Review : THIS IS NOT YOUR STORY | Savi Sharma

This Is Not Your Story by Savi Sharma

·      Genre : Teen fiction

·      Pages : 218

·      Format: Paperback

·      Publisher: Westland Publications Private Limited (Amazon : This is not your story) 

·      Year of publication : 2017

   RATING:  ☆☆1/2  (2.5)
   Goodreads page : goodreads

SYNOPSIS:

The story revolves around three characters: Shaurya, a CA student who dreams to be a film director; Miraya, a professional interior designer; Anubhav, an aspiring entrepreneur. There’s also a character called Kasturi, who apparently isn’t a protagonist, but to me has an integral role to play in the plot. The story is written from three perspectives. One is from the point of view of Shaurya, secondly from the point of view of Anubhav, and some chapters written in a diary format from Miraya’s personal journal.

The story opens up with Shaurya talking to his parents about his wish to pursue his dream. He’s heavily reprimanded by them and in the following days, we find him depressed and doubting himself about being a coward. He crosses paths with Miraya, who is a cousin of his neighbour, Kasturi. A friendship develops between the trio, and they discover hidden truths about one another, secrets that threaten their relationship. Amidst the spice of betrayal and reconciliations, they are forced to look back at their own lives and make hard choices.

Leaving these characters aside, the story of Anubhav unfolds, who also speaks to his parents about his dream. But in stark contrast with what happened to Shaurya, his parents let him fly free. He makes big successes in his career. But then tragedy strikes and tables turn. He arrives in Jaipur, where he meets the trio. What will happen to these people of varying opinions and ideologies ? Will they all have each other's back or will they rip apart from each other? Will they be able to bravely make the choices that stand before then ? You must read the book to find out ! 

REVIEW:

The book harps on a single theme: pursuing one’s dream and being courageous to start afresh. Though this sounds like a very enlightening idea, the book loses all its actual flavour to persuade the readers to believe what it preaches. After a while, the prolonged use of inappropriate, excessive philosophical lines makes the book a stumbling read. The character’s motivational discourses seem odd, as in no way would a person talk like that in real life. The unwinding of the plot is commendable and the pace of the main story line doesn’t utterly bore the readers. But all that happens in the plot has little resemblance to the ways of the complicated world we are living in. At times it feels like fantasy, though it’s not supposed to be. If one is a very depressed soul who wants to grab the nuances of goodness and gratitude from the tiniest of things, it would certainly prove to be a good read. Although at some point, one is bound to look up and ask, does this really happen? In a desperate attempt to be simple and avoid the dark intricacies of modern life, the book becomes very predictable. Without any cliff-hangers and plot crisis, the essence of the plot goes missing. The emotions of the characters appear genuine, but the way the author talks about it is not at all relatable. It seems everything is happening in an imaginary world. The way Anubhav suddenly encounters the rest of the characters and how fast he becomes a close companion of them to even vent out his heart to one of them seems disappointingly fake. There is a conflict between the characters, but it dies out after few pages of aimlessly groping about how they are feeling.

Some are of the opinion that the book is inspirational and radiates positivity, but what is the use of such positivity which comes about from this imaginary plot which no one can relate to. At the end of the day, you just wonder whether life can be as simple and smooth as talked about in the story.  

RECCOMENDATIONS:

The book is something like what a student will write in his/her school English language paper, with the same number of plot holes, character development that needed more thought and overall a very dissatisfying read. I’ll recommend this book to young readers who haven’t read much, and to people who like to remain concealed inside a semi-real, semi-illusory bubble of fantasy and deter from facing life as it is.

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