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Make Love Not Scars
‘This book proves that no matter who you are, you can always help another in need’ – SHAHRUKH KHAN ‘Her book is all about that indomitable grit that dismantles stereotypes in which society places the survivors of acid attacks’ –– KAILASH SATYARTHI ‘A powerful tribute to the strength of acid-attack survivors’—– FARHAN AKHTAR ‘Not just a book about acid-attack survivors but an inspiring read about how you can help them too’ –– SAIF ALI KHAN ‘The stories captured here are not only about pain; they are about overcoming and thriving. Pick up this book only if you want to be inspired to change the world’ —– KAPIL DEV A Delhi brat studying fashion design at Leeds College of Art decides to devote her final-year project to ‘women’s empowerment'. What begins as a one-off engagement with the lives of acid-attack survivors draws her back to India to shoot a documentary on their lives. Then, an effort to raise funds for one of the survivors catapults Ria Sharma into the corrosive, devastating world of acid attacks. Today, she runs the award-winning NGO Make Love Not Scars, which works with survivors to raise funds. This is the story of how, over the years, Ria slowly learnt to find her groove as a campaigner and crusader as well as counter death threats, ageism and sexism. Her own story is closely woven with the stories of the many women who have helped her grow from a fickle girl into a woman of substance. Peppered with humour and bubbling with wisdom, Make Love Not Scars is an unusual coming-of-age tale.
- GenresNonfiction
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 25, 2019
14 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Ria Sharma
12 books5 followersRia Sharma is the founder of the NGO Make Love Not Scars (MLNS), which has since 2014 rehabilitated over sixty acid-attack survivors and significantly contributed towards the awareness around the sale of acid and acid attacks in India. Their campaign #EndAcidSale won a Gold Cannes Lion in film in 2016. And MLNS became the first NGO to win Brand of the Year at the CNBC-TV18 Indian Business Leader Awards. In 2017 Ria became the first Indian to receive the United Nations Bill and Melinda Gates GoalKeepers Global Goals Award; in 2018 she featured on Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 and was named on India Today’s ‘50 most influential women under 50’ list.
Ria is also the author of Make Love Not Scars, the book.
Ria is also the author of Make Love Not Scars, the book.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 31, 2022
I read 'Being Reshma' by Reshma Qureshi and Tania Singh 3 years back, a story of an acid attack survivor. It was disturbing, and at the same time a very inspiring book. I later came across this book written by the founder of the NGO who helped Reshma, but somehow got around to reading it only now.
Ria Sharma’s story till she attended college in UK can be regarded as quite typical for an upper middle-class family. The first issue which really made her think deeply was the Nirbhaya incident, as it did much of the country - for the brutality the victim faced and the hopes all had that she would recover. Subsequently, while in her last year of college she came across news items of acid victims in Pakistan and then India. She decided to make a documentary on the topic and flew to India.
As she met victims, doctors and visited burn units in hospitals, the situation depressed her and at the same time motivated her to do more than make a documentary. The stories of the acid attack victims (majority being women) have similar patterns of rage by someone known for reasons such as suspicion of infidelity, resisting violence (even a case of asking of overdue rent is included in the book). In many ways this is the ultimate act of dehumanizing the other – destroying their looks in a society which values it the most. This sends the victims into hiding, destroys their self-esteem & career, drains their finances, while the battle to sentence the perpetuators drags on.
There are some laws and Supreme Court verdicts I learnt about which came into place over the years – acid attack victims cannot be refused hospital admissions and have to be treated free (does not always happen though), and the sale of acid has been regulated. The cases & the difficult treatment (requiring several surgeries) methods make for painful reading. At the same time, it is also heartening to read about victims who rebuilt their lives. Reshma’s story also finds coverage towards the end of the book. The NGO also won many awards, and Ria Sharma met many prominent personalities such as Priyanka Chopra and also former US President Barack Obama.
I found the difficult work done by MLNS, doctors, care-givers and other support staff to be very inspiring. Hopefully, someday very soon, we will see an end to such brutal & senseless violence.
My rating: 4.5 / 5.
Ria Sharma’s story till she attended college in UK can be regarded as quite typical for an upper middle-class family. The first issue which really made her think deeply was the Nirbhaya incident, as it did much of the country - for the brutality the victim faced and the hopes all had that she would recover. Subsequently, while in her last year of college she came across news items of acid victims in Pakistan and then India. She decided to make a documentary on the topic and flew to India.
As she met victims, doctors and visited burn units in hospitals, the situation depressed her and at the same time motivated her to do more than make a documentary. The stories of the acid attack victims (majority being women) have similar patterns of rage by someone known for reasons such as suspicion of infidelity, resisting violence (even a case of asking of overdue rent is included in the book). In many ways this is the ultimate act of dehumanizing the other – destroying their looks in a society which values it the most. This sends the victims into hiding, destroys their self-esteem & career, drains their finances, while the battle to sentence the perpetuators drags on.
There are some laws and Supreme Court verdicts I learnt about which came into place over the years – acid attack victims cannot be refused hospital admissions and have to be treated free (does not always happen though), and the sale of acid has been regulated. The cases & the difficult treatment (requiring several surgeries) methods make for painful reading. At the same time, it is also heartening to read about victims who rebuilt their lives. Reshma’s story also finds coverage towards the end of the book. The NGO also won many awards, and Ria Sharma met many prominent personalities such as Priyanka Chopra and also former US President Barack Obama.
I found the difficult work done by MLNS, doctors, care-givers and other support staff to be very inspiring. Hopefully, someday very soon, we will see an end to such brutal & senseless violence.
My rating: 4.5 / 5.
November 25, 2020
It was a few nights after the release of the Bollywood movie 'Chapak'-- a movie about 'acid attacks' in India. As a natural consequence, there was an increased media attention on this heinous practice, where jilted lovers and husbands throw acid on the face of women when things do not go their way -- the women's crimes ranging from refusing marriage proposals to disobeying their husbands. In one of the promotional links, I stumbled across Ria Sharma's Instagram handle and read about her organization which works with rehabilitating the acid attack survivors. I immediately decided to buy her book and read it in order to understand her work, her motivations and her journey.
As I spent 23 years of my life in India, I was not exactly foreign to this terrible form of abuse, but even then, it was an extremely harrowing read. Sharma writes with a very honest, heartfelt voice about how she came about to start her NGO, the survivors and some of their stories, and how it all translates into the grander gender violence still prevalent in India. Some parts are extremely graphic, as she describes the scenes of the burn ward in a local government hospital, and the many stories of abuse and assault.
It can't help but make you shed a tear or two of awe for those strong women who turned their lives around in spite of all that life threw(pun intended) their way.
It is not a well written book, if you judge it from a technical perspective-- at times it reads like a long blog post or an even longer Instagram caption, but still, the writing possesses an authentic voice which demands to be heard. For it is not it's literary excellence with makes this book a good read, but the stories which Sharma brings to light. Hopefully, there will come a day when we can look forward to an India where such social evils are a thing of the distant past, but till then we need women like Sharma who continue to create awareness about such issues.
Highly recommend, but it's not for those who might be triggered with tales of abuse.
As I spent 23 years of my life in India, I was not exactly foreign to this terrible form of abuse, but even then, it was an extremely harrowing read. Sharma writes with a very honest, heartfelt voice about how she came about to start her NGO, the survivors and some of their stories, and how it all translates into the grander gender violence still prevalent in India. Some parts are extremely graphic, as she describes the scenes of the burn ward in a local government hospital, and the many stories of abuse and assault.
It can't help but make you shed a tear or two of awe for those strong women who turned their lives around in spite of all that life threw(pun intended) their way.
It is not a well written book, if you judge it from a technical perspective-- at times it reads like a long blog post or an even longer Instagram caption, but still, the writing possesses an authentic voice which demands to be heard. For it is not it's literary excellence with makes this book a good read, but the stories which Sharma brings to light. Hopefully, there will come a day when we can look forward to an India where such social evils are a thing of the distant past, but till then we need women like Sharma who continue to create awareness about such issues.
Highly recommend, but it's not for those who might be triggered with tales of abuse.
March 11, 2019
Make love not scars.
~
Huge thanks to @ria13sharma and @westland_books for sending over this gorgeous book.
~
There are not enough words to explain how beautiful and educational this book is. I devoured it in a single sitting and the aftermath of it is a bittersweet feeling. I wasn't sure what to expect when I initially started reading this book but very soon I got the hang of it and I simply could not put it down. This book serves as a witness to many brave battles fought against the most inhuman crime that any person can commit.
~
Acid attack survivors and their tales have been put across all the social medias to help spread awareness. Ria Sharma penned down this beautiful book to help us view the world through her lens and it shook me. It made me realise that we live in such a shallow world, engrossed in our own selfish motives to care about anything else. Ria Sharma founded an NGO called Make love not scars with not much hopes of it being so successful as it is today by leaving her studies behind in the UK. Today the NGO has earned much recognition, awards and is serving the community unabashedly.
~
She writes down candidly about why she decided to run an NGO and the humungous efforts that goes into it. She describes many survivors that she met throughout her journey who are now her friends and family. Their stories are painful and it ached my heart to see how a single hateful moment can destroy someone's life, turning it upside down. But this book is not about pity or tragedy and this is why I absolutely loved reading it. It's about honesty and the rawness in which Ria shares her insecurities with us, her anxiety issues, her fight against hospitals in providing justice to the survivors and their fight against the societal stigma.
~
I loved how she put out her heart onto the pages as she discusses about money and all the constraints that comes along with running an NGO. Yet, through all those gloomy days, she shined like the brightest star and helped countless people in finding their feet back on the ground. It was an eye-opening read and I'd urge everyone to pick it up and know what happens in the background. This book is fierce and full of love.
~
5 stars.
~
Huge thanks to @ria13sharma and @westland_books for sending over this gorgeous book.
~
There are not enough words to explain how beautiful and educational this book is. I devoured it in a single sitting and the aftermath of it is a bittersweet feeling. I wasn't sure what to expect when I initially started reading this book but very soon I got the hang of it and I simply could not put it down. This book serves as a witness to many brave battles fought against the most inhuman crime that any person can commit.
~
Acid attack survivors and their tales have been put across all the social medias to help spread awareness. Ria Sharma penned down this beautiful book to help us view the world through her lens and it shook me. It made me realise that we live in such a shallow world, engrossed in our own selfish motives to care about anything else. Ria Sharma founded an NGO called Make love not scars with not much hopes of it being so successful as it is today by leaving her studies behind in the UK. Today the NGO has earned much recognition, awards and is serving the community unabashedly.
~
She writes down candidly about why she decided to run an NGO and the humungous efforts that goes into it. She describes many survivors that she met throughout her journey who are now her friends and family. Their stories are painful and it ached my heart to see how a single hateful moment can destroy someone's life, turning it upside down. But this book is not about pity or tragedy and this is why I absolutely loved reading it. It's about honesty and the rawness in which Ria shares her insecurities with us, her anxiety issues, her fight against hospitals in providing justice to the survivors and their fight against the societal stigma.
~
I loved how she put out her heart onto the pages as she discusses about money and all the constraints that comes along with running an NGO. Yet, through all those gloomy days, she shined like the brightest star and helped countless people in finding their feet back on the ground. It was an eye-opening read and I'd urge everyone to pick it up and know what happens in the background. This book is fierce and full of love.
~
5 stars.
November 26, 2020
TW: Child abuse; Acid attacks
After reading 'Being Reshma' a memoir of an acid attack survivor last year, I very much remember Ria's name continuously ringing in my mind sub consciously for a while like an after effect. Reshma thanked Ria in every step of her journey in that book from self dejection to ramp walk in New York for boosting up at every break down. When I came across this book I dare not miss the opportunity to read about what made Ria at the age of 21 to be this enthusiastically empathetic towards others' lives & dream others' dreams so much as her's.
I never felt like reading a book , it was just Ria talking to me instead- honest , genuine, humorous & everything straight from her heart.
🌸🌸🌸
The only way to cure survivors' suffering & to negate their sudden uphill of suicidal thoughts is to treat them with complete indifference- as normal as any other. Ria has done the same thing- she has pumped a blow of confidence in them enough to reinvent themselves. There were instances where I blenched & squirmed while reading the sufferings of victims screaming & writhing in pain thronging in the hallways of burns ward.
🌸🌸🌸
Ria sharply points out that women are considered as an epitome of external beauty rather than their inner persona so that the attackers intend to deprive off their self confidence by marring their faces forever. She has penned down the practical problems she had faced while setting up campaigns for funding for surgeries of victims & during establishing NGO-' Make Love Not Scars' ; and then the never ending financial crunch that is to be tackled. She rightly & frankly mentions with her own experiences the reasons behind why youth take backstep choosing up their career as a social activist thanks to lack of support in the society.
🌸🌸🌸
For the survivors, who are akin to a directionless & abanded boat, Ria acted as a tiller propelling & veering them from wild cyclonic storms of trauma.
There is this intangible driving force with which Ria holds the survivors hands & blindfolding them while passing their 'charred' &'scarred' paths & thereby ushering from her warm sojourn to their anew & enlighted destination awaiting ahead.
After reading 'Being Reshma' a memoir of an acid attack survivor last year, I very much remember Ria's name continuously ringing in my mind sub consciously for a while like an after effect. Reshma thanked Ria in every step of her journey in that book from self dejection to ramp walk in New York for boosting up at every break down. When I came across this book I dare not miss the opportunity to read about what made Ria at the age of 21 to be this enthusiastically empathetic towards others' lives & dream others' dreams so much as her's.
I never felt like reading a book , it was just Ria talking to me instead- honest , genuine, humorous & everything straight from her heart.
🌸🌸🌸
The only way to cure survivors' suffering & to negate their sudden uphill of suicidal thoughts is to treat them with complete indifference- as normal as any other. Ria has done the same thing- she has pumped a blow of confidence in them enough to reinvent themselves. There were instances where I blenched & squirmed while reading the sufferings of victims screaming & writhing in pain thronging in the hallways of burns ward.
🌸🌸🌸
Ria sharply points out that women are considered as an epitome of external beauty rather than their inner persona so that the attackers intend to deprive off their self confidence by marring their faces forever. She has penned down the practical problems she had faced while setting up campaigns for funding for surgeries of victims & during establishing NGO-' Make Love Not Scars' ; and then the never ending financial crunch that is to be tackled. She rightly & frankly mentions with her own experiences the reasons behind why youth take backstep choosing up their career as a social activist thanks to lack of support in the society.
🌸🌸🌸
For the survivors, who are akin to a directionless & abanded boat, Ria acted as a tiller propelling & veering them from wild cyclonic storms of trauma.
There is this intangible driving force with which Ria holds the survivors hands & blindfolding them while passing their 'charred' &'scarred' paths & thereby ushering from her warm sojourn to their anew & enlighted destination awaiting ahead.
November 10, 2019
The author highlighted herself through her own life story instead of women of acid attack victims. Some parts are inflamted and not reflected real story.
October 24, 2019
A brave story by a brave author. To have ventured into the domain of tracking down acid victims and then making an attempt to support them is indeed a brave endeavor. The narration betrays authors commitment to the cause and she pursues this cause despite adverse set of circumstances. Truly remarkable.
September 25, 2019
Book review 36:
.
Make love not scars by Ria Sharma
.
Foreword :
Whoa!! How much the 'just' 27 year old author has selflessly done for our society to promote the awareness and rehabilitation of acid attack victims at such a young age is indeed mind blowing. Hats off @ria13sharma
.
About the book:
This book starts with the life story of Ria Sharma, her younger days, a bit about her family and goes on to mention how she went on to take up a degree in fashion design and while brainstorming for her final year project the author chances upon acid attack survivors in India , how she is intrigued and interested in doing her bit for them which essentially marks the birth of an ngo by the same name. .
.
Most of the book deals with the trials and tribulations the young author undergoes to set up a rehabilitation system for acid attack survivors , right from dealing with hospitals for their treatment, to getting them their legal rights to gathering funds, to making them comfortable in their skin (pun unintended) , to counselling them, to making them live their dreams and further going that extra step to make them self employed and lead a respectable life ahead. .
.
Takeaway :
While the focus in our country is on rape, domestic abuse etc there is not much being said or done for the acid attack cases. Considering that, kudos to Ria for opening our eyes to the complete horror that their story is. This book has indeed broadened my perspective to this social cause. It brings tears to my eyes how bravely these girls have withstood their test in time and stand bold and courageous to face the world while the rest of us complain of a measly headache or some such . How trivial, our daily complaints. Do read this book folks, if you haven't already !!
FOR SIMILAR BOOK REVIEWS do follow me on instagram @rushme_reviews.
.
.
Rating :⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ excellent .
.
Make love not scars by Ria Sharma
.
Foreword :
Whoa!! How much the 'just' 27 year old author has selflessly done for our society to promote the awareness and rehabilitation of acid attack victims at such a young age is indeed mind blowing. Hats off @ria13sharma
.
About the book:
This book starts with the life story of Ria Sharma, her younger days, a bit about her family and goes on to mention how she went on to take up a degree in fashion design and while brainstorming for her final year project the author chances upon acid attack survivors in India , how she is intrigued and interested in doing her bit for them which essentially marks the birth of an ngo by the same name. .
.
Most of the book deals with the trials and tribulations the young author undergoes to set up a rehabilitation system for acid attack survivors , right from dealing with hospitals for their treatment, to getting them their legal rights to gathering funds, to making them comfortable in their skin (pun unintended) , to counselling them, to making them live their dreams and further going that extra step to make them self employed and lead a respectable life ahead. .
.
Takeaway :
While the focus in our country is on rape, domestic abuse etc there is not much being said or done for the acid attack cases. Considering that, kudos to Ria for opening our eyes to the complete horror that their story is. This book has indeed broadened my perspective to this social cause. It brings tears to my eyes how bravely these girls have withstood their test in time and stand bold and courageous to face the world while the rest of us complain of a measly headache or some such . How trivial, our daily complaints. Do read this book folks, if you haven't already !!
FOR SIMILAR BOOK REVIEWS do follow me on instagram @rushme_reviews.
.
.
Rating :⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ excellent .
February 27, 2019
I like this book as it is based on real life situations of acid attack survivors.The writing in some chapters especially about the burns ward are heart wrenching .The author has portrayed the battles she faces very realistically i.e the problem about getting a bed in a ward ,getting compensation for the acid attack survivor,the slow enforcement of laws to name a few .As I had already read Being Reshma ,one of the chapters about Reshma was repetitive ,however I still Re read it ,as it is so commendable that the survivors have won this battle due to their grit and determination to move on in life .The author Ria Sharma too needs to be applauded for writing the book and also for starting the NGO and helping the survivors.I would highly recommend this book as I already have ,to men and women ,as men need to see women not only for their beauty ,and to women who can realise that beauty is beyond what society wants you to look like .I salute the author and all the survivors🙏🏽🙏🏽
April 2, 2019
Takes your through how Ria came about the idea of making MLNS and the horrific stories that are behind these extremely strong women and men. Simply written to the heart, some stories hit hard.
December 12, 2020
The cover reveales that this book is all about acid attack survivors and the incident which happened with them. This book contribute a powerful message towards acid attack survivors and help them to live a normal life.
Rating this book isn't a big thing. It deserves more than this. Ria Sharma the author of this book has done immense work to make someone's life beautiful, lovable and lively. I truly thankful for reading this masterpiece.
🌀My opinion regarding this book that why one should read this-
🌺 First of all, the author has found her own journey to this reach is ineffably tough for her. Rather she later enjoy this work and get totally immersed in it.
🌺 A Delhi girl studying fashion design at Leeds College of Art decides to devote her final year project to "women's empowerment".
🌺 Today she runs the award winning NGO Make Love Not Scars, which works with survivors to raise funds.
🌺 If I come to storyline that how it starts then you will get astonished. She has portrayed her own life in first 3 chapters in this book and then she has come to narrate how and why she started this journey towards @makeluvnotscars . 🌺 The book is divided into chapters and it has written with appropriate vocabulary uses with impeccable writing style.
🌺 When I started reading deep down in between books, I got several times goosebumps just because the narration is so real and untouched. This gives chills in spine when I get to know how one would suffer after facing acid on their face and body skin.
🌺 Author has penned every single details and suffering related in this book. I have pointed out this line - "💞 if we had ensured that the worth of a woman was so much more than her outward appearance, then perhaps the attacker would have realized that his efforts to destroy a face would be in vain."
I highly recommend to read this gem piece.❤️
Rating this book isn't a big thing. It deserves more than this. Ria Sharma the author of this book has done immense work to make someone's life beautiful, lovable and lively. I truly thankful for reading this masterpiece.
🌀My opinion regarding this book that why one should read this-
🌺 First of all, the author has found her own journey to this reach is ineffably tough for her. Rather she later enjoy this work and get totally immersed in it.
🌺 A Delhi girl studying fashion design at Leeds College of Art decides to devote her final year project to "women's empowerment".
🌺 Today she runs the award winning NGO Make Love Not Scars, which works with survivors to raise funds.
🌺 If I come to storyline that how it starts then you will get astonished. She has portrayed her own life in first 3 chapters in this book and then she has come to narrate how and why she started this journey towards @makeluvnotscars . 🌺 The book is divided into chapters and it has written with appropriate vocabulary uses with impeccable writing style.
🌺 When I started reading deep down in between books, I got several times goosebumps just because the narration is so real and untouched. This gives chills in spine when I get to know how one would suffer after facing acid on their face and body skin.
🌺 Author has penned every single details and suffering related in this book. I have pointed out this line - "💞 if we had ensured that the worth of a woman was so much more than her outward appearance, then perhaps the attacker would have realized that his efforts to destroy a face would be in vain."
I highly recommend to read this gem piece.❤️
September 18, 2019
Full review at https://www.diaryofabookgirl.in/2019/...
This book has left me speechless. Especially the part when the author says - 'All these women had one thing in common - they were all victims of that one-second of anger that had corroded off their existence' I gasped out loud. I remember reading this part while travelling in the bus and people around me asked if anything was wrong with me. Some parts of the book are too horrifying for one's imagination, yet I read this book. I read it because it gave me strength. I hope even if we can't directly help any acid attack victim, reading this book, knowing and acknowledging about their fight and supporting their dreams will help them in some way or the other.
Words aren't enough to describe how brutally honest this book is. It is really commendable what Ria Sharma has done for these acid attack victims. Her work and book will continue to inspire millions of people and will immensely help those in dire need. Please read this book. Even though I've said this sentence twice already I'll keep recommending this book to people so that it raises more and more awareness about this grievous crime known as acid attack.
This book has left me speechless. Especially the part when the author says - 'All these women had one thing in common - they were all victims of that one-second of anger that had corroded off their existence' I gasped out loud. I remember reading this part while travelling in the bus and people around me asked if anything was wrong with me. Some parts of the book are too horrifying for one's imagination, yet I read this book. I read it because it gave me strength. I hope even if we can't directly help any acid attack victim, reading this book, knowing and acknowledging about their fight and supporting their dreams will help them in some way or the other.
Words aren't enough to describe how brutally honest this book is. It is really commendable what Ria Sharma has done for these acid attack victims. Her work and book will continue to inspire millions of people and will immensely help those in dire need. Please read this book. Even though I've said this sentence twice already I'll keep recommending this book to people so that it raises more and more awareness about this grievous crime known as acid attack.
November 18, 2020
I picked up this book being fascinated by its cover. I was adorned by the beauty of the acid-attack survivors beautifully dolled up. The way they still behold their beauty and the lit of spark in their eyes made me go through their story and how Make Love Not Scars helped them to fight back and win!
Make Love Not Scars is an NGO founded by Ria Sharma in 2014(launch year). Ria Sharma, a very enthusiastic, determined, sensible and even having the emotions that made her feel about the acid-attack victims and had built up courage to help them fight and yeah, Win!
She explains her experiences with the survivors and how she became like their mother and fueled them to fight back again.
Life is a journey full of struggles and Ria also had to pass her idea through the absurd struggles of life. Her determination and her spirit helped her and made her journey of MLNS successful! Not only successful but the support and praise received by her made her unstoppable and made her story inspire the world!
.
.
.
I would love to suggest this book to those who wish to bring a change in the society, No matter who you are, everyone of us has a right to write our own story!
Make Love Not Scars is an NGO founded by Ria Sharma in 2014(launch year). Ria Sharma, a very enthusiastic, determined, sensible and even having the emotions that made her feel about the acid-attack victims and had built up courage to help them fight and yeah, Win!
She explains her experiences with the survivors and how she became like their mother and fueled them to fight back again.
Life is a journey full of struggles and Ria also had to pass her idea through the absurd struggles of life. Her determination and her spirit helped her and made her journey of MLNS successful! Not only successful but the support and praise received by her made her unstoppable and made her story inspire the world!
.
.
.
I would love to suggest this book to those who wish to bring a change in the society, No matter who you are, everyone of us has a right to write our own story!
June 23, 2019
💕Make Love Not Scars By Ria Sharma💕
It's comparatively harder to write a review of a book you loved than the book you didn't liked at all, because when something is too close to your heart we fall short of words to describe it and the same has happened with this one.
.
It's intricate, strong and amazingly woven non-fiction by the author. Ria Sharma has inspired me in alot of ways, what she has done needs courage+++ and more all, when she shares her own story and the story of her NGO MNLS along with the brave girls and women who decided to fight back the injustice and stand of themselves. It has a very beautiful cover and I don't think it could have a more better one. The best part of the book was the language and narration, the author very amazingly avoided exaggeration and was always real throughout the book.
.
The real life pictures are something which gives a closer look into the content and this is a must read for all kind of people, highly recommended. I loved it to the core.
.
Rating: 4🌟
It's comparatively harder to write a review of a book you loved than the book you didn't liked at all, because when something is too close to your heart we fall short of words to describe it and the same has happened with this one.
.
It's intricate, strong and amazingly woven non-fiction by the author. Ria Sharma has inspired me in alot of ways, what she has done needs courage+++ and more all, when she shares her own story and the story of her NGO MNLS along with the brave girls and women who decided to fight back the injustice and stand of themselves. It has a very beautiful cover and I don't think it could have a more better one. The best part of the book was the language and narration, the author very amazingly avoided exaggeration and was always real throughout the book.
.
The real life pictures are something which gives a closer look into the content and this is a must read for all kind of people, highly recommended. I loved it to the core.
.
Rating: 4🌟
August 9, 2019
Eye opener
This book is not a book enlisting accomplishments. This book is all about a struggle. A realistic struggle where you don't get all the fancy divine helps. The thing I liked the most was how the author never once tries to put herself as a Messiah or something instead she always tells of her shortcomings which really inspires everyone that you don't really need to be a sage to do great deeds. Everyone can.
The book details the apathy of Indian society and Indian hospitals in acid attack cases and it really moved me to see how much effort had to be put in for what was rightly theirs.
This one, though it was the author's journey, turned out to be the best motivational book I read this year.
Also I want to add that the writer has really great writing skills. The writing is so fluid and so engaging that you can effortlessly read for hours, get moved, smile, get horrified and calmed.
Everyone should read this once to know that when you are determined nothing, i repeat NOTHING is impossible.
This book is not a book enlisting accomplishments. This book is all about a struggle. A realistic struggle where you don't get all the fancy divine helps. The thing I liked the most was how the author never once tries to put herself as a Messiah or something instead she always tells of her shortcomings which really inspires everyone that you don't really need to be a sage to do great deeds. Everyone can.
The book details the apathy of Indian society and Indian hospitals in acid attack cases and it really moved me to see how much effort had to be put in for what was rightly theirs.
This one, though it was the author's journey, turned out to be the best motivational book I read this year.
Also I want to add that the writer has really great writing skills. The writing is so fluid and so engaging that you can effortlessly read for hours, get moved, smile, get horrified and calmed.
Everyone should read this once to know that when you are determined nothing, i repeat NOTHING is impossible.
August 5, 2019
I picked this book up in response to the 1st prompt (Indian Author) by BooksNBeyond Box for the Jul-Aug readathon.
Cards on the table - This is not a book that I would have naturally gravitated towards since I'm not super into biographies or autobiographies. However, I did choose this because I knew (from papers/blogs) that the Make Love, Not Scars NGO was instrumental for getting the #EndAcidSale campaign into action. This book talks about the horrors that are born out of the toxic mixing bowl of male entitlement, ignorance, apathy, and poverty. Ria Sharma is your average millenial who gets shocked into the world's reality only when the ugly things happen close to home. But then she does this extraordinary thing; she rolls up her sleeves & gets to helping the acid-burn survivors, regardless of how tough it gets along the way. More power to her & the people she helps!
TL;DR: This is a great book to read on days when you are hard-pressed to find hope in a dark & grimy world.
Cards on the table - This is not a book that I would have naturally gravitated towards since I'm not super into biographies or autobiographies. However, I did choose this because I knew (from papers/blogs) that the Make Love, Not Scars NGO was instrumental for getting the #EndAcidSale campaign into action. This book talks about the horrors that are born out of the toxic mixing bowl of male entitlement, ignorance, apathy, and poverty. Ria Sharma is your average millenial who gets shocked into the world's reality only when the ugly things happen close to home. But then she does this extraordinary thing; she rolls up her sleeves & gets to helping the acid-burn survivors, regardless of how tough it gets along the way. More power to her & the people she helps!
TL;DR: This is a great book to read on days when you are hard-pressed to find hope in a dark & grimy world.
July 16, 2019
What an amazing book. From start to end it is full of emotions, sacrifice, struggle, fight, heart break, dhoka and many more feelings.
The book revolve around acid attack survivalist and their fight for their rights and life.
The book will hooked you up throughout. I literally had goosebumps while reading each n every case mentioned in the book.
You can literally imagine and feel the pain of the survivalists when they had faced the acid attack and even after that.
You can easily understand the pressure author has while writing this and also her own struggle from life threatening calls.
The author deserve huge applause for such a beautiful work.
Congratulations and all the very best for future work.
The book revolve around acid attack survivalist and their fight for their rights and life.
The book will hooked you up throughout. I literally had goosebumps while reading each n every case mentioned in the book.
You can literally imagine and feel the pain of the survivalists when they had faced the acid attack and even after that.
You can easily understand the pressure author has while writing this and also her own struggle from life threatening calls.
The author deserve huge applause for such a beautiful work.
Congratulations and all the very best for future work.
March 26, 2020
Book review 🌼
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Author - Ria sharma
Genre - Memoir
Rating - 5/5 .
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Make love not scars is a memoir by ria sharma who runs an award winning NGO, which works for the victims and survivors of acid attack.
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She has honestly penned down her journey to self discovery.
She was studying fashion designing in UK and devoted her final year project to woman empowerment.
Initially she was not sure how she will make things happen but after researching about the acid attack victims she came back to india for the project. After meeting the survivors, listening to their stories, feeling their pain she decided to run her own NGO 'make love not scars' and raise fund to help them.
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She talks about all the difficulties she faced throughout her journey.
She shares her anxiety issues and how she overcame them.
She describes the survivors she met.
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I am glad I picked this book, it made me realise that how little we know about the things happening in our society and how deeply it impacts the victim.
How the society is more responsible for these heinous acts than the attacker himself.
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"IF WE HAD ENSURED THAT THE WORTH OF A WOMAN WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN HER OUTWARD APPEARANCE, THEN PERHAPS THE ATTACKER WOULD HAVE REALISED THAT HIS EFFORT TO DESTROY A FACE WOULD BE A VAIN". 🌼
.
.
Author - Ria sharma
Genre - Memoir
Rating - 5/5 .
.
Make love not scars is a memoir by ria sharma who runs an award winning NGO, which works for the victims and survivors of acid attack.
.
She has honestly penned down her journey to self discovery.
She was studying fashion designing in UK and devoted her final year project to woman empowerment.
Initially she was not sure how she will make things happen but after researching about the acid attack victims she came back to india for the project. After meeting the survivors, listening to their stories, feeling their pain she decided to run her own NGO 'make love not scars' and raise fund to help them.
.
She talks about all the difficulties she faced throughout her journey.
She shares her anxiety issues and how she overcame them.
She describes the survivors she met.
.
I am glad I picked this book, it made me realise that how little we know about the things happening in our society and how deeply it impacts the victim.
How the society is more responsible for these heinous acts than the attacker himself.
.
"IF WE HAD ENSURED THAT THE WORTH OF A WOMAN WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN HER OUTWARD APPEARANCE, THEN PERHAPS THE ATTACKER WOULD HAVE REALISED THAT HIS EFFORT TO DESTROY A FACE WOULD BE A VAIN". 🌼
August 3, 2019
Encouraging and Moving
This book is a must read for anyone. This book will make you think about your life and how you prove to use it for the benefit of others and not being selfish. This book is on victims of Acid Attack and how a simple Final year project can bring reformation benefiting them. Rich in vocabulary, showing struggles and facing them bravely Ria Sharma is one of the inspirational People I'll look up to. Good read. This isn't fiction so don't expect much twist and turns or fascinating plots rather true struggles.
This book is a must read for anyone. This book will make you think about your life and how you prove to use it for the benefit of others and not being selfish. This book is on victims of Acid Attack and how a simple Final year project can bring reformation benefiting them. Rich in vocabulary, showing struggles and facing them bravely Ria Sharma is one of the inspirational People I'll look up to. Good read. This isn't fiction so don't expect much twist and turns or fascinating plots rather true struggles.
April 24, 2020
Heart-wrenching, moving and inspiring:
Going through the first few pages felt like "is this even a serious book about avoid attacks!" But that was because the author was taking me on a journey... a roller-coaster ride. Some chapters are so dark I wanted to quit, but continued even as I struggled to cope with the Covid-19-caused lockdown in India. But man, what a story!
Thank you, Ria, for writing this.
And thank you more for the candour with which you have written it.
Going through the first few pages felt like "is this even a serious book about avoid attacks!" But that was because the author was taking me on a journey... a roller-coaster ride. Some chapters are so dark I wanted to quit, but continued even as I struggled to cope with the Covid-19-caused lockdown in India. But man, what a story!
Thank you, Ria, for writing this.
And thank you more for the candour with which you have written it.
July 3, 2019
Am amazing read.
I wish more and more people read this book. Though it was about your struggle regarding how you started this journey, i wish it had contained some stories from the victims themlselves. The world needs to know more, we need to be more educated in this regards. Wishing the author all the best in her journey.
I wish more and more people read this book. Though it was about your struggle regarding how you started this journey, i wish it had contained some stories from the victims themlselves. The world needs to know more, we need to be more educated in this regards. Wishing the author all the best in her journey.
July 31, 2019
An inspiration
An inspiring story showing the strength of a lady and how she started an NGO to help and fought for the rights of acid victims.
An inspiring story showing the strength of a lady and how she started an NGO to help and fought for the rights of acid victims.
September 19, 2019
A very poignant narrative..simple yet very touching book. I cried at so many places ... a very wonderful journey initiative by Ria. Thank you so much for caring.
March 31, 2020
Inspiring and eye-opening!
March 8, 2022
An amazing, easy and light read. The story about the survivors are sorrowful. But the way the she has written it and the sarcasm and the humour made me to laugh louder. Great read. Give it a try!!
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