Review of "Lemon Girl" by Jyoti Arora

          Name of the Book - Lemon Girl

          Author - Jyoti Arora

          Price - Rs.131

Blurb

'It's all your fault.'

Mere words these are.

"But words can possess a shadow invincible enough to rob even a soul of its eternity."

In a society that finds it easier to mark sins of a victim than the culprit, Nirvi is a young girl punishing herself for the faults she did not do and avenging her hurts by defeating her own truth.

She is scared of her future, and ashamed of her past. She is failing herself, and knows it. She has had a long line of boyfriends, and hated them all. She detests the guy she is living with, runs away from the one she loves, and seduces the one who can never love her.

When Arsh first sees Nirvi, she's a free and frank girl in whose eyes sparkle the lemony zest of life. The next time he sees her, she is a voiceless doll draped in clothes that cover her body less and shroud her soul more. And Arsh can't rest till he finds out what made Nirvi give up her own real self.

Nirvi knows she is dragging herself on a path from which there can be no recovery. Can her spirit survive the treacherous downfall? Or is the pull of fear and push of desperation just too strong to withstand for a girl who believes she has "nowhere else to go" but down.

"When it's time for you to fall in love, even a lemon can become the cause of it," says Arsh.

But can love survive, when even the self-love dies?

Can love survive when respect is no more?

Does true love have the power to revive a dying soul?

Find out in the pages of this brilliantly woven, intense, heart-warming and thought-provoking saga of RISING IN LOVE...

What I liked about the Book -

As I writer, I like writing about women’s issues, I feel it is important to give a voice to the countless women who suffer just because they think that what they are going through is their destiny. I chose to review “Lemon Girl” because I liked what was written in the blurb. The method the author has used to speak about the trials and tribulations of a young girl who punishes herself for no fault of hers....The way the protagonist deals with her own conscience and how an old memory keeps her going and believing in herself and her strengths.

Jyoti Arora has written an engaging story that keeps the reader captivated till the end. The chapters in the story have been kept at a good length which helps the story flow from one page too another; there isn’t too little information and neither too much! The two main characters in the novel – Nirvi and Arsh are real; their friendship deep and their feelings for each other strong.

I especially liked that way Jyoti had shown the struggle that all of us face; the fear of dealing with our own demons. The mention of Rishikesh immediately has a calming effect on the soul and that is when you know that Nirvi will now find peace and come to terms with her past. The way she discovers herself, the feelings she goes through have been expressed well by the author. Apart from Arsh, the other characters may have been briefly mentioned, but have an important part in shaping the whole story.

What could have been better -

The language used is simple and yet expresses everything well! While reading the story, I came across a few grammatical errors which stopped the flow of the story and proved to be little painful as I had to go back and reread the last sentence again to understand the context better. Maybe another round of proofreading would help keep the flow of the story intact! I also feel that the author could have used another image for the cover. Something which would have expressed the conflict that Nirvi was going through better!  Of course, it goes without saying that this is a personal choice,  and as it happens you can't  please everyone in life :)!

I would like to end by wishing Jyoti a great future. Looking forward to reading many more good stories from you! :)

Links -

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jy0tiar0ra

Website - http://jyotiarora.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jyotiarora

Review of "India Was One" by An Indian

A poem from the book –

India, an Enigma

She stands with arms open,

steadfast in times of turmoil,

donning the lovely tri-colors,

holy rivers making a beautiful smile.

She is the mother of pearls.

The land of festivals,

with a romantic history,

language and God of choice,

and culture has an identity.

Here music finds its voice.

Her magnetic architectures,

as old as her mysterious traditions,

hold beautiful treasures.

When people want to break her,

it so pains my heart,

the image of her future seems,

a mirror of the past.

And my dreams remain just memories.

But India has won,

you and I can live together

as one,

now and forever.

- Rahul

About the Author – 

The author of this book has chosen not to reveal his identity and has instead used the penname “An Indian.” The only information we have about him is that he was born and raised in Mumbai and moved to the US in 1989. He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

What the book is about – 

As the name suggests, the book is about our wonderful country, India and the different people who inhabit it. The story revolves around Vijay (Jai) and Kahani (Kaahi), their college life, their friends, their families, their interests and their future. As the story unfolds we find the protagonists falling in love and moving to the US for work. Life goes on and they settle in, but soon there are other things in store for them. Will they separate? What will happen in the land of their birth? Will India remain one?

What I liked about the book – 

As mentioned earlier, I am very particular about the books I read and because of that I usually read books only by an author I like or one that a friend recommends. Well! This one was an exception and I am glad to have read it! The main thing that worked for me in this book are the sentiments attached. The love that the author has for the land of his birth is clearly evident from the way he describes the festivals, the food, the customs and the places. Any reader who has never been to India would actually have a very good idea about India because of this book. Of course, I would be wrong not to mention that he has written about other places in the world in with the same amount of detailing, providing readers a view of the world as seen through his eyes!

What did not work for me – 

One thing the writer could have done in order to keep the flow intact was write the explanations of the new words/words not known by people outside India, at the bottom of the page. That way the story would have flowed better. He could also have gone deeper into some of the topics instead of just touching upon them and leaving the reader wanting more!

All in all the book is a good read, especially if you want to see India through the eyes of someone who left long ago and yet feels so much love for his country.

Where can I buy the book? 

India Was One, is available, both, in paperback as well as in eBook (for all devices) format. It is available on popular sites, like: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple iBooks, Google Play etc., which can be accessed from anywhere in the world. For reader in India, in addition to it being available on online stores, such as: Flipkart, Infibeam, etc., it also is available in bookstores in Mumbai at Oxford Bookstore and Crossword bookstore. Very recently, it is also available in all the Sapna Book House stores in Bangalore and online with free shipping.

The book's website also has a lot of goodies, such as, artwork used in the book, poem used in the book, some reviews (including media reviews that was published in India, Canada and the US), interactive map of India, a few sample chapters, and much more.

Website: www.IndiaWasOne.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/IndiaWasOne (over 27,000 fans) Twitter: @IndiaWasOne 

Find out more about the book at www.IndiaWasOne.com/FindOut

If you want me to review your book, mail me at myriadhues14@gmail.com

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