The Hidden Gems
Compiler & Editor: Abhisar Garg & Isha Sharma (respectively)
Publisher: Notion press
Rating: 2.5/5
“The hidden gems” is a collection of short stories and poems that reflect the other side of being human. That side is the side that has the audacity to take a stand for what is right. This book is a sincere attempt to throw light on all those not-so-important moments of life, which were left ignored once, but which were supposed to be the turning point of the life.
My opinion
The very first impression of the book is pleasant. The glossy cover with intense imagery is thought-provoking and catchy. The title of the book is perfect- suiting the theme in all respect. Technical details are fine, with satisfying font style and size and the indents, etc..
The organization is fine but somehow the stories failed to leave a lasting impact on me. The very first story by Supriya Parulekar is more like an article. No doubt it has been written with deep insights and creative language. But it definitely fails to appeal as a story. Although looking at the brighter side, I can say that Supriya has provided information on institutions that we should be aware of and that is much needed today. ‘A friend’s reward’ made my mind go crazy. The plot did not match well with the theme. The use of Hindi words like ‘yaar’, ‘na’, etc. was a total turn off. ‘Lifeline’ is a good read. The plotting is fine and the sequential organization of events is good. ‘He knocked me’ is again off-track. The sad part of this is that even if the story is nice, the reader cannot relate to it. ‘Life changer’ is more like words without feelings. The emotional turmoil was somewhere lost in the drama. Overdone is the right word! Poetry is varied- subtle and sweet. ‘Days of her life’ is a short and sweet rhyming poem that has rhythm and apogee of feelings in it. ‘Aunty’- a compelling read. The characters are strong, the plot is strong and it is one of the best suited, theme-based story. ‘Vows conveyed’ is a beautiful poem. It has much more to it than it seems. ‘Missing hours’ has been well put and well drafted. It is a good one. ‘Asha- the Braveheart’ and ‘The Benevolent Driver’ are inspiring tales that will force the readers to empathize with the characters and relive their life. Other stories and poems are good and well amalgamated with the theme of the book.
The major drawback is editing. Several punctuation errors, wrong use of tenses, wrong sentence structure can be encountered time and again.
Buying Link: Amazon