Book Review: Life & Promises by Pulkit Gupta and Ila Garg

Life & Promises
Author: Pulkit Gupta and Ila Garg
Publisher: Gargi Publishers
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary
“Life & Promises” is all about love, hope, trust and success. What happens when the odds turn against you and force you to divert from the usual path? Is it that easy to change the course of life? Well, Life and Promises offers an answer to this question. The story revolves around Rachit, who is a determined and ambitious boy. His life is nearly perfect. But tables are turned when his dad denies permission for him to go to IIT. The reason leaves him aghast and he takes refuge in his never-ending thoughts. Eventually, he comes up with the verdict of changing his line and becoming a CA. What causes this sudden switch?

The plot of the story gets further complicated when the protagonist suffers the agony of a break-up. The story has a third character too- Khushi. What is her story and what role does she play in Rachit’s life? To unravel the mysteries of the lives of these three youngsters, grab a copy soon!

My opinion
“You often meet your fate on the road you take to avoid it”. Rachit has been portrayed as a diligent and ambitious boy who, like any other IIT aspirant, burns the midnight oil to get into IIT. The authors have done a wonderful job in sketching the character of Rachit. However, the depiction/ description of Radhika is limited to what she writes in her ‘secret’ diary only. A little more of Radhika would have acted as a cherry on the cake. The narration is simple and lucid. The break in the story left me befuddled (the chapters beginning in an entirely different setting, at a different time, altogether made me helpless to keep up).

The cover of the book is palatable. The title is ambiguous. The climax is what makes the story worth reading. The last monologue of the protagonist could have been made shorter (just a suggestion). The print quality is nice (Kudos Gargi Publishers). A plus point in the book is the ‘sneak-a-peek’ into the characters and the accompanying sketches.
Overall, a great feat!

Drawbacks
There is lack of flow and continuity, mainly because of the division of the story in different parts/settings/time, thereby failing to hold the attention of readers for long.

Buying Link: Amazon