Losing their faith in the System, a group of MNC-employed youngsters decide to take revenge on some politicians and businessmen after having suffered at their hands. Their master plan also exposes the connections of the powerful with the rich, of the mafia with politicians and of those who exploited the poor. All this leads to a war. A war that had never happened.
The Chief of Intelligence had never dealt with such brilliant people who were entangling him in multiple versions of events. After a while, he is unable to differentiate between the real and planted evidence. The clock is ticking. The media is on adrenaline.
The Chief is faced with several questions. How did it all happen? Will he be able to solve the case? Can he get the accused politicians acquitted? Should he find an escape for himself amidst the turmoil?
MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Delhi, Economics Graduate from the University of Delhi. Currently working with an MNC. Since childhood, have been passionate about social structures, economic policies and philosophy, analyzing and finding connections in all of them. In free time, love reading and learning about Zodiac signs, practicing yoga, and cooking.
First of all I would like to thank author for the review copies. Really loved the concept. Different read than usual once. Nice writing style and nice story. The story revolves around the background of MNCs and politics so nice concept for readers. Language and writing style is nice. Initially it takes time to enter in the story but nice end so worth reading!!
My rating: 3.5 stars Karan, Saima, Vedika and Josh are four youngsters who decided to take revenge from few politicians for the wrong done against their families. Four of them are at run out from the police after killing the sons of politically influential persons. Indian Intelligence agency chief Rathore and the police were madly in search for them but they hardly able to find even the trace of their current locations. Politicians and police were going desperate day by day and the investigation was going stiffed at every finding. The author has chosen a very distinct plot based on political mockery and in the context of an Indian political environment. A political thriller well executed and presented. The book does offer an appropriate thrill according to the plot but also was little mundane at few places. The characters were rational and satisfactorily fitted in the story. The writing was simple and plain which was complimentary with the plot. The book ended with the cliff-hanger that means a second book is expected. What wasn’t Good The book is quite pulled at few places with an unnecessary and irrelevant narration of the people that doesn’t matter much in the story. They could be very well avoided. Honestly, I read this book in breaks as I was finding hard to get hooked due to frequent changing descriptions and accounts which were annoying and unpleasant.
In nutshell, the book is a good read and could be a recommendation for the ones who are on the lookout for an Indian political satire thrill. However, ignoring a few drags, the book has a quite good tinge of suspense.
A gripping political thriller that would keep you guessing till the end. Preetika has given a perfect political thriller fiction which would be your perfect companion this summer. If you are a student, this would be a great read. If you are not a student, you ma y be able to connect very well with the happenings not only in India but elsewhere.
The story has few characters. Saima, Josh, Vedica and Karan. While Saima hailed from an affluent business family, Josh's father runs a small shop in Kerala. Vedica had a background which no one would have expected. Karan's father served as Commissioner of Income Tax.
Despite being so much powerful and hailing from affluent background, they were on their toes after the sudden death of Saima's sister Meghna.
What had caused her death?
Author talks in great detail about the politics where kickbacks and commission were the norms. This is where Rana and Pratap comes into picture. While Rana served as Chief Minister of a State, Pratap was in the Central Govt as Natural Resources Minister.
Rana had two sons - Kapil and Suraj whereas Pratap had a son named Zoravar. What would usually happen when the spoiled brats comes together has been explained very well in the story. They were known to Saima since her father Swaraj had business dealings with these politicians.
When thins goes awry, it ends in few being eliminated making the others to go on hiding. But who was responsible for these deaths and how was the plan executed and how did the murderer managed to escape the eagle eyes despite deploying forces from UAE, Australia and most importantly from USA where even FBI gets deployed.
The book is full of surprises and I am sure you would surely be loving it once you finish reading it. Go for it today.
• BOOK REVIEW • Let You Be My Puppet Once – Preetika Mehera Wow! I love cliffhangers – in books or in movies. I love the feeling of wanting to know more, read more, and see more. Such books are very difficult to pull off, while keeping the reader engaged throughout. . . Let You Be My Puppet Once, is one such book. I applaud that the author could pull off such an engaging read in those 300 odd pages. The way the author has stringed together various events and built the entire picture is praise-worthy. . . The book touches upon various themes – suspense, satire, humor, romance and even some social issues. The marriage of all these themes resulted in a book relevant to today’s times. There are four major characters - Saima, Josh, Karan and Vedica, who live together in Mumbai. The book started off on the romance-foot, but boy oh yeah, things sped quickly and soon it was a thriller. The four characters, youth of today, are fighting for justice against some dirty politicians who have ruined one of the character’s family. The four characters are chased by the police, who cannot find them by any means. There is an additional character of Rathore, the intelligence agency head. . . The way the author has put across the theme of political satire is amazing. The characters fit perfectly in the storyline which is beautifully narrated by the author. The title of the book will pique your curiosity and once you progress with reading you will realize its aptness. Though at some instances, I felt the story could’ve been a bit fast paced, overall I guess the author has done good justice to the book. . . For me the highlights were cliffhanger (can’t wait for a sequel) and the satirical tone and light political scorn in the story. The book will be enjoyed when you read at your leisure, not a book to be completed in one-two sittings. I would love to see this book turned into a movie some day ;) 4/5 🌟
Thriller is one of my favorite genres. I always appreciate an author’s ability to keep us hooked on their story with exciting surprises and a shocking ending. I have read a number of books like that from Indian authors recently and I’m now adding this book to the list.
Let You Be My Puppet Once by Preetika Mishra is a political thriller. It follows a group of four friends- Saima, Josh, Karan, and Vedica. The story begins when Saima’s sister Meghna is murdered. The youngsters are frustrated with the way things are run in the country and decide to take revenge.
The book drags a bit, especially in the beginning. We learn about all the characters lives. After the initial 60 or so pages, the plot gets very interesting and exciting. I was eager to know what was going to happen as well as to know the back story. The author created some great villains along with the main characters. We also learn a lot about how young people in India spend their lives with their jobs, friendships, and love lives.
The book kept shifting between various characters’ perspectives and it got a bit confusing at times. In the beginning, we learn a lot about the characters but after that, the book becomes very plot-driven. It did drag at times but I enjoyed the intricate plot. I loved the way the events in the story unfolded. It was exciting and thrilling and kept me on my toes.
The writing of this book is quite good. It is very descriptive but it is also a fast read. This is something that I always find very commendable in a debut author.
This is one of the best Indian thrillers that I have read. I highly admire the complex plot that the author created. A great book by a debut author.
This book was all over bookstagram a while back and finally I got the chance to read it . Let You Be My Puppet is a political thriller which is based on the fact that how political leaders, by using their powers, manipulate the system according to their wishes. The word Puppet is referred to all those people who blindly trusts and acts according to these politicians to make their careers or to gain money.
The story is about 4 friends- Josh, Karan, Saima and Vedica, who were from rich backgrounds but still worked in MNCs and enjoyed their lives living in Mumbai. Saima's sister Meghna dies but everything becomes normal after a few months until Saima and her friends find out the fact that Meghna was murdered buy the powerful politicians because she was close to unraveling their true face.
The four friends decided to avenge the death of Meghna and the wrong doings done by the corrupt leaders. Their plan was so astounding that even the Intelligence Bureau failed to hatch their plan. They were constantly on the move and were trying their level best to confuse the IB. Will the 4 friends be able to bring out the truth about the manipulative leaders? Will they be able to reach safely and punish the wrong doers?
It is a perfect thriller, which will keep you hooked till the very last page. The characters are detailed and well developed. The language used is easy and understandable. Though I did find the book a bit confusing and dragging at some points but overall it is a great read.
"These next few seconds were crucial for him as there is death down below, there is death coming from the door and there is death possibly waiting for him at the neighbour's house as well." - Preetika Mehra, Let You Be My Puppet Once
"I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review."
Honestly, if you're a fan of reading political thrillers, or thrillers in general, then don't even bother reading this review. Just go and buy it. I mean it. And here are the links for that again: Paperback and Kindle.
If you're not a thriller fan then I hope after reading this review, you become one.
A friend of mine once told me something like this: "We humans are a weird species. Every time we don't understand the story of a book or movie, we call it brilliant and mind-opening." At that time, I didn't understand what he meant, but by the time I finished reading this book, I was pretty certain I had understood the depth of his lines.
Let You Be My Puppet Once is the story of good versus evil. It is the story of fighting for what is right, albeit using the wrong means. It is the story of vengeance. The story of money, corruption, and treachery. The story of thievery,
Let You Be My Puppet Once is the story of four adults, having just started on their new jobs, and working on taking revenge on the injustice that happened to their families. It is the story of Karan, Vedica, Josh and Saima.
When the sons of two important politicians try to molest Saima and Vedica, the girls go to the police station to report an FIR against them. Under the influence of those important people, the police says no to reporting and instead throws the girls out along with Karan and Saima. Later when Karan and Saima find out about the wrongs that have been inflicted upon their families by the important politicians of India, the four friends strive to take revenge for those immoral tasks.
And that is where the story of this book really begins.
Now in reference to the line I highlighted previously. Well, the plan the four people implemented was so tricky and so..well, difficult to understand that I didn't know whether I was more confused or whether I liked it more. *Laughs nervously*
Back to the review though.
I really liked the concept of the book. It was different to what I usually read and I ended up enjoying it whole-heartedly. Then there was the beautiful cover and title that attracted me. I truly enjoyed that part as well.
The pace of this book was pretty good and I didn't feel bored at a single instant. Neither did I get discouraged because of the narrative. The writing style was simple, beautiful and smooth as well.
In a nutshell, this book was unlike any I had read before. I loved how the author used various point of views to explain things to the reader. Although sometimes these many point of views cause nothing but irritation to me, they were formed in a pretty beautiful way here and helped me learn more of the story and enjoy.
What makes the book special though, is how the four friends had the courage to stand up for what is right. And the plans they implemented to make this work. Like I already said, there were so many aspects that worked really well for the book, but not for me as a reader since I didn't understand a few things myself. Like, how exactly was their plan implemented? What happened to Vedica in the end? How did she reach the embassy? Where did Saima, Josh and Karan go?
Oh, there were so many questions left unanswered. I can only hope that there is a sequel coming soon. Because if there is, then I wouldn't want to miss that for the world.
Every one of us at one time or other faces a situation wherein we become puppet of others destined to dance to their tunes silently suffering within. This is the theme of this book LET YOU BE MY PUPPET ONCE by Preetika Mehra an MBA graduate working with an MNC in Chennai. The plot line is appreciable and it does not lack the grip but addictive.
I like the title as well as cover design which are alluring and tempting.They match the intensity and the theme of the book.
I wish to appreciate the authoress confidence to weave a story
inspite of diversification of circumstances and occasions and she has outdone it
It is worth a read if you want to try a story with suspense and make you scary.
I recommend this book to all thriller fans.
The following premises attract my attention.
Intelligent is useful when it is complete and comprehensive,
Somehow the complex web of the world is weaved in such a fashion that they are controlled and made to work for the politician and rich business people
In this digital age, Two things beat us. One fact to face discussions amongst people. Two obscurities of too much data,
The blurb highlights the inability of the Cheif of Intelligence to find the difference between the real and planned evidence.
This novel is capable of flooring you by the writing style , strong plot line, and social drama with all the emotions to make you cry and contemplate.
At around 326 pages this book is a fascinating read
This book is a must read book if you are looking for a socio-political thriller with indleible charecters .The social drama is crafted well where usage of new technology is giveen due significance..
Hello people ❤️ Usually I make book reviews on my YouTube channel but from now I will also write book reviews on goodreads So here is my first review
First of all thanks a lot to the author for giving me this review copy
Book - Let you be my puppet once Author - Preetika Mehra Publications- @notion.press Pages -316
PLOT It’s a story of 4 youngsters, who have just started their jobs in MNC , everything is going well until some powerful politicians make some very bad things happen to these youngster’s family and then these youngsters (Karan , Vedica , Josh , Saima ) decides to take revenge for whatever the politicians has done to their families . The best part of the book is how these four youngsters so easily make fool of the intelligence officers and how everything reveals in the end
Things I liked about the book - 1. It is a fast paced book 2. the character build up is good and are so realistic 3. Book is full of twist and turns which creates suspense until the very end of the book 4. Along with the bad politics , thrill , love story , it also has some simple funny things which will definitely make you laugh
Things I didn’t liked at all - 1. Writing could be much more better, writing is so simple 2. Death scenes could be more effective 3. There were some points , which I felt so irrelevant with the story 4. Then there were also some points which created confusion
Ratings - 🌟🌟/5 stars You can follow @readwithsumit For more such reviews
This is a well planned book keeping in mind the main characters from the start till the very end.
Karan, Saima, Vedica and Josh were starting out their lives after college settling for a new good life together, working hard staying away from their native hometowns; chilling together at weekends; looking forward to meaningful relationships.
All this came to an abrupt halt when the news of the death of Meghna, Saima's sister, reached them.
It was then and there that the four of them decided to teach a lesson to the so called 'powerful', 'untouchable' politicians and their similar minded sons.
*Highlights: ✔️Fast paced ✔️Not a dull moment while reading the book ✔️The characters were engaging ✔️The plot is straightforward ✔️Emotions kept well connected within the lines
However, the plot seems a bit too simple for my taste.
Now and then while reading the book, I felt like the characters were just escaping or running away instead of doing something else better.
The character of Saima was hinted somehow to be the centre of the story, instead Josh her partner was hailed as the main protagonist out of nowhere.
Still, Josh's character was not as solid as it is meant to be.
Preetika Mehra has delivered an amazing political thriller. Four friends have their lives turned around when they discover that one of their family members was killed by the hands of a politician. The story is about them seeking vengeance against corrupt and power abusive politicians.
We are given multiple points of view , the politicians, the friends and their family members and the cops. Multiple POV’s serves as a plus to drive and give direction to the story line.
The plot isn’t something one would be unfamiliar with the but pace makes up for it. The first 50 pages is a bit of the drag but after than its difficult to put the book down. The novel is plot driven hence the depth of the characters isn’t much. Its definitely a page turner, if you like thriller give this once a shot.
"These next few seconds were crucial for him as there is death down below, there is death coming from the door and there is death possibly waiting for him at the neighbour's house as well." - Preetika Mehra, Let You Be My Puppet Once<.i>
Honestly, if you're a fan of reading political thrillers, or thrillers in general, then don't even bother reading this review. Just go and buy it. I mean it.
If you're not a thriller fan then I hope after reading this review, you become one.
A friend of mine once told me something like this: "We humans are a weird species. Every time we don't understand the story of a book or movie, we call it brilliant and mind-opening." At that time, I didn't understand what he meant, but by the time I finished reading this book, I was pretty certain I had understood the depth of his lines.
Let You Be My Puppet Once is the story of good versus evil. It is the story of fighting for what is right, albeit using the wrong means. It is the story of vengeance. The story of money, corruption, and treachery. The story of thievery,
Let You Be My Puppet Once is the story of four adults, having just started on their new jobs, and working on taking revenge on the injustice that happened to their families. It is the story of Karan, Vedica, Josh and Saima.
When the sons of two important politicians try to molest Saima and Vedica, the girls go to the police station to report an FIR against them. Under the influence of those important people, the police says no to reporting and instead throws the girls out along with Karan and Saima. Later when Karan and Saima find out about the wrongs that have been inflicted upon their families by the important politicians of India, the four friends strive to take revenge for those immoral tasks.
And that is where the story of this book really begins.
Now in reference to the line I highlighted previously. Well, the plan the four people implemented was so tricky and so..well, difficult to understand that I didn't know whether I was more confused or whether I liked it more. *Laughs nervously*
Back to the review though.
I really liked the concept of the book. It was different to what I usually read and I ended up enjoying it whole-heartedly. Then there was the beautiful cover and title that attracted me. I truly enjoyed that part as well.
The pace of this book was pretty good and I didn't feel bored at a single instant. Neither did I get discouraged because of the narrative. The writing style was simple, beautiful and smooth as well.
In a nutshell, this book was unlike any I had read before. I loved how the author used various point of views to explain things to the reader. Although sometimes these many point of views cause nothing but irritation to me, they were formed in a pretty beautiful way here and helped me learn more of the story and enjoy.
What makes the book special though, is how the four friends had the courage to stand up for what is right. And the plans they implemented to make this work. Like I already said, there were so many aspects that worked really well for the book, but not for me as a reader since I didn't understand a few things myself. Like, how exactly was their plan implemented? What happened to Vedica in the end? How did she reach the embassy? Where did Saima, Josh and Karan go?
Oh, there were so many questions left unanswered. I can only hope that there is a sequel coming soon. Because if there is, then I wouldn't want to miss that for the world.
After reading the blurb I knew I was gonna get hooked and I was right.
The story revolves around four friends Saima, Josh, Vedica and Karan. A series of unfortunate events leads them to a journey full of conspiracy and treachery.
I really liked how gripping the story is and the credit goes to the author for the vivid symbolic imagery, the narration and the plot.
Every character has their own backstory which gives the reader an insight in their life and provide them the depth they deserved. The character development throughout the book is progressive and makes them relatable and to some extent, realistic.
There were a lot of layers in the book which unravel as the story progresses.
There were a few scenes which I found irrelevant but the thrill was too much so I kept going, not that I was gonna put it away. But I just felt that it got confusing at times maybe because the author was trying to showcase so many things which can be a challenge so it’s understandable.
The pace was normal, enough to keep the reader comfortable, though as a thriller, it didn’t keep me on edge like I was expecting.
The climax was unpredictable and enthralling but the end left me bewildered, I’ve so many unanswered questions, I hope there’s a sequel.
The writing style is good and language is easy to understand so I finished it pretty fast.
The book is a perfect blend of mystery with a story that covers vengeance, corruption and also touches some sensitive but crucial topics like rape.
For a debut novel, I’d say the author did a great job and deserves all the praise.
I’d especially recommend it to people who are new to this genre as this book will give you an idea how mystery/thriller works.
It has been a preset notion that political thrillers are men's forte. Here we have a lady who has proved it wrong and pulled off an excellent political thriller.
It is the story of 4 professionals Vedica, Josh, Saima and Karan, who were unknowingly affected by the political gambling. Uprooted by the death of Saima's sister, and a molestation attempt, the four friends decide to pull down the mafia by an ingenious plan which puts the investigating officers in deep trouble. Unable to find the real intention and plans of the four friends, the officers are confused to the core. Further unfolds a thrilling tale of tricks, blood, and brain.
Author has pulled off a very complicated scenario in the most comprehensive fashion. The characters are crafted well. Author has taken great care and given enough space for the characters to develop. The pace of the book is fluctuating but once the four protagonists are on the run the story becomes interesting and the pace gains momentum. The subplot with the romantic scenes were seamlessly merged with the plot. It takes off like an easy read which is a YA romance and further changes shape into a hardcore investigative thriller
The character of Pratap's brother stood out like a sore thumb without development and even a name mentioned. Another fact that is questionable is the common use of lie detectors.
there is death coming from the door and there is death possibly waiting for him at the neighbour’s house as well.” – Preetika Mehra
Let You Be My Puppet Once is the story of four adults, having just started on their new jobs, and working on taking revenge on the injustice that happened to their families. It is the story of Karan, Vedica, Josh and Saima.
The start itself is very interesting and engaging and the book is adequately fast. The pace is perfect. There a lot of twists n turns presented in a very suspense building and linking manner.
As the name Indian politicians always manipulate lower people for there work. The same happens in the story. This is one of the best thriller book I came across . THE MOST FAVORITE PART the plan the four people implemented was so tricky and so fun well, difficult to understand at first but, as we move forward with book its open everything.(just like Dhrusham movie everything opens at end) . Speciality of book how the four friends had the courage to stand up for what is right. And the plans they implemented to make this work. What happened to Vedica in the end? How did she reach the embassy? Where did all four people go ? What Happened to them? . Seriously great work I appreciate your way of thinking to make this book more than awesome . Rate 4/5 . . .
Situations can make or break people. “Let you be my puppet once” is the story of a group of friends who for once turn the police and the bad guys as puppets in their ploy to avenge their crimes. The situations which lead them to take such an extreme step, how they execute their revenge and how they get away with it, forms the story.
The plot of the book is great and makes the book a page turner. The character definitions are great and the author takes ample time to reach the core of the plot before initiating the racy part of the book. The story as such does not hold any mystery but it is the twists and turns and the chase of the investigators right on the protagonists’ heels, which make the book a thrilling read. Much importance is also given to the action line and the frustrations of the investigation teams and their sponsors.
The letdown of the book was the flow of the narration. The narration lacks fluidity and feels like the bumpy ride, frequently applying brakes while driving in heavy traffic.
I recommend the book for those who are new to the thriller and adventure fiction genre. A great book to chew in parts and swallow, but would have liked to chew and digest had the narration been smoother.
Let you be my Puppet once is a story of Four friends, Saima, Vedica, Josh and Karan. Saima and Vedica are harassed by two boys, that's when the four of them plans to take the revenge. Karan's father is an income tax officer, Saima comes from business and political family, Josh comes from a middle-class family and Vedica's Parents are in US. Four friends, Politics, Revenge and Love. A story full of twists and turns.
Firstly, The cover and the title of the book could have been something else. The plot of the story is good, but then what confuses one is subplots. There are so many places where we finally connect with the story but then another character enters and it becomes confusing. The narration was too good. The pace of the story is good. The flow is smooth and crisp. The language used by the author is simple and interesting. The story could have been more good if there were no changing plots. The story no doubt has twists and turns, suspense, but then changing plots made it confusing. The characters the author made were amazing. each of them had their own importance and contribution. I loved John's character the most. The writing style of the author is engrossing. There are many themes that one will witness in this book. Politics, relationships, friendship, and Love.
Overall, there are strong Characters, Simple language, Interesting language. Overall, it's a simple, easy and interesting read with lots of twists.
O hello! all the my type people who just love thriller book. LET YOU BE MY PUPPET ONCE is a masala book with political twist.
🌺Book- LET YOU BE MY PUPPET ONCE 🌺Pages- 316 🌺Publication- Notion press 🌺Genre- Political thriller 🌺Age - 14+
🌸The story goes around four people... Karan, Josh, Vedica and Saima. 🌸They four decided to take revenge from a political party cause they have done something really bad with them.
🌸All the politics lover will definitely love this book . 🌸Omg... I was connected with the author from first to last page. 🌸30-40 pages from the start the plot is little bit slow but after that it goes on with a great speed. 🌸The plot and characters both are well explained. 🌸The narration is too good. 🌸It is definitely a page turner.
😎 I want to read more political thriller book like this. 😋 I just love this and i am waithing for the sequal.
🙄🙄 How you can read this ???
😋😋😋👉👉👉 just have your fav drink and read it in one go 😋
A group of friends decide to take a revenge against high profile politicians and expose them. What follows is a roller coaster ride that you would thoroughly enjoy and hold on to. Somewhere the story does become predictable but not for long. Each page does unveil something new and a different twist & turn. The author has left no loose ends and she has done a commendable job with the storyline. It has a typical Bollywood edge to it. It indeed makes a refreshing read. Would recommend it to thriller lovers.
Terrific! GREAT and most interesting fiction, and well done!. Excellent! This one really makes you wonder. Decent political novel, a little slow to start. An interesting view on how politics can dictate how we live in today's society. It is something that how the story was not real but contains Up to date situations.
Saima, Josh, Vedica and Karan are true friends. Josh belongs to Kerala and his father runs a small shop. Karans father is an income tax officer. Saima belongs to a well-known business family. One day the four friends happened to receive a bad news of Saimas sister Meghnas sudden death. On hearing the news Saima rushed to her native place. Saima is unable to believe her sister committed suicide. After few days she comes back to join with her friends.
Rana is the Chief Minister of State, Pratap was , Central Govt as Natural Resources Minister.Rana is having two sons named Kapil and Suraj and Pratap’s son Zoravar. They are well known to Saima as her father is having business dealings with all politicians.
One day Saima and her friends receive few leads about Meghnas death. Whether Meghna committed suicide or something is fishy about her sudden death? The four friends unanimously deciding to investigate further which leads them in to more trouble.
I loved this book by Preetika Mehra. My thanks to the author for writing about critical issues that absolutely NEEDS to be addressed. I know it's a novel, but I can't help but think it could happen. This book presents a plausible story in which a political group, using both legal and illegal measures, attempts to beat the system. I loved the writer's style -- it's entertaining and enjoyable reading -- with believable characters and just enough intrigue to keep the reader's interest. The climax might be a bit contrived, but it's still a really good (and quick) read. The plot is engrossing and eye-opening. This will certainly ruffle your feathers if you lean one way or the other politically. Preetika Mehra is unarguably a very talented and creative writer, but more than that she genuinely impressed me with her thorough word-building and interesting characters and inventiveness on many levels. Great detailing gives this story authenticity and we genuinely feel transported into this complex, epic tale from the very beginning of the story. Interesting with enough twists and turns that kept me reading! Well done! The author has done a great job writing this book, it is her debut novel. I would most definitely read a sequel if there was one.
Political Thriller are not that popular in the country like India. Political thriller novels are powerful tales of intrigue and terror, of patriotism and political corruption, that leaves the reader – well, thrilled. So when I read the blurb of Let you be my puppet once, I felt like I should definitely read this one. And not to forget the classy cover.
The book starts with the businessman Swaraj imploring Rana not to harm his daughter Meghana. Rana is the chief minister of UP, the powerful politician. Meghana has some videos and that have reached to the journalist. And hence reached to Rana. What is bothering Rana, that he is taking such steps to harm Meghana? What's there in the video? Meanwhile the story takes us to the life of four close friends Karan, Saima, Vedica and Josh. The author then introduces us to their life and relationship. Their new career in the new city. When everything seems to be going smooth Saima gets a call from her mother and she learns that her sister Meghana is found dead in her room.
Will Saima ever able to join the dots? Does she learn what's the reason behind her murder? If yes, what is her next move, will she ever able to bring the justice for her sister's death? That's the remaining part of the crux.
A crisply written, well-researched, and thoroughly entertaining thriller. With the simple language Preetika is able to plot a good story by pulling some twists at the intervals. The book starts with the low pace and it then picks up after 100 and odd pages. It doesn't seem like difficult to follow the story line, the readers can see what's coming. The layer narrative seems to be confusing at times. Despite of all these factors, the book still holds the reader's immersion with the exuberant characters.
Overall, Let you be my puppet once is a decent political thriller by the debutante Preetika Mehra. Apart from a few flaws, the author delivers the solid story. There's lots of scope for the author, I'm looking forward reading more books from Preetika. With the little fine tuning she can be the next bestseller. If you're bored with the stereotypes or the clichéd Romance tale this book is a great pick. I rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars!
REVIEW: So this is basically a story of 4 MNC employed friends and their revenge on some renowned politicians and businessmen. I can't say more as I don't want to spoil the story line.
So the novel starts slowly, actually very slowly. It took a long time to enter the main story line. I mean that the mood and plot making is absolutely necessary but it was too slow. This type of start usually makes the reader impatient. The narration was straight but hardly had any hook. There were some interesting line for sure but in very minor number. It seemed that the author was struggling to make it a fashionable urban thriiler.
But hopefully the novel suddenly picked up speed by changing it's gear hugely. The mood, motive completely change and the real story line begin. Surprisingly the rest part was really enjoyable and gripping. It proves itself as a decent political thriller. The author deals with some political and economic issues quite brilliantly. Her take on was not completely unique but absolutely gripping. The pace was perfect. Character building was decent.
Still some problem comes. As it was not a whodunit thriller, so reader can see the actual happening clearly. The storyline was little bit predictable. It was good that the author didn't put some childish twist in the middle but she can't hold this and made an unnecessary turn in the finale which disturbed it's satisfying finishing. The book could've been 70 page shorter.
Still the storytelling was fair and I really like some chapters very much - 'Lonavala Blues', 'Pratap's Rise in politics','Pune saga', 'Jay's escape' etc. As a debutante, I have to say the author did a appreciated job to write mature fiction instead of romance and she is successfulb in major areas. Little short volume could make it more prominent.
But I really enjoyed it. Try this political thriller to change your taste and you will love it.
Most of the book is the intelligence agency trying to figure out where the central four are and how they are travelling. Whenever the book switches to that aspect of the central four, it’s uninteresting because the central four don’t seem to have any challenges facing them. They seem to have good hacking skills, good make-up talent, great underworld contacts, superb acting skills, etc. They hardly face a single challenge.
Also, the book starts off very slow. The book is initially about four rich people, living the life, although the author is very intent on making it seem like they have a mediocre life (of course in comparison to the politicians!). And then suddenly when a murder occurs, their conscience is awakened.
During this time, it is also never shown that these four are geniuses, no signal at all that they can take intelligence agencies of various nations for a ride. They are caricatures at the beginning and by the end, I doubt they become more than that.
I actually could not believe it when I reached the end that the author managed to set up a sequel! Also, the Indian publishing industry really needs good sub-editors and proofreaders. This book looks like it was published after the first draft itself. Even the title of the novel makes no grammatical sense.
"Let You be My Puppet Once" is a thriller about a group of four college-aged kids who enact a plan of revenge against a couple of politicians and consequently become fugitives of the law. I looked forward to reading this book as I found it on the list of top political thriller books on bookriot.com.
Sadly, this book is a huge letdown. The writing is really bad. I'm willing to give the author, Preetika Mehra, the benefit of the doubt; the quality may be the result of a muddled translation. It's a shock that the draft made it past a professional edit. Idioms that may have worked in the original language (likely Hindi) come across as strange and often laughable in the text. Jumps in time frame are handled inelegantly. Bad grammar and missing words abound.
The strongest parts of the book are passages that comment on the convoluted state of politics in India. I'm a first-generation American of Indian descent and am familiar enough with the culture to know how pervasive the corruption is over there. Several chapters are devoted to the backstories of key figures in the story and their rise to power. Each one seems to have a darkly ironic twist. They read like mini-editorials. The thriller elements conflict with this pseudo-journalistic material. Three-quarters of the way through the book, a scandal involving oil is discovered out of nowhere that has nothing to do with the main story or characters. It would be great to see Mehra write a non-fiction look into the actual current events that inspired the transgressions of the book.
While the macro portrait of idiosyncratic corruption is interesting, the characters are all two-dimensional. The college kids, who are portrayed as carefree partiers early in the book, suddenly become strategic masterminds when the thriller elements kick into high gear. I wasn't even really rooting for them. Beyond their ability to disguise themselves and foil police, the girls have rich fathers, which provides an unearned convenience to their escape. In addition:
The foursome is always two steps ahead (a point that is literally repeated throughout the novel) of the antagonists, who in contrast come across as hot-headed brutes. Very little of the intelligent scheming that allowed them to achieve power is evident in their attempts to catch the fugitives. Yet somehow, a local gangster and a loyal servant for one of the girl's families are able to track them down later in the book. Because of the nefarious politicians' and intelligence officials' general incompetence, the tension dissipates the longer the story drags on. (A point that stands out, because a bulk of the story is told from their perspective).
I raced to finish "Let You Be My Puppet Once," not because I couldn't put the book down, but because I was hoping some major twist would explain the book's presence on bookriot's list. Instead, it's a long slog with little payoff.
Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
Book: Let You Be My Puppet Once Author: Preetika Mehra Paperback: 326 pages Publisher: Notion Press, Inc.; 1st edition (21 April 2018) Format: Kindle Price: 107.38 Ratings: ***/5*
Preetika Mehra’s debut novel ‘Let You Be My Puppet Once’ a political thriller which questions our system and digs out many unsaid facts which prevails in our modern day society. The author begins her narration with a light note where she starts with a tale of four friends, who are having well paid jobs, secured lifestyle. For them unlike others life was like a roller coaster ride until something happens with one of their closed ones which shaken their very existence and they start questioning the system. In this course of their journey, they face the real World, a world and a system that is controlled, dominated by the moneyed, powerful people. Well these four friends be able to bring justice and emerge as winners in their journey is what is installed for you is this political thriller cum satire Let You Be My Puppet Once. The plot deserves praise for selecting a serious topic in the very first story is worth a mention where the author has even carefully represented the subject. As a reader we feel a good research work is also done by the author herself. The author has made a nice portal of the characters – be it today youth represented by Saima, Josh, Karan, Vadika or the corrupt politicians or the officials. As a reader I found the narration and language a bit slow and monotonous in the initial chapters, but once the story moves forward, the narration grips pace and one wish to finish the book at one go. I would like to mention certain points which I felt could have been a little better or could have been worked upon - firstly the division of chapter . Each of the chapters was extremely small and concise. It felt like they were finished before even we were starting them. Also as reader who reads different types of stories be it in newspaper articles, books and novels of different kinds I, found the plot was very predictable at some places but towards the end comes with amazing turn of events. The author also should be praised for the amazing selection of the book’s title and the cover and its creative, it completely goes in sink with subject and the plot. But I would like to mention one thing both to the author as well to the marketing team that when you are providing a reviewer with a book for its review, maintain the basic step of sending a physical copy. Overall the book is good piece of literary fiction from a debut author with amazing choice of subject and I recommend it to the literary lovers.
About the Author: Preetika Gupta is a 1990-born, Economics Graduate from the University of Delhi. She completed her MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Delhi in 2016 and is currently working with an MNC in Chennai, India. Since her childhood, she has been passionate about social structures, economic policies and philosophy, analyzing and finding connections in all of them. In her free time, she loves reading and learning about Zodiac signs, practicing yoga, and cooking. (Source: Amazon)
A story about four friends - Saima, Vedica , Karan and Josh. Also a story of three powerful people - Swaraj, Pratap and Rana and there useless, spoiled and goon like children - Kapil, Suraj and Zoravar. The first chapter itself gives a sense of something impending and ominous to happen. Just when the four were shaping their lives in Mumbai, back in Lucknow Saima's sister Meghna gets savagely murdered. Being known for a really likeable nature nobody could understand why would anyone on Earth kill her. This incident shatters their life but they go back to Mumbai to continue with their lives. Saima's father Swaraj has good connections with Pratap and Rana the cabinet minister and chief minister of UP respectively. Their sons had been in close proximity with Saima and Meghna from childhood. Later trying to move on with life they head towards Lonavala where the Ministers' sons ask the girls to meet them up and eventually which is pretty predictable they get molested by Kapil, Suraj and newly introduced Zoravar. The police too declines their request on registering a FIR rather telling them it's not the taxes that they get paid by but it's the beggarly remuneration that the politicians shower on them by which they make a living. Later, the four come to know about Meghna's whereabouts which might have had her murdered from some five to six video clips in her iCloud account. The plot takes a quick pace as the four decide to screw the system which had made their life hell by murdering one's sister, falsifying one's dad and throwing out of the job of Income tax , and molesting the girls , one being Josh's beloved. I'd really love a sequel or perhaps another book from the author. The ending wasn't expected and I was taken aback trying to wonder what was the author thinking while writing this piece of art. The characterization of the spoiled brats and the beggarly thinking of our police fraternity along with our beloved politicians was rightly shown in the light of disgrace. To me it's a really bold piece of fiction. Each new turn gave me goosebumps with either not me knowing what's going to happen next nor the characters. A must read for suspense and thriller lovers.
"I received a copy of this book through the BOOK GENIE REVIEW PROGRAM." The book is a political thriller which is based on the fact how political leaders, by using their powers, manipulate the system according to their wishes. The story is about how Saima and her four friends- Josh, Karan, Meghna and Vedica avenge the death of Meghna, Saima's sister and the wrong doings done by the corrupt leaders. Meghna was too sweet a girl to be murdered and the system too corrupted to be controlled. Their plan was so astounding that even the Intelligence Bureau failed to hatch their plan. They were constantly on the move and were trying their level best to confuse the IB. A perfect thriller with the characters being detailed and well developed. The language used is easy and understandable. The cover is really interesting and shows that the system as puppets in the hands of someone. There are several stories together twined but the author makes sure that each and every one of them don't get muddled up and confuses the reader. Initially the pace is slow but gradually picks up pace. The characterization of the rich politicians' children is very relatable and to ice the topping also enraging. Somewhere near chapter 10 the police officials turn down the request of filing a complaint of molestation against Zoravar, Kapil and Suraj because their fathers are politicians and help them on the other side other than the meagre salary they get from the common people who pay taxes. The policeman tells about his constable who has a a pub and several posh cars by the grace of corruption and asks them to shut down the case, head towards the pub - they'd also get a 30% off. There are Instances like these which makes one ponder about the effect one has on the society. The first chapter itself indicates of some impending doom. The only thing I didn't like about the book is it's division of the story into multiple extremely short chapters which made my reading sometimes tiresome. The author has done a fantastic job and is one of the best books I've read so far in this year.
Must read for the lovers of thriller genre! Rating - 5🌟
Quite a good break from some very poorly written and edited Indian authors I have read recently! Congratulations to the author for writing a pretty gripping first novel.
Title - The title befits the story-line. Based in India, where every citizen at some point or the other feels manipulated in the hands of the Government, the reference to being a 'puppet' is apt. However, what happens when the tables turn and it is the political leaders that are being puppet-ed by those who have suffered under their reign is reflected well in the title.
Story line - The blurb explains the story perfectly. Unlike many books that I have recently, the blurb is not misleading and the reader knows exactly what they are in for. The story is of four friends avenging the wrongs done to them by corrupt and criminally motivated political leaders. The backgrounds of the characters have been dealt with beautifully and one can easily connect the pieces and clues included sporadically in every chapter. How the four manage to manipulate the top Government agencies and survive against all odds is something that the reader will know only once they pick up the book. Every chapter leaves the reader on tenterhooks, and that is one of the reasons why I finished the book in one-two sittings.
Language: The language is flowy and gripping. No unnecessary jargon and irrelevant musings (which seems to be the trend these days) has been included, just for the sake of making the prose more flowery, and I am very happy about that! The narrative is easy to understand and is a good, light yet gripping read.
Editing: The editing, however, much to my disappointment, is poor. The book needs some heavy duty editing before the next edition is out.
Definitely recommended. Read it with an open mind, don't expect to be mind-blown and you'll enjoy the book. Hi5 to the author for being an exception to the rule of trashy romance books.
“I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset“
As i started with the book i thought of it as just another “good and then turned worse” friends waala story but as the story progressed i realised it was more than that. The plot was indepth, well thought of and carefully written.
Saima, Josh, vedica and karan are four friends working in mumbai. Everything goes well until an unfortunate incident shackles the very foundation of their peaceful lives. This provokes them to go on an avenging spree.
The plot thickens in the latter part of story, with the four friends trying to escape. The tricks used in the escapade was innovative, smart and new to me, it was the best way of setting this story standout from others or otherwise it would have felt very filmy.
I loved the detailed characterisation of each and everyone in the plot however miniscule part they played in the story. Though it was good to see such clarity in the author’s mind about her characters, it was like a speed breaker in an otherwise flowing plot, understandably it was necessary to throw light on some of their backgrounds which would help us understand the character better, i would have preferred a much shorter introduction.
I rate a book on how much addictive it was to me, leaving the first half, i was hooked to the last part towards the end especially.
My favourite character was hands down whitney, Jay’s lawyer. The part where she handles jay’s interrogators was intellectually amazing. my curiosity has upped multifold as to where did the author got the inspiration for whitney’s character. It absolutely deserves to be a part of some movie.
Narration was flowy, language was perfect. For a debut author it was quite impressive.
The End was unexpected and i am mighty curious about what happened next.
Final verdict:
its not the usual story of friends you come across. It has something which is imperative to a story – ‘Plot’.. well executed one!