That Night - Nidhi Upadhyay - Book Review

 

        Some time back, I came across a YouTube video where the person talked about a book that scared her big time, and it caught my attention. How am I going to miss a scary book? So, on a rainy weekend, I curled up in my reading corner with this book. Let's see if it was worth it.

        Natasha, Riya, Anjali and Katherine were best friends in college, through thick and thin, until that fateful night. What was supposed to be a bottle of whisky and a prank with an Ouija board resulted in the death of their hostel mate, Sania. Twenty years later, four of them are scattered across the world, barely in touch with one another. The secret from the past that no one else knew is out to get them. Four of them convene to sort this out as darker secrets begin to bleed out. Is it the ghost of Sania? Or is someone out for revenge? 

        The plot of the book was interesting. It genuinely interested me. The messing up of electronic devices and the dark secrets all kept the tempo going. Also, it kept me guessing if this was a real ghost or someone out to get revenge. Since most of the book revolves around the four main characters, the author provided good characterisation for all of them. The language is simple, but some of the dialogue seems bland and plain. It can be quite a hiccup. Also, the second half of the book was unnecessarily stretched. The book would have been better if it were 20 to 30 pages shorter. This lag affected my reading seriously. I expect a thriller to keep me engaged and breathless until the very end. The book fails miserably at this. The interest in guessing whether it was a ghost or not wanes due to this. As a result, the ending felt flat for me.

        To sum it up, a book that had a promising plotline and engaging buildup, only to be let down by flat writing in the second half. Thriller fans can give it a one-time try.

Random Ramblings #16 - Pitter Patter Raindrops

                        

Rain! Such a beautiful thing. A real beauty of nature. What started as an on-and-off drizzle suddenly blew into a full-fledged downpour as I pen this article. Nature is putting on a full show with extreme lightning and thunder. Today, I did not feel like sitting on the verandah as usual and watching nature perform its feat. Instead, I decided to sit in my room and listen to the soothing rain, at times interrupted by the booming thunder that sets the glass windows reverberating.

Such rains can be dangerous. But you can never cease wondering at the magic nature creates. The trance that rain creates in me can never be contained in words. More than a lullaby, the pitter-patter creates a lasso that pulls my mind out of the abyss that I bury myself in. The rise and fall in tempo, along with the rustic smell of damp soil, creates a connection with nature. Like I always say, there are simple but wonderful things around us that make our lives complete.

As I reflect on my day and write this down, I can hear the rain subsiding outside. I step out to watch the drops that seem to linger on the building's corners and trees, dancing in the cool breeze before jumping off the ledges and branches to unite with the earth. I step out to feel the damp earth with my naked feet, rejuvenate myself, and take in the scent of the wet earth and cool breeze. Happiness brews inside me as I finish this write-up and plan to sit on my favourite chair, savouring the after-effects of rain.

Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom - Book Review

        Some books land in our hands just like that. While searching the library shelves for a book, this showed up. There was some connection I had with the title, and I ended up taking it up for a read.

        Mitch Albom is a busy man who is extremely successful in his career and life. One day he happens to see one of his old professors, Morrie, on TV. The person is suffering from ALS. Mitch pays him a visit and reconnects with him. Morrie ends up sharing life lessons with Mitch that he records in this book for all to benefit from.

        To start with, a good and fairly engaging read. I expected something different when starting the book but ended up with a different perspective on the same. The lessons from Morrie hold prominence very much to this day. These conversations pull at our hearts at various instances, and we could not help but feel happy for Morrie himself. The underlying thought of Morrie is to love each other, and the book emphasises prioritising love nd kindness above everything else. This might mean a lot in these times when many people find time a valuable thing. The warmth and chemistry between Mitch and Morrie keeps the conversations lively and us invested in the book. The book is also written in a clear way to connect everyone to this.

        A quick but invaluable book that will strike a chord with the readers. The love radiated from Morrie is reflected throughout the book, which is passed on to the readers. End up with a smile on your face as you celebrate the life of Morrie with this book.

Five Survive - Holly Jackson - Book Review

                                     

           An interesting storyline is always hard to resist. As I was walking down the street, looking at the roadside bookshop, this book cover caught my attention, and the blurb made me pick it up.

           Six friends are on their way to a vacation in an RV. What starts as a fun ride quickly goes out of hand as they make a wrong turn and end up stranded in a desolate place. Someone shoots out the tyres, and with no mobile coverage, they must survive the night. The sniper is there to take one of them out and has no plans to back down until it is done. Who is the sniper after? What inner demons of theirs will surface? Will they escape safely? forms the rest of the story.

         This is an interesting premise with a lot of potential. For the most part, the book was interesting enough. The storyline was make-or-break, where it could have gone either way on many levels. But the author kept us engaged throughout most of the book. There were places where the situation became redundant and tiring. But it was for a shorter time period. The writing was simple but engaging. I also liked how the book jumped right into the story without wasting much time. There were a couple of back-and-forths, but that did not affect the pacing. There were a couple of red herrings as well - some hits and some misses. Most of the characterisations were good and intriguing, while one or two irritated me.

         In short, an interesting book which did a pretty neat job. Those who love thrillers might like the book. Personally, a decent enough book where the goods outweigh the bads.

Summer, Fireworks and My Corpse - Otsuichi - Book Review

 

When I was looking for a quick read, I was reminded of Otsuichi for no particular reason. I had enjoyed two of his books. This search led me to this book, and the name of the book gave the vibe that it is going to be a typical Otsuichi read.

The story is about a girl named 'Satsuki' and her friends. Satsuki, a girl from rural Japan, recently died as she fell from a tree. The story proceeds to move ahead through the POV of Satsuki's spirit, who realises it was not a freak accident, but was pushed to death. The story proceeds with the spirit of Satsuki following the perpetrators as they try to dispose the corpse and escape without any trace of the crime leading to them. 

Like my two previous Otsuichi reads, this one also did not disappoint. Right from the first page, it was an engaging read. The POV of spirit was the main hook for me in this story. Many emotions, like rage, jealousy, manipulation, and love, drive the story. There are quite a few logical mistakes. But that can be overlooked with the flow of the story. The handful of characters - Satsuki, her friend, along with her brother, the mothers of the kids, the random policemen, and the old men were all well written. It was interesting to see how easily people can be manipulated. The translator has done a good job in keeping the pace and style of the original story intact and keeping us on the edge till the end. There was no visible violence or gore, but the story did make me uncomfortable in certain parts. Like in 'Goth', the chapters gel with one another very well, making the read quick. 

To sum it up, a quick but exciting read. Readers of the mystery and thriller genres will definitely enjoy the book. I have always been a big fan of Japanese mysteries, and this one is no exception.

Check out my reviews on other Otsuichi books below 

Goth - GOTH

Zoo - ZOO