REVIEW Archives - Outset Books

Snakes in the Meadows by Ayaz Kohli- Review

Rakhi Jayashankar — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 19:38:00 +0000

Snakes in the Meadows by Ayaz Kohli- Review

Classics have the power to change our reading habits. They have the power to be realistic yet entertaining. But most books of late don’t have that charm. Nonetheless, there are a few pieces of literature that stood out and Snakes in the Meadows is one among them.

The flawless blurb itself tells us the finesse of the writer. Snakes in the meadows is a saga of the onset of militancy, the suffering and the resilience of Pir Panjal- the ‘and’ of Jammu Kashmir.

It is the tale of terrorism, of love, of expectations. Aslam and Ishwar, are in love but societal pressure and situations forced them to separate. Further, the surge of insurgency and terrorism unites them. The plot is not as simple as it seems.

She had only one regret-that someone knew about her secret dream.

The narration

The style of narration is exemplary. The relationship between Aslam and Ishwar has been depicted subtly yet the depth of their love is not lost on the readers. The author has closely pulled out the life of Mujahideens and presented a classic piece for the readers.

The gravity of the recruitment of young boys to be Mujahideen is depicted such that the readers could relate to how they have been misled and cheated. The fact that not all Mujahideen are cruel perpetrators of terrorism is a shocking revelation for readers who live in another part of the world.

It is more of a geopolitical mirror than a love story. The highlight is the subtlety of portraying the relationship between Aslam and Ishwar.

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Homicide@Caramelo by Prasoon- Review

Rakhi Jayashankar — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 06:56:00 +0000

Book
Name – Homicide@Caramelo

Author – Prasoon

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Homicide@Caramelo by Prasoon- Review

For pulling off a thriller, the book needs to be huge, and the character has to be numerous so that the suspense element is maintained throughout. This preset notion was changed by Ruskin bond in his book Perfect Murder. Nonetheless many did not dare to venture the same because building up a plot and suspense simultaneously in lesser words is a challenging task.

Prasoon through his book Homicide@Caramello pulls off a similar attempt with success. The name itself is enough to excite the readers. Apparently, the whole story in nutshell is the name itself. Caramello is a coffee shop inside hotel Hans. A murder that happened inside Caramello is the theme of the whole book. A man is madly in love with his wife Riya who is pregnant. Riya stumbles upon something that spoils her sleep for good. She tries to reach the bottom of it. Where she is led to in this attempt forms the rest of the book.

Each chapter ends with suspense. Be it Riya’s apprehensions or Dia’s intrigue or Aman’s interests, readers are forced to go on. The snippets of suspense at the end are the highlight of the book. Whatsoever thoughts the readers have, will be reinforced and reignited with these snippets. The unexpected twist in the penultimate chapter is commendable. It is not beyond the realm of reason but still comes across as a surprise. The climax could have been worked on a bit more but the pros of such an approach are that it makes the reader read the book once more and mull over what it meant.

Verdict

A junior Ruskin Bond

Scenario: 4 /5

Narration: 4.5/5

Character: 4/5

Entertainment Quotient: 4/5

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Between You and Me by Atul Khanna

Rakhi Jayashankar — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 11:21:00 +0000

Book
Name – Between You and Me

Author – Atul Khanna

Publisher – Bloomsbury

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Between You and Me by Atul Khanna

We celebrate our republic day on 26th January. But many of us don’t know what is the meaning of being a republic. Beyond the fundamental rights and duties, very few know about the constitution and its crux. Atul Khanna is one among those rare people and has written a book that lays bare the double standards and shortcomings in our constitution.

The book is multilayered and handles several varieties of arenas where a change in the constitution is required. The book in short is a detailed analysis of the constitution and a set of suggestions to improve and moreover upgrade the constitution.
As a preface author throws light on the freedom struggle and tells the readers why the efforts of every freedom fighter except the two were neglected. The author subtly divulges the strategy of the Nehru family in glorifying Jawaharlal Nehru whereas Ambedkar, the Architect of the Indian constitution remained neglected till recently.

To begin with, the author enlightens the readers about the style of action and some sneak peek into the tenure of several leaders who did or did not hold cabinet positions. The author presents several suggestions as petitions, which, if followed could make a lot of changes in the Indian economy. As the author puts forth India is trapped in the constitution that was made nearly a century back. The prime petition is for the mixed vote system. The idea of further thought seems like a wonderful thought. The process which is more or less a grading system will eradicate favoritism. Likewise, several petitions are put forward. A few that on a personal note, I found most effective will be mentioned here.

While Lokpal was formed, as every citizen, I also thought that something useful and effective is going to happen but apparently it turned out to be a mere puppet. The case of Jammu and Kashmir is indeed an eye-opener for me. The second partition was unknown to me and I am not very proud of it. The chapter is about repealing Article 370. It is a very important chapter in the whole book. The chapter about the civil code is yet another important one.

Overall the book targets all practice areas that influence the lives of a citizen. It dissects the constitution in minute detail and analyses it. In a few years, the book would be a reference material for political students. The book is recommended to every responsible Indian Citizen.

Verdict

Scenario: 5/5

Narration: 5/5

Relevance: 5 /5

Research:5/5

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An Indian Loser by Uzma Hameed- Review

Rakhi Jayashankar — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 05:40:00 +0000

Book Name – An Indian Loser

Author – Uzma Hameed

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An Indian Loser by Uzma Hameed- Review

In India, for the last two decades, Engineering and Medicine are the only two streams that were acceptable for the students to learn. Even after being a saturated economy, the demand for both streams remains the same. The kids who don’t go for both streams are considered not worth it by society.

Indian loser is a sarcastic take on this prejudice. A boy who fails in the Higher Secondary exams falls into the pit of depression. However, with a lot of difficulty and perseverance, he put the pieces back and returns to life. How he finds the focus and proceeds is the crux of the story.

Indian loser is a mirror of society. The author has come forward with a topic that needs to be discussed in detail and analyzed with sincerity. However the topic as relevant and grave as this was not given full justice. Somewhere down the line, the topic was handled immaturely. The same could be attributed to the author’s attempt to make the books readable to all masses so that the message reaches the maximum.

Overall the book is an easy read. It is particularly recommended for parents of teenagers.

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Kaalkoot by S.Venkatesh- Review

Rakhi Jayashankar — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 11:42:00 +0000

Book Name – Kaalkoot

Author – S. Venkatesh

Publisher. . – TreeShade Books

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Review

A fatal poison that was mentioned in India Mfrtfythology plays an important role in India’s Freedom Struggle. The same becomes a part of a gruesome plot to decimate human beings.

The plot has several subplots. Sam sets out to find his unprofessed lover who is entangled in a dark secret that has been under wraps for over a century. In another part of the world, Damini is heading the investigation about a demo that is supposed to happen in Goa. When their paths intersperse horrendous secrets are unearthed.

The book is brimful of suspense. Right from the beginning, the book keeps on triggering intrigue in the readers. The book is an in-and-out cliffhanger that has more suspense than any contemporary book. The author has tried to connect the mythology with current affairs but the connection failed to establish with conviction. Nonetheless, the author has accomplished the prime purpose of the book, which is entertainment.

The book’s pace is quite fast and each instance happens immediately after the other that the readers get to hang on to their book till it is finished. However, the pace drops drastically once Sam is on the run. After a few pages, it becomes monotonous and gains momentum back once Sam meets Damini.

Overall, if you are looking for nail-biting suspense with action, you will be excited to get hold of this book.

Verdict

Narration: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

Entertainment Quotient: 4.5/5

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BESTSELLER BY AHMED FAIYAZ- REVIEW

Rakhi Jayashankar — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 07:21:00 +0000

Book Name – Best Seller

Author – Ahmed Faiyaz

Publisher – Rupa Publication

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BESTSELLER BY AHMED FAIYAZ- REVIEW

To have a bestseller is no cakewalk. It takes a lot of hard work, extensive promotions, good reviews, and moreover a well-edited book with good narration and above a good story.

“Bestseller” is the story of Akshay Mathur who comes to India from London to take up the responsibility of the sinking ship Kalim Publishers. On his first day of work, his boss Iqbal Kalim passes away. The inauspicious editor takes up the responsibility of the firm later along with Iqbal Kalim’s daughter Zorah, with whom he ends up being in a relationship. All is not easy for Akshay as the prospective manuscripts that he has don’t hold the potential to be a bestseller and he has only 365 days to give 5 bestsellers. Things spiral out of control when his colleague Tarun with no practical experience in the publishing industry goofs ups things big time.

Further how Akshay works things out to bring Kalim Publishers to the forefront is the crux of the book.

The book is extremely realistic and brutally honest. The author lays bare the practice of ghostwriting and other practices in the marketing of books that are not promising but create hype with the PR. The book also shows the readers how an underdog could be a well-sought-after writer even without spending a fortune if the book has substance. Most of the characters are similar to real-life ones. This may or may not be a coincidence. A banker who is broke and writes inspirational books, the Khan superstar who writes his autobiography, and the female author who is more interested in fashion parading than writing are all indicative of real-life ones.

The author has chosen a subject that is untapped for ages and hence provided freshness to the topic handed over to him. Akshay and Zorah’s story is a cliché when Anya enters the picture. Characters are crafted well with a solid base such that the plot is character driven.

The quirky soliloquy of the protagonist is hilarious. The author had the audacity of making the readers laugh out loud in a heartbreaking scene.

Verdict

The book is recommended to every author, reviewer, reader, and publisher. And moreover to anyone who is in the field of marketing

Scenario: 5/5

Narration: 4.5/5

Characters: 4/5

Entertainment Quotient: 4.5/5

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Leader of Millions by B.P.Senapati- Review

Rakhi Jayashankar — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 05:10:00 +0000

Book Name – Leader of Millions

Author – B.P.Senapati

Publisher – Black-eyed Publications

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Review

Inspiring the youth is not easy. To have a thought process that is different from the ordinary is also not easy but this is not impossible either.

Leader of Millions is the story of Vijay, who is an ordinary student with extraordinary ambition. Through the first-person narration of Rakesh, the book tells us the story of Vijay and Priya. How Rakesh, Aditi, Priya, and Vijay came close to each other along with another group of friends is the first part of the book. How the relationship develops and how Vijay and Priya influence each other is heartwarming to see. Further Vijay keeps his focus intact and becomes a politician who works for the laymen. How Vijay attains his aim is the rest of the book. Leaving a window open for a sequel, the author has kept the readers on the verge of a cliffhanger without any action or violence.

The author has proved through the book that in order to give an adrenaline pump and induce suspense, violent actions are not necessary. Following the path of non-violence, how Vijay attains his aim gives promises to the youth. The educational reforms mentioned in the book could have been applied in reality. The author has a lot of visions about the future of India and the same is evident in the book.

The cover image as well as the hook line of the book is slightly misleading though. The author has tested the psyche of the readers because technically his hook line is representative of the whole book but not in the context that the readers will assume.

Verdict

Inspirational

Scenario: 5/5

Narration: 4/5

Character: 4/5

Entertainment Quotient: 4/5

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Bonus by AJ Adams- Review

Rakhi Jayashankar — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 07:29:00 +0000

Book
Name – TheBonus

Author – A J Adams

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Bonus by AJ Adams- Review

An unnatural story of a girl who has been subjected to domestic abuse and a man who is doing dirty business. If one is a lamb, tha other is a lion. The combination is deadly yet unbelievably soothing. It is the tale of Kyle and Chloe. The readers could see how Kyle takes Chloe away from a nightmarish life and brings her to peace and how Chloe changes Kyle from an ogre to a human.

EXPLICIT SCENES ALERT!!

The lovemaking scenes as well as the violence are cringeworthy but for a reader who loves explicit literature, it is a feast. In an era where Fifty Shades of Grey becomes a blockbuster, Bonus fits well. The title is unique and surprises the readers who learn that Chloe is a Bonus for Kyle. How he finds her as a Bonus is for the readers to see themselves.

The narration that alternates between Kyle and Chloe is interesting. Notwithstanding the switch in narration, the continuity of the storyline is maintained throughout. Kyle’s character is confusing for he seems confused himself. To pull off such a complicated character is not a cakewalk. The author has mentioned in all promotions that the book is indeed for ‘Adults’. Hence the readers would never be misled and hence the chance of someone who reads the book not liking it is rare.

Verdict

Loud, violent, explicit yet realistic.

Scenario: 4 /5

Narration: 4.5/5

Character: 4/5

Entertainment Quotient: 4.5/5

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The Hidden Children by Reshma K Barshikar – Book Review

Rakhi Jayashankar — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 12:42:00 +0000

Book
Name – Hidden Children

Author – Reshma.K.Barshikar

Publisher – Two Ravens Publishing

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Review

Since Harry Potter, there has been an increasing demand for fantasy novels. Fulfilling the desire for magic, Reshma Barshikar has brought to the readers, a mix of fantasy and contemporary fiction.

The book is primarily the story of Shayamukthy a.k.a Shui, a US-returned girl who have been mocked and bullied for her accent and also the fact that she used to be an NRI. Nonetheless, she manages to get a few friends. While her life goes on amidst the little fights, basketball practice, and lectures, she meets Anya, a girl who is as different as her and another target for the bullies. With utmost astonishment, Shui learns that she has magic in her and that her dyslexia is not a defect anymore. Her first foray into the world of magic, when she summoned butterflies, which Anya calls Kairos, changes Shui’s life forever. How her life proceeds further is the rest of the plot.

The author has maintained a balance between fantasy and reality which widens her target readers. The strategy is commendable. The characters are the highlights of the book. They are all crafted such that each one has an individuality of its on. Simultaneously, they represent the current generation in general. The introduction of magic takes the book to another dimension. The choice of names is another factor that needs mention. It has been a general tendency of fantasy authors to name the characters such that their names sound bizarre and inappropriate to the current scenario. The author has chosen to give normal names to the characters, which in turn attracts hardcore fantasy lovers and YA lovers alike.

Nonetheless, the pace of the book is inconsistent. Midway through the book the story starts dragging but gains momentum towards the end. The parallel plot of the subtle attraction between Shui and Adyant is interesting to read. The title Hidden Children and the cover image is perfectly representative of the book and does justice to the overall plot.

Verdict

Perfect YA Fantasy

Scenario: 4 /5

Narration : 4.5 /5

Character : 4.5 /5

Entertainment Quotient: 4.5/5

This review is in return of a free book from the author.

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Love in the Time of Taliban’ by Rajesh Talwar- Review

Rakhi Jayashankar — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 18:17:00 +0000

Book Name – Love in the time of Taliban

Author – Rajesh Talwar

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Review

Taliban, the name brings the picture of guns, bomb blasts, and death in the mind of the readers. Love would be theast word that comes to our mind and hence, the title ‘ Love in the Time of Taliban’ make the readers intrigued about how the word love fits in.

The book has two parallel storylines, narrated by the two male protagonists. One is Kazim and other is James. Kazim was an administrative assistant who was delegated to Kandahar. Due to whatsoever happened in his life, he becomes a Jihadi. James is a consultant working on a report on the life in Kabul. Kazim is in love with Zeenat and James is in love with Imelda. How both storylines proceed paralelly and intersects eventually is the crux of the tale?

Despite being a novella, the book is enriched. To inculcate two different storylines in a small space and that too on the background of the most gruesome life in Afghanistan is nearly impossible but author proved that it is not literally impossible. Author has presented a different life for the readers. The depiction of Kandahar airport is unbelievable. An airport that works like a bus depot is shocking.

For an Indian, author has convincingly portrayed the life in Taliban controlled Afghanistan. There are different layers of issues discussed in the book like the American military killing innocents mistaking them for Taliban but without any solid proof is the prime issue discussed. How Zeenat had to take difficult steps shows the gravity of gender discrimination.

Verdict

Shockingly realistic.

Scenario: 5/5

Narration : 5/5

Character : 5/5

Entertainment Quotient: 5/5

This review is in return of a free book from the author.

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