Books | My Journey So Far….

Review: The Playdate (by Louise Millar)

I was just wandering in the library and wasn’t able to pick my read. Normally I select my books from the online catalog of library before actually going there. But, this was spontaneous visit and I was kind of getting lost in piles and shelves of books. Strangely, with so many options before me I was not able to choose one. So indecisive of me.

Saw this book. It was on the outer display unit. Liked the cover and short recommendation and picked it up. Yup! just like that.

I soon realized my mistake of randomly picking up a book like that, as I began to find its introduction of characters pretty lame and lackluster. It’s very nonconforming with me that I don’t like dull and single layer characters. So, as I was going through the characters of its three protagonists, all females, I found them very generic and lame. They are like women living across the street, you saw them occasionally, waving, chatting and soon fading away.

One thing which irritates me in the beginning was that the chapters were written with the perspective of the three characters, not like a single observer or story teller. Like each chapter devoted to single one of them – Callie, Suzy and Debs, all having their own voice. It somehow confuses me in the starting as each female says her part of the story with her own perspective when you were already immersed in the previous one. Each has a different take on her surroundings and life in general.

But after reading a moment or two, I realized that how much depth this has given to the whole story. Now, with the proceeding of story I was visualizing three characters telling their story with utmost honesty and specifics, telling stories of their longings, their shortcomings, their struggle, pain, suffering and love.

This novel is listed as a thriller, so I was waiting for that one twist and turn which will spice up this old neighborhood kind of story. It came, though late. By then, you were just wondering if this story has anything else to offer other than telling us how not to be a single mom? Or How to track your husband’s extra-curricular activities? Nonetheless many would be interested in finding it out J

Mystery weaves into the story is pretty smooth and intricate. It flows with the story and suddenly you realize that how did you miss the indications in earlier chapters. It’s written in a very well absorbing and captivating way. After a point I was just not able to put myself to sleep without completing the book, in the fear of what will happen to the poor little girl? Not me poor girl from the novel L

The big drawback or the disappointment that I have with this story is that the end was so one sided. I would have loved to see the whole drama unfolding from Suzy’s eyes. Her perspective was totally wiped out in the end, which if shown could have added more depth and meaning to the narrative. Oh! I am so fascinated by the psychos. One thing to credit Suzy, she truly believed in keeping your friends close, and your enemy closer…. J

Now I am going to sleep and then maybe a trip to the library. This time I am getting Dan Brown’s Inferno. Good Night. ZZzzzz………

Review: The Darkest Minds (Book)

There are few books which I like and there are those which I wonder why would I picked up in the first place.

The Darkest Minds come somewhat in between. I liked it when I was reading it but it ended so abruptly that I can’t figure out even that it has ended. The only problem with the book is that it has no ending.

With books coming in parts like a season of a TV soap, it becomes a fashion for authors to write a book and then leave it abruptly so that their next part will be received with lots of curiosity. But isn’t it like cheating your readers. Readers who bought a book thinking of a completion a closure of the events talked about in the book.

Well, leaving this flaw behind, the book is a good teen fiction. It’s got a good grip on the plot. Sometimes it stretches itself like the journey of Ruby with Lee and Chubs in Betty. Too much time is consumed in detailing out who is sitting where and wearing what. It does paint a picture in front of your eyes, but it’s a very detailed picture, kind of distracting when you are focusing on the characters and their behavior with each other rather than their wardrobe.

The thing that I liked in the book is the character of Liam. He has explained layer by layer and each of his layers is better than the before. Ultimately his character comes out as a very modest and genuine hero. The Clancy’s character was also well drawn out but frankly I have to read the next part (Never Fade) because I do think that there is more to him which can be explored.

Strangest thing in the book was Chubs. Yes, the cute but with attitude boy who was never shown as very powerful in the book throughout but in the end he kinds of shown as a superman who came and save Ruby from the dreadful and deadliest powers of Clancy. Hmmnn.

I know I have not talked about Ruby. I would love to but she is a confused character and rightly so. She has gone through so much in very tender age and that explains her confusion.

Overall a good book, worth reading but with a sudden death/end. Wouldn’t have picked it for reading if would have known this fact before.