Book Review: The Stranger Trilogy by Novoneel Chakraborty

About the Trilogy

*Book 1: Marry me, Stranger

I'm Rivanah Bannerjee, a young and independent girl living alone in Mumbai. My parents love me, my boyfriend adores me and I have a great job. But heres the thing-my life is in danger. Someones been following me around, watching my every move, trying to get control over my life. At first I thought it was a silly prank to gain my attention. My roomie suggested he must be a secret admirer. Is he? What he doesnt know is the police have set a trap to nab him. Soon Ill know if its simply a lovers obsession or there is more to it. BTW, I call him stranger.

*Book 2: All Yours,Stranger

For those of you who don't know me yet, I'm Rivanah Bannerjee, a Kolkatan trying to find her footing in Mumbai. Even though I’m currently in a relationship with a great guy, I can’t help but miss my ex-boyfriend despite knowing that he cheated on me. But that’s the least of my worries. The stranger has gone missing since the police tried to nab him unsuccessfully. Where is he? What does he want from me? Why did he come into my life in the first place? Will he ever contact me again? These and many more questions continue to torment me every day. I’m desperate for the stranger to come back to me knowing full well that he may destroy me forever. But then that’s the sexiest thing I have ever known about someone.

With every revelation, it seems the truth is far more twisted than Rivanah can imagine. Wickedly plotted, All Yours, Stranger

*Book 3: Forget me not, Stranger

I m Rivanah Bannerjee 23 F Mumbai. Some of you might already know how my life is on a razor edge. Those of you who don t just know this I may be killed soon . . . by the Stranger. I don t know who or what he is a ghost a person or a figment of my imagination? All I know is he isn t just one thing he is sexy and scary terrific and terrifying. What I don t understand is why a young harmless girl like me who works in a big city stays away from her parents and has a screwed-up love life would be of any interest to him. Unless there is something about my own story that I do not know . . .In the hotly anticipated final instalment of the Stranger trilogy Rivanah will learn the answers to her many questions What is it that binds her to the dead Hiya? Who is the Stranger? Why has he been following her all this while? leading to an intense breathtaking climax.

#Above is the Goodreads description of the Trilogy.

Review

I would describe this trilogy as “curious”.

I don’t want to give the insights of book and what the story is but this review is my take on why I am in love with this trilogy since I read the first book in the series last June.

The plot is very different and unique not the usual types where you are being stalked way too creepily by someone who is attracted to you. A very different take on how the stranger can help you get the best out of your ability, the best that you truly deserve. The series had me hooked after I read Marry me, Stranger. I was eagerly waiting for the other two books to come out since I finished book-1. The book series in whole had raised my expectations very high, and I expected something else from it but that’s not what the Author had planned, not always the book happens exactly the way you imagine it.

The curiosity about stranger is very well maintained till the end of the book. I was devastated after I finished the book, all the drama that unfolded and a constant fear of who the stranger might be excited me. The book made me question certain things that I thought were so far so good in my life. Just like the stranger told Rivanah “Know your worth, Mini”, I am questioning myself for everything that has happened in my life the good and the bad phase of my life.

I have this issue with Novoneel’s writing, why you ask? Well he has this thing to kill his characters or mess their life and give a tragic end to the book, why do you do this?  I don’t like my fictional crushes to die or mess with his life so that he is not the same person anymore.  All in all I have loved this book series.

Although many people criticized Novoneel’s writing but I would really like to say that he has grown so much in the last two years and has definitely lifted his writing standards and I am so sure after this there is no looking back for him.

About the Author

Novoneel Chakraborty is an Indian author of fiction. His specialty lies in romantic thrillers that he writes along with philosophy mixed with it. His first book “A Thing beyond forever” released in 2008 and won the national bestseller tag in just a few months of its release.

He followed it up with “That kiss in the rain” and then wrote the book that won him the biggest applause, “How about a sin tonight?” He went on to write commercial bestsellers like “Ex” and then “The Stranger Trilogy”. The first two books of the trilogy- “Marry Me, Stranger” and “All Yours, Stranger” have won many hearts. His recent release “Forget Me Not, Stranger”; the final installment of the trilogy has been getting appreciation from everywhere since its release. Apart from writing books, he is a scriptwriter for Television.

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Book Review: The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

About the Book:

Title: The Square Root of Summer

Author: Harriet Reuter Hapgood 

ISBN 13: 9781626723733

No. of Pages: 295

Publisher: PAN MACMILLAN

COPY: Review Copy.

Price: 350 INR

This is what it means to love someone. This is what it means to grieve someone. It's a little bit like a black hole. It's a little bit like infinity.

Gottie H. Oppenheimer is losing time. Literally. When the fabric of the universe around her seaside town begins to fray, she's hurtled through wormholes to her past:

To last summer, when her grandfather Grey died. To the afternoon she fell in love with Jason, who wouldn't even hold her hand at the funeral. To the day her best friend Thomas moved away and left her behind with a scar on her hand and a black hole in her memory.

Although Grey is still gone, Jason and Thomas are back, and Gottie's past, present, and future are about to collide—and someone's heart is about to be broken.

With time travel, quantum physics, and sweeping romance, The Square Root of Summer is an exponentially enthralling story about love, loss, and trying to figure it all out, from stunning debut YA voice, Harriet Reuter Hapgood.

Review

The book is a YA romance & Science-Fiction book which has certain patches of romance. Totally recommended to people who love space, black holes, time travel and everything astronomy related and of course the mathematical equations that made you love mathematics.

The book starts when nearly a year has passed since the death of Gottie’s Grandfather Grey has passed away and Jason the boy she fell in love with has stopped being there for her. She keeps blaming herself and the depression that she has drowned into. As she passes out at certain occasion without any factors other than those “Wormholes”.  But this summer her best friend, Thomas is coming back from Canada to spend the summer with her after being away for five years without ever being in contact this whole time. Throughout the summer Gottie is dragged by and sucked into the wormholes that allow her to go back in the past and relive the moments and those time travel moments make her fear that she’ll never come back in the present.  But every time Gottie finds out a way out of the wormhole she grieves the death of Grey. Her journey of the discovery of how she is sucked into the wormholes is described as the void created in her heart due to the loss of the people around her. The void completes the loop when Jason breaks up with her. Gottie is supposed to write an essay given by her physics teacher and submit it at the beginning of next term. She connects the dots of all the events over the past year and the summer this year and that’s a big discovery as explained by her teacher.

The book throws a light on the relationship that Gottie shares with her Grandfather Grey & how he has shaped her to be the person that she is. Thus she is in depression when he passes away.  Won’t we all feel the same way when someone close to our heart leaves us forever and we can’t image what our life will become without them being with us?

Gottie on the other hand is a character that is witty, flawed vulnerable, wounded and hilarious at all times. Every other character in the book has justified their roles thoroughly.

The illustrations of physics in the book are very good correctly explained to people who have no connection with physics at all. The book is creatively written, well researched in terms of physics and mathematics. I loved the book as I have always been a curious person when it comes to anything related to space and black holes and astronomical sciences and being an engineer helped me understand physics way better.

Rating: 4.5/5*

(Note: I was sent a review copy of this book in exchange for honest review. This review is my opinion on the book which may differ from your take on it)

Book Review: The Casual Vacancy By J.K.Rowling

About The Book

Title:The Casual Vacancy

Author: J.K.Rowling

ISBN:0316228532 

No.of Pages: 503

Format:Hardcover

Book: Owned

Price:1659 INR

A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Review

The book starts with the sudden death of Parish Councilor Barry Fairbrother, thus leaving a seat vacant in the council. Soon there’s a conflict in the small English village of Pagford for the post of councilor and as expected is followed with dirty politics. Dark secrets are revealed of all the people who are running for the campaign and soon start the turmoil in the elections. Various issues revolve around the novel throughout like heroin addiction, rape and prostitution. The book has various scenes which are inappropriate (in my views) like having sex in a cemetery and disturbing scenes of domestic abuse.

Further events in the book are when “The_ghost_of_BarryFairbrother” account posts mean things about the candidates of the election campaign turns out it’s their own children doing so on the council website. First it’s Andrew, the son of Simon Price revealing his dad stole a computer from his office, and then its Sukhvinder, daughter of Dr.Parminder Jawanda revealing her mother was in love with Barry. The winning candidate is Howard Mollison’s son Miles, Samantha his wife is not happy with him winning the campaign and confesses that she does not know if she is in love with him, but at the end she reconciles.

A majorly highlighted character is Krystal Weedon, a sixteen year old who lives with her drug addicted, prostitute mother Terri and three year old brother Robbie in the “Fields”, which is kind of a slum area with all the crime in it. Social worker Kay is determined to stop Terri her use of drugs and takes the responsibility of Robbie but Terri relapses and her drug dealer Obbo rapes Krystal when caught supplying drugs to Terri. In a haste of a decision to start a family Krystal has unprotected sex with Fats in an attempt to get pregnant. It is during one such incident that Robbie runs away to park and drowns in a river when he goes to retrieve his ball from the water, despite Sukhvinder jumping in to save him. Krystal becomes distraught and commits suicide taking heroin overdose herself. The novel ends with the funeral of the Weedon siblings.

The book is disturbing as it gets on your nerves to see people who are capable of being courageous and loyal and with a certain sense of duty towards the society and human beings all together are nothing but selfish and stupid.   Also the death of Weedon Siblings is very inappropriate and abrupt, it leaves you disappointed and confused of everything that is meant to progress further. I am not saying that every book should have a perfect ending but it should at least have an ending which makes some sense.

Rating : 3/5*

Eternal Mercury Blog Tour

Eternal Mercury by Elaine Pinter

Chelsee Taylor has been in love with her boyfriend, Max, since they started kindergarten together. She has no idea that high school graduation will be the last perfect day of her life. After a tragic car accident, she refuses to accept Max's death because she can still feel his presence. No one believes her and she is completely alone. But all of that changes the moment she meets Blake Andersen. It's not just that he believes her . . . or even just that he's so understanding . . . but why is Max's presence so strong when she's with Blake?

Eternal Mercury is two intertwined books in one. Book one follows Chelsee’s bittersweet journey and book two uncovers Blake’s story of redemption. In the end, it is Max who will inspire them both to trust fate, live life, and finish well.



Praise for Eternal Mercury

“Overall, this novel made me really think about how life can change so completely in the blink of an eye. It was an amazing, life altering story.”

“I loved this book. It made me laugh and cry but most of all it made me feel like there is always hope in this world.”

“I could not put this down. What an amazing story of love, tragedy, strength, triumph, and family.”

Guest Post: Eternal Mercury, Organ Donation, and Cellular Memory

When I first realized that I wanted to write a book, I knew that I wanted it to be different. Shortly after I began brainstorming for that unique idea, a car-crash scene on a mountain highway started playing in my head. Not only was I looking for a unique story idea, but I was also looking for a positive message. I began to wonder if, instead of something scary like a ghost, could something good be left after someone died? The answer became clear to me: organ donation. What could be more beautiful than that? And what could be more romantic than true love that could survive the boundaries of death? To my surprise, the idea turned out to be more realistic than I expected. Through research I discovered the phenomenon of cellular memory. Cellular memory is when people who receive transplants take on traits of people whose organs they receive. It’s rare, but when it does happen, it can come in the form of food cravings, changes in musical taste or hobbies, and sometimes even glimpses at other things about the donor.

Although the level of cellular memory I portrayed in Eternal Mercury is fictional, the need for organs definitely isn’t. It’s hard to think about death, and the common misconceptions about organ donation don’t help. But by understanding the facts and then making your decision known, you just might be able to bring something good out of the bad. That part of Eternal Mercury isn’t based on fiction.

Here are the facts:

Over 100,000 people, including kids, are in need of transplants. Over 20 of them die waiting each day.

One person can save up to seven lives by donating their heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, and small intestine. That same person can improve the lives of many others through the donation of tissues such corneas, skin, veins, tendons, ligaments, and bones.

You won’t receive less medical care if you decide to become a donor. Doctors and nurses make every possible effort to save their patients’ lives and will not even consider organ donation unless a person dies.

Income, social status, and race are not factors in deciding who receives organ transplants. You’ll be helping people who need it the most and your family will not be charged for the procedure.

Most major religions support organ donation. I’m not sure that there could be a more loving or selfless gift, but don’t be afraid to check with your spiritual advisor.

Almost anyone can be an organ donor. Age and/or medical history don’t necessarily disqualify you.

The most important thing you can do is let your family know whether or not you want to be an organ donor. No matter what you decide, telling your family will save them from the pain of trying to guess your wishes at a time when that’s the last thing they need. And if the choice is right for you, to let someone else continue on when you’ve reached the end down here, don’t think about what it means for you; instead think of the incredible gratitude you’d feel if someone did it for you or someone you love.

About the Author

Elaine Pinter lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and son. When she’s not hanging out with them, she’s jotting down ideas for her next novel in the tattered notebook she carries everywhere.

Her writing journey began in June of 2012 when a reading spree set off an unexpected chain of events. After poring over the pages, her own ideas began to appear and she found herself glued to her laptop after her family went to bed every evening. The late nights continued until her first two YA romance novels, Eternal Mercury and Between the Starlight, were published.

She’s one of those hopeless romantics who believes love always wins and that the best stories are the ones that drag you through the tears and reward you with a smile when all the pieces fit together perfectly in the end.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 7/26/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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