Publication Date: June 28th, 2018
Publisher: Power Publishers
Pages: 199, Paperback
Links: Goodreads | Amazon India
Stars: 2.5/5
Source: Review Copy
Blurb: Naina Grover has an imperfectly perfect life, or is it perfectly imperfect? A Punjabi kudi from Delhi working in the city of joy, Kolkata is joined by her crazy cousin, Arjun and his sober friend Aditya to come of age while at a long – distance relationship which seems to be going nowhere. She knows it is a recipe for disaster but should she let go or not? Should she hope for the best? Hope she will be accepted?Hope she can settle down? Hope she can come to terms with a family secret bothering her for years now? Just hope. Keep hoping? And then, Hope welcomes a ray of sunshine. Naina welcomes you to look at life from her perspective. ‘Hop’e On!’
“Goodbyes are for those who love with their eyes because for those who love with heart and soul…there is no separation.”
When the vivacious Naina Grover struggles to balance her long-term relationship with boyfriend, Ved, enter Aditya, flaunting his suaveness and steely greys. How will she handle the pressure of the two men in her life in the city of joy?
Get your hands on Debasmitha’s debut novel – Hope and Sunshine to read more about the crazy life adventures of this dreamy girl.
My Take:
Book Cover:
The author has chosen a simple and chic cover to banner her story and although it might not be very impressive, it is certainly colour coordinated.
Characters:
Naina, Aditya and Ved are the golden trio around whom the story basically revolves. Arjun is the added bonus of a bonehead brother who brings the looney beans of being surrounded by family. Easily, he is that one cousin/best-friend who begs to be strangled and cuddled at the same time.
Naina is pitched as the gorgeous, kohl-eyed and unmatched beauty but we fail to see the description of the character rising to the surface. She could just be any hottie in my head, tall or short, no stress. I don’t know if I find that comforting by novel standards. Contrastingly, Aditya has the irresistible trademark ‘steely greys with a tinge of green’ and a side of the infamous ‘dark past’ which makes the protagonist go weak in the knees. The bland words like hot and handsome don’t do justice to our guy as my imagination begs for more detail to form a complete mental picture. Again, his character construction is so positive that the reader can’t help but root for him from day one which is a flaw and strength in itself because of the prominence of the instant hate for Ved. When these two are viewed from a comparative standpoint, cliched elements like the maturity level of Aditya and the proximity of the relationship between him and Naina play a key role in the development of the story. Ved, on the other hand, has nothing more than the nametag – “Boyfriend“.
Ved introduces a raw and insufferable feeling with his incessant addressing of ‘baby’ and successfully convincing the reader of his destitute nature. He takes little to no interest in what happens in Naina’s life and is hell-bent on shifting the spotlight of their relationship on himself. Through this disconcertingly cheap ritual, he easily becomes the taker and Naina, the giver.
Language and Writing Style:
Colloquialism may entertain the reader when it is rendered in a short dosage. It becomes a problem that cannot be overlooked when transformed into the prose itself. The story appeals to the reader with respect to the writing style as both are symbiotic. That was a major drawback for me as I wasn’t able to concentrate on the content of the book because of the aforementioned flaw. Also, the editing felt incomplete and kept diverting my attention from the story at hand.
Plot:
The simplicity of the overall plot invokes a sense of closeness with the characters as they are in sync with reality. Despite the clichés singing saliently throughout the book, I liked how the characters were relatable and frolicky. Although some loose-ends were hastily tied up in the end, the debut author manages to deliver a heartfelt tale of a girl filled with dreams and sunshine.
Final Note:
Looking for a light read while you travel or slacking at home during the weekend? This book is the perfect pick to just sit back and relax with a mug of cocoa.
Notes:
- “I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset“
- The blurb is borrowed from Goodreads.
Ruminations of a Raven 