#BookReview :: Crutchman by Ashok Pal

For some, he was a four-legged animal while for others; he was a dog without a tail. For most people, he was a man who walked with the help of crutches. But for himself, he was a “Crutchman” whose extraordinary power was his “will power”. Welcome to the world of Akash – who, in spite of his disability, strives hard with the help of his two friends, Darsh and Nakul to create his own destiny.

Darsh had fallen for a girl whom he had met on a blind date while Nakul’s eyes were set on a married woman. Although each one of them had their own issues to deal with, their viewpoint towards one thing was common: and that was finding a JOB – which they believed stood for ‘Joker of Boss’.

Will their crazy business ideas help them conquer the world? Or will they succumb to the pressure of betrayal, corruption and hardship that comes their way while chasing their dreams?

Goodreads I Amazon

Okay, so the title of the book can be intriguing. I mean, we all know and love Batman / Superman / Ironman… So thinking in those lines, Crutchman can be both funny and intriguing. But the cover of the book is too simplistic and does not really create an interest in the book.

Crutchman is the story of Akash, who has had a not so good hand dealt to him by life. His disability is the source of either eliciting pity from a certain section, disdain from some and has even lead to some bullying. But Akash is not a weak person – he is determined to overcome the disability and to make something of himself and make people take notice of the real him. He has Darsh and Nakul, his two friends, at his corner and together they are ready to take on the world.

The story is really something. We are so used to having larger than life heroes and even boys-next door as a leading character, that this book is a breath of fresh air. Akash is a dark horse who manages to not only take on all challenges thrown at him but also make a space for himself in the readers’ hearts. Darsh and Nakul add to the story as they each bring in their lives for us to see. The drama and the romance in the book keep the story going. To add to it we see our society through the eyes of our protagonist – the bias and corruption feels so real. The narration lagged a bit at places. Other than that this is a story of friendship, love and of hope. The message of hope and power of dreams resonates throughout the book.

An interesting debut that promises that with a little more work, the author can really shine.

Review Copy received from the Author