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Love is Vodka: A Shot Ain't Enough
Being a love child, Moon is anything but a conventional teen. With a leading TV news anchor as her mother, an aspiring entrepreneur as her boy friend, the word LOVE baffles her. The whole idea of having one partner and love being eternal intrigues her.
Life turns upside down when she falls for the CEO, who happens to be her mother's boyfriend too. Destiny further complicates things by blessing her with a big-time modelling assignment. She becomes famous and popular overnight. A war wages between her head and heart on a lot of issues – exposing her to various forms of love – online & offline. Will she decipher the true meaning of love? Embark on an exhilarating rendezvous with Moon and discover love like never before.
Life turns upside down when she falls for the CEO, who happens to be her mother's boyfriend too. Destiny further complicates things by blessing her with a big-time modelling assignment. She becomes famous and popular overnight. A war wages between her head and heart on a lot of issues – exposing her to various forms of love – online & offline. Will she decipher the true meaning of love? Embark on an exhilarating rendezvous with Moon and discover love like never before.
201 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2013
75 people want to read
About the author
Amit Shankar
7 books14 followersloner, drifter, coffee lover, great cook, an avid music buff who is inspired by classic rock, blues, metal and jazz. loves to strum his guitar.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 2, 2013
Review:
I have received this book from Nimi Vashi (of http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/) for reviewing. Though she was the one to contact me for reviewing this book, I know that the book is originally dispatched by the publishers. None other than the publishers could send a exclusive bookmark of the other book of the author, named Chapter Eleven.
All the while, I was thinking that the author was a debutante, but to know that he already authored two other books came as a surprise to me.
Plot (from GoodReads):
If love is all about freedom and honest expression then how can one associate it with loyalty?
Being a love child; Moon, the protagonist is anything but a conventional teen. With a leading TV news anchor as her mother, an aspiring entrepreneur as her boy friend, the word LOVE baffles her. The whole idea of having one partner and love being eternal is beyond her comprehension.
Life turns upside down when she falls for the CEO, who happens to be her mother's boyfriend too. Destiny further complicates things by blessing her with a big time modelling assignment and she becomes famous and popular overnight.
A war starts waging between her head & heart on a lot of issues exposing her to various forms of love online & offline.
Will she decipher the true meaning of love? Embark on an exhilarating rendezvous with Moon and discover love like never before.
My take on the book:
Cover design:
The cover design was a good one. Unlike, many disappointing designs these days. It is subtle and darkly coloured, enough to attract quiet some attention. On the contrary, I think the cover is too darkly coloured. Though it attracts some attention, the dark colour might turn some people down. Other than that, the cover design is pretty much acceptable. In fact, the colour is pretty apt for the story. The story, itself, is dark. The behaviour, the character of the protagonist is dark......................
To read the whole review, click here...
I have received this book from Nimi Vashi (of http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/) for reviewing. Though she was the one to contact me for reviewing this book, I know that the book is originally dispatched by the publishers. None other than the publishers could send a exclusive bookmark of the other book of the author, named Chapter Eleven.
All the while, I was thinking that the author was a debutante, but to know that he already authored two other books came as a surprise to me.
Plot (from GoodReads):
If love is all about freedom and honest expression then how can one associate it with loyalty?
Being a love child; Moon, the protagonist is anything but a conventional teen. With a leading TV news anchor as her mother, an aspiring entrepreneur as her boy friend, the word LOVE baffles her. The whole idea of having one partner and love being eternal is beyond her comprehension.
Life turns upside down when she falls for the CEO, who happens to be her mother's boyfriend too. Destiny further complicates things by blessing her with a big time modelling assignment and she becomes famous and popular overnight.
A war starts waging between her head & heart on a lot of issues exposing her to various forms of love online & offline.
Will she decipher the true meaning of love? Embark on an exhilarating rendezvous with Moon and discover love like never before.
My take on the book:
Cover design:
The cover design was a good one. Unlike, many disappointing designs these days. It is subtle and darkly coloured, enough to attract quiet some attention. On the contrary, I think the cover is too darkly coloured. Though it attracts some attention, the dark colour might turn some people down. Other than that, the cover design is pretty much acceptable. In fact, the colour is pretty apt for the story. The story, itself, is dark. The behaviour, the character of the protagonist is dark......................
To read the whole review, click here...
June 24, 2013
A mind refreshing story after long list of college campus based stories coming in the market. At many points I could relate myself with Moon. My first reaction after reading the first page of the book was...oh! male author writing as girl...yeah right, as if he know all about girls. So while reading it I was really trying to find things which does not match with girl's behavior but after turning few more pages I forgot finding mistakes and was really enjoying the story and also there was nothing in the book which girls don't do. The only thing I don't like is that ending was blurred...Gautam remains in comma...he regained his conscious...right? I am just fond of Happy and clear endings. otherwise this book is worth reading...:)Appreciation for the title of the book too...i would have never bought the book with any other title..:)
This vodka is really toxic, it's hangover effects will be there in mind for a long time.
This vodka is really toxic, it's hangover effects will be there in mind for a long time.
June 28, 2013
By Amit Shankar. Grade: A
Love is Vodka: A Shot Ain’t Enough is not just another love story. True, love, and the search for it, does form the basic premise of the plot. However, the tale progresses beyond the boundaries and norms of societies and redefines the four letter word, giving it a meaning that we know existed, but never really pondered upon. Is love all about finding the right person and spending the rest of our lives with him or her, often neglecting our desires and wants for that person’s happiness? Or is it about self exploration, the idea of complete freedom, of listening to our hearts and being led and guided by our souls.
(extract)Why can’t there be freedom of choice in life? I mean, share when you want, close the doors when you don’t want to. Why do we complicate life unnecessarily by adding superfluous layers to it and then painting them using liberal doses of garish emotions? No wonder, at the end of it, it sucked.”
The protagonist clearly expresses her views in the above lines. Moon, a nineteen year old girl, goes through the turmoil and upheavals associated with adolescence and the desire to be loved and wanted. She considers herself a responsible person, and thus hates it when she is referred to as a teenager and not an adult. Being a love child, Moon never really got to spend quality time with her biological father, which perhaps explains her search for a man who can love her truly and selflessly.
Moon is the daughter of a leading TV news anchor, who has made a mark for herself and loves to lead her life on her own terms. Moon inherits this trait of her mother and on occasions more than once, takes decisions that her mother finds rebellious. However, she believes she isn’t doing any wrong, and listens to what her heart says.
Author Amit Shankar delivers a profound tale of love and relationships in his third novel. After capturing a million minds and hearts with his earlier titles, Flight of the Hilsa and Chapter 11, Amit once again treads the path of unconventional story telling. His writing questions the norms, seeks and explores discomforting answers. Amit loves his space and is fond of coffee. He loves music. Had he not been a writer, he would surely have been a musician.
Love Is Vodka questions the traditional meaning of love, dissociating it with loyalty. If love is all about freedom and honest expression, how can it be associated with loyalty? Moon falls in and out with numerous men with different personalities. When she is in love with a man, she believes him to be her true love. However, fate turns cruel and Moon soon realizes that selfless love is a concept too vague, and it’s better to remain independent and love one own self rather than finding the same feelings in the embraces of others.
Amit’s characters live with us through the pages, as our eyes, and hearts flow over the lines and words that form this beautiful story of dreams and hope. Moon comes out as a lady, strong in will and determination, but naïve at times. It is this lack of experience that leads to her downfall on numerous occasions. However, as she falls and walks again, we cannot stop ourselves from holding her hand and guiding her towards her destiny. Yes, there is a Moon in every one of us.
Moon’s mother, Ms Payal Malik, is a famous news anchor and an imminent TV personality. She gains her confidence from the power she holds. However, she is often torn between maintaining her high status in the society and conveying the right amount of care and affection to her daughter. There are times when her daughter defies the societal rules, which leaves Payal fuming. She doesn’t know how to handle those situations. The relationship between mother and daughter, though full of love, is stressful. The beauty of this relationship does take this story to the great heights of realism and excellence.
Moon falls in love with several men, and Amit doesn’t leave any stone unturned in sketching each one of them differently. On one hand she has an aspiring entrepreneur as a boyfriend, while on the other she gets intimate with her mother’s ‘friend’. She also feels comfortable with an office colleague, and a net friend, at different points in the story, often misinterpreting these friendly feelings to be equivalent to the four letter word. Finally, she meets the man who she believes to be her true love.
The opening chapter of the book scores really high, as well as the conclusion in the final pages. This novel wouldn’t stand idly in my book shelf; rather, I will read it over and over again, whenever I am in need of revisiting the intricacies associated with love. Amit Shankar does a remarkable job, and that makes me think, “Why the hell I haven’t read his previous titles yet?” It’s time to add them to my reading list now.
Originally reviewed at Vaultofbooks.com, a close-knit community of fanatical readers. We are looking for perceptive readers who can write well, and we are eager to provide lots of free books in exchange for reviews. Shot us a mail at contact@vaultofbooks.com”
Love is Vodka: A Shot Ain’t Enough is not just another love story. True, love, and the search for it, does form the basic premise of the plot. However, the tale progresses beyond the boundaries and norms of societies and redefines the four letter word, giving it a meaning that we know existed, but never really pondered upon. Is love all about finding the right person and spending the rest of our lives with him or her, often neglecting our desires and wants for that person’s happiness? Or is it about self exploration, the idea of complete freedom, of listening to our hearts and being led and guided by our souls.
(extract)Why can’t there be freedom of choice in life? I mean, share when you want, close the doors when you don’t want to. Why do we complicate life unnecessarily by adding superfluous layers to it and then painting them using liberal doses of garish emotions? No wonder, at the end of it, it sucked.”
The protagonist clearly expresses her views in the above lines. Moon, a nineteen year old girl, goes through the turmoil and upheavals associated with adolescence and the desire to be loved and wanted. She considers herself a responsible person, and thus hates it when she is referred to as a teenager and not an adult. Being a love child, Moon never really got to spend quality time with her biological father, which perhaps explains her search for a man who can love her truly and selflessly.
Moon is the daughter of a leading TV news anchor, who has made a mark for herself and loves to lead her life on her own terms. Moon inherits this trait of her mother and on occasions more than once, takes decisions that her mother finds rebellious. However, she believes she isn’t doing any wrong, and listens to what her heart says.
Author Amit Shankar delivers a profound tale of love and relationships in his third novel. After capturing a million minds and hearts with his earlier titles, Flight of the Hilsa and Chapter 11, Amit once again treads the path of unconventional story telling. His writing questions the norms, seeks and explores discomforting answers. Amit loves his space and is fond of coffee. He loves music. Had he not been a writer, he would surely have been a musician.
Love Is Vodka questions the traditional meaning of love, dissociating it with loyalty. If love is all about freedom and honest expression, how can it be associated with loyalty? Moon falls in and out with numerous men with different personalities. When she is in love with a man, she believes him to be her true love. However, fate turns cruel and Moon soon realizes that selfless love is a concept too vague, and it’s better to remain independent and love one own self rather than finding the same feelings in the embraces of others.
Amit’s characters live with us through the pages, as our eyes, and hearts flow over the lines and words that form this beautiful story of dreams and hope. Moon comes out as a lady, strong in will and determination, but naïve at times. It is this lack of experience that leads to her downfall on numerous occasions. However, as she falls and walks again, we cannot stop ourselves from holding her hand and guiding her towards her destiny. Yes, there is a Moon in every one of us.
Moon’s mother, Ms Payal Malik, is a famous news anchor and an imminent TV personality. She gains her confidence from the power she holds. However, she is often torn between maintaining her high status in the society and conveying the right amount of care and affection to her daughter. There are times when her daughter defies the societal rules, which leaves Payal fuming. She doesn’t know how to handle those situations. The relationship between mother and daughter, though full of love, is stressful. The beauty of this relationship does take this story to the great heights of realism and excellence.
Moon falls in love with several men, and Amit doesn’t leave any stone unturned in sketching each one of them differently. On one hand she has an aspiring entrepreneur as a boyfriend, while on the other she gets intimate with her mother’s ‘friend’. She also feels comfortable with an office colleague, and a net friend, at different points in the story, often misinterpreting these friendly feelings to be equivalent to the four letter word. Finally, she meets the man who she believes to be her true love.
The opening chapter of the book scores really high, as well as the conclusion in the final pages. This novel wouldn’t stand idly in my book shelf; rather, I will read it over and over again, whenever I am in need of revisiting the intricacies associated with love. Amit Shankar does a remarkable job, and that makes me think, “Why the hell I haven’t read his previous titles yet?” It’s time to add them to my reading list now.
Originally reviewed at Vaultofbooks.com, a close-knit community of fanatical readers. We are looking for perceptive readers who can write well, and we are eager to provide lots of free books in exchange for reviews. Shot us a mail at contact@vaultofbooks.com”
August 14, 2013
About the story: When 19 year old Moon finds herself in an upscale abortion clinic wanting to know if she is pregnant, she realizes that she has messed up her life. In pursuit of true love and in an attempt to comprehend and decipher the four letter word- LOVE, she has led her life in chaos and confusion.
Being a love child, Moon craves for her father’s affection, who despite staying miles away from her, guides her in her decisions and understands her in a way that her mother, who lives with her in the same house, never does. She is constantly at loggerheads with her mother, the famous and influential Payal Malik, who is also the star anchor of the news channel, IDTV.
Things turns nasty when Moon falls for her mother’s boyfriend, the suave and powerful, Ashwin Sinha, who she affectionately calls as Devil or Mr.D. When Moon’s mother learns the truth about D and Moon, she slaps her and Moon shifts bag and baggage to D’s house. But in her quest for true love, Moon leaves behind a string of broken hearts, including her first love Ash’s heart who doesn’t take the rejection kindly.
Finally after many disappointing love failures, Moon decides to take a break from love and learns to discover the woman in her. She realizes that true love means loving the person within, knowing what the individual in you likes or dislikes, hearing what the voice in your heart is telling you.
Under the tutelage of Gautham, an IIMA graduate who sacrifices a successful corporate life after he found his true calling in fighting against corruption, Moon decides to join the battle against corruption. Does Moon find a meaning to her life? Does she finally figure out what true love is all about? You need to read the book to untangle the complicated web of love.
Review: The 200 pages book tries to crack a mystery that people from eons are still trying to figure out. Love. After reading the “Author Speak” section in the book I realized that the views of the main protagonist, Moon, reflect the beliefs of the author on the subject of love and fidelity.
As Moon falters and falls only to pick herself up yet again in her pursuit of that fickle thing called love, you get a glimpse of the quirky theories on love formed in an adolescent’s mind. Love is not about possession, it’s not about stalking the person you love because of your insecurities. When you love someone truly, you would want to be with him/her, because your heart feels so, not because of diktats set down by an archaic society.
It’s these things that makes the book a fresh, rejuvenating read and sets it apart. The language, flow of words are excellent and barring a few editing slips, the writing is flawless.
A couple of negative points in the book, I didn’t like the sudden and slightly implausible twist in the ending where the female protagonist acquires a sudden interest in political agitation against corruption. Somehow this plot angle didn’t seem to fit in the general tone of novel. Also the end seemed to be kind of abrupt and incomplete.
Overall a pleasant and refreshing read
Being a love child, Moon craves for her father’s affection, who despite staying miles away from her, guides her in her decisions and understands her in a way that her mother, who lives with her in the same house, never does. She is constantly at loggerheads with her mother, the famous and influential Payal Malik, who is also the star anchor of the news channel, IDTV.
Things turns nasty when Moon falls for her mother’s boyfriend, the suave and powerful, Ashwin Sinha, who she affectionately calls as Devil or Mr.D. When Moon’s mother learns the truth about D and Moon, she slaps her and Moon shifts bag and baggage to D’s house. But in her quest for true love, Moon leaves behind a string of broken hearts, including her first love Ash’s heart who doesn’t take the rejection kindly.
Finally after many disappointing love failures, Moon decides to take a break from love and learns to discover the woman in her. She realizes that true love means loving the person within, knowing what the individual in you likes or dislikes, hearing what the voice in your heart is telling you.
Under the tutelage of Gautham, an IIMA graduate who sacrifices a successful corporate life after he found his true calling in fighting against corruption, Moon decides to join the battle against corruption. Does Moon find a meaning to her life? Does she finally figure out what true love is all about? You need to read the book to untangle the complicated web of love.
Review: The 200 pages book tries to crack a mystery that people from eons are still trying to figure out. Love. After reading the “Author Speak” section in the book I realized that the views of the main protagonist, Moon, reflect the beliefs of the author on the subject of love and fidelity.
As Moon falters and falls only to pick herself up yet again in her pursuit of that fickle thing called love, you get a glimpse of the quirky theories on love formed in an adolescent’s mind. Love is not about possession, it’s not about stalking the person you love because of your insecurities. When you love someone truly, you would want to be with him/her, because your heart feels so, not because of diktats set down by an archaic society.
It’s these things that makes the book a fresh, rejuvenating read and sets it apart. The language, flow of words are excellent and barring a few editing slips, the writing is flawless.
A couple of negative points in the book, I didn’t like the sudden and slightly implausible twist in the ending where the female protagonist acquires a sudden interest in political agitation against corruption. Somehow this plot angle didn’t seem to fit in the general tone of novel. Also the end seemed to be kind of abrupt and incomplete.
Overall a pleasant and refreshing read
August 23, 2013
A detailed review is here: http://solitaryreading.blogspot.in/20...
I am averse to reading books that have love as their central theme, more so the present day love, with all its modern thrills and frills attached.
But Love is Vodka – A Shot Ain’t Enough turned out to be a pleasant surprise. To be very honest, I was a bit skeptical when I picked it up, what with many college campus and Facebook inspired love stories flooding the book shelves, but this story and the matter-of-fact way it is laid out got me all engrossed and the book was all done in 2 hours flat! It is that breezy easy a read.
Love is Vodka starts with the author Amit Shankar’s note, trying to decipher the word love – Is it really eternal? Is it really truly divine? Is it really about being confined to the norms? Mulling over many questions and doubts about love, he concludes that love is more about expression of the soul, freedom and a joyous state of mind, a feeling that should be 'kept away from the microscope of morality'. And this conclusion he exemplifies with the help of his protagonist - Moon, am impulsive nineteen year old who is constantly torn between the matters of heart and the mind. More often than not, her heart decides the matters for her, landing her in situations that can only be her journalist mother's powerful connections.
Spending her summer working as an advertising intern, Moon is constantly on the lookout for love, true love, as she calls it. And this yearning for true love makes her fall in love again and again. Every time she falls for a new person, she imagines it to be everlasting, eternal love, only to be disillusioned later by the chinks in the shining armours of her lovers.
Through all the happy times and the upheavals, her constant companion is Danzka, her favourite brand of vodka that not only gives her the courage to take recklessly flirtatious decisions, but also helps her gulp down the ensuing sadness after the many failed affairs. And it eventually takes many a powerful gulps of Danzka for Moon to discover true love, in most unlikely of places, in most unlikely of circumstances.
What works for Love is Vodka is the very real and relatable way it has been put together. By relatable, I mean the use of modern day gadgets and social media platforms so seamlessly incorporated in the story-line. The loneliness, the pressures and the insecurities that Moon goes through are relatable for I am sure every teenage girl goes through similar trials and tribulations. It is remarkable how the author has so intricately painted a teenage girl's picture - going behind the scenes, reading her mind, her thoughts, her aspirations and her unabashed need to love and be loved. Of course, there cannot be a generalization but I am sure many would agree that the portrayal is beautiful.
At one point, the book left me teary-eyed. Just a wee bit though, out of sheer happiness. Now, you will have to read this one to figure out where. Like I said at the onset, this one's a nice easy breezy read.
I am averse to reading books that have love as their central theme, more so the present day love, with all its modern thrills and frills attached.
But Love is Vodka – A Shot Ain’t Enough turned out to be a pleasant surprise. To be very honest, I was a bit skeptical when I picked it up, what with many college campus and Facebook inspired love stories flooding the book shelves, but this story and the matter-of-fact way it is laid out got me all engrossed and the book was all done in 2 hours flat! It is that breezy easy a read.
Love is Vodka starts with the author Amit Shankar’s note, trying to decipher the word love – Is it really eternal? Is it really truly divine? Is it really about being confined to the norms? Mulling over many questions and doubts about love, he concludes that love is more about expression of the soul, freedom and a joyous state of mind, a feeling that should be 'kept away from the microscope of morality'. And this conclusion he exemplifies with the help of his protagonist - Moon, am impulsive nineteen year old who is constantly torn between the matters of heart and the mind. More often than not, her heart decides the matters for her, landing her in situations that can only be her journalist mother's powerful connections.
Spending her summer working as an advertising intern, Moon is constantly on the lookout for love, true love, as she calls it. And this yearning for true love makes her fall in love again and again. Every time she falls for a new person, she imagines it to be everlasting, eternal love, only to be disillusioned later by the chinks in the shining armours of her lovers.
Through all the happy times and the upheavals, her constant companion is Danzka, her favourite brand of vodka that not only gives her the courage to take recklessly flirtatious decisions, but also helps her gulp down the ensuing sadness after the many failed affairs. And it eventually takes many a powerful gulps of Danzka for Moon to discover true love, in most unlikely of places, in most unlikely of circumstances.
What works for Love is Vodka is the very real and relatable way it has been put together. By relatable, I mean the use of modern day gadgets and social media platforms so seamlessly incorporated in the story-line. The loneliness, the pressures and the insecurities that Moon goes through are relatable for I am sure every teenage girl goes through similar trials and tribulations. It is remarkable how the author has so intricately painted a teenage girl's picture - going behind the scenes, reading her mind, her thoughts, her aspirations and her unabashed need to love and be loved. Of course, there cannot be a generalization but I am sure many would agree that the portrayal is beautiful.
At one point, the book left me teary-eyed. Just a wee bit though, out of sheer happiness. Now, you will have to read this one to figure out where. Like I said at the onset, this one's a nice easy breezy read.
April 23, 2014
Love is Vodka A Shot Ain't Enough
by Amit Shankar
It is a roller coaster relationship ride that made Moon open her eyes to the fact that if one must befriend anyone, it has to be one's own self first. Everyone else can wait.
'The moment we befriend the woman or man in us, the desire to have an obscene number of Facebook friends would subside. After all, the desire to have people like one's status updates or pictures is just a reminderfor the person inside that he is being appreciated and liked. How pathetic!' - Amit Shankar
I couldn't have agreed more. It is the story of Moon, a love child of a single mother, a well-known journalist. It is her journey to find love which she seems to be missing from her mother. A father who seems so far yet so close and a mother so close and yet feels so far, this tale takes the reader into the turmoil that Moon faces, including the various relationships she encounters and tries to clutch on to, thinking it would last 'forever'. But then forever is a ambiguous term in the 21st century.(Or was it always so?)
What I like about this author's way of storytelling is that he brings together subjects or taboos from anywhere and everywhere and binds it together in his stories. This is the second novel by the author that I have read.The previous one was 'Chapter Eleven' whose review can be found by following the link : http://critiquedontcriticize.blogspot...
Coming to the star ratings, it is highly personal. While this story was dark and grey, never black and white, it reflected lives of many teenaged girls of modern India and the world. Even though I felt that it was slightly exaggerated at various junctures, I might of-course be wrong provided I haven't had the opportunity to meet girls like the character in this book.
From working as an intern in an advertising agency to being the sought-after model to becoming a part of a anti-corruption movement, it was a progression of sorts in the life of a rebellious, confused teenager. But being the Bollywood fan that I am, I couldn't stop predicting the future of the story at various points while reading. I could see traces of many movie scenes in the story that are ingrained in my mind.
There were bits of Fashion,Rang de Basanti and some other films that kept flashing in my mind. It was a spoiler of sorts but then I was able to visualize the characters with some actors that I really adore!
According to me, it tried hard to say a story of a distressed teenager but then like many Indian fans of Bollywood, the author also couldn't help himself from including a part of it into the tale being told by him.
- Divya Nambiar
Other books by the author-
,
,
by Amit Shankar
It is a roller coaster relationship ride that made Moon open her eyes to the fact that if one must befriend anyone, it has to be one's own self first. Everyone else can wait.
'The moment we befriend the woman or man in us, the desire to have an obscene number of Facebook friends would subside. After all, the desire to have people like one's status updates or pictures is just a reminderfor the person inside that he is being appreciated and liked. How pathetic!' - Amit Shankar
I couldn't have agreed more. It is the story of Moon, a love child of a single mother, a well-known journalist. It is her journey to find love which she seems to be missing from her mother. A father who seems so far yet so close and a mother so close and yet feels so far, this tale takes the reader into the turmoil that Moon faces, including the various relationships she encounters and tries to clutch on to, thinking it would last 'forever'. But then forever is a ambiguous term in the 21st century.(Or was it always so?)
What I like about this author's way of storytelling is that he brings together subjects or taboos from anywhere and everywhere and binds it together in his stories. This is the second novel by the author that I have read.The previous one was 'Chapter Eleven' whose review can be found by following the link : http://critiquedontcriticize.blogspot...
Coming to the star ratings, it is highly personal. While this story was dark and grey, never black and white, it reflected lives of many teenaged girls of modern India and the world. Even though I felt that it was slightly exaggerated at various junctures, I might of-course be wrong provided I haven't had the opportunity to meet girls like the character in this book.
From working as an intern in an advertising agency to being the sought-after model to becoming a part of a anti-corruption movement, it was a progression of sorts in the life of a rebellious, confused teenager. But being the Bollywood fan that I am, I couldn't stop predicting the future of the story at various points while reading. I could see traces of many movie scenes in the story that are ingrained in my mind.
There were bits of Fashion,Rang de Basanti and some other films that kept flashing in my mind. It was a spoiler of sorts but then I was able to visualize the characters with some actors that I really adore!
According to me, it tried hard to say a story of a distressed teenager but then like many Indian fans of Bollywood, the author also couldn't help himself from including a part of it into the tale being told by him.
- Divya Nambiar
Other books by the author-
,
,
August 18, 2013
http://pebbleinthestillwaters.blogspo...
Book Review: Love Is Vodka By Amit Shankar: One Is Not Enough To Find True Love Of Life
Love Is Vodka A Shot Ain't Enough by Amit Shankar revolves around a lanky, tall, sexy teenager Moon. Moon is indulged into all kind of digital media and social networks as the most of her age would be. It is about the challenges faced during teenage creating a tussle between mind and heart and making lot of wrong things to happen. Overall Amit Shankar seems to have a full command over writing and understanding the mindset of readers thereby building strong characterization in his novel.
At two instances I found the corners of my eyelids wet because of the emotional touch created in the story and that too so naturally and excellently. At few places it appeared as if it was a part of porno the way love making happens so intensely and deeply. But then it is to be understood that the story is about a teen girl belonging to a high class society and having all kind of liberties in her life to play on. Moon is a single girl child of a single mother who is a big shot in the digital media world having a good hold of top mediapersons, bureaucrats, politicians, administrative agencies and corporate world. Moon's father was a French Diplomat with whom her mother had intimate relationship due to which Moon got birth.
At 19, Moon is quite explorant, arrogant and a revolutionary in her society. She does not mind jumping into the darker side of heart and inviting her mother's boyfriend who is 25 years older than her, to become her boyfriend. She does not mind going unethical with her 2 years old relationship boyfriend whom she doesn't feel matches her whims and fancies. She doesn't mind chatting to different guys at the same time. For the sake of finding true love she also doesn't mind sleeping with her mother's boyfriend and having a live-in with him for a couple of years. And that gave her one of the biggest breaks of her career - a modelling assignment for a world class company.
Ultimately she breaks up with her mother's boyfriend after having a good amount of relationship when she starts missing her periods and fears that she has become pregnant despite all precautions taken. But gradually it was negative as far as pregnancy was concerned. She had developed a hormonal and psychological problem due to which she starts developing hair at unwanted places along with extreme swings of mood at any moment of time.
Still the search for true love goes on and another search starts in her life - about finding out the real meaning and motive. Overall an interesting read to go for. Love is Vodka, A Shot Ain't Enough is the third novel written by Amit Shankar. Before this book he has written Flight of the Hilsa and Chapter 11 that has created a large fan following already.
Book Review: Love Is Vodka By Amit Shankar: One Is Not Enough To Find True Love Of Life
Love Is Vodka A Shot Ain't Enough by Amit Shankar revolves around a lanky, tall, sexy teenager Moon. Moon is indulged into all kind of digital media and social networks as the most of her age would be. It is about the challenges faced during teenage creating a tussle between mind and heart and making lot of wrong things to happen. Overall Amit Shankar seems to have a full command over writing and understanding the mindset of readers thereby building strong characterization in his novel.
At two instances I found the corners of my eyelids wet because of the emotional touch created in the story and that too so naturally and excellently. At few places it appeared as if it was a part of porno the way love making happens so intensely and deeply. But then it is to be understood that the story is about a teen girl belonging to a high class society and having all kind of liberties in her life to play on. Moon is a single girl child of a single mother who is a big shot in the digital media world having a good hold of top mediapersons, bureaucrats, politicians, administrative agencies and corporate world. Moon's father was a French Diplomat with whom her mother had intimate relationship due to which Moon got birth.
At 19, Moon is quite explorant, arrogant and a revolutionary in her society. She does not mind jumping into the darker side of heart and inviting her mother's boyfriend who is 25 years older than her, to become her boyfriend. She does not mind going unethical with her 2 years old relationship boyfriend whom she doesn't feel matches her whims and fancies. She doesn't mind chatting to different guys at the same time. For the sake of finding true love she also doesn't mind sleeping with her mother's boyfriend and having a live-in with him for a couple of years. And that gave her one of the biggest breaks of her career - a modelling assignment for a world class company.
Ultimately she breaks up with her mother's boyfriend after having a good amount of relationship when she starts missing her periods and fears that she has become pregnant despite all precautions taken. But gradually it was negative as far as pregnancy was concerned. She had developed a hormonal and psychological problem due to which she starts developing hair at unwanted places along with extreme swings of mood at any moment of time.
Still the search for true love goes on and another search starts in her life - about finding out the real meaning and motive. Overall an interesting read to go for. Love is Vodka, A Shot Ain't Enough is the third novel written by Amit Shankar. Before this book he has written Flight of the Hilsa and Chapter 11 that has created a large fan following already.
June 24, 2013
The book begins with Moon a 19 year old confused teenage girl sitting before an abortion clinic going back to her past.
Moon is a love child. She stays with her mother, Payal Malik who is a big shot journalist in a leading news channel. Her father was a French diplomat who now stays in France itself. Though she has never met her father, she still has a loving relationship with him over the Internet, chat, mails, letters, phones and gifts that now comes through online gift portals.
The writer creates sparks with the way he has created the tension that a teenager might go through in today’s world. Moon questions the very social norm of if the concept of loving one person all through your life is true. In course of time she realizes that as we grow our choices, wants and needs change and in course sometimes lovers too.
Sharing a tumultuous relationship with her highly busy and professional mother, she begins her first never dying love affair with Ashwin, who was 5 year older to her, but was confident and had a clear head. Though she thinks that this is love, her heart loses a beat when she meets Aditya the intelligent and down to earth copy writer in the advertising firm she was interning with. He takes her to different places and cooks for her too. Her relationship with Ashwin becomes estranged, until one day disaster happens and Aditya just disappears.
The situation gets even more complicated when she falls for her boss who is her mother’s boyfriend and moves in with him. Though love seems true but it came with a lesson for her. In between she becomes a hot-shot model and a known face. She again moves back to her mother’s place finally to join an anti corruption movement where she meets Gautam. Again she comes to the place where she began, “Is this love?” “Will it endure?”
The book is gripping but after the first half especially after she moves back to her mother’s place, it loses its grip. It almost becomes predictable. If the second half of the book had the same spark as its first half it could had been an absolute page turner.
It is fast paced, and I am sure many can relate to it at different levels, but it just misses to catch the fire after creating much smoke and spark.
If you want to pick up a week end read, you can definitely pick this book. If you are a fast reader, a day should suffice.
Moon is a love child. She stays with her mother, Payal Malik who is a big shot journalist in a leading news channel. Her father was a French diplomat who now stays in France itself. Though she has never met her father, she still has a loving relationship with him over the Internet, chat, mails, letters, phones and gifts that now comes through online gift portals.
The writer creates sparks with the way he has created the tension that a teenager might go through in today’s world. Moon questions the very social norm of if the concept of loving one person all through your life is true. In course of time she realizes that as we grow our choices, wants and needs change and in course sometimes lovers too.
Sharing a tumultuous relationship with her highly busy and professional mother, she begins her first never dying love affair with Ashwin, who was 5 year older to her, but was confident and had a clear head. Though she thinks that this is love, her heart loses a beat when she meets Aditya the intelligent and down to earth copy writer in the advertising firm she was interning with. He takes her to different places and cooks for her too. Her relationship with Ashwin becomes estranged, until one day disaster happens and Aditya just disappears.
The situation gets even more complicated when she falls for her boss who is her mother’s boyfriend and moves in with him. Though love seems true but it came with a lesson for her. In between she becomes a hot-shot model and a known face. She again moves back to her mother’s place finally to join an anti corruption movement where she meets Gautam. Again she comes to the place where she began, “Is this love?” “Will it endure?”
The book is gripping but after the first half especially after she moves back to her mother’s place, it loses its grip. It almost becomes predictable. If the second half of the book had the same spark as its first half it could had been an absolute page turner.
It is fast paced, and I am sure many can relate to it at different levels, but it just misses to catch the fire after creating much smoke and spark.
If you want to pick up a week end read, you can definitely pick this book. If you are a fast reader, a day should suffice.
June 27, 2013
2.5 stars
I thought Love Is Vodka a Shot ain't Enough would be a different read with the protagonist trying to figure out herself and the world around her. She is 19, almost the same age as me so I expected to relate to her without even trying to. Unfortunately, none of these things happened. I was frustrated with Moon and her actions and had to force myself to get through the book.
Moon, is our protagonist. Being the love child of a French father and a mother who is a leading TV news anchor her life has always been complicated. She is still trying to figure out what love means and if love equals to loyalty. Maybe that is the reason she strings along numerous boys along with her. Sometimes Moon's internal monologues just made her sound whiny, indecisive and shallow to me.
First, Moon has her childhood boyfriend and first love, Ash. I didn't exactly get the reason for her getting bored with him, but she does and immediately falls for her mother's boyfriend. Yes, you read that right, her mother's boyfriend who is 25 years older than her. But still, age is just a number and I could actually accept that but all this happens while she is cheating on Ash. Then there are other guys like Nikhil, Aditya and Gautam who are sprinkled along the book with sexual interludes.
I did not get the point of it. There was no real meaning behind her actions and her behavior most of the times frustrated me. There was no journey about discovering the meaning behind love and why we all seem to have stereotyped it a certain way. Moon is shown as a beautiful young girl who becomes popular overnight with her modelling assignments but then suddenly the book takes a turn into politics.
Maybe it was just me, but I really couldn't understand Moon's motives behind her actions. The latter part of the book was focused on political parties and rallies and anti corruption. But what has all this got to do with love? I didn't get it. Moon's character shows little growth and her tantrums made me dislike her even more. The end felt a bit too abrupt to me. The only thing good about the book was its writing which was clear and fast paced. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the book. At all.
*Note: This book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.
I thought Love Is Vodka a Shot ain't Enough would be a different read with the protagonist trying to figure out herself and the world around her. She is 19, almost the same age as me so I expected to relate to her without even trying to. Unfortunately, none of these things happened. I was frustrated with Moon and her actions and had to force myself to get through the book.
Moon, is our protagonist. Being the love child of a French father and a mother who is a leading TV news anchor her life has always been complicated. She is still trying to figure out what love means and if love equals to loyalty. Maybe that is the reason she strings along numerous boys along with her. Sometimes Moon's internal monologues just made her sound whiny, indecisive and shallow to me.
First, Moon has her childhood boyfriend and first love, Ash. I didn't exactly get the reason for her getting bored with him, but she does and immediately falls for her mother's boyfriend. Yes, you read that right, her mother's boyfriend who is 25 years older than her. But still, age is just a number and I could actually accept that but all this happens while she is cheating on Ash. Then there are other guys like Nikhil, Aditya and Gautam who are sprinkled along the book with sexual interludes.
I did not get the point of it. There was no real meaning behind her actions and her behavior most of the times frustrated me. There was no journey about discovering the meaning behind love and why we all seem to have stereotyped it a certain way. Moon is shown as a beautiful young girl who becomes popular overnight with her modelling assignments but then suddenly the book takes a turn into politics.
Maybe it was just me, but I really couldn't understand Moon's motives behind her actions. The latter part of the book was focused on political parties and rallies and anti corruption. But what has all this got to do with love? I didn't get it. Moon's character shows little growth and her tantrums made me dislike her even more. The end felt a bit too abrupt to me. The only thing good about the book was its writing which was clear and fast paced. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the book. At all.
*Note: This book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.
August 22, 2013
Moon ..lovechild of famous senior editor of news channel Payal Malick and French dimplomat is cute crazy tall confused teen working as intern at advertisement agency. She is just like girl next door of her age, bored of her current BF and looking for true love and in between try and taste different forms of love. She is not happy with her BF Ash and find solace in her hot and hunky colleague Akash. Akash with his charismatic charm and poetic language stole moon’s heart and they spend lot of time eating and roaming in delhi. Sudden revelation about Akash’s past in a party take moon and akash on different paths.
And heartbroken Moon got attracted to her Ma’s boyfriend “Devil”. In addition to her Ma’s BF , devil is also moon’s boss at adverstising agency. He gave prestigious modeling assignment to Moon and took her heart away with a smile.
She also has a sweet relationship with her biological father and keep in touch with him through phones/webchat. He loves to send gifts online to moon.
Moon is also in touch with chat buddy Nikhil, who is seriously in love with bright and bubbly moon. She keep on coming in and out of love with different man and is confused abt true meaning of love or does true love really exist. Finally she got her true calling at end and she started doing things which give her real satisfaction and meaning to life.
My take on story - First and foremost..I love the protagonist name – Moon. She is very relatable character and author has described the teenage feeling quite well. She is using all form of social media and loves likes and comments on her FB page.She is confused about her feeling and doesn’t mind changing BF frequently if she is not happy with current one. We live life only once so it shouldn’t be to fulfill society and your parent’s expectation. Its your life and you should live it to fullest for your own sake.
I also loved the fact that women is ready to accept her own feeling and emerged as strong character. Author being a male has done excellent job in portraying female character with all her emotion and complex feelings. Comparison between vodka and love is quite interesting and has been portrayed number of times in book. Its typical metro read.
And heartbroken Moon got attracted to her Ma’s boyfriend “Devil”. In addition to her Ma’s BF , devil is also moon’s boss at adverstising agency. He gave prestigious modeling assignment to Moon and took her heart away with a smile.
She also has a sweet relationship with her biological father and keep in touch with him through phones/webchat. He loves to send gifts online to moon.
Moon is also in touch with chat buddy Nikhil, who is seriously in love with bright and bubbly moon. She keep on coming in and out of love with different man and is confused abt true meaning of love or does true love really exist. Finally she got her true calling at end and she started doing things which give her real satisfaction and meaning to life.
My take on story - First and foremost..I love the protagonist name – Moon. She is very relatable character and author has described the teenage feeling quite well. She is using all form of social media and loves likes and comments on her FB page.She is confused about her feeling and doesn’t mind changing BF frequently if she is not happy with current one. We live life only once so it shouldn’t be to fulfill society and your parent’s expectation. Its your life and you should live it to fullest for your own sake.
I also loved the fact that women is ready to accept her own feeling and emerged as strong character. Author being a male has done excellent job in portraying female character with all her emotion and complex feelings. Comparison between vodka and love is quite interesting and has been portrayed number of times in book. Its typical metro read.
June 15, 2015
If love is all about freedom and honest expression then how can one associate it with loyalty?
Being a love child; Moon, the protagonist is anything but a conventional teen. With a leading TV news anchor as her mother, an aspiring entrepreneur as her boy friend, the word LOVE baffles her. The whole idea of having one partner and love being eternal is beyond her comprehension. Life turns upside down when she falls for the CEO, who happens to be her mother's boyfriend too. Destiny further complicates things by blessing her with a big time modelling assignment and she becomes famous and popular overnight.
A war starts waging between her head & heart on a lot of issues exposing her to various forms of love online & offline. Will she decipher the true meaning of love?
The book starts briskly and maintains an even pace and a youthful tone to introduce Moon, the main character but towards the latter half slides down into an incoherent mess which is neither engrossing nor frustrating. It just becomes a drab. Most of this has to do with the fact that author hardly develops any layer to other characters and hence, their interaction with Moon become plain ordinary.
Author takes quirky ideas like PCOD to show the difficult times for Moon but problem is, these things are introduced at a superficial level for a shock point of view and quickly forgotten. We never get to see a true sense of betrayal and distrust feeling from Moon, rather the narrative hops from one plot point to another without investing sufficiently into the emotional depth the central protagonist is uncovering in her personal life.
I am going with 2/5 for Amit Shankar's 'Love is Vodka'. It does point out certain viable questions about love and lust, but in the end provides very little answers to either the central character nor to its readers. A disappointing read from an author who promised much with his earlier two titles.
Being a love child; Moon, the protagonist is anything but a conventional teen. With a leading TV news anchor as her mother, an aspiring entrepreneur as her boy friend, the word LOVE baffles her. The whole idea of having one partner and love being eternal is beyond her comprehension. Life turns upside down when she falls for the CEO, who happens to be her mother's boyfriend too. Destiny further complicates things by blessing her with a big time modelling assignment and she becomes famous and popular overnight.
A war starts waging between her head & heart on a lot of issues exposing her to various forms of love online & offline. Will she decipher the true meaning of love?
The book starts briskly and maintains an even pace and a youthful tone to introduce Moon, the main character but towards the latter half slides down into an incoherent mess which is neither engrossing nor frustrating. It just becomes a drab. Most of this has to do with the fact that author hardly develops any layer to other characters and hence, their interaction with Moon become plain ordinary.
Author takes quirky ideas like PCOD to show the difficult times for Moon but problem is, these things are introduced at a superficial level for a shock point of view and quickly forgotten. We never get to see a true sense of betrayal and distrust feeling from Moon, rather the narrative hops from one plot point to another without investing sufficiently into the emotional depth the central protagonist is uncovering in her personal life.
I am going with 2/5 for Amit Shankar's 'Love is Vodka'. It does point out certain viable questions about love and lust, but in the end provides very little answers to either the central character nor to its readers. A disappointing read from an author who promised much with his earlier two titles.
June 15, 2013
I started reading this book last evening and finished reading it in about 3+ hours. This speaks a lot about the book. Love is Vodka – A Shot ain’t Enough is a nice breezy read.
The story is based on the premise that love is about expression of the soul, freedom and a joyous state of mind. It cannot be confined to the norms of the society, loyalty, morality etc. Moon, the protagonist, keeps falling in and out of love with men of different personalities. Every time she felt that her love for the man would last a lifetime. Alas, it doesn't happen that way because life is a bitch. Finally, she realizes that it is all about loving your own self, figuring out the person inside you.
Analogy between Vodka and Love is interesting. To get the right kick one needs to have a few shots of Vodka. Similarly after some trials and errors, Moon comes a long way from being that self-obsessed, insecure girl, to learn much about herself. And in the process she discovers herself and learns that once she started to truly love herself and focused on her own inner peace and happiness, true love came looking for her.
What is truly remarkable about this book is that being a male, the author has expressed a woman’s feelings and emotions, her needs, her insecurities, her thoughts in such an amazing way.
While reading Love is Vodka – A Shot ain’t Enough, there wasn't a dull moment as this book was easy to get into, had likable characters and was a very fast read!. Also, it has a that perfect ending which leaves the reader thoroughly satisfied and smiling.
Having read this book, I will surely check out the author's earlier two books too.
The story is based on the premise that love is about expression of the soul, freedom and a joyous state of mind. It cannot be confined to the norms of the society, loyalty, morality etc. Moon, the protagonist, keeps falling in and out of love with men of different personalities. Every time she felt that her love for the man would last a lifetime. Alas, it doesn't happen that way because life is a bitch. Finally, she realizes that it is all about loving your own self, figuring out the person inside you.
Analogy between Vodka and Love is interesting. To get the right kick one needs to have a few shots of Vodka. Similarly after some trials and errors, Moon comes a long way from being that self-obsessed, insecure girl, to learn much about herself. And in the process she discovers herself and learns that once she started to truly love herself and focused on her own inner peace and happiness, true love came looking for her.
What is truly remarkable about this book is that being a male, the author has expressed a woman’s feelings and emotions, her needs, her insecurities, her thoughts in such an amazing way.
While reading Love is Vodka – A Shot ain’t Enough, there wasn't a dull moment as this book was easy to get into, had likable characters and was a very fast read!. Also, it has a that perfect ending which leaves the reader thoroughly satisfied and smiling.
Having read this book, I will surely check out the author's earlier two books too.
June 24, 2013
Indian writers are not my cup of tea. College plots, IIT romance, badly written, lack of substance or style-the reasons are obvious. Don't know how and why I started my rendezvous with this drink of Vodka. And oh boy, what a session I had. A mix of adult fiction/pulp fiction/ young read/ this one did manage to hold my eyeballs and heart. Well articulated, sensitive, easy to comprehend, the reading was like a breeze. Yet the impact on my mind, heart and soul was profound.
With its lucid style and powerful narrative for sure it had me hooked in no time. How could he narrate my story? I was so overwhelmed. Page after page, it was a projection of my thoughts, my dreams, my devilish desires. His sensitive portrayal of the love making scenes are the best by any author so far. Pity, i have not read him before. But for sure, I have ordered his earlier two titles too.
Vodka will intoxicate you for sure.
With its lucid style and powerful narrative for sure it had me hooked in no time. How could he narrate my story? I was so overwhelmed. Page after page, it was a projection of my thoughts, my dreams, my devilish desires. His sensitive portrayal of the love making scenes are the best by any author so far. Pity, i have not read him before. But for sure, I have ordered his earlier two titles too.
Vodka will intoxicate you for sure.
June 24, 2013
Damn this Author! He can read women so well. I could not believe that the author, Amit Shankar, was a man. He has figured out the nuance of a woman brilliantly. This book, love is vodka...a shot aint enough, is a must read for every young girl who is confused about and around the word 'love' Amit Shankar takes the word 'love' and rips it apart using 'logic, the friend' of the protagonist' moon.' A complete new perspective on love which id so bold that it might upset you.
A path breaking powerful saga.
A path breaking powerful saga.
July 11, 2013
Well , yes I found it frustrating for the first 150 pages . I started enjoying it only after Gautam's entry . Moon is fickle-minded and keeps on blaming life for it . She needed counselling and goddammit she gets that only after meeting Chauhan . It is only then that she really starts loving someone . For the rest of the time she behaves like a retard ; loving every second boy who comes to herlife .
Overall okay
Overall okay
June 19, 2013
A riveting tale that questions the very norms of traditional love and its meaning, this book does manage to hold your attention for hours, till you turn over the last page. To read more, click here.
November 9, 2013
A compelling story of a teenager in the first half and how she tries to get out of all the mess around her.
The book is good in parts and the second half is out of the sync with the first half. Some events are half baked and a lot is desired.
The first half is an apt description of teenage state of mind.
The book could have been better in many ways but fails to do so.
The book is good in parts and the second half is out of the sync with the first half. Some events are half baked and a lot is desired.
The first half is an apt description of teenage state of mind.
The book could have been better in many ways but fails to do so.
August 13, 2013
Here's my review of the book...
http://shaivikafunda.blogspot.in/2013...
http://shaivikafunda.blogspot.in/2013...
October 26, 2013
Touched a fiction book after a long time and I was skeptic if I would finish it in 3-4 hours as I used to do it earlier but fortunately, I am done. Somewhere, even God wants me to keep talking about books on my Blogs and various portals. :-) Though I have never read Vitasta Publication ever but this time, I tried somehow with my mind prepared to curse it later on but again, fortunately, I am surprised after completing this book. I just enjoyed my first experience of them. I am done reading "Love is Vodka" which also has the tagline "A shot ain't enough". The 203-pages novel is been written by Amit Shankar.
About the Author :
With his earlier two titles, Flight of the Hilsa and Chapter 11, he has already captured a million minds and hearts. His writing questions the norms, seeks and explores some discomforting answers. If not a writer, he would have been a musician. He loves his space and coffee.
His passion includes music, cooking and biking and list of Gods; Clapton, Slash, Blackmore, Santana, Satriani, Vie and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
SYNOPSIS:-
If love is all about freedom and honest expression then how can one associate it with loyalty?
Being a love child; Moon, the protagonist is anything but a conventional teen. With a leading TV news anchor as her mother, an aspiring entrepreneur as her boy friend, the word LOVE baffles her. The whole idea of having one partner and love being eternal is beyond her comprehension.
Life turns upside down when she falls for the CEO, who happens to be her mother's boyfriend too. Destiny further complicates things by blessing her with a big time modelling assignment and she becomes famous and popular overnight.
A war starts waging between her head & heart on a lot of issues exposing her to various forms of love online & offline.
Will she decipher the true meaning of love? Embark on an exhilarating rendezvous with Moon and discover love like never before.
Coming to the author, I would say that reading the story, throughout, I was assured that I am reading Durjoy Datta. :-) Yes! The feel is exactly the same. The kind of plot it is, the kind of female protagonist that the story has, the way boyfriends and relationships are discussed, it is a real treat for everyone who wait for Durjoy Datta's novels. I loved the narration. I loved the way story is been created to make it look more realistic. At some points, I felt as if it was spoken on so and so journalist that I know but taking anyone's name is not right here. :-) The cover page of the book is well done and after reading the story I understand as to what it depicts. :-) Well done with the concept. The story isn't stretched out and wrapped in just 203 pages which I would applaud.
The initial description of protagonist is wonderfully done and it was the moment that I felt it's Durjoy Datta's material. :-) Several boyfriends and their characterizations does not bore you because it's handled well by the author. In the party where she gets to know about Aditya is a wonderful scene and I loved reading that shocking element in the girl's life. When she gets her first success in the modeling and the way it has been showcased is done perfectly and also the tragedy that strikes just after it is a nice twist to the story. Also the description of Devil makes me feel to be like him. :-) Sensuous scenes are well handled otherwise a little here and there could make it look like a vulgar or silly thing. The question that the protagonist asks her friend after seeing a large crowd coming out for corruption is something that made me laugh. And the part where the chapter ends with Riya turning rebel against her mother when she tries to stop her for something is another favorite part of mine.
Talking about the drawbacks, the book seemed to be predictable at times. The kind of characters that author chose could have been utilized much powerfully than the way they are been done. The climax could have been more interesting than the predictable end. Some scenes could have been extended more as they played a prominent part in the story but they were kept short. The character of Nikhil has no serious inputs. Also the friend circle of the protagonist could have been used later in the story. Such few mistakes makes this book little farther than being perfect. But still I would give this book 3.5/5.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!
January 16, 2015
What is love? This is the universal question as person from every religion, country, and caste and if we remember alien from PK then aliens, too must have faced this question in their lifetime at least once. Here we have one more addition and it’s Moon aka ‘Mon Ami’. A normal girl whom we would find buried in her gadgets, sipping coffee at Barista or CCD or flaunting the brands she possess. Moon, too at one juncture in novel seems of the same clique. As the novel begins, Moon is shown in a clinic for abortion. There isn’t a slightest hint about the father of the child in this chapter. As the story ensues, more information about Moon’s life and her dilemmas is provided to reader. She is love-child, daughter of very powerful journalist woman and French Diplomat man. Like every girl she craves for affection and love from her mother. However Moon is not able to get it from her busy and powerful mom and the father, who left for France after seeding her mother with their momentary attraction. However he loves his daughter and every now and then sends her token of love. Moon like other teenagers is rebellious and full of confusion towards the feeling known as Love. Moon during her life presented in novel experiences love four times. First comes Utkarsh, then comes Ashwin Sinha the D who is boyfriend of her mother. Yup dear reader Moon falls for him. Before that she fantasized about a guy named Aditya her officemate but this guy has got package of surprize for readers. So better to leave it as a mystery box. Nikhil is Moon’s online friend and at last comes Gautam, who invokes feeling of true love in Moon. At last after having many shots of Vodka or say Love she finds the elixir of life.
What is love? How many time we have fallen in love? Don’t we claim it’s true, though it’s our fifth time? Many of us have thought once in our life about this claim. The claim our heart makes every time but none of us can assure that our first love was a true one or the one with whom we tied the knots for lifetime. Amit has voiced this confusion of human beings in his third title ‘Love is Vodka- A Shot Ain’t Enough’. As its title suggests Love, too is like a Vodka. One shot won’t be enough of it. The language of novel is awesome. Amit knows very well how to rule reader’s heart. I have already read three of his titles including this one and he has been added to my list of ‘all-time favourite reads’. I love the fact about his characters. He never creates a villain or hero. Neither a vamp nor heroine. Each and every character created by him is a normal human being with its own vices and values. His male character may be handsome, dashing and powerful yet docile when calamity strikes.
My overall rating for this work is 4/5.
What is love? How many time we have fallen in love? Don’t we claim it’s true, though it’s our fifth time? Many of us have thought once in our life about this claim. The claim our heart makes every time but none of us can assure that our first love was a true one or the one with whom we tied the knots for lifetime. Amit has voiced this confusion of human beings in his third title ‘Love is Vodka- A Shot Ain’t Enough’. As its title suggests Love, too is like a Vodka. One shot won’t be enough of it. The language of novel is awesome. Amit knows very well how to rule reader’s heart. I have already read three of his titles including this one and he has been added to my list of ‘all-time favourite reads’. I love the fact about his characters. He never creates a villain or hero. Neither a vamp nor heroine. Each and every character created by him is a normal human being with its own vices and values. His male character may be handsome, dashing and powerful yet docile when calamity strikes.
My overall rating for this work is 4/5.
February 23, 2014
Note: This book was originally reviewed @ Readers' Muse
This book was initially supposed to be reviewed as a part of the #Womanifesto campaign that we ran during the December month. Somehow our plans went awry. Finally, I got to review it now.
The protagonist, Moon,is a lanky teenager who is trying to wade through the difficult phase of every girl’s life - teenage. She is a love child and yearns for that emotional support like every other child with a single parent who is busy making a career. She ends up falling for a man who is way too old for her. Things go wrong and they part ways. She then moves on to finally find the love of her life.
The summary really intrigued me. The war between the head and heart is always a complex one which can leave any individual thoroughly exhausted. But the writer has portrayed his protagonist to be resilient enough to wade through that battle. There are parts of the story (I can’t elaborate, Avoiding Spoilers!) which are highly emotional and underlines a fact that even a resilient person can get emotional in difficult times.
The characterisation of the protagonist, Moon was good, but I thought it sort of lacked that conviction of a confused teenager trying to figure out life. Moreover, I don’t think teenage is as horrible as the writer portrays in his story. Yes, being a teenage girl isn’t easy but it’s not rocket science either. (Been there done that!)
The story line seemed sensible until the climax. I felt the writer rushed to finish the book off. One thing that absolutely put me off was that whole Lokpal protest scenario. Come on! A model who doesn’t even reads the newspapers to know about it campaigns for it. Seriously, I don’t think anything of that sort happened with the actual Lokpal campaign.
The other thing that I found rather annoying was a fact that the writer made it sound as though men are smack in the center of a female teenager’s life. All Moon (our protagonist) could think about was her boyfriend or some other male friend or that “Oh- I- Am- A-Perfect-Man” CEO. I agree it’s all about boys during that phase of life, but then, it’s the hormones at play. In fact, there is much more than boys to a teenage girl’s life (Again. This is a personal experience).
The cover of the book was beautiful. I loved that pink colour and the stockings picture. The title is perfect well – Seriously for the trouble we women folk land into. one shot of Vodka isn’t enough to drown it all!
The writing was simple and neat.
Overall, the book was “okay” and left me feeling a bit disappointed.
VERDICT: Neither good nor bad.
This book was initially supposed to be reviewed as a part of the #Womanifesto campaign that we ran during the December month. Somehow our plans went awry. Finally, I got to review it now.
The protagonist, Moon,is a lanky teenager who is trying to wade through the difficult phase of every girl’s life - teenage. She is a love child and yearns for that emotional support like every other child with a single parent who is busy making a career. She ends up falling for a man who is way too old for her. Things go wrong and they part ways. She then moves on to finally find the love of her life.
The summary really intrigued me. The war between the head and heart is always a complex one which can leave any individual thoroughly exhausted. But the writer has portrayed his protagonist to be resilient enough to wade through that battle. There are parts of the story (I can’t elaborate, Avoiding Spoilers!) which are highly emotional and underlines a fact that even a resilient person can get emotional in difficult times.
The characterisation of the protagonist, Moon was good, but I thought it sort of lacked that conviction of a confused teenager trying to figure out life. Moreover, I don’t think teenage is as horrible as the writer portrays in his story. Yes, being a teenage girl isn’t easy but it’s not rocket science either. (Been there done that!)
The story line seemed sensible until the climax. I felt the writer rushed to finish the book off. One thing that absolutely put me off was that whole Lokpal protest scenario. Come on! A model who doesn’t even reads the newspapers to know about it campaigns for it. Seriously, I don’t think anything of that sort happened with the actual Lokpal campaign.
The other thing that I found rather annoying was a fact that the writer made it sound as though men are smack in the center of a female teenager’s life. All Moon (our protagonist) could think about was her boyfriend or some other male friend or that “Oh- I- Am- A-Perfect-Man” CEO. I agree it’s all about boys during that phase of life, but then, it’s the hormones at play. In fact, there is much more than boys to a teenage girl’s life (Again. This is a personal experience).
The cover of the book was beautiful. I loved that pink colour and the stockings picture. The title is perfect well – Seriously for the trouble we women folk land into. one shot of Vodka isn’t enough to drown it all!
The writing was simple and neat.
Overall, the book was “okay” and left me feeling a bit disappointed.
VERDICT: Neither good nor bad.
June 20, 2013
Positives: The story is well written and amazing with all the ingredients of a perfect delightful and entertaining read. Moon being the central character never gets you bored. Her boyfriend "The Devil" reminds you of an old crush every girl has.
Negatives: The last part of the story moves too fast. A reader expects more there and a lot of emotions went amiss at the end. A shot truly wasn't enough.
The Verdict: A fun read. 3.5 stars on 5.
for a detailed review refer to ,a href="http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/2... link text
Negatives: The last part of the story moves too fast. A reader expects more there and a lot of emotions went amiss at the end. A shot truly wasn't enough.
The Verdict: A fun read. 3.5 stars on 5.
for a detailed review refer to ,a href="http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/2... link text
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