BOOK TITLE: I
See You
ASIN:
B01603WXTQ
AUTHOR: Aindrila
Roy
GENRE: Fiction
/ Horror / Thriller
NUMBER OF PAGES: 174
(approx)
FORMAT: Kindle
E Book
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
REVIEW BY: Dhivya
Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK:
I thank Kirtida Gautam for this
review copy.
(I really do have a thing against
Kindle books because of Amazon’s policies on the same. I really feel like I am
holding a library book instead of something that is my own (What my best friend
used to refer to as Goblin’s Gold. And it is an apt description from my
viewpoint).
But some books are worth overcoming this
aversion and accepting (in fact requesting) a kindle copy because the content
is supposed to be so good. And I was not disappointed. So once again, thanks,
Kirtida!
SUMMARY:
Liam’s life has become a waking
nightmare. He’s plagued by constant headaches and is hounded by inexplicable
events bordering on the insane. He is convinced that his vindictive ex, Lily,
despite her vehement denials, is the one sending him disturbing packages. The
only bright spot in a life gone berserk is Aliana, the woman Liam has loved
ever since he saw her in a parking lot. But a shocking revelation about her
leaves him questioning everything he knows. As Liam plunges deeper into the
twin abysses of unbridled love and unexplained insanity, he has to do all it
takes to stop his life from spiraling out of control.
REVIEW:
First Impression:
The book is a Kindle Gift, so I really
cannot comment on the font and typeset of the paperback (yeah, obviously) but
the Kindle book (read in PC) was a treat to read and follow. The cover (for an
image that has a single colour tone) is chilling and I guess in tune with the
contents of the book.
I started reading this book from the
'About the Author' and the 'Author's note' sections. They are very informative
and gave me a wider perception and a good basic idea about the book and its
contents. The language is a treat to read and I looked forward to completing
the book as early as possible because the author attracted the reader in me
with just the words in her acknowledgement and note pages. I will not deny that
I felt a huge satisfaction (and consequently a pleasant anticipation) of
reading a work that apparently had a good language structure!
The story and my comments while
I read it:
As I began reading the book, an
immediate thought flashed through my mind. Is the first chapter name a pun,
seriously? For the book's title (I See You), the first chapter is curiously
named. 'When I First saw you' is apparently a play of words! I would like to
say, 'You had me at the usage of 'perdition' in the first line!' The book
attracted me and kept me in its hold since here.
The story is about Liam Redmond, an
heir to a huge empire, losing his parents at a young age and being brought up
by his grandfather. One of my all time favourite lines – in fact one of the
very lines that brought out the actual character of Liam Redmond, the
protagonist (or should I say, the main ‘character’?) was in one of the first
few pages. "But you're not me and
I'm not you" says Liam to Griffin (his friend and Roommate), an
amazing line that stayed with me for a long time.
Liam chooses to work, instead, at a
local bookstore to make a unique identity for himself (thank god the story doesn’t
really go into the ‘estranged from the family due to property troubles’ angle
here). He has a very caring grandfather, good friends and no real villain in
his life. He is a normal man who hasn’t done anyone any harm.
The Redmond heir is troubled by
constant headaches that are attributed to dehydration. His friends Griffin and
Max try to sort him out but are met with stubborn resistance on his part initially.
In the midst of all this, Liam sees the beautiful Aliana in a parking lot and
falls in love with her. Already frustrated with Lily and her whiny clingy
attitude, Liam realises that she is after his money and breaks up having had
enough of her.
With growing headaches, hallucinations
and a vindictive ex threatening him with dire consequences, Liam realises his
life is going on the path to perdition. His concerned friends are worried about
his mental state and his constant rudeness, so out of character. Liam shuns
away from others’ help but being a pragmatic man, consults a psychiatrist for
his problems.
Ailina is his only relief, for when
seeing her, the headaches that plague him magically disappear and he becomes a
refreshed man. But a stunning revelation about her totally shatters his world. Amidst
growing confusion about the strange behaviour of Nyx, Griffin’s cat, and his
own worries about him being psychotic, Liam realises that there was no escape
from what was plaguing him.
Characterisation:
The author has a good eye for characterisation
and has made sure each character stays true to his / her description. From the constantly
swearing Griffin (even if he was over the top sometimes) to the calm but caring
Robin, even the minor characters have been given good depth.
Level of stereotyping based on
Genre:
Any story that talks about horror or
paranormal genre has to have certain elements because they are the age old
things we associate with the phenomenon we deem as either spiritual or ghostly.
While the author has managed to bring out the elements well, there are some
common stereotypes that were followed to make the readers realise what the
story is all about. After all, isn’t it common knowledge that animals recognise
ghosts before humans do?
The story build up and the
ending:
The story had all the necessary
elements expected for a horror thriller. The scenes are vividly described, the characters,
for once are clear and make the right choices. The scientific angle approached is
a really good take. In the little things like these, the author attracted the
reader in me. But I had a vague foreboding that for such a beautifully crafted
story, the ending would be a bit rushed and sudden, and sadly, the same came
true. Were it not for the last defining chapter (the one before the epilogue)
none of this would have made sense, except chilling the reader to the bone.
Overall comments:
A really bold attempt at the horror
genre. It takes confidence and a real love for the craft to attempt writing a
book in this much abused genre. I really appreciate the author for not only
tackling this genre but managing to give a spine chilling narrative.
Special Mention:
There are two actually.
The author has managed to make readers
realise that a paranormal story does NOT need the special effects and music etc
like in movies to chill the readers’ bone. She has clearly shown that all the
special effects can be easily achieved by words alone, if used right.
The second, and the most important
appreciation is for the fact that, for once, the characters in a horror book
(or movie) are not taking one stupid decision after another (like for instance
asking the very presence that is making the noises stupid questions like ‘who
is there? I am armed.’). The author has clearly managed to show how bad things
could go even if all the characters behaved brilliantly and properly. Liam
sought psychiatric help and does not freak out and wet his pants in the first
instance. I send my personal thanks to the author for this.
WHAT I LIKED:
·
See points under ‘special mention’.
·
And additionally, I really loved the
characterisation of Liam and Griffin. Also that of Yvonne.
·
A really good book that keeps the
reader’s interest alive throughout. I finished this in a day.
·
Save a few avoidable typos and some
grammatical flaws, this book has a powerful word and language structure.
Eliciting certain emotions like fear, horror and repulsion using just words is
a appreciable feat.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
·
For such a beautifully crafted
story, I felt that the ending was concentrated on one chapter and the
subsequent ‘articles’.
·
The mystery of the why and the how
could have been revealed in bits and pieces throughout the story instead of it unravelling
all at once towards the end.
VERDICT: Go
for this, you will regret missing this one! This is one book I feel bad about
not having a paperback copy to read and reread.
RATING: 4.3/5
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback,
Kindle
PRICE: Rs.
65 for Kindle
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