Book Review- When She Smiled- Ritoban Chakrabarti

Title- When She Smiled
Author- Ritoban Chakrabarti
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 881 KB
Print Length: 234 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1502850575
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Ritoban Chakrabarti; 1 edition (30 November 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital South Asia Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00QFXTPL6
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled

Price- INR 186

To purchase- click here

This is a review on request and I am thankful to the author for giving me the opportunity. 

The cover art on the book is of a silhouette of a woman in a backdrop of beautiful mountains and it seems as if she is smiling. It conveys a fairy-tale kind of beginning and romance is written all over it. People who are put off by sappy stuff may find it a bit 'too dreamy' but it sure catches eyeballs.

The novel begins in a warm, nostalgia-inducing setup of the protagonist Roy's school days. It is relatable and brings back memories of school crushes and the little games that we played. The characters of Roy, Akanksha, Ashima, Megha are all cut out from every child's past. The Army School, Shimla background makes the whole thing smell like old jeans and guitar.  

The language is simple and lucid but the beauty of the language has been kept intact. The incidents are well described and the humour is delightful. There are many references to the pop culture icons of the times the author is familiar with, they might sound alien if you were not a part of the frenzy but you can perhaps relate them to your own favourites. 

The endeavour is honest, perhaps too honest. The reality bites are all really familiar and you might subconsciously place yourself in the protagonists position. There is nothing out of the ordinary and that might not sit well with a reader who is more into fantasy and fiction. This one is a plain, tongue in cheek, biographical sketch. I am not saying the biography is of a real person, I mean the book is about the plain things that happen in life. I could have just said the book is realistic and cut this rant short but, I guess I like to rant.

The book is engaging but not thrilling. The author had poured real emotions in it and has been easy on the elements of drama. I'd rate it with 3 stars out of 5. 

***/5