Hello All …. Before going deep into the review of Sunshine Town by Maniissh Aroraa, I would like to congratulate the Author for his debut effort. Every Literary work is unique in itself and the review given below is an honest result of my understanding and must not be taken otherwise.
Let’s quickly go through the ratings
- Blurb : 4/5
- Plot : 3.5/5
- Language Used : 3/5
- Presentation : 3/5
- Overall : 3/5
About The Book : As the story-line and the blurb of the book suggests, the author has come up with story of a Teenager named Shlok and brings out various aspects of teenage life, aspirations, love, career and emotional turmoil which every teenager goes through. To be specific “It is a story of almost every teenager” as one can easily relate or connect to the emotions and feelings of the protagonist Shlok.
About Writing: The story has been well crafted and every effort has been made by the Author to relate it to reader’s own life. The following phrase from the book made me emotional (coz of my self experiences) : “It was a great sight watching her laugh and cry at the same time, as if it was her own result”, these words vividly describe the waves of emotions felt by Shlok’s mother when despite all odds he passes his pre-university exams with flying colors.
The story emphasizes on importance of planned approach at various points. There is no doubt in the fact that planning every small or big tasks not only helps achieving the goal but also reduces the stress and ensures success to a great extent and this message has been beautifully presented by the author before readers at every stage in the story.
The author has kept the tone motivational and have tried to convey important teenage lessons through simple plots. The protagonist takes keen interest in taking care of his garden and connecting with nature which not only stimulate similar feelings inside the reader but also calls the conscience to find peace in nature’s company.
The story also brings out one of the most important aspects of choosing one’s career. The author has done a remarkable job by pointing out the fact that while choosing a career one must identify his strengths and interests and follow their passion. Also, one must not hesitate in exploring other fields as well.
The word usage is normal and writing style is simple. The flow of the story is good and worth appreciating. There is something peculiar about the story, it is the character of Shlok’s parents as they seem to be way too supportive, understanding & positive in nature. I believe this makes this novel a good read for parents too.
Critical Views :
- The cover of the book looks good but it says nothing about the story inside. The image of Varanasi ghat makes an impression that story somehow may revolve around the city but the city has played no role in the story.
- Book title could have been better and more about Teenage emotions etc. The title Sunshine Town has been brought up just once in a saying by Shlok’s mother “Our small town will see the Sunshine when you become a doctor“, but in my view this does not makes Sunshine Town an apt title for the story.
- For those who like reading plots full of thrill and suspense, the story does not creates much of them. There is a bit of suspense in few parts but author has kept the writing quite plain in most of the parts.
- No doubt its an every teenager story, but author could have experimented with protagonist having siblings and a lil bit of less understanding parents. Also, the characters of Natasha and Yana have not been given due exposure.
- The story may seem too plain to seasoned readers.
Despite all critical views, the words and story seem to come out from depth of Author’s heart and his effort is appreciable. I once again congratulate him for his debut novel and wish him luck for his future endeavors.
The book can be purchased directly from Amazon by clicking on the image below
