Sorry… Again? Can he purge his sins? By Amit Singh

 The Blurb Says:

Sid is the inevitable effect of what a small town upbringing brings to the city life. A self-confessed “unromantic”, somewhere in his simple exterior lies a weak preacher, whose yardsticks of life change radically when the unpredictability of life starts experimenting with him.

Anushka, armed with her unselfconscious beauty and poisons imbued into her life, has declared war on the world of men from a young age.

Their romance, even after her protest, is ignited by a train robbery that becomes unforgettable for reasons other than the robbery, catches the warmth because of an adolescent romance that reaches consummation, but remains within the periphery because of a live-in relationship that is on the verge of break-up.

They fall in love, but somebody is not happy with their relationship. Sid is threatened. Will he rise above his fear this time?

The first time I read the title of the book – it hit me as unusual. It seemed like two titles were joined together to form it. I found it intriguing as well as it signaled that the novel was going to an interesting one. However, I was rather unimpressed with the cover of book. Had it been more cryptic and interesting, it would have been more in sync with the story in the novel.

In the beginning of the book, we find the protagonist stealthily coming out of his office to catch a flight. Why he is being so secret about it is not revealed and it builds up the curiosity of the readers.  Gradually, we know about Sid and his life in bits and pieces. We know about his past and present, his insecurities and fears and about the love of his life – Mallika aka Anushka. But, she has her own demons to fight – the untimely and mysterious death of her mother and the strained relationship with his father doesn’t let her trust anyone. How will she cope with her attraction towards Sid? Will Sid be able to make her trust people again? Can they ever be together given the shady pasts they have. All these are things to know when you read the novel.

It was definitely an interesting read. There were too many things happening to keep the readers engaged. Since, this is the author first book; I appreciate his work and how well he has crafted a complicated story. But there are a few cons that need to be addressed too.

First, is there were quite a few typos. Since, I was reading an e copy of the book, I could not mark them all, but there was one such typo that I remember because I spotted it twice in the novel. The term ‘carrier’ was used instead of ‘career’. I found this mistake quite off putting. I think the editor could have done her job better.

Secondly, I was not very impressed with the characterization of Mallika/Anushka. The way she met Sid for the first time was interesting, but the way she was later portrayed in the novel seemed unbelievable. The transformation we see in her in the novel seemed too drastic for the readers to believe. Other than that, I found the novel well executed.

If you are looking for a book to read on a train journey, this book will fit the bill. It is reasonably fast, intriguing and engaging.

I had received more than 2 months ago and it has been over a month before I finished reading it. But, somehow I was not able to post the review here. My genuine apologies to the author for the inordinate delay.