Indian Book Reviews - Reviewers hiring!
Because we know it is not easy for everyone to understand a few Indian aspects and writing it is even harder.
Entries from all over Indian subcontinent - not just India, are accepted
If your book is not Indian...
Title: Chhat. In a middle class family, the roof terrace holds so many memories. For some, it is a place like Sheetal and for others it is a place of fun with siblings, like me. It holds a lot of value and memories in our hearts. I will give it to you for choosing such a nostalgic title! Honestly speaking, at first I did not recognize it. Hindi is not my first language so my first impression on reading the title wasn't this mesmerising and splendid one. I am happy that I am pleasantly surprised with that!
Cover: The cover did an amazing job portraying the life of a lone girl with a stretched hand as if yearning or reaching out for something. The black beautifully signifies her bold yet amiable character of Sheetal.
Blurb: I honestly loved the blurb! Short, sweet and to the point. The clarity of the blurb definitely drew me in and I think that is the case with many others too.....
Summary -
Chhat, the story of a young woman, Sheetal, brought up amidst struggles and issues of a typical middle class family but just the bonus of a comparatively more negative and dismissive father and the despair brought about by a tragic accident. But with a positive outlook towards the world, she stands tall. On the other side was Rakesh. Always being in a happy and self-sufficient environment, he never had to face things that are great perils to a low wage earning family. Doesn't mean he didn't have his share of troubles. But the disastrous ending of his marriage hit him hard. Looking for a new start, he heads start life in an environment he never ever faced before. How things will turn out between these two is what forms the rest of the story.
Analysis and Evaluation -
Character Development: I have to give this to you! You did a great job here. I loved the way you characterized Sheetal. Her outlook on life. Her mannerisms, adjustments, compromises and everything. You even did a great job with Rakesh. I liked how you took your time with the characters before jumping headfirst into the plot. But like they say there is always a scope for development. Shedding more light on
Plot: First off, kudos to you for picking up such a bold outline. Age difference between couples of which one is a divorcee......! Choosing something like this to write a story on is definitely something that takes a great deal of courage. The flow of the story was great. I liked how you added situations to highlight the bond between Sheetal and her family members instead of just stating it. As a reader I would.like to see the same with Rakesh but again maybe it's to come seeing as there were only like 11 chapters when I read it.....
Sensory flow: I liked the way you explained Sheetal's feeling about the accident, her brother, her family and everything in general. Smooth and Suave. But good can always be bettered. I think you could put a little bit more emphasis on Sheetal's feelings about her relationship with her parents and even Rakesh's.
Descriptions: I personally believe descriptions are what make a plot a story. They are the key elements to fabricate and give your story the element of suave. All in all, what I am saying is that descriptions and detailing are a major part of a story. This area, in my opinion, is where you have a lot of scope for improvement.
Grammar and spelling: Nothing very major but there were a few errors. Nothing that can't be corrected by another round of proofreading!
Conclusion:
Your story has an absolutely great scope. I admire that you have focussed your story on an element considered to be a socially unacceptable pairing. Correction of errors and a little improvement in your presentation skills, which I believe you can achieve through exposure, can get your story to great heights.
Suggestions: I don't have anything much to say here. Just take care of your fabrications and you'll be great, I believe. All the best for your future endeavours!
