Sanchita, a sentimental girl is all beauty but takes life seriously. Will she be able to handle the challenges she is about to face with love entering her life? My Ex fell in love! is a hilarious tale of growing up and dealing with the consequent challenges of life in a unique way. Enjoy the light, humorous and witty story of these youngsters, which will bring a smile on your face.
The story revolves around three best friends
on a college campus. First is Yatharth, always in the top few of his class, a
junior researcher and new to the field of love and dating. Then comes Sudeep - the
class topper, junior researcher and king of sarcasm. Third in the bandwagon is
Vikalp. His rank is somewhere in the middle of his class, pro at bunking
classes, an athlete with a rich but estranged father. He is also somewhere who
always puts himself out there with little or no luck. Enter Sanchita into the
plot, she is a sweet and beautiful girl who is also the reason for Yatharth’s
baby steps into the dating world. And the whole plot is based on the college
life, so things are bound to go crazy. You have to actually read the book to
find out where, how and exactly how far things can go!
If you are thinking, ‘Oh gawd! Not another
campus story’, I won’t blame you because that’s exactly what I thought too. But
I have been following the author’s personal blog, A Bug in My Mind, for quite
some time and the one thing I knew for sure was that no matter what the plot is
all about or how the characters turn out, they would be presented wrapped up in
a very modest writing style infused with a good amount of humour. And I was
right!
In his own words, through Yatharth, the
author makes it very clear that this isn’t another IIT campus story in the very
first chapter. He then goes on to introduce the other major characters in the
protagonist’s life in a very casual way. As we get acquainted to everyone
around him, and his life picks up a rhythm, we realize that the author has actually
introduced the protagonist himself through his friends and family. I liked
Yatharth! He may be a confused nerd, but at the end of the day he is a very
decent guy. Though one may feel that the protagonist should not be average or
just decent, but someone who stands out in a crowd – well in present times, a
decent guy actually stands out in a crowd and for a change I can actually
relate to him. Sanchita is a perfect match for Yatharth too. She is quick to
decide and take action and she too is quite a decent girl. I could actually
continue my rant on each of the characters, but that would actually make this
review a bit too long. So I will limit myself by saying that Sudeep &
Vikalp are extreme personalities and each bring in something to the story and
to Yatharth’s life. Like all real friendships, there’s no reason or rhyme to as
why these three guys would be friends, but they do carry the spirit really well.
Yatharth’s father is one character that should receive special mention. He is
the one person everyone would wish their fathers’ were like. Open-minded and
fun! I looked forward to his appearances.
The plot itself is pretty simple – no out of
the world experiences. Instead college life is portrayed as it most commonly
experienced. Bunking classes, flirting with girls, bunking with friends in
hostel, the first drink and the first love. I guarantee that not once will you
feel the great Hollywood / Bollywood experience. In fact, there’ll be a number
of time you’ll go thinking – ‘I have done that’ or ‘that guy in my class was
like that’ or ‘yes one of my friends did that too’. Unlike the ‘other campus
stories’ I have read in recent times, this was a refreshing change with its
true to life depiction of situation and characters that I could relate to. Love
and relationships are depicted just as you know them. There is no evil villain
hanging out in the shadows or promises of bringing the moon and the stars or ultra-romantic
dates on the beach and dancing in the woods in the next minute. Writing style of Shubham was just as I had
expected it – modest and the dialogues were said in normal college goer lingo
rather than flowery or too-cool-for-you language.
As for the cons of this book, I feel it could
have done with a stricter editing. There were some small typos and missed spaces.
It did distract me at times.
I have spent quite some time reviewing the
book in my mind before sitting down to write this review because I didn’t want
it to be biased when I put it out. So, to round up my review, I would like to
let you folks know that this book is in no way a literary genius, nor does it
deserve a noble prize. But it deserves at least a single read for being a modest
representation of that special phase of our lives and also because of Sudeep
& Vikalp’s sarcasm are just that funny!
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This is one of the most insightful reviews I must say! :D
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the book. :)
Thank You!
DeleteGet a better editor next time please!