Book Review: Twice Upon a Time by Payal Kapadia

Twice Upon a Time
Author: Payal Kapadia
Genre: Children’s book
Publishers: Penguin Publishers

Who doesn’t love Princess’ stories? The idea of getting everything done at one’s beck and call and living a luxurious life hypnotizes every young girl. But we have mostly seen this concept arise in movies. ‘Twice Upon a Time’ is one such chick flick novella that traces interesting lives of Nyla and Keya. Much like ‘The Princess Switch’ and ‘Monte Carlo’, this book also describes a bizarre encounter between the twins and explores the plethora of problems that follow.

Area A: Text

The best part about this story is the witty narrative that is quick to grasp. The satire is subtle and the language is fluid. The author has taken care to avoid the monotony by using idiomatic expressions and a lot of figures of speech.

With a nearly perfect character sketch of the two girls, the author aces the test. Their contradictory personalities are enjoyable. While Keya is like a princess, Nyla comes across as gamine and clumsy at times. They are doppelgangers. And when they meet, they set the alarm bells ringing.

Area B: Illustrations
The cover of the book neatly presents the main idea of the plot. The illustrations (in monochrome) strike the right chord and have been brilliantly done. How I wish these illustrations were colourful! Alas!

Area C: Characterization and Theme
With the aid of the exemplary description, the protagonists are made interesting. ‘Be yourself’ forms the central theme of the story and the author stresses the importance of breaking the conventions that plague the society.

Overall, ‘Twice Upon a Time’ has a tangy twist in the tale as it is a story about life, achievement and more about finding yourself in today’s world!

Buying Link: Amazon