13 January, 2015

#BookReview :: Lemon Girl by Jyoti Arora

In a society that finds it easier to mark sins of a victim than the culprit, Nirvi is a young girl punishing herself for the faults she did not do and avenging her hurts by defeating her own truth.
She is scared of her future, and ashamed of her past. She is failing herself, and knows it. She has had a long line of boyfriends, and hated them all. She detests the guy she is living with, runs away from the one she loves , and seduces the one who can never love her. 
When Arsh first sees Nirvi, she's a free and frank girl in whose eyes sparkle the lemony zest of life. The next time he sees her, she is a voiceless doll draped in clothes that cover her body less and shroud her soul more. And Arsh can't rest till he finds out what made Nirvi give up her own real self.
Nirvi knows she is dragging herself on a path from which there can be no recovery. Can her spirit survive the treacherous downfall? Or is the pull of fear and push of desperation just too strong to withstand for a girl who believes she has "nowhere else to go" but down.

"When it's time for you to fall in love, even a lemon can become the cause of it," says Arsh.
But can love survive, when even the self love dies?
Can love survive when respect is no more?
Does true love have the power to revive a dying soul?


Welcome to the front row seat to take the journey of one girl, Nirvi.

Once a jovial and carefree girl, Nirvi’s life changes drastically when she is raped. While it is no fault of her own, she feels otherwise. She is victimized as the victim of a tragedy in this ‘wonder-ful’ society of ours. Now she lives life as a mere shadow of the person she once was – ashamed of her past and with no hopes and dreams of a future. Arsh remembers the girl she was and sees the girl she has become. He takes it upon himself to help her find the girl she once was.

It is so easy to fall in love with Nirvi. She is real and she lives amongst us. Most of us have had friends like her – one who lights up a room with her presence and sense of humour. As a woman myself, I could not help but feel outraged on her behalf at the injustices of our society. But I also realize that the author has merely portrayed the truth of today’s world where a woman is blamed for everything no matter if it is really her fault or not. It is the victim’s life that is ruined while the perpetrator lives a respectful life and simply moves on to find his next victim. However she fights on in whatever small ways she can to live and to find love and hope one day.

Arsh’s character is an interesting one. In the beginning he came across as a bit too full of himself and makes it difficult for us to like him. However over the period of the novel he redeems himself as he inserts himself in Nirvi’s life and help her find the girl she once was. He is ceaseless in his endeavors to resurrect and preserve the jovial girl that Nirvi once was. His voice is a refreshing one.

Rape is a sensitive and widespread issue that the author has handled with great care. Not once did the book feel unreal or overdone. In fact, there was a nagging feeling about the truth in the pages. Jyoti Arora has kept her language and narration simple, letting the plot and the characters take the center stage. Fiction or Reality? That is the question I had while reading this book. The novel maybe a work of fiction, but it is the reality of too many women in our society.

Engaging and emotional, this novel is a must read for all.



Received a review copy from the Author

1 comment:

  1. Seems like a tremendous piece of art, will surely read it. Thanks for such a review

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