BOOK REVIEW: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

Add to Goodreads

Buy on Amazon

My rating: 2.5/5

‘The eighth story, 19 years later’ This phrase when associated with Harry Potter is more than enough to get any reader, any person who grew up with the Boy Who Lived excited.  I vividly remember when the first announcement about the play came out because I was equal parts excited and heartbroken, knowing that my chances of seeing the play live in London was as good as Umbridge being known as the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts.  And then, as if my prayers were answered, the news about the script book came out and I was over the moon. Never mind the fact that it wasn’t an actual novel but the fact that I’d be getting to go back to my favorite fantasy world and seeing the new generation as well the old was enough for me.

So on the day of the release, I rushed to the nearest bookstore and snagged myself a copy. Despite having read the books when they came out, I was never lucky enough to experience a HP book launch so this occasion was doubly exciting for me. The whole day was something special as I got to interact with so many fellow Potterheads, all strangers initially but united by our shared love of the magical world. It felt like hanging out with some good old friends.

After reading this book, (there were several times where I just had to stop and take a break because the things happening were utter madness), I was left feeling quite conflicted and disappointed. There was this sense of nostalgia but it wasn’t enough for me to look past the flaws.

There are so many reasons to justify my low rating. I can blame it on the stiff writing that I’m praying did not come from Jo. I can blame it on the awkward play format that made it difficult to emotionally connect to the story and the characters.But I won’t because I was expecting these things. I knew beforehand that this was just a script and not entirely Jo's work.

My disappointment comes from the flimsy plot and the carelessness with which our precious characters were handled.

The grown up version of the trio seems to be deprived of their magic (not literal magic) and authenticity. People change all the time and I get that but there were times when I couldn’t even recognize some of the characters because of their actions. Taking away the basic foundation of a person’s character was a low blow. Take Harry for example. I simply refuse to believe he would ever be a bad or inattentive father. Sure their might be a few bumps along the road but Harry in this book was unbelievable. As someone who grew up an orphan and often mistreated by the rest of his family, I’m sure he would know the kind of damage that could do to a child and would never inflict it upon his own children. Dumbing down Hermione and Ginny, using Ron as nothing more than a comic relief, all this will never sit well with me. I guess that’s all there is to say about the characterization without getting into major spoilers.

Moving on to the plot, I don’t even know where to start. I get that this is just a play but that is no excuse for the lack of thoughtfulness and gravity that I associate with all the Harry Potter books. Do the writers even know how much planning Jo did for this series? She had the whole thing mapped out way before she even got to writing the final book and it shows. Comic one-liners are forced into scenes where they do not belong, making it awkward and there were way too many convenient solutions by resorting into deus ex machina.

Also, this book basically contradicted everything we’ve learnt about time-travel in the Wizarding world. Jo had the time turners destroyed for a reason because dealing with time travelling is a messy business. It’s like the writers here never read Prisoner of Azkaban and conveniently tweaked all the laws of time travel for their own benefit. What even… :/

Don’t even get me started on the origins of Delphi. What do they take us readers for? Stupid and gullible?

Moving on to the new generation, Albus Severus Potter you troubled child. Albus made my heart ache in the first few pages. I could see how being Harry Potter’s son isn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world but his impoliteness, his self-absorbedness and teenage angst started infuriating me by the time I was halfway into the book.  Albus feels this need to prove himself so he plans to do so by correcting one of the many wrongs done by his dad and from there on, madness (not the god kind) ensues.

The only saving grace about this book was Scorpius Malfoy. He is literally the only likeable character in the book. Who would’ve thought, right?  He is kind, compassionate, troubled, a wizarding geek, brave, funny and just a sweetheart.

There’s so much more I’d like to talk about but I want to keep this review spoiler free so I’m gonna stop now.

All in all, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child works more as a fanfiction (and not a good one) than an actual continuation to the series. For me, Harry Potter ended with ‘All was well’.

Book review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Genre: Retelling, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Add to Goodreads

“Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky.”

I have to be honest, when this book first started getting hyped up, prior to its publication even, I wasn’t interested. But lately, I’ve been in the mood for books set in the Middle East, retellings of the Arabian Nights, so I had to pick this one up. Suffice to say, this one actually lived up to the hype. Everything about this book, the plot, the writing, the characters, and the world-building was fantastic.

Each day, the Caliph of Khorasan; Khalid weds a new girl and at dawn, she is executed. When Shahrzad’s best friend falls victim to this, she volunteers as the next bride and vows to kill the Caliph and avenge her friend’s death. The night of her wedding, Shahrzad extends the date of her execution by telling stories to the Caliph. This way, she manages the impossible feat; she lives to see the next day. And the next. And the next. Quickly, Shazi realizes that nothing is what meets the eye and Khalid is more than what the world thinks him to be; a ruthless, cold-blooded killer, who has his own skeletons in the closet.

"This boy-king, this murderer . . . she would not permit him to destroy another family. To rob another family. To rob another girl of her best friend–of a lifetime filled with memories that had been and never would be."

I absolutely love the setting of this book. It's a Middle Eastern/Arabian setting that's wonderfully depicted. Renee incorporates such rich culture and customs into her book from the food to the decorum, the speech to the costume, and the tales to the geography. This book is big on sensory details. And her writing style makes it all the more colorful and enticing. I felt as if I were transported to another place, another time, where golden sands buried powerful secrets.

Shahrzad (Shazi); the Calipha of Khorasan

She has made it my list of favorite female protagonist. She’s feisty, smart, bold and reliable. You can always count on her to not do something stupid. Her sarcasm, bravery, stubbornness and lack of indecisiveness made her a refreshingly wonderful main character.

Khalid, the Caliph if Khorasan, the King of Kings

To me, it was clear from the beginning that Khalid wasn’t mindlessly murdering girls so I didn’t out rightly hate him like Shazi did. Khalid is enigmatic and elusive. He's thoughtful and caring behind his icy facade. His closed off and standoffish attitude made it hard to relate to him but once we get a glimpse behind that icy facade, you can’t help but adore him.  Khalid is the kind of character that grows on you as more about his past is revealed. He's a well-rounded and complex character that I really loved by the end of the book.

The romance in this book is beautiful. It develops slowly, from hate to grudging acceptance to love. Their relationship is that kind that transcends all odds and I was rooting for them despite everything being against them.  Khalid had a bleak childhood and Shazi is the perfect contrast to that and Khalid in turn checks Shazi's reckless nature and they just fit like puzzle pieces. 

“What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?” he whispered.
“If I’m a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.” The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest.
“No.” His hands dropped to her waist. “Destroy me.” 

The other characters that I really enjoyed seeing were Despina, Shazi’s haindmaiden, Jalal; the captain of the guard and Khalid’s cousin whom I absolutely adored. His unwavering loyalty to his family was inspiring.

There was just something really special about the story. This one mainly focused on Khalid’s secret and the romance and yet the plot was unique. Not much of action takes place but there were lots of hints here and there that I’m sure will be addressed in book 2.

This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I do suggest giving it a try if you’re looking for something unique with a strong heroine and some good romance. 

BOOK REVIEW: THE LOWLAND BY JHUMPA LAHIRI

Genre: Historical fiction, Contemporary, Indian 

Add on Goodreads

There are rarely any books which grips your from within and just breaks you into a million prices and yet you smile by the end. The Lowland is that rarity; it is that gem which everyone should read at least once in their lives and live it. It gives you lessons no textbook can give, love equal to what our parents give and life that nothing in this world can give.

The Lowland tells the story Subhash and Udayan, two brothers who are alike from outside but far different from inside. While Subhash believes in his future which is as ordinary as a life can be, whereas Udayan lives for a future which will make every life better in Kolkata. Both of them, when faced with reality chooses their own path. But Udayan, amidst of his wild life, gets killed, Subhash's dream of an ordinary life dies with Udayan.

This is a story which will neither grab everyone's attention, nor maintain it. This book will be easily forgotten, of you do not pay attention to it. But once you read it, out will never leave you. It will affect you and it daily life. As an Indian, I often wonder about my future, and reading this book makes me wonder if it's as bright as it seems. Although set in a time way before my birth, I strongly believe, most of the events might still be relevant in present times. Often, we forget what's more important and what's right and take decisions without thinking about its impact on our future.

The Lowland, in its essence, gives an important emphasis on what the future is like. It's never like what we think about. The ones we love leave us, the ones we live for stop trying. It's a cycle of love and disappointment, and this book proves that to us beautifully.

I don't know if this review in any way justifies the way how I felt about this book. But, pick it up. This won't disappoint you! 

-Niv

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction, Fiction

Add to Goodreads

Romance is the only genre where I’m not open to experiments. I read the books which has a lot of hype, or whose blurb strikes as different. If I Stay by Gayle Forman is one of the few which actually made to the list of my top favorite romance reads. And now, I’m quite happy to say that Me Before You made into that list as well. To find such a heart warming love story is actually making me believe in romance again.

There were two reasons why I picked out up. First, I recently saw the trailer of the movie adaptation and without even having known anything about the story, I was intrigued. Secondly, the hype around it was too much to bear! The book was actually attracting me towards it. I couldn’t sit around for another sign, and so when the trailer released, I thought it was time.
And boy was I stumped! I had started only the first chapter and and before I knew, I was reading the 8th one. It took me exactly a day and a half to complete this book.

I had a lot of thoughts while reading the book. The issue addressed here is a very delicate one. But Jojo Moyes treated with equal parts of humor, love and reality. More than the actual story, what really struck me was how Jojo Moyes managed to pick up the topic and create a story with such precision and quality. The ending was real. So real, that I found myself crying but actually feeling satisfied. I cringed every time, something happened to Will. It’s always like the end is near. Despite how it ended, for me, it was a happy one. Everyone accepted his decision by the end and that’s what counts.
Another aspect which struck me was the characters and their roles. Every character had some important role to play in the manner the book was to end. No character seemed useless. I couldn’t get around to the question that how an author could write with such details and not go wrong anywhere.
Needless to say, her writing is beautiful. So beautiful that it is difficult to concentrate on the world around and carry on with our existence. With her book, it’s difficult to even think that we have a life.

I am so impressed with this book that I’m afraid to read it’s sequel. Often good books fail to give a good aftermath of the actual story. And that is exactly why I never pick up a sequel to a book on which everything ended perfectly. The next book can ruin anything or can just glorify it. At this point, I’m not sure if I’m ready to give it a try!

BOOK REVIEW: BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY

   

Title : Between Shades of Gray

Author : Ruta Sepetys

Publisher : Philomel Books

Published on : 22nd March, 2011

SYNOPSIS

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

REVIEW

I'm sure everyone here knows about World War II, one of the darkest periods in our history. And what comes to your mind when someone mentions it? Hitler perhaps? Or the Axis and Allied powers? The Book Thief? Anne Frank? How many are familiar with the Baltic Invasion? I wasn't till I read this book.

Between Shades of Gray is different from other WWII books because it doesn't focus on an event widely known by the world, but the one that has been overlooked for quite sometime by history as trivial. 

The Baltic countries beside Russia, like Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia also suffered greatly. BSoG captures the hardships one of the Baltic countries had to go through. 

Lina finds her life as well as her family's abruptly spiraling out of control when the Soviets deport them to Siberia. Everyday becomes a struggle to survive. Starvation and illness become a constant companion and hope to make it out alive as a family is the only will to try and survive.

This is not a pretty book. It shows the ugliest side of humanity but also it shows how resilient we are. But the author mainly focused on how unfair it is that history never remembered the pain of the Baltic countries during and after the war. And it is unfair. I truly didn't even know about labour camps, similar to concentration camps set up by the Nazis to execute Jews, were also set up by Russians to punish the people of the Baltic countries. 

To say I'm grateful that Ruta brought this story to life seems wrong, as all these unthinkable things actually happened to millions of people. But I am grateful because she gave the people of Lithuania a voice and it needs to be heard by everyone. So I urge you all to read this book

PS:

Between Shades of Gray is being turned into a movie titled Ashes In the Snow . Click the link to find out more :)

Release Day Blitz: The First Life Of Vikram Roy (Ruby Iyer Series) by Laxmi Hariharan + Giveaway

About the Book:

His family is being held to ransom by a deadly mastermind. 

Vikram never should have left his family, but when Vikram's father brings his half-brother Vishal home, life will never be the same. Vikram thinks things will be better now that he's gone. He's met the love of his life, his future looks bright and then everything is shattered. Now, his family's life is hanging in the balance, and only Vikram can do what needs to be done to save them. From the bestselling dystopian fiction author with over 200 reviews and ratings of her dystopia books across Goodreads, Amazon and other retailers. 

If you’re looking for books like Hunger Games, then this dystopia romance series, The Ruby Iyer Series is it.







Book Links:

Goodreads I Amazon

An exclusive excerpt and GIVEAWAY from The First Life of Vikram Roy

The Ruby Iyer Series—by Laxmi Hariharan

I hear the staccato of shots being fired, followed by yells and howls of pain. Then, the sound of something being smashed and everything goes quiet. The TV no longer chatters. I look to the open door. The recreation room is down at the end of the corridor. The sounds of shots get closer. Without giving myself a chance to think I make a run for the door slam it shut, lock it and it’s as if that’s a signal to the rest of the men to jump to their feet. Without a word, the ten of us scram to our bunks, pull on trousers and shoes.We get our hands on whatever weapon we can find. No guns, none of us have guns. So I grab my cricket bat. (As if that’s going to make a difference?)

 Around me the others too are grabbing cricket bats and hockey sticks. Neil grabs an iron rod. An iron rod? Where did he get that from?  We drop to the floor, crouch and wait. 

Should I hide under the bed? Nope, no way. Like, that is going to help. 

And then a crash as the door is broken down, hacked by what looks like an axe till it’s in pieces on the floor and through it step through two men. One holding a machine gun, the other wielding an axe which he drops to the floor and instead grabs the the gun slung over his back. They are both wearing balaclavas, so we can’t see their features. Of medium height, they are muscular and dressed all in black: Black jeans and sweatshirts, their hair covered by the hoods. Their backs are to the door. They point their guns at us, signalling to us to put our hands up. I hesitate, not looking around but sense that the others too are not sure what to do. The first gunman points his gun at the nearest recruit … a boy just out of his teens and shoots him in the head. 

There is a collective gasp from the room. A chill runs through me. Who are they? How did they break through the security measures of the force base? And then they are foolish enough to barge right into the heart of the training facilities of the force and shoot its cadets? Why? Why would they do that? The gunmen gesture to us and this time we follow their orders. We walk to the wall at the back of the bunkhouse and line up, hands on our heads, staring ahead.

An alarm rings out then. Finally! It’s been almost ten minutes since the shooting started. Still, the reinforcements should be here soon. Now all we need to do is keep these gun men distracted enough so they don’t kill us. As if reading my mind, the guy who’d shot the young recruit moves forward, his gun trained on us. I draw in a breath and hold it. The sweat trickles down my back. My heart is racing so fast I am sure if I look down I can see it leaping out of my chest. The gunman passes me, walks to the end of the line; then back to the middle where I am. 

"You have no idea what this is about do you?" He asks.

He sounds young, as if he is barely a man himself. And something in his voice … muffled as it is, it sounds familiar. A faint recollection  grabs the edge of my mind, And then I forget everything because he leans close to Neil who is next to me, and smashes the butt of his gun into his stomach. Neil falls to the ground, moaning, holding his middle. I firm up my stomach muscles. I know I am next, I must be. I want to squeeze my eyes shut, but don’t. The gunman leans to the other side, and shoots another man in the head. 

This chap collapses without a cry. What the fuck? I want to jump him right then, but that would be really stupid of me. I am not going to help anyone if I get killed will I? There are six of us left in the room now. One of the younger recruits lets out a sob, at which gunman no 2 holds his gun at him, so he shuts up immediately.

The gunman asks me, "Where are the plans?’

"What are you talking about?" I reply, trying to stay calm, struggling not to show how scared I am inside. 

He only grins and in response, and without taking his eyes off me, holds his gun up and I know what what he is going to do and I scream. "No!" But it’s too late. This time he’s shot two more guys in succession. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. These guys are desperate, or crazy or both. 

Besides me Neil stirs on the ground.  

The gunman takes a deep breathe, as if trying to calm himself and says, "Don’t pretend to be dumb. If you don’t get me the blue prints of the security arrangements being planned by the force for Bombay; the one that you and your team mates are being trained for, then all the rest of you die too."

Only six of us left now. Four young lives, gone just like that. I feel sick. What the fuck are these guys upto? And … and how do they know about the plans? This is top secret. The only reason I know about it, is because I’ve overheard the training officer speaking with the ACP about it on the phone last week. And only because I happened to be waiting outside his room then. And how does this gunman even know that I know the details?

Want to find out what
happens next? Click here

About the origins of Ruby Iyer:

Growing
up in Bombay, my daily commute to university was inevitably nightmarish. It's
just how public transport is here. The man behind you on the bus will brush up
against you. You know you are going to be felt up on a crowded train platform.
All you can do is accept it and get on. Or so you think. I did too, until, a
young photojournalist was raped in the centre of Bombay in broad daylight.  It made me furious. Nothing had changed in
this city in all these years. Then, I had a vision of this young girl who would
not back down; who would follow her instincts, stand up for herself regardless
of consequences.  Thus Ruby Iyer was
born. Make no mistake, Ruby’s her own person. She leads. I follow. You can
download the RUBY IYER DIARIES, the prequel novelette in the series free HERE

About The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer

2015 Readers' Favorite (Bronze) YA Action

 YA
Finalist 2015 IAN Book of the Year Award

Finalist 9th Annual Indie Excellence Awards

When
her best friend is kidnapped, Ruby will stop at nothing to rescue him. 



Criminals run the streets of Bombay. Jam-packed
with the worst degenerates. The city is a shell of the pride and joy it used to
be. Ruby knows something must be
done, but it isn’t until her best friend is kidnapped by the despotic Dr
Braganza that she knows that she and she alone must save city, save her best
friend, save the world from total destruction. Armed only with Vikram, a
cop-turned-rogue they are about to embark on a road they may never return from. If you’re looking for fast-paced books
like Hunger Games or dystopia fiction like Angelfall,
the Ruby Iyer series is perfect for you. 

DOING MY BIT

All SEPTEMBER earnings
from the RUBY IYER SERIES will be donated to SAVE THE CHILDREN: SUPPORT
CHILD REFUGEES OF SYRIA. All the RUBY IYER books with their brand new
covers, are on SALE all this month at 99p/c & Rs 69/49. Click HERE to buy them. 



YOU can also donate to SAVE THE
CHILDREN directly HERE 

About the Author:

She almost died. But when dystopia romance author Laxmi Hariharan had a near death experience, she was told to write. Laxmi is the creator of dystopian romance series, RUBY IYER SERIES (The MANY LIVES OF VIKRAM ROY - FINALIST Indie Excellence Awards, the bestselling The RUBY IYER DIARIES , The FIRST LIFE OF VIKRAM ROY, The SECOND LIFE OF RUBY IYER & VIKRAM ROY, PANKY's FIRST LIFE), and the Amazon bestselling, eLit Gold winner, The Destiny of Shaitan (Bombay Chronicles, 1). If you're looking for books like Divergent and Angelfall, you'll love the RUBY IYER SERIES.

Laxmi writes books similar to Hunger Games while listening to electronica & progressive rock, and downing innumerable cups of extra sweet ginger-chai. She is also an avid photographer of street art and believes she was a tree -- a redwood -- in her past life. London is where she creates. Bombay is what fires her imagination. 

Receive a free copy of THE RUBY IYER DIARIES when you sign up to her Newsletter 

GIVEAWAY

The First Life of Vikram Roy, The THIRD book in the RUBY IYER Series, launches this month. To celebrate the launch of the FIRST LIFE OF VIKRAM ROY I am giving away a $30 gift card. Winner will be drawn, Oct 1, 2015, and announced in my next newsletter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway