The Blurb
Akash, a.k.a. The Love Guru, has had the best of his days in his undergrad years as the heartthrob of college, popular for his skill in acting, directing and romance making, known for his poems and for his loyal friendships. Despite being a little lazy and mediocre in studies, he was the centre of everyone's attention. However, everything changes when he joins the masters program in the same college. No longer Mr. Popular, Akash feels like an outcast amongst his new batchmates. Having broken off with his college sweetheart, his own confidence has taken a blow. He misses his old days, old friends and old life. Inspite of being at the same campus, he feels lost and lonely. Every now and then, his mind and soul drift back to his undergrad days. Then one day, Simran walks into his life and it changed forever. Did she change his life? Did they become good friends? Did Akash correct his ways after meeting Simran? Did he start taking his life and his studies seriously? The book captures the journey and transformation of an ignorant teen into a mature man through a rollercoaster of emotions of love, friendship, responsibility, maturity, dignity, pride and above all self belief. Flip through the pages of this book to enjoy the story of an ordinary guy Akash, who found himself in extraordinary situations.
About the Author
N Y N Anand was born on August 16, 1980, in Patna. He now lives in Mumbai, with his wife. Post Graduated from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Manipal University) in 2007, he got married in 2013. He is a marketing professional and has worked for various Pharmaceutical companies like Macleod’s Pharmaceuticals, Pharmed Limited, Aurobindo Pharma etc. Currently he is working as Therapy Manager with Innovcare Life Sciences. Despite being a hardcore marketing professional for the last ten years, he invests his lone time reading (literature, history and motivational books) and writing (poetry and novels). He is a die hard fan of cricket and seldom misses a live match on TV. “A Twisted Tale” is the first fiction novel by Anand Kumar, who has captured the essence of a student’s college life in his book. The protagonist, after completing his undergrad education, decides to pursue a post-grad degree from the same college. However, the transition is not as easy as he had assumed. The place which he enjoyed to the core during his undergrad years, becomes agonising for him later. He is no longer the same person, neither is his approach. Things change again when he finds someone special. No, not a girlfriend. Flip through the pages of ‘A Twisted tale’ to unravel the twists and secrets behind the topsy-turvy life of this college go-er.
My Take
The book starts off as any other story and the grip sets in after a few initial chapters. The characterisation is very nice and it is brilliant to stick to a less number of present characters. Very good picturization of the setting and the nature of characters. The readers can visualize the story through the author's words. The language is simple and easy to follow. Judicious usage of vernacular dialect makes the story realistic.
The narration is at a good pace and shuttling between the present and past stories adds to the merits of storytelling. The story though not an uncommon one, is told in a beautiful manner. Towards the end, there's a real dose of motivation and the happy ending makes the story all the more worthwhile.
Despite the repetition of certain ideas, over the line descriptions of characters and a tad too fictitious happenings, the book proves to be a good read.
Verdict : A feel good story that stirs up the readers' emotions
Rating
Blurb: 3/5
Description: 4/5
Writing style: 3.5/5
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Book details:
Title: A Twisted Tale - Story of Manipal
Author: Anand Kumar
Genre: Romance
Type: Paperback/e-book
Publisher: Invincible Publishers
Language: English
Pages: 160
Year of publication: 2017
Price: Paperback - 160 INR
Kindle edition - 80 INR
Buy paperback: Amazon
Akash, a.k.a. The Love Guru, has had the best of his days in his undergrad years as the heartthrob of college, popular for his skill in acting, directing and romance making, known for his poems and for his loyal friendships. Despite being a little lazy and mediocre in studies, he was the centre of everyone's attention. However, everything changes when he joins the masters program in the same college. No longer Mr. Popular, Akash feels like an outcast amongst his new batchmates. Having broken off with his college sweetheart, his own confidence has taken a blow. He misses his old days, old friends and old life. Inspite of being at the same campus, he feels lost and lonely. Every now and then, his mind and soul drift back to his undergrad days. Then one day, Simran walks into his life and it changed forever. Did she change his life? Did they become good friends? Did Akash correct his ways after meeting Simran? Did he start taking his life and his studies seriously? The book captures the journey and transformation of an ignorant teen into a mature man through a rollercoaster of emotions of love, friendship, responsibility, maturity, dignity, pride and above all self belief. Flip through the pages of this book to enjoy the story of an ordinary guy Akash, who found himself in extraordinary situations.
About the Author
N Y N Anand was born on August 16, 1980, in Patna. He now lives in Mumbai, with his wife. Post Graduated from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Manipal University) in 2007, he got married in 2013. He is a marketing professional and has worked for various Pharmaceutical companies like Macleod’s Pharmaceuticals, Pharmed Limited, Aurobindo Pharma etc. Currently he is working as Therapy Manager with Innovcare Life Sciences. Despite being a hardcore marketing professional for the last ten years, he invests his lone time reading (literature, history and motivational books) and writing (poetry and novels). He is a die hard fan of cricket and seldom misses a live match on TV. “A Twisted Tale” is the first fiction novel by Anand Kumar, who has captured the essence of a student’s college life in his book. The protagonist, after completing his undergrad education, decides to pursue a post-grad degree from the same college. However, the transition is not as easy as he had assumed. The place which he enjoyed to the core during his undergrad years, becomes agonising for him later. He is no longer the same person, neither is his approach. Things change again when he finds someone special. No, not a girlfriend. Flip through the pages of ‘A Twisted tale’ to unravel the twists and secrets behind the topsy-turvy life of this college go-er.
My Take
The book starts off as any other story and the grip sets in after a few initial chapters. The characterisation is very nice and it is brilliant to stick to a less number of present characters. Very good picturization of the setting and the nature of characters. The readers can visualize the story through the author's words. The language is simple and easy to follow. Judicious usage of vernacular dialect makes the story realistic.
The narration is at a good pace and shuttling between the present and past stories adds to the merits of storytelling. The story though not an uncommon one, is told in a beautiful manner. Towards the end, there's a real dose of motivation and the happy ending makes the story all the more worthwhile.
Despite the repetition of certain ideas, over the line descriptions of characters and a tad too fictitious happenings, the book proves to be a good read.
Verdict : A feel good story that stirs up the readers' emotions
Rating
Blurb: 3/5
Description: 4/5
Writing style: 3.5/5
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Book details:
Title: A Twisted Tale - Story of Manipal
Author: Anand Kumar
Genre: Romance
Type: Paperback/e-book
Publisher: Invincible Publishers
Language: English
Pages: 160
Year of publication: 2017
Price: Paperback - 160 INR
Kindle edition - 80 INR
Buy paperback: Amazon
