Book Review : Con Kabir by Vinod Gairola

Book- Con Kabir

Author- Vinod Gairola

Editor- Cora Bhatia

Genre- Fiction (Suspense/Thriller)

Publisher- Leadstart Publishing and Frog Books

Blurb-

Whenever evil rule, God comes as a saviour and if he can’t, a messenger is sent. There are a series of cons happening in different areas which have created quite a buzz in the society.

Everyone is searching the conman who is described differently by everyone.

There is a whole new face which is needed to be revealed but how things will be sorted in this complex situation? How the reality will come in front? When the series of suspense will end and what will be the end result?

Title-

The title must be a mirror to the story and Con Kabir suited things pretty well. Anyone can get abundant hints from the name that what and where the story will take them but the name is just a part. I was really excited with the name itself and I was not disappointed as I edged ahead. An apt title I must say.

Cover-

The images on the cover are very fresh and exuberant. They have all the elements which are mentioned in the book. The leading face of the cover, the man with beard and glares is quite impressive to look at. He symbolizes the protagonist well (if that is what it is meant to). The two young boys were the much needed faces because they are the source of things. I was highly impressed when I added two and two to make four.

Characters-

There are so many characters in the novel that one gets highly involved in the tale. It’s just like that long suspense movies in which every small character helps the main leads to take the story ahead. The story reached its peak just because of these small characters that were always eager to play their part and didn’t hesitate coming in between from time to time. Apart from these, the main leads were doing their part extraordinarily well, they had a lot to show the readers and thus they were given the main stage quite openly. I liked one fact about the characters that the minor and major leads changed roles when it came to different chapters, in one chapter you have one person taking the story ahead and in the other chapter there is a whole new face. This made the story very fresh and serene.

If I were to choose some unforgettable characters then they would be Kabir, Ali and Sandy; I chose these characters because they were the most versatile ones.

Narration-

The narration being in the third person suited the suspense quite well. It was smooth and even the change in scenes within the chapters were superbly handled due to this. The different days and years were mentioned to avoid any confusion and thank God for that. The story was clear in front of the author and that is the sole reason of such a book.

Reviews-

A great starts leads to best results. Con Kabir had the potential to tell the readers from the very start that there are better things in the book which have the power to hold your interest. It makes you sure that you are going to read something interesting. There are vivid characters. There is a vast difference when it comes to characterization. The two leads which are introduced in the start are two different poles.

The book has a lot of things which were unheard for me. If the world functions in the way the author mentions then we need a lot of conman like Kabir in our locality. It was a treat to read a lot of fresh things in the coming chapters. The book had external information at many turns, but the author had incorporated things in such a manner that even newness felt nice. New ideologies and a perfect base to build up something big, is done by the author, which worked for him in the long run.

I loved the two con incidents mentioned in the book. The con of Punjab was hilarious. Sharpest brains can also fall in holes; the message was quite clear from the story of Sandy. Well, I haven’t read much stories of a conman thus I found all this really nice. The next con showed the doom of a NRI. It was well written and executed by the writer like the first one. So, it was great show to watch.

Mr. Malik proves to be the perfect strand. He was responsible for the completion of the story. So I found his character of great importance in the tale. I was in doubt when I was reading the last chapters of the book. I really needed to know how some things happened and why they happened in the first place. Like the plane crash, what happened exactly after Kabir met Mr. Shah? I can decode things my way but I really wanted the author to tell me that but he/she didn’t bother to write even a line indicating what all he meant. My fantasies are running wildly to find the answers.

The character of Ali has a lot to say in the end. I was in shock to read what he had to say. Sometimes you think that you know the story as you are on the last chapter but the writer has planned more than what you can imagine. The story was a treat to read, as it had some unique wow factors. But at the same time it created questions in my mind which I don’t want, after the novel is completed. The sub-title of the novel- Experience the other side of terrorism was well played within the novel. It was an intelligent book with a lot of fineness and richness.

Eye-catchers-

· “Set priorities, have patience, add passion and aim for perfection.”

· “...until the time people do not respect the religion of others, there will be no peace.”

Turn-on’s-

The best part about this book is the subject matter. Very rarely you see a novel covering such topics which Con Kabir has covered. The hard work of author is visible in the book; he might have put a lot of stress while making such complex plan. The small details (no matter they are true or not) were really holding the book together.

Turn-off’s-

The only problem I have is with the ending chapters. If and only if the author had tried to make things a bit more clear while telling the ending, things would have reached different tangents.

Recommendation-

No matter you like suspense or not, this one is worth giving a try.

http://www.amazon.in/Con-Kabir/dp/9352015541

Connect with the author-

· Conkabir@india.com

Book Review : Confusingly Interesting or Interestingly Confused by Pravin R. Rathod

Book- Confusingly Interesting or Interestingly Confused

Author- Pravin R. Rathod

Editor- Cora Bhatia

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Leadstart Publishing and Frog Books

 

Blurb-

Four friends are in Goa, enjoying their reunion after a long time. When alcohol hit their nerves, the stories of their loved ones is one there lips.

But before all this Tik’s life has experienced a lot of confusion which make his life quite complicated from the very start. He is confused for his education, career, friends, love and even his interest.

Will things sort out in their lives? Where there confessions and confusions will take them?

 

Title-

Well the title surely has the two most important things that are showcased in the book i.e., confusions and interests of all the individuals. But was it literary working? I didn’t feel that. The title was plain and it didn’t work to create that aura which is required to be formed after one reads the title. Though it’s related but it still misses the hue of perfection and serenity.

 

Cover-

The cover is better than the title. The colours are radiant and catchy. The four main leads are shown in the front with a posture of comfort and relaxation which goes well with the story. I first thought that the falling star has some important feature in terms with the book but sadly nothing like that happened. But still, the cover worked for me.

 

Characters-

The characters are the lifeline of the book. The people seems seen and heard. There are studious ones, then pranksters, alcoholic; it was nice to see so many people associated directly or indirectly to each other. The author has planned the characters well and has presented them nicely from time to time.

The most interesting characters in the book were NP and VJ. They took my attention especially because of the story they narrated. The minor characters were many and were complimenting the story well. The best minor characters were Pratiksha and Bishikha. They were contrasting in every way and were well created.

 

Narration-

The narration was done by Tik while the stories of Kash, NP and VJ were narrated by themselves. Everything was in first person which worked well. It was a nice move to change the narrator when the stories were to be told, otherwise things wouldn’t have come out the way they were in the book. The narrator kept things easy to handle while reading. The chapters were well divided. There were perfect ends and perfect pickups.

 

Review-

The story presented in the book seems quite monotonous in the start. The former chapters contain a simple story of few friends who are on the mission to experience more and more. Well, the starting was a quick base to show the readers what the characters are like, what they have in an out. If the incident mentioned in the very start was a bit different then things would have been interesting and worthy but the same old recipe is presented again with new faces and names.

There is movement in the story and new characters are framed. It is always nice to see contradictory characters. It gives a little amusement because when there are two heads with different poles then conversation and actions of these two collide and something interesting is always built up. Same happened here.

Story had a lot of flashbacks from time to time. Author had distinctively penned them, making things easy to grasp.

Nothing special happened until the group of four friends decided to mark their attendance on the beach of Goa. Well, the story of Tik was moving and moving without any awestruck factor. So there was nothing special before Chapter 8 came. The effect under which the guys are speaking makes you also a live spectator of their narration. The author has kept the whole novel very simple and easy to read and the best advantage of this thing can be seen in this particular part of the novel.

Excitement hits your vision when people dictate there tale one after the other. The word confusion creates witty situations. Every person is in some kind of chaos. So, it was well thought of factor which allowed the author to write things which seem quite relatable.

When the stories are being told, author has kept in his mind one thing; the person and his narration. Thus, we don’t see much cross-questioning and this helped a lot in making the chapters smooth. At first I was wondering why Tik’s story was handled alone and the rest stories are told later. If all the four stories were told together then the book would have been much better. But then how author used the tales with the narrator Tik’s life was really intelligent. Because it is Tik only who is always in mess. So I quite liked the way things preceded. It was another start to what just ended.

The story was quick and easy; also the bond of friendship was well shown by the author, making it a story worth sharing among different circles.

 

Eye-catchers-

· “If you are confused, it means you can think.”

· “Alcohol is really good for one reason, whatever you think, you feel, you say it honestly without even giving your brain any chance to tamper with it.”

· “No one talked, no one asked, no one proposed yet the answer was yes from both of us.”

Turn-on’s-

Kash’s story of friendship worked as a cherry on the top of the book. It was really inspiring. These ending stories were really great and they are the sole reason for holding the book. Some stories had pain, some had lessons and some had love. Simplicity was also another great factor of the book.

 

Turn-off’s-

The story never had any such moment which can be remembered always. It was just a tale without any wow factors. So, it makes it only a one time read and it can’t remain in the list of favourites.  

 

Recommendation-

It is a book for those who like stories within stories. It can be in your list for a one time read.

 

About the author-

Pravin R. Rathod is an MBA graduate and a SAP consultant by profession. He is also associated with an NGO named LAKSHYA: Changing lives, and contribute towards various social activities. This book is his very first attempt to let his thoughts appear on paper in the form of words and in a year’s time, even to his surprise, it took the shape of an entire story. He is 26 years old and apart from writing, he loves to visit new places and to lose his mind to music.

 

Connect with the author-

· reachpravinrathod@gmail.com

Book Blitz : My Last Love Story by Falguni Kothari

My Last Love Story 
by 
Falguni Kothari

Blurb 

Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes’s, Me Before You, My Last Love Story is a heartbreaking and poignant tale about the complexities of trauma and whether love can right a wrong.

***
I, Simeen Desai, am tired of making lemonade with the lemons life has handed me.

Love is meant to heal wounds.
Love was meant to make my world sparkle and spin.
Love has ripped my life apart and shattered my soul.

I love my husband, and he loves me.
But Nirvaan is dying.
I love my husband. I want to make him happy.
But he is asking for the impossible.

I don’t want a baby.
I don’t want to make nice with Zayaan.
I don’t want another chance at another love story. 

Grab your Copy @

amazon.com | amazon.in|amazon.co.uk 

or grab this book free at #KindleUnlimited 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

 Falguni Kothari is a New York-based hybrid author, and an amateur Latin and Ballroom dance silver medalist with a semi-professional background in Indian Classical dance. She writes in a variety of genres sewn together by the colorful and cultural threads of her South Asian heritage and expat experiences. When not writing or dancing, she fools around on all manner of social media and loves to connect with readers.

My Last Love Story is her fourth novel.

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Book Review : The Justified Sin by Harpreet Makkar

Book- The Justified Sin

Author- Harpreet Makkar

Genre- Fiction (Romance)

Publisher- Petals Publisher (2nd edition)

 

Blurb-

Jay is crowded with love from all over. But what use he makes out if it? He has all he wanted but still there is void, there are confusions, there is mess. All that one need in life to sustain peacefully is love. Then why Jay is so adamant to accept it?

What role does the trio of ladies, Saloni, Prachi and Varsha play in his life? Why even after so many extravaganzas in life he is tormented by his dreams?

Title-

The title might sound relevant to some readers but it didn’t work for me. I am still thinking that as to where and how it suited the story. It just matched the level of curiosity and its attachment with the tale was not of high quality. So it was ok but didn’t touch me deep. It didn’t make me fall for some realizations at any point of time during this novel, not even at the end.

Cover-

The cover was much better than the title. The image of a person entering the life of a couple says a lot and also creates a lot of anticipation to know more. The name of the book on cover has three elements to enhance the reading experience. The stiletto, the glass of wine and a gun, represent very important parts of the novel in their own way. I was truly amazed after I completed the book and discovered this fact, which remain unnoticed at first. Great work.

Characters-

Major characters were really nice; they ruled every line, every phase and every page, without leaving any place for the minor characters. Frankly speaking, I thought that some characters were suppressed, like that of Jay’s father, he was a really great lead to reach some ends and his emotions were not completely shown when the major turns arrive in Jay’s life. He just come and passes by. I didn’t notice anything about Piya too, not even Shaurya was of much use.

Anyways the characters worth remembering are, Varsha and Saloni. They were pretty, smart and had so much to show and tell. They had very sharp characteristics and were really clear in their heads. I could sense a strong woman in them, no matter what part they played in the book. And this judgement is solely on the basis of what I saw. It might not be the same for others.

Narration-

First person narration suited the tale. This type of narration doesn’t open much gates for the author but Harpreet used his pen wisely. There were no places where things were confusing so I wasn’t bothered much anywhere. It made things easy to understand. The flashback always works and the same happened in “The justified sin.”

Reviews-

The justified sin shocked me at first, adversely. I was not expecting such overpowered high talks. The way the things were presented in the start gave me a feeling that I was watching Karan Johar’s “Student of the year”, where students do everything, except studies. I was amused to see how much pampered the little kid was. The part which Saloni played in the life of Jay was very interesting to read. It had the entire factor which a spicy tale needs.

I was happy to see that author didn’t aim to right a simple romantic tale. The book showed how complex human mind is and how much confusion one can face when things are not going the way we want them to. But does one really gets late in getting what one wants and desire and also deserve? The novel beautifully explains this facet.

The novel moves as expected in the start there are no fast movements and similarly there are no slow ones too, which help in maintaining a flow. The starting chapters are easy to grasp. The problem arise when the situation and characters changes dramatically. I was not ready to leave Saloni in the middle and over that I was not settled to accept a new entry. I needed some answers but author had different plans for that and thus I had to wait for the finale.

But before moving there, Prachi stand in the way. She represents the same class of women who like to be heard. To say in the terms of Jay, it would be:

“It was always about her”

From the very start I made a thinking about her. And I was not disappointed at the end by how I judged this character. She is the same girl with whom people can talk to, miss them in their absence. But does she really went deep within Jay? I don’t think so. And I am not surprised with the way she was handled. This might sound weird but a judgment once formed can’t be moulded.

Next, the author has to introduce Varsha. Now how Jay and Varsha meet is not very impressive. I mean was that incident really necessary, which made Jay reach such place. And if that scene was to be incorporated for the movement of story, then couldn’t there be switching between the characters that made this scene possible. It would have sounded more realistic then. But it is completely author’s wish at the end.

Moving ahead, I loved Varsha and her part in the book. She was a surprise package and the kind of life which Jay faces after meeting her is very fresh. The incidents and the last few days which are specially mentioned at the closing of the book steal the show. They are really nice. It’s really hard to hold the excitement till the end.

Overall the book was nice, with very vivid characters and a nice moving plot. No matter what hitches came in between, no matter what changes came in between, the story didn’t left its pace.

Eye-catchers-

· “...the right things are not always that easy to accept.”

· “It was always about her, though she asked me about my life but she hardly cared for my answers.”

Turn-on’s-

The simplicity of the book is the major advantage. It truly depicts the hard work of a new writer. There were minimal or negligible errors which made the reading smooth. Author has tried his best to make best use of conversations whenever the story was going pale.

Turn-off’s-

I was really disappointed to see extremely high profile life of a mere 12th class boy. I kept on thinking that as to where all these details were useful for the story or the book. There were repeated phrases and words. The fact that Jay was becoming insomniac due to the moving story came a lot of times in front of my eyes. I wasn’t impressed by his personal details. Otherwise there were no such flaws in his nature and his part in the book.

Recommendation-

Looking for a twisted romance tale? The justified sin can be your pick.

About the author-

Harpreet Makkar, born and brought up in Ludhiana was a senior design engineer in one of the top MNC’s of the country till the moment he decided to quit and devote his time to the family and pursuing his passion of writing. Currently working as a financial analyst by profession and a publisher by choice, and being an avid reader, he fins ample time to work on his passion o reading and writing.

Connect with the author-

· www.facebook.com/harpreet.makkar.14

· md@petalpublishers.com