic fiction that identifies with the lives of youngsters in modern times. The genre of the book is a mix of romance and erotica. The story looks inspired by the no strings attached kind of relationships that doesn't carry any emotional baggage and is merely a series of sex encounters.

Main Characters

Arjun is an incredibly nice guy and believes in true love. However after three heartbreaking encounters he starts to lose faith in love and considers himself the biggest loser.

Krish, a flamboyant in nature and a rockstar enters Arjun's life as a saviour and gradually becomes his only well wisher, a guiding source and eventually a best friend.

Anjali is another very important character in the story who is Arjun's childhood friend and always stands by him no matter what.

 Plot

Finding Juliet is a story of a simple boy Arjun who lives in Hyderabad. Like any other guy he enjoys the attention from girls but wasn't an expert when it came to winning their hearts. He befriends girls, and just when he thinks everything is going great in his life and he has found the true love... his heart breaks and he goes through the misery of being left alone, sad and broken.


Soon after, another tragedy hits him hard and he is left with no choice but to leave the city and his past behind to try his luck in Bangalore.

Krish, a good looking flirtatious kinda guy meets Arjun at work and understands his plight. Krish is no less than a love guru and understands what women want! The questions that's been haunting Arjun all this while regarding his break ups gets answered and Arjun's outlook towards women and relationships changes. He transforms from a geek to a handsome hunk in town with a changed personality and boosting confidence.

The new lifestyle, attention and fame gives him a big high and he is all set to rock the world of his romance and fulfill his desires with a new outlook.

Life was treating Arjun well! just the way he wanted..... right then a hard-hitting reality smack him in the face and life takes a 360 degree turn.... making him feel like a scumbag once again..What happens next is a mystery?

Does he Jeopardise his life for lust or gets lucky to find his true love ?

 Review

I must admit "Don't judge the book by its cover" doesn't hold true for "Finding Juliet" . The book has a nice colourful and catchy cover that sends a happy and positive vibe about the story. In fact I decided to read it at the very first instant I saw the cover.

The story line is good and pretty much justifies the characters that comes along as it progresses. Author writes through a perspective of young and vulnerable who gets in the journey of love and lust at a age when love is difficult to find and lust is purely enticing, however he ends the book with a message for youngsters to realise the secret to happiness lies in fulfilling the soul not ego.

The narration of the scenes and the pace of the story is good to keep the readers engaged.... However I felt the author goes a little over board with the sex escapades and the repetitive description of girls in stereotypical manner got me bored after a while.

Finding Juliet is an entertaining book for young readers looking for romance. For someone like me who likes romance with substance, the book didn't really had much to offer. I failed to connect with the characters personally. The authors pre conceived notions of girls and and few statements like  " women, if dealt with deftly can be your greatest source of pleasure" were a put off. The writing style is simple and will make for a good read for youngsters looking for a mix of soft romance, friendship and lust that is very much relatable at their age.


Quotes & One liners from the book

* Problems in your life are like the weights in the gym. You can either get weighed down by them or turn them to your advantage and become stronger.

* I am fine is the most popular lie ever told.

* Of all the lies she told me, "I love you was the sweetest".


About an Author 

Toffee a.k.a. Taufeeq Ahmed is another Engineer turned Author whose debut book was "An Idiot, Placement IntervYou". He loves narrating interesting stories with subtle insights. Currently he is pursuing his Masters in Business Analytics from the University of South Florida. His passion for writing lies in heart warming stories that touches people's lives. "Finding Juliet" is his second book written especially for India's Y generation and is published by Srishti Publishers.


' I received a copy from Writersmelon  in exchange for an honest and unbiased review '


My review of the book Finding Juliet can also be read at Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review - 'A Walk In The Rain' by Udai Yadla

Love is elixir that keeps you alive. Love is poison that kills you. Unreciprocated love keeps you alive but kills everyday.

A tale of love and redemption "A walk in the rain" takes its readers through a journey of romance and action packed thriller which is no less than a film experience. Though the title and the book cover gives a very pleasant and romantic feel, it would actually surprise you as the story unfolds.

Surya alias 'Sunny' was a lonely, timid boy who lives a reclusive life. Fear of rejection and low self esteem restricted him to solitude. His world of imagination and memories from past was the only doorway to his happiness where he seek peace and pleasure.

On the other hand Sandhya alias 'Sandy' is a bubbly girl, full of life who befriends Sunny but leaves him unannounced.

Saloni is bold and an intelligent girl. Circumstances force her into the trade of flesh but she still tries to hold on to her values, dignity and self respect regardless of her profession of prostitution.



Sunny was a loner due to his deserted childhood. Sandy came as a ray of sunshine in his life but soon he was left heartbroken as she leaves unannounced. Sunny's 14 yr old heart had endured lot of grief, but the departure of Sandy was unbearable for him and the shock pulled him back to emotional hibernation.


While Sunny was still trying to come to terms with the depart of the only person he ever loved. Imran, his friend makes a surprise visit on his birthday and promises to change his life for good but least did he know that his spoken words "tonight's going to be the life changing night for you" will soon turn into an ugly reality. Imran gets killed that night and vengeance becomes the only mission of Sunny' life. Misogynist Sunny hated even the sight of the prostitute Saloni who he thought was the reason for his bad fate but she agrees to help him in exchange of money.

This sets the two on the journey of life and death. Will they survive or perish in the pursuit of vengeance? Both are bound to a common goal with different motives, but destiny has its own motive.



A walk in the rain is an intricate tale of intense emotions which keeps you guessing with each twist and turn. I felt the elaborate narration of the action sequences and characters involved bored me a bit.
The book makes a good read for young readers who enjoy reading relationship drama, romantic adventures or action thrillers.

Being a debut author Udai Yadla has done a great work with his simple way of writing. He keeps the  story moving with engaging characters and beautifully brings out the intense emotions of love, pain and hatred. My reading experience would have been more enjoyable if the story didn't move back and forth (in past and future) every now and than as I felt it interrupted the flow a few times leaving me confused as a reader.

My overall experience of reading and reviewing 'A walk in the rain' was good and I am glad I chose a book by a debut author for my debut book review from watermelon.

Quotes from the book

"People may not be strong enough to resist the fate, but it is the test of character to retain the quintessential purity of soul. Don't be hasty to judge people with their appearance, profession, association or for that matter any incidents that convict them.... For, first look can be deceiving"

"Separation is the most painful test to measure the sustainability of love"

I found the above quotes very inspiring and meaningful as it very much relates to our real life situations.

About the Author

Udai Yadla is a writer by Passion, Mechanical engineer by education and Software engineer by Proffession. He has been associated with TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) for over 10 years and has been nominated for Forbes India Celebrity 100 list for year 2015. "A Walk in the Rain is his debut fiction novel published by Kyron publications.


' I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review '

My review of 'A walk in the rain' can also be read at- Goodreads and Amazon