Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 2

The Best Seller She Wrote By Ravi Subramaniam - A Different Yet Cliche Trope

 When I got the book The Bestseller She Wrote fore review,the subtitle ‘adapted into an Amazon Prime Web Series named Bestseller is whatcaught my attention. I had watched the series and had shared a review that thestory was good but the execution especially the acting of Shruti Hassan didn’tfit the bill for me. Keeping this prejudice in mind I grabbed the copy just tosee if the ‘book is always better than the visual media adaption’, the beliefthat I have always kept is proven again.

The plot takes off in a slow pace when the protagonistAditya, a celebrity author, was attending a fan meet wherein he meets a randomgirl, whom questions his ideology that a book is a product. Further we see howtheir equation changes the shades and how Aditya’s life changes irreversibly –both professionally personally.

The different attempt

I have read Ravi Subramaniam’s previous books and have feltthat there is an Indian version of John Grisham in his books. But on thecontrary, the Bestseller She Wrote is crafted more like a romantic stint withsome thrilling element. I liked how the author has deftly added layers to thecharacters and established a preset notion about everyone which connected withthe audience instantly. The effortless narration hooks the readers both out ofcuriosity and interest.

However, the antagonist has been in a template that we haveread before. Hence the pattern was predictable, unlike the author’s previousbooks. The climax which lacked substance dampened the plot significantly buthow the author finally brought the shades of all characters on one layer is aninteresting observation for someone who wants to analyse how human mind works.

Infidelity, ethics and logic in relationships

The author has shared several observations about how arelationship works and also how infidelity slowly creeps into a relationship. Ihave highlighted several lines as they resonate with many real stories that Ihave come across. The book left me wondering how the author has a deepunderstanding about the human minds. The parts where he is narrating the layersof an extramarital relation as well as how if affects the both parties arerelatable at several levels.

The web series and the book

Though the book is adapted into a web series, I could not findmuch parallels between the plots. There were several references of thediscrepancies in the stories written by the antagonist, which was probablyextrapolated in the web series. Hence comparing both was not easy as both arebeing placed at different levels. However, the character portrayal of theantagonist is much more engaging in the book than was executed by the actress. Thecharacter could have been explored more in the book because it is a layeredcharacter with lot of possibilities of having engaging subplots.

Overall the book is an engaging, quality read. You will loveit if you like Indian style contemporary fiction with a tinge of suspense

Outset Books Kids' Anthology

 After two seasons of Little Reader, we are back with a new initiative for the little writers and readers. Outset Kids' Anthology is an initiative to feature the little writers.

Outset Books Kids' AnthologyWe are inviting entries from kids of age 7-15 years. They can write about anything under the theme "My Dream". It is not just about your dream of what you want to become when you grow up, I can also be a fantasy that you imagined. In the nutshell it can be a daydream or an imagination too...Word countThe ideal word count of the short story can be 2000 words. We are not strict about the word count if the writing quality is good but try to keep the word count under this.
For poems, the word count would be up to 200 words and not more.Submission Send the entries in Microsoft word format (.doc /.docx) to outsetbooks@gmail.com.The last date to submit the manuscript is 15-08-2023Selection processYou will get an email if your entry is selected. There is a panel of people who would scrutinize your child's work. 
Format of the bookOnce your entry is selected we will be editing the work and the collated works would be published as an ebook.You will get a pdf copy of the book and also a certificate. Your child will be featured in our blog as well as social media platforms. 

A to Z of Death by AiR

 Death is a phenomenon that creates various emotions in someone's brain. Fear, pain, disgust, uncertainty, anxiety, depression or even happiness? Depending on our basic belief systems, we perceive our experiences related with death. AiR (Atman in Ravi) has given us a comprehensive account of the different perspectives about death. 

BlurbDeath is certain. Every ‘body’ must die. Still, we do not accept the reality of death. We fear death because of the loss of all that we own, all that is known and we fear death because of the unknown beyond death. However, we are ignorant about the truth of death. Death is not the end, it is just a bend. Only the body dies. We never die. We are the immortal Soul. At death, either we will be reborn based on our Karma or we will be liberated and united with the Divine. The A to Z of Death reveals everything we need to know about death, the truth of death which will make death a moment of celebration.My Review Author has systematically categorized the book in different parts so that the readers get to walk through the spiritual, religious, philosophical and scientific aspects of death. We don't know what happens after death but as a fact we know that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. 
The energy that our soul is, how it is transformed? After reading the book, we remain clear in our mind. I am personally someone who believes in Karma. Quite often we used to justify the injustices in the lives of pure souls as previous life's karma. The author convinces the readers as to how Karma plays the role in lives and afterlives. The author also explains the emotions associated with death.
The book is simple and easily comprehensive and delivers the matter to the readers with clarity. The book is a therapy, a learning opportunity and a treasure for years to come by. 

Compendium of Original Creative works by Children 2023 by Madhatter for Children

Quite often than not, books/ Anthology that showcase kids work seldom screen the work. They tend to think that rejecting the work would hurt the child and it affects the overall quality of the book. When Madhatter send me the book I was expecting something on that level but I was flabbergasted to see the quality of the work. Compendium of Original Creative works by Children 2023, as the name suggests is the collection of creative works by kids. On the foot note of the book, author himself has explained how the selection process has been and has encouraged the little ones who didn't get selected to do more and more so as to improve. I personally believe that rejections help a child to grow and understand the value of quality. Speaking of quality, the book is a guarantee for quality of creative talent.

Compendium of Original Creative works by Children 2023Blurb Compendium of original stories and Art, this book represents a cornucopia of children’s talent and also demonstrates their great capacity to imagine. The Madhatter4children selected each piece of work based on the merit of the content and style. There are stories of the fantasy genre, magic and issues that occupy the young minds. Beautifully composed, each piece is a delight to read and appreciate.Review The book has works from all genres. It is reflection of how well exposed kids are in their genre of work, be it drawing, painting, story writing or poetry or any kind of art displayed in the book. Some of the stories left me thinking that I should work more on my craft as an author because for their age, they have delivered something beyond expectations. The drawings that give us messages teaches us that kids should never be underestimated because their social responsibility outlives ours.I have my favorites in the book but would not want to name them here because of course they are kids and all are talented. I don't want to compare the works. Having said that I have never seen a charcoal painting and when I saw the craft I was initially shocked and then surprised to see how children get to know the various aspects of art.This book is not a mere collection of creative work by kids but the ones that have merit. However, the book cover could have been better and the pages could have been better with coated paper. Having said that it didn't affect the quality of their craft, just that humans tend to judge a book by its cover. 

The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan - Hardhitting

When I read The Diary of a Young Girl, my heart bled for Anne Frank. Living inside the annex for two years without sunlight, without a sliver pf sky, without being about to talk properly, eat properly. What a horrible life. And when the diary remained unfinished, I spent days thinking how she would have suffered. Rosemary Sullivan, through her book Betrayal of Anne Frank, intends to give closure to Anne Frank's tale. 

The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary SullivanBlurb‘Hums with living history, human warmth and indignation’ New York Times
Less a mystery unsolved than a secret well kept
The mystery has haunted generations since the Second World War: Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family? And why?
Now, thanks to radical new technology and the obsession of a retired FBI agent, this book offers an answer. Rosemary Sullivan unfolds the story in a gripping, moving narrative.
Over thirty million people have read The Diary of a Young Girl, the journal teenaged Anne Frank kept while living in an attic with her family and four other people in Amsterdam during World War II, until the Nazis arrested them and sent them to a concentration camp. But despite the many works – journalism, books, plays and novels – devoted to Anne’s story, none has ever conclusively explained how these eight people managed to live in hiding undetected for over two years – and who or what finally brought the Nazis to their door.
With painstaking care, retired FBI agent Vincent Pankoke and a team of indefatigable investigators pored over tens of thousands of pages of documents – some never before seen – and interviewed scores of descendants of people familiar with the Franks. Utilising methods developed by the FBI, the Cold Case Team painstakingly pieced together the months leading to the infamous arrest – and came to a shocking conclusion. 
The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation is the riveting story of their mission. Rosemary Sullivan introduces us to the investigators, explains the behaviour of both the captives and their captors and profiles a group of suspects. All the while, she vividly brings to life wartime Amsterdam: a place where no matter how wealthy, educated, or careful you were, you never knew whom you could trust.
My reviewNearly a century after the arrest of the Franks, retired FBI agent Vincent Pankoke and his team set out to investigate who betrayed the Franks and reported them, which ended up destroying the family. The investigation starts with Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father, the only surviving member of the family. The horrors that they had to endure are unimaginable. The author has an excellent craft wherein she has portrayed everything without losing its intensity, at the same time trying not to merely sensationalize it. What happened to Anne Frank, how Otto Frank learn about it, what happens to him further. The book is all the more heart-wrenching b  for the readers.Through the book, the author takes the readers through each and every step taken by the cold case investigation team. Each piece of evidence they get, how they followed it and struck out the irrelevant ones. The book is huge but informative and engaging for everyone who is interested in the cause. Towards the second half of the book, it started getting saturated, and the pace drops. Further, it picks up towards the climax. However, the author finds a closure in the climax which also leaves the book open-ended. If you are looking forward to the journey. the book will blow your mind. If you want to get a proper closure, you will be disappointed. The book is undoubtedly a treasure for your library.

The Highway Murders by Sourabh Mukherjee - The Real Terror

 If you are a South Indian you would have definitely heard of Psycho Shankar. The notorious serial killer spread terror on the highways of South India. The Highway Murders by Sourabh Mukherjee is the fictional yet real adaptation of the cold-blooded murders carried out by the heartless criminal.

Highway Murders by SourabhMukherjeeBlurbn August 2009, a thirty-nine-year-old policewoman went missing in Tamil Nadu. A month later, her heavily decomposed body was discovered in a drain by a graveyard. She had been brutally violated and killed.As the investigation started, the police detected a pattern in more than a dozen unsolved rape-and-murder cases with mutilated bodies of women turning up in graveyards, drains and empty fields along the highways.It didn’t take the police too long to find out that the perpetrator was a trucker named M Jaishankar.What followed was a cat-and-mouse game across states, many more gruesome killings, one of the most sensational jailbreaks in the history of the country, and a controversial suicide in a high-security cell.The Highway Murders is the breathtaking true story of 'Psycho Shankar', one of India's most notorious serial killers, and one policeman's relentless decade-long battle against the 'terror of the highways'.My ReviewThe author has taken up a scenario that has been in the news for a long time. Hence it is very tough to pull off a thriller as everything was out there already. But there lies the brilliance of the author that he shifted the narration to the point of view of the serial killer. How senseless he can be. The cruelty stares down at the readers and chills their spines about how apathetic someone can be. The plot as such is a cliche that we have been reading but the fact that it is real and has happened is what makes the book endearing.Also how a police officer dedicated his whole life to a single cause, finding and incarcerating Shankar, and how he manages to escape and wreak havoc again is the highlight of the book. The craft is marvelous. If you like to read blood-chilling thrillers this is for you. There are not many characters to connect with the readers and hence the murders are what dominate their psyche. 

Evoked by Manasi Babbar - Thrilling and Palpable

 Write India Campaign by Write India Campaign is an initiative by Ravi Subramanian to pick unique talents across India. Manasi Babbar was one of the top performers handpicked by Ravi Subramanian. True to the talent of the writer and the author Evoked is a thriller that keeps you at the edge. 

Ravi Subramanian presents Evoked by Manasi BabbarBlurbSomething has been evoked in the dark corners of a mind . . .
Sevita and Sama are identical twins, but they couldn’t be more different. Sevita is popular and outgoing while Sama is a loner who never really fit in. As the two enter their first year of college, tragedy strikes-one of them dies a sudden death. Barely has the town come to terms with this, when the news of another death rattles them all. As the death toll keeps rising, police are perplexed. What is plaguing the idyllic town of Lavasa?
As Inspector Mohite investigates the deaths and soon secrets tumble out, it soon becomes clear that underneath the placid surface of Lavasa lurks a complex web of lies and deceit. Can he uncover the truth before more people die?PlotSevita and Sama are twins. As identical as they look, they are equally extreme in their characters and idiosyncrasies. Sevita is jovial, the center of attraction who makes friends equally while Sama is cold with a plain expression, brutal in hurting insects, and reclusive. Sama's hobby is to catch moths and insects and pin them to a board. Her scary hobbies used to creep her mother out while her father has been sensibly trying to understand his daughter. Sevita is head over heels in love with Kunal while Sama has secretly bred her feelings for him. The story takes an unexpected turn when one of the twins Sama, dies in an accident. The plot becomes eery and gruesome when more deaths follow. More so when the deaths are revolving around the class that these kids were studying in. Inspector Mohite, the investigating officer knows things are not as plain and single-layered as it seems on the periphery. He decides to dig deeper and get to the bottom. How the instances unfold and how the investigation proceeds are what make the crux of the movie.ReviewThe plot develops through the characters. Sevita and Sama's characters are developed slowly and on a large canvas. One-fourth of the book establishes various characters along with Sama and Sevita. Their friends Sruthi and Aastha, Sevita's boyfriend Kunal, a bully Nik and his cronies... The characters slowly slither their way up to our hearts.The author has successfully gotten deep into the antagonist's psyche and how the person is instigated or scared. The other characters have a cliche craft with some preset character traits which are mandatory in a college scenario. The author's finesse lies in bringing forth the details of the deaths, and the eeriness of the situations while not making it scary yet conveying the gruesomeness of the situation. The mystery however gave away right from the beginning which affected the reading experience. Overall the book is a thrilling experience that visually magnifies the scenario which enables the readers to let their imaginations go wild. 
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Zero Day by S Hussain Zaudi - A Mirror That Faces The Society.

 As the technology grows, our lives become easy and so does the threat of misusing the technology. When knowledge becomes two edged sword, life becomes uncertain. Zero Day by S Hussain Zaudi is a mirror that faces the society. Terrorism is no longer about the guns on the border of Kashmir. 

Zero Day by Hussain ZaidiBlurbMumbai is in a state of chaos. All traffic signals across the entire city have stopped working.
Shahwaz Ali Mirza, head of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, receives an anonymous email claiming it to be a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. He quickly puts together a crack team that includes his protege, IG Cybercrime Vikrant Singh, and gets to work trawling the dark web for more information on this mystery attack. However, a move to bring forward the hacker backfires, leading to a second, deadlier attack on Mumbai's lifeline, the railway system.
It is their first brush with cyberterrorism: a zero-day vulnerability in the Indian government's system that could bring the country to its knees. Racing against time and investigating a case unlike any other, in Zero Day, Mirza and Vikrant face the most dangerous mission of their lives.The plotShawaz Ali Mirza, the head of ATS, receives a mail from the terrorist who claims to come back with more attacks. Mirza along with his protege Vikrant raises the matter with the CM and against all odds and deliberate intervention by the DIG , they sets up a team and starts the investigation. While dredging the dark net,they are appalled to know the gravity of the possible cyberattack in future.What happened further forms the crux of the story.

My review 

The plot takes off at a slow pace unlike the thrillers which are set in a background of terrorist attacks. Once the team is set the plot thickens and have several layers. The complications of carrying out a clandestine investigation inside the ATS office with a representative of the DIG in the team comes across as an engaging add on to the already enchanting investigation.

Other characters that are accomplices are also given space but mostly the plot revolves around vikrant..
The style of narration, particularly the idiosyncrasies of Vikrant points to the fact that the book would possibly be adapted into a movie or web series.

Vikrant's character develops slowly with the plot and as the plot thickens his character receives a definition. However, Mirza comes across as a stereotypical senior who is in support of the protagonist, without any more detailing. 

The book is an indication of what might happen to the country and the possible loop holes in the system. Hussain Zaidi, the master of terrorist stories has once again proven his finesse

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Yesterday's King and King maker - VAJPAYEE: THE ASCENT OF THE HINDU RIGHT, 1924–1977 by Abhishek Choudhary

COVER REVEALVAJPAYEE: THE ASCENT OF THE HINDU RIGHT, 1924–1977 by Abhishek Choudhary
Book DescriptionA man of unusual gifts and dangerously consequential flaws, Atal Behari Lal Vajpayee was the Hindu Right’s most glamorized and enigmatic face until now. Drawing on a natural talent to pull in the crowds with his eloquence, he elevated his physically frail and academically mediocre self to become a powerful spokesperson of historical victimhood.
In this singularly gripping account, Abhishek Choudhary sets out to prove that Vajpayee was far more critical to the project of Hinduizing India than is commonly understood. He uncovers how Vajpayee’s early life, of which we know shockingly little, lies at the heart of his political character: essentially conservative yet curious and conciliatory, detached yet quietly ambitious. Weaving previously unseen documents with revealing interviews, Choudhary layers this definitive biography with details of Vajpayee’s underground activities in the wake of Gandhi’s assassination; his early obsession with foreign policy; the shock from the premature deaths of his parents; his tortuous private life and maudlin poetry; his key role in the SVD coalition experiment; his defense of the Sangh Parivar inside the parliament and his averments and deferments outside. In so doing, this extraordinary debut revises several lazy myths and false binaries that have come to dominate Indian political discourse. The sympathy of Congress conservatives and Hindi intelligentsia for the RSS, Patel’s own extended ambiguity, Nehru’s innate conviction that East Pakistan would merge back with India, Indira Gandhi’s fleet-footed attack on the Jan Sangh’s finances and electoral chances, the foolish fantasies of JP’s Total Revolution and the Sangh Parivar’s dubious heroism in the Emergency are also revisited to reveal the complexity of India’s democracy.Praises for the book‘The finest biography of an Indian prime minister that I have read’Ramachandra Guha
‘A real achievement, an instant classic and a total triumph’Shruti Kapila
‘Doubles as a history of Hindu supremacism; it won’t be bettered for a long time’
Pankaj Mishra
‘Extraordinary and unputdownable. This is biography done right’Sonia Faleiro

Xenial Relationships and Twisted Reality? Classified by Rajasekharan Nair

 The famous rather notorious spy case has gained more media attention of late when the court and the government has felicitated Sri. Nambi Narayan, the many whose life has been overthrown unfairly after the fabricated case. However, is the spy case only about Nambi Narayan as everyone proclaims it to be? Is there anything else to the picture? Classified by Rajashekharan Nair is a detailed account of the spy case, laying bare the nitty gritty and illegal arrangements that led to the case or which have been subdued under the guise of the case.

Who is who of the ISRO spy storyBlurb Did you know that the CIA had sabotaged ISRO’s top secret operation to transfer cryogenic rocket technology from Russia to India?Ever wondered what is the real reason why S. Nambi Narayanan does not want the whole truth behind the ISRO spy story to surface?Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was rocked by a spy case in 1994, taking down in its wake six officials who were a part of the organisation, including S. Nambi Narayanan. They were blamed with passing critical rocket technology to a neighbouring nation and booked for the same.CLASSIFIED exposes the hidden truths behind the spy story and how it highlighted the fractures of our premier institutions. It shows us how the spy case stripped them bare, down to their bones.Read this intriguing account of how state agencies are surreptitiously trying to bury the wreckage of a failed operation.Truth

The author, a journalist had interviewed Mariam Rasheeda and hence the closest to the case. When the author claims that there is more to the story, it comes across as an exaggeration but once we delve deeper into the conspiracies that transpired, the readers see that the rot is stinkier than we think.

The author seems to be hell bent into negating the pain suffered by Nambi Narayan.  But further when the read more into the lines, it is clearer that there has been an overtly enthusiastic attempt to frame the scientist so as to sabotage India's space mission. The book, since I am reading after watching Rocket Science, i could relate more because a seemingly illegal activity has been glorified as a patriotic heroism.

The conspiracies and corruption in police force, IB and CBI is alarmingly prominent. The author throws the question in front of the readers as to how and why the investigation officer, ISRO head and officials,the arrested officials including Nambi Narayan haven't pursued the reason why the Spy Case cane into being.

The book is recommended for Eveyone who wants to know about the ISRO Spy Case as well as the politics in History. The author has bravely  and authentically stated that the CIA is behind the spy case and how.

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