Review- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

J.K. Rowling's screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay.

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.

Whether an existing fan or new to the wizarding world, this is a perfect addition to any reader's bookshelf.

Release date: November 8th 2016

Published by: Arthur A. Levine Books

Page numbers: 293

REVIEW: 

Any book of the Harry Potter franchise always makes me happy. Always.

When I read J.K. Rowling's library collection, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander a long, long time ago, I was always curious to know more because it developed in me, a greater love for the incredible magical creatures. Then when a movie based on the book came out last year, I had the most magical time revisiting my home and the place that I belong in- the magical world. So when I saw that there was a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay written by the Queen herself, I had to get a copy and read it. 

Reading the screenplay after months of watching the movie was one the coolest ideas I've ever had because not only did I read and get to experience the written world which Rowling does so bloody brilliantly, but I also got to revisit the movie, which I loved to bits. One of the biggest advantages of reading the screenplay is all the side action that is, albeit in brief, explained meticulously which sometimes doesn't portray so particularly well on screen because it's not explicit. Revisiting the movie and meeting the wonderful Newt again was just so amazing. 

Aside from Newt, however, I loved how close a look I got into the life of this dark but very poor and likeable child, Credence, who is one of the most important characters of the movie. It was also beautiful meeting curious and funny Jacob, sweet and sexy Queenie and lovely and strong Tina again. Not just that, but visiting the American wizarding world again was a fantastic experience. I could imagine everything so perfectly and it felt good to go back.

As always, with any magical world book by Queen Rowling, I find myself incapable of doing her writing and storytelling justice, so I will leave it up to you to buy a copy, read and devour the screenplay of which we have the privilege of reading.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Up All Night: A Short Story Collection by Laura Geringer

Up All Night on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

A brush with the supernatural? A rock concert? A reunion? A poolside revelation? The need to know what's up? The confessions of a friend? The dream of escape? A sick pet? An English assignment? The rear-window view of a murder next door? The search for the mother you never met? What keeps you up all night?

This remarkable collection of award-winning and bestselling authors is thought provoking, insightful, heartfelt, and powerful. 

Release date: April 18th 2008

Published by: Laura Geringer Book

Page numbers: 220

REVIEW: 

Up All Night is a collection of six very unique and very interesting short stories, written by six very brilliant authors. In the collection, there are: Phase 2 by Peter Abrahams, Not Just for Breakfast Anymore by Libba Bray, The Vulnerable Hours by David Levithan (the reason why I decided to read the book in the first place), Orange Alert by Patricia McCormick, Superman is Dead by Sarah Weeks and The Motherless One by Gene Luen Yang (which is more of an illustration with dialogues, really). Aside from David Levithan, all the authors were new to me and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I relished both their story-telling and writing.

The book begins with a lovely introduction by publisher Laura Geringer, who has, very meticulously and poignantly, summarised every story in barely a line and it manages to both give a slight glimpse into the story and pique the reader's interest. I never really bother writing about introductions and all, but this one really stuck with me because it was done so well that I couldn't not say something about it. Besides, Geringer has published a really, really nice book with stories that are creative, touching and thought-provoking.

Coming to the stories, like I mentioned before they were all very well written and told. Some of my favourites are basically all of them, expect Not Just for Breakfast Anymore and The Motherless One, because while the former was very long as compared to the rest and slightly incomprehensible as well, the latter was fun to read, but a narrative would've been much better. Keeping that aside, however, the collection was varied and covered up a bunch of stuff.

Phase 2, The Vulnerable Hours (no surprise there!), Orange Alert and Superman is Dead were stories that I fell in love with because of how unique and splendid they were. These stories took up very daily and mundane events and turned them into something so extraordinary and special that it was difficult not to admire and appreciate them. I would love to summarise every story, but with short stories, there's always the fear of letting everything out and I'm no Laura Gringer to give perfect and on-point summaries.

Overall, I would highly, highly recommend this collection because it's easy to read and yet managedsto leave a heavy impact on the readers because of the way in which every story is portrayed.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Hi, guys! So I read Thirteen Reasons Why a long, long time ago, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring out this review that's been collecting dust in my drafts. I'm posting it now in honour of the web series on the book being started. 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Release date: June 14th 2011

Published by: Razorbill

Page numbers: 288

REVIEW: 

I actually came across Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why when I read and reviewed a book called 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues. A great number of reviewers compared the latter to the former and while I wasn't very fond of 34 Pieces of You myself, I was highly intrigued by Thirteen Reasons Why since I love suicide plot lines. I was on a hunt for the book since then and once I got it, I couldn't wait to devour it. Somewhere, I feel I was going to like this book anyhow, anyway, no matter what. And that's what I did. 

Thirteen Reasons Why is the story of Hannah, who leaves a packet of thirteen tapes that she recorded before committing suicide and that she wishes are passed around to nine people, who were, in some minute and tiny way, responsible for her giving up on life. The person from whose point of view we read the book and listen to the tapes is Clay. From the beginning, I was hoping for some dangerous and torturous reason why Clay was on the tape, but the real reason left me awestruck. It was breathtaking in its own way. I loved the story the two shared. 

I read that the book made readers change the way they are. It left them feeling that being nice is the least and the best thing one can do to anyone else. Jay Asher actually shows how something that we do- that might seem insignificant and silly to us- actually has an impact on someone else. It affects their life and the way they look at things. I admire stories that go beyond the ordinary and explore what really lies underneath all the covers and masks that we built. 

Thirteen Reasons Why is an intriguing, peculiar and completely mind-blowing story that's written in a very somber yet sparkling and slightly creepy manner. I literally couldn't put the book down. Once I read a few pages, I had to read a few more and that kept me occupied for the time that it took me to read the book. It was highly addictive and really well put down. I especially love the way it  ended- it was perfect. It's a book that's going to stay with me. 

Buy the book: AMAZON (IN)

Review- Madame de Sade by Yukio Mishima

 Madame de Sade on Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this fascinating all-female drama, Yukio Mishima endeavors to explain the riddle of why the Marquis de Sade's wife, who had remained loyal to her husband throughout the years of his wild debaucheries and during his lengthy imprisonment, decided to sever their relationship once he had regained his freedom. "This play might be described as Sade seen through women's eyes," writes Yukio Mishima in his postface to the drama. "I was obliged to place Madame de Sade at the center and to consolidate the theme by assigning all the other parts to women. Madame de Sade stands for wifely devotion; her moth, Madame de Montreuil, for law, society and morality; Madame de Simiane for religion; Madame de Sans-Fond for carnal desires; Anne, the younger sister of Madame de Sade, for feminine guilelessness and lack of principles...."
Through its subtle dialog and finely drawn human contrasts, 'Madame de Sade' is a convincing evocation of period. Although the Marquis himself never appears in the drama, his presence is all pervasive.

This English text is by Donald Keene, a foremost translator of modern Japanese writing. The photographs are of scenes in the original Japanese production, staged in Tokyo. 

Release date: 1971

Published by: Tuttle Publishing

Page numbers: 108

REVIEW: 

I came across Madame de Sade at a local bookstore when they were having a huge sale. Something about the cover, the title and the synopsis really fascinated me, and so I decided to pick it up. Having sat on my shelf for almost a year and a half, I finally decided to read the book. Madame de Sade is originally a Japanese play written by Yukio Mishimi, and I read the English translation done by Donald Keene. 

The themes that interested me most when I bought his book were the fact that a Japanese writer wrote a play set in France and that it focused on feminism. I was pursuing my French Masters in literature with a research on feminism at that time, so I thought it to be the perfect fit. But even though I didn't get to the book back then, I'm sure I would've enjoyed it just as much as I did now. 

Madame de Sade actually follows Marquis de Sade, who never once appears in the play, but is somehow always present because all the women in it only talk about him. So we have his wife Marquise (translated as Madame for the English readers) de Sade, who is the epitome of a devoted wife until she learns to accept her husband for who he is. And then we have her mother, her sister, their maid, and two more women, who, in my eyes, were the most integral characters. From the summary, every woman of the five important ones represents something and eventually through the course of the play, it becomes very evident. 

I thought that the various themes were taken up brilliantly and uniquely in this play keeping both the individual mind-set and the socio-political scenario of France in the late 1700s in mind. So while on the one hand, there was a more subdued but strict atmosphere during the first two acts; on the other hand, there was also a more casual yet concerned one in the third act which takes place after the French Revolution. While the third act did seem to drag for a bit too long, the first two were very well made and thoroughly enjoyable.

This play is just beautifully done and it shows in the form of the crisp and intelligent writing. My copy also came with a few pictures here and there of the actual theatre performance by an array of wonderful Japanese actresses and that really helped me imagine the play better.  A true portrayal of the way society works, this play, in a subtle manner, gives a great glimpse into the way we are made to think, and that was the most wonderful thing about it. 

Review- Kiss the Sky by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Kiss the Sky on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy. 

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way. 

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity. 

This New Adult Romance can be described as Friends meets The Real World. Expect fist fights, drugs, sex of varying degrees, crude humor and competitive alpha males. Definitely for mature readers audiences only.

Release date: February 20th 2014

Published by: K.B. Ritchie

Page numbers: 442

REVIEW: 

I'm a fan of the Addicted series. I had read and absolutely enjoyed Addicted to You, Ricochet and Addicted for Now two years ago maybe. For me, the series is very fresh, different and new compared to all the monotonous New Adult books doing the rounds. Unlike said books, I cannot predict what the characters from this series are going to do next. For some reason or the other, I kept putting the rest of the series on hold, until recently, when I finally began Kiss the Sky. And I am so glad I did. 

Kiss the Sky is the story of the second eldest Calloway sister, Rose, who, as the book cover perfectly describes, is a "perfectionist, genius and virgin." Previously, I liked how Rose has always been strong and and super protective about her sisters. Her perfectionism was admirable. A cleanliness freak, a thorough feminist and a feisty fighter, Rose's head was fun to get into. There were times when- especially the more explicit material- which made me question Rose's character. 

Then we had Connor to perfectly balance out her urge to dominate. I had only heard fantastic and fabulous things about Connor Cobalt (thanks to Mrs. Cobalt aka Siiri @ Little Pieces of Imagination). I don't remember much of how he was before, but I bet he was good, as he only got better and better in this book. A perfect match for Rose, Connor too is a genius. His intelligence did turn me on. There were times when- and yes again, especially the more explicit material- when Connor seemed like a smart and intellectually pleasing version of Christian Grey, but even I know that comparison is unnecessary. This book is very much adult, in my opinion, with an erotic and BDSM dimension. 

Together, Rose and Connor were far more than just a couple. They were a team of two strong, like-minded, intelligent and responsible individuals who put their group of family and friends before anyone else. It was nice to see the two maintain poise even when they were mentally disturbed and shocked by the current happenings of the situation where the characters (Lily, Loren, Rose, Connor, Daisy and Ryke) were part of a reality TV show. Now the whole reality TV show concept was neither new nor fascinating for me. But just the fact that all these amazing guys who I've grown to love were together made it enjoyable. Somewhere along the way, Kiss the Sky became everyone's book, rather than just Rose and Connor's. 

Even though Kiss the Sky is Rose and Connor's story, someone stood out far more than the two of them, for me at least. Even though I adore Rose and Connor's grammar nazism and it made me silently moan with pleasure, the person whose vocabulary that turned me on the most and that's the closest to mine is Ryke. He is fucking amazing! I cannot wait to read Daisy's and his story in Hothouse Flower. I can already tell that they are going to be my favourite couple. I still love Lil and Lo (who doesn't?), but Daisy and Ryke will be something else entirely. 

The length of my review brings me to the length of the book, which is a problem I have. And the books just keep getting bigger. It doesn't stand as a grant issue though, it only takes me time to read long books. It's really fun to spend time with these six amazing people who seem like your own by the end. Kiss the Sky did start out slow and it took me a lot of time to get into it, but at last, it was  all worth it, especially after the sweet and sexy epilogue. And it did, after all, help me cope with my reading slump.  

BUY THE BOOK: Amazon (IN)

Review- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Release date: January 5th 2012

Published by: Michael Joseph (UK)

Page numbers: 481

REVIEW:

When I take almost a month to finish just one book, it either means that I read it just for the sake of it or that I love it so much that I take my time with it because I don't want it to end and because I don't just want to read the book; I want to devour it. Thankfully, Me Before You falls in the latter category. Who am I kidding? I knew all along that I would end up falling crazily in love with this cute and catastrophic story. My March 2016 was spent with Me Before You and what a journey it has been! 

There is nothing about Me Before You that I have to say that hasn't been said before, but let me just get one thing straight- this book isn't really sad. I would say it is rather joyful and cheerful because it's not the destination, but the journey that counts, right? And this was one tear-jerking, yes; but completely colourful and celestial ride. There is so much more to it than what meets the eye. This book is about chances and choices and it shows its philosophical colours in a very mature and muted way. So if you really think about it, it isn't really sad, but just very raw and real. 

Yes, it is a huge book, but it is totally worth it. There were absolutely no flaws in author Jojo Moyes' writing, character building and storytelling. Everything was perfect and there is nothing that could have been done better. This book had both laughter and tears and it was shown in the most adorable, gut-wrenching yet heart-warming way possible, making Me Before You a very simple and still sophisticated book, because that writing! That writing was so English, and so beautiful and so perfect. 

Without a doubt, I would recommend this book because it teaches you compassion and humanity. At least, that's what it taught me. All those kickass heroines are awesome, but Louisa was the true heroine because in no world can I imagine myself in her selfless and giving shoes. I loved Will the most though because he was true. This book has been a wonderful journey that I was so glad I devoured. 

Buy the book: AMAZON / FLIPKART

Review- One by Sarah Crossan

Goodreads Summary:

Grace and Tippi are twins – conjoined twins.

And their lives are about to change.

No longer able to afford homeschooling, they must venture into the world – a world of stares, sneers and cruelty. Will they find more than that at school? Can they find real friends? And what about love?

But what neither Grace or Tippi realises is that a heart-wrenching decision lies ahead. A decision that could tear them apart. One that will change their lives even more than they ever imagined…

From Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Sarah Crossan, this moving and beautifully crafted novel about identity, sisterhood and love ultimately asks one question: what does it mean to want and have a soulmate?

REVIEW:

How do I review a book that is one of a kind? 

How do I review a book that is so rare? 

How do I review a book that is such a gem? 

How do I review a book that developed in me, feelings that I have never felt before? 

How do I review a book that isn't anything like what I've read before? 

How do I review a book that played like a movie in my dreams once I finished it? 

How do I review a book that had such a huge impact on me? 

Basically, how do I review this precious, poetic and painful book called One? 

How, how, how? 

I know how. 

Buy, beg, borrow or steal. 

I don't care what you do. 

Just. Read. This. Book. 

Two reasons to read One: 

It will make you wish people were better towards other people. In free verse. 

It will make you want to be better towards other people. In free verse. 

One reason to read One: 

It will melt your heart. If you are lucky enough to have one, that is. 

Thank you, Sarah Crossan.

*A copy of One by Sarah Crossan was provided by Bloomsbury India in exchange for an honest review. We thank them for the book. 

RATING: 

Review- Confess by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies. 

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

REVIEW:

Even though I was pretty apprehensive about reading Confess as I have had both positive and negative experiences with Colleen Hoover previously, I was quite excited to read the book after following all the teasers the author was sharing on her social media. Confess started out as really cute read, then went onto to become too much of a drama, but ended on the sweetest note. So all in all, this was a good read that I enjoyed. 

Confess is a typical Colleen Hoover book which is generally comprised of the wonderful combination of friendship, family, love, issues and problems and most importantly, characters who show human nature as being good or bad, which isn't necessarily a good division to make all the time. As our main characters, we have Auburn as the female lead, who was really sweet and showed immense character development by the time the book ended. There were times when she was extremely vulnerable and the fact that she didn't stand up for herself irritated me, but her situation was always explained. 

Then there is Owen, who was just as sweet as Auburn, but I did feel that he was way too good to be true. He came with his own guilt baggage, but never once did he make his situation seem more important than that of those around him, which was good. There were also two other guys who played an important role in the book, and they were Adam and Trey. Adam was the hero of the book for me, and Trey was way too dumb to ever get his way. 

Coming to the chemistry between Auburn and Owen, it was quite good and I liked how they both had bigger problems than what they seemed to be showing. Although the instalove between them had me questioning the whole relationship and their secrets were too big to be hidden, they made for a good couple. It's just that we didn't get to see them actually sit down together and discuss their problems. Everything was kind of in the air and left to find it's own way. 

Overall, as I said before, Confess was a cute read that did have some downs. But just for the fact that this one didn't annoy me like the previous few books by Colleen Hoover, I feel that it stands out as a good read. Not as good as the first half a dozen books by the author, but still, quite good. 

RATING:

Review- Dancing With Demons by Nidhie Sharma

Summary-

Karan Pratap Singh is on the brink of winning the Amateur Boxing Championship, when in a moment, he loses it all. His fall from glory seems fuelled by ruthless arrogance and an out-of-control anger management problem. That, however is just symptomatic of a deeper issue. Buried under layers of his fractured subconscious lies a childhood secret he cannot come to terms with.

Sonia Kapoor is a beautiful, volatile young woman with a secret that torments her at night but a secret that she feels no guilt for.

When fate throws Karan and Sonia together in Mumbai, their personal demons and pasts collide and stir up trouble in their fragile and uncertain present. But, is redemption possible without forgiveness?

Dancing with Demons is a fast-paced action drama of love, loss and resurrection.

Review-

Dancing With Demons by Nidhie Sharma looked like a really nice and different read. So when I got a chance to read and review it, I went for it. I'm a little bit confused about how I feel about Dancing With Demons. I did like a few parts of it but I do think some other parts could have been improved or better explained.

The story starts off with Karan Pratap Singh about to win the Amateur boxing Championship when he loses it all. Then we move five years ahead. Here we can see Karan still coping with after effects of losing control in the ring all those years ago. Now that his ban is over he wants to redeem himself and fight his demons. I did get what Karan was going through but I wanted to know what was going on his head. There wasn't enough depth to his thoughts.

Then we have Sonia. Sonia is running from a past of her own. All she wants to do is stay as a nameless face in the city. It just so happens that her room mate is Karan, the has been boxer. I liked Sonia. I was definitely intrigued by her story and really wanted to know what she had been running from. 

While I liked Sonia and Karan as individuals, I did not like them together. Their love story didn't have me convinced and though there was attraction between them I don't think there was enough of a connection for them to fall in love with each other. The lack of communication between Sonia and Karan was one of the major issues I had.

Dancing With Demons is a book about doing just that, dancing with your demons and facing them once and for all. I thought it was quite apt for what Karan and Sonia were going through as they were both running from their demons in the beginning. Also, the book kinda moves like a movie so that was interesting. Dancing With Demons was an okay read.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by PR Pundit in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Goodreads Summary: 

'For a salesman, there is no rock bottom to life. He don't put a bolt to a nut, he don't tell you the law or give you medicine. He's a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine.'

Willy Loman has been a salesman for 34 years. At 60, he is cast aside, his usefulness exhausted. With no future to dream about he must face the crushing disappointments of his past. He takes one final brave action, but is he heroic at last or a self-deluding fool?

This edition contains notes and activities to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the play.

REVIEW:

I wasn't even aware of a play named Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller until my professor recommended it to me after we had a discussion on tragedies when doing Aristotle's Poetics. At that time, while I did agree that tragedy can strike anyone, I believed that a tragedy has an effect on a larger audience when it strikes someone of higher status in society. My reason was that catharsis has a greater chance of occurring when one person's tragedy doesn't just affect that one person, but an entire section of the population entirely. I now get when I was asked to read Death of a Salesman. The play did it's job in proving to me that when tragedy strikes common people like you and me, it has an even bigger impact because it makes everything so believable and real. 

Death of a Salesman was the first play or work even of Arthur Miller that I read. And it was meticulous. I absolutely loved the way it was executed. The language was simple and the plot, extremely easy to follow and understand. While I thought I wouldn't be able to fathom the basis of the play since I find it every difficult to understand plays in general, Death of a Salesman was, like I said, really easy and simple. It was simply outstanding and I can now understand why it has been touted as one of the greatest plays of its time. I admit that the characters were slightly confusing and at times, it got difficult to keep track of them all. The ending seemed a little off and vague to me, but I got what happened and that is what matters, I suppose. Keeping that aside though, whatever took place was necessary to take place and it made the play very realistic. 

WILLY (moving to the right): Funny, y'know? After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive. 

How much more real can it get, huh? This time around, I also took notice of many, many aspects that I would have let pass without a second glance otherwise. That's simply because my brain has been trained to observe in a critical way now. The dynamics of the play made me question society in general and king or commoner, we are all subject to tragedy in whatever form it decides to come to us, economic, political, social, whatever. There was comedy in it but I didn't really feel like laughing. It was a family drama so to say. But I looked at it more as tragedy and the play gave me what it was supposed to. I can't seem to appreciate it as much as others have in the past and I am slightly at a loss for words, but I still loved Death of a Salesman and I am glad I read it. 

RATING:

Review- Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher

Goodreads Summary:

Dear Opportunist,

You thought you could take him from me, but you lost. Now, that he's mine I'll do anything to keep him. Do you doubt me? I have everything that was supposed to be yours. In case you were wondering; he doesn't ever think about you anymore. I won't let him go....ever.

Dirty Red

Leah Smith finally has everything she has ever wanted. Except she doesn't. Her marriage feels more like a loan than a lifelong commitment, and the image she has worked so hard to build is fraying before her eyes. With a new role and a past full of secrets, Leah must decide how far she is willing to go to keep what she has stolen.

Love Me With Lies series:

Sarika's review of The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies #1)

REVIEW:

Dirty Red is the second book in Tarryn Fisher's Love Me With Lies series. You can find my review of the first book, The Opportunist, here. While I had mixed feelings about the first book, I loved the whole experience of reading it which is a plus. Dirty Red, however, was, as the title aptly suggests, a dirty read that I did not like as much as book #1. 

I tend to see good in all people, in spite of how they actually are. Janhvi is an intelligent girl who does her research well before diving into a book. She knew that the MC in this book is a crap head and so she asked me to review the book, thinking that I would see the good in her. 

Well, surprise! I did not like the main character at all. She only ever had one intention- to get her man and keep him. Her family situation, no matter how bad it was- and I can be a sympathetic person- did not make me feel anything for her. All I wanted was to slap her and kick her out. She was the epitome of qualities I absolutely detest- artificiality, bitchiness, egocentricity and manipulation. Ugh. 

I am not even going to bother saying anything about the story. It's one of those things that you have to find out for yourself. What I can say is what I didn't say in my review of the first book. I was so engrossed in decoding the characters that I forgot about the author. Tarryn Fisher's writing is absolutely beaut. Her stories might be mind fucking but her writing is enough to make you love her books. Her writing is accuracy, exactness, precision and this might shock you, but even the truth, all put in one. It's a psychological mess, all of this. 

So all in all, Dirty Red gave us something different and similar at the same time. We only heard from a different person's perspective. Other than that, I didn't find anything quite amusing or extraordinary about it. I didn't exactly devour the book, but I more like sat through it. It was a well written and mind blasting book but not my favourite for sure. I don't know why but I don't really like what everyone else loves and maybe that's why I'm finding it hard to love this series. 

RATING:

Review- The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher

Goodreads Summary:

Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.

REVIEW:

Janhvi told me about the Love Me With Lies series over coffee one day. That girl knows what books I will like practically better than I know myself. All she had to say was 'this is messed up' and I was up to buddy read it with my most favourite buddy reader. It's no surprise that Janhvi is a brilliant girl, but I'm sorry to say dude, this was way too messed up than you gave it credit for. 

The Opportunist fucked my mind. Majorly. 

I don't even know how to review this book. Notice I took up the first part to give you a brief about how I got into the book because I either don't have much to say or I have a hell lot to say. And I can't pick between the two so I'll just tell you in two simple words how this book is- frighteningly obsessive. 
I am really not going to say anything about the story. There was a flow between the past and the present which both made everything easy and difficult to understand. 

Have you ever had the feeling where you read or see something you wish you hadn't read or seen? If you haven't, then remember that The Opportunist has many such scenes. It'll make you wish you'd just skipped that one line or that one word. 

Man, my mind is overdriven after reading about so much of obsession, compulsion, manipulation and treachery. The Opportunist shows the excess level of love where it gets obsessive and possessive to such an extent that it tends to turn into masochism. 

There are various ways to interpret the almost electrifying characters and the complex ways in which they want to prove their love. For me, it really was very masochistic where one person only wanted to see their lover go through pain and they loved seeing it. And not in a sexual way at all. It was all about dishonesty, disloyalty, narcissism, mind games and manipulation. It's one big, complicated psychological jumble. 

Well, if you've read my review until here, you might think that I have some serious issues with the book and that I didn't like it. It was an absolutely frightening read- not in a scary way but more in a creepy way- that literary gave me goosebumps more times than once. But it was a thrilling read that has left my mind fucked up beyond recognition. Honestly, I don't know if I love it or hate it. But I sure as hell loved reading it, so that's a plus. Hopefully. 

RATING: