Chameleons by Sanket Ghag : A Review

BOOK TITLE: Chameleons

ISBN: 9789382473435

AUTHOR: Sanket Ghag

GENRE: Fiction

NUMBER OF PAGES: 207

FORMAT: Paperback

SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone

SUMMARY:

What would happen to you, if someone you loved madly left you without giving you a reason? What would you do if your business, which is running smoothly, turns into a bumpy hell ride? And a friend, whom you looked up to, turns his back when you needed him the most? The last resort you look to is your mother, who comforts you in your crisis, but she too pushes you to the extreme. Situations like these brings out the true inner self of a person; some change themselves to adapt to the situation like chameleons, some fight back and change the situation. Sunny is entangled in such situations. Standing on a six inch thick parapet wall of a four-storied building, he is looking out for a solution, and life flashes back to Sunny. Will Sunny find the solution? Will he become a chameleon or will he jump off?

REVIEW BY: Dhivya Balaji

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20539669-dhivya-balaji

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK:  I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and the author shipped me this book within a week.

REVIEW:

          When I got a message from the author on goodreads apologising for the delay and assuring me the book would arrive within a week, I was pleasantly surprised. I was under the impression that books took longer to arrive. But thankfully the book arrived safely via courier with a personalised note. The title and cover graphics were intriguing even though I realised this must be based on a true life story.

          The story is a first person narrative of a man branded a loser and on the brink of suicide. He has a nagging mother, supporting brother and unresponsive father. Sandeep, the narrator has studied interior designing and is now working with his brother. He prefers dull, torn but comfortable clothes and the unshaven look. He is also suffering from breakup with his college dream girl.

          He lets ‘water cascade over him’ before entering a trance in which he relives all his bad memories. The memories and the taunting words of his mother haunt him during even his work hours. To cut a long story short, even in the work place, he encounters cheaters, liars and betrayals. His business partners betray his trust and come back to him when they are in need.

          What goes around comes around; seems to be the mantra for the book. The author is clear in two things, his devotion to god and his habits. There are considerable Hindi dialogs thrown in for nativity. The author relays a strong message of bonding with family and trusting friends in the time of crisis. Read the story for more details.

          Plot is literally not the main focus for the story. It is just a recounting of the narrator’s life. The characterisation is also so open that sometimes we felt the narrator was silly to not have noticed people’s true colours before. The story is like a peek into the confused mind of the author. One good thing that can be said for the book is, it’s practical and realistic.

WHAT I LIKED: The realistic story and no over emphasis on an unbelievable topic

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: The language and editing could have been more precise and the obvious typos, spelling errors and grammar mistakes could have been avoided.

VERDICT: Go for it if you like Chetan Bhagat books.

RATING: 3.4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

          Sanket Ghag, born Piscean, is a happy-go-lucky guy since his childhood, who never bothered about what lay ahead in the future; he lives in his own dream world. Studies being his last priority, he is a drop-out by choice in his last year of graduation (Bsc in Microbiology) from Bhavans College as he wanted to chase his film dreams. But on the persistent pressure from parents he studied Interior Design at Rachana Sansad and worked as an Interior Designer for 4 years. Since his heart was always in films, one morning he resigned his well- paying secure job as Senior Interior Designer and joined L S Raheja Film and Television School to chase his dream .

          Now Sanket working in the Hindi Film Industry as an Assistant Art Director. He loves writing , photography and wants to be a filmmaker. With so much passion about films , that's how he got the name "FILMYKEEDA"

EDITIONS AVAILABLE:Paperback.

PRICE: Rs. 125 for paperback

BOOK LINKS: http://www.amazon.com/The-Chameleons-Sanket-Ghag/dp/9382473432