The Reengineers
by
Indu Muralidharan
A HarperCollins Publication (Harper Element)
A HarperCollins Publication (Harper Element)
Blurb
Chinmay Narayan is plotting to kill himself. He is a misfit at school, his parents are about to divorce and the love of his life doesn’t know he exists. It seems pointless to go on with such a dysfunctional life. But before he gets anywhere with that plan, Chinmay and his friends, Anu and Sabi, stumble into the eerie world of Conchpore through a portal in Uncle RK’s library.
They find themselves in The Seeker’s School, where you can buy spiritual courses that will bring you enlightenment. While the seekers seem unaware that there is anything amiss, Chinmay and his friends stumble upon a strange and sinister plot that the teachers and students are caught up in. The three youngsters suddenly find themselves in danger, and their only hope is the charismatic Siddharth, an old student of the school who has come to visit. Chinmay discovers that Siddharth is seeking catharsis from his dark past by writing a book—a book with Chinmay as the protagonist. He realizes that his own story is a mirror image of Siddharth’s, which leads to a moment of reckoning for him: can he become the author of his own life?
Set in Madras in the early nineties, The Reengineers dispels the boundaries between fiction and reality to tell a tale that is as much a coming-of-age story as it is an inspiring narrative of self-empowerment and spiritual growth.
They find themselves in The Seeker’s School, where you can buy spiritual courses that will bring you enlightenment. While the seekers seem unaware that there is anything amiss, Chinmay and his friends stumble upon a strange and sinister plot that the teachers and students are caught up in. The three youngsters suddenly find themselves in danger, and their only hope is the charismatic Siddharth, an old student of the school who has come to visit. Chinmay discovers that Siddharth is seeking catharsis from his dark past by writing a book—a book with Chinmay as the protagonist. He realizes that his own story is a mirror image of Siddharth’s, which leads to a moment of reckoning for him: can he become the author of his own life?
Set in Madras in the early nineties, The Reengineers dispels the boundaries between fiction and reality to tell a tale that is as much a coming-of-age story as it is an inspiring narrative of self-empowerment and spiritual growth.
Review
I have gotten so affected by shoddily written romances in recent times that I jump at a chance to pick up any book that is not of this genre. When I saw the blurb of this book, the thing that first struck me was how the plot was similar to some fantasy novels I had read. A troubled adoloscent and his friends get into a magical world via a portal and there starts their journey of self discovery and growing up as they simultaneously solve the problem of that alternate world too.
But the author has taken this simple generic theme to give a beautiful novel. From the first word, and the way it described Madras (hot, hotter, hottest, hell) and the way that obvious love for the city and its many features was shown indirectly, the book drew me in. The beginning dragged a bit, and lagged like the way certain late comers take time to get adjusted in a movie hall. But once everyone had settled down, the ride was worth it.
The book has many characters, the central one being Chinmay. His journey as he meets life's various characters who each have a lesson for him (no, that's not as philosophical as it sounds) and how he dispels his sad thoughts and confusions or at least tries to, forms the rest of the story.
What I liked best was the narration. Save a few inconspicuous errors, the book was a joy to read. The story is similar to many others I have read, at least in concept. the execution is widely different. I liked the book for what it was, a refreshing break from the run of the mill stories. My most favorite parts of the story are the beginning and the ending (and many places in between) but these were what gave the perfect place markers to the story.
This book needs improvement in certain regard, and could do with tighter editing and slightly more engaging initial chapters. But once you get the groove, this book will not really allow you to put it down. This is not a racy page turner, but it makes the reader in me curious as to know what comes next, and that keeps the pages turning just as effectively.
Grab your Copy @
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am a writer from Chennai, India. To me, reading and writing are means by which I try to comprehend the meaning of life and reality. My first novel The Reengineers (HarperCollins, 2015) is a metafictional exploration of the meaning of the self, examined through the relationship between an author and the character of his novel. I am working on two other novels at the moment, both centred around the healing power of fiction and its significance in 'real' life.
I live in London, balancing a full time day job with writing and studying a part-time Master's Course in Creative Writing at The University of Oxford.
I live in London, balancing a full time day job with writing and studying a part-time Master's Course in Creative Writing at The University of Oxford.
Stalk her @
Follow us # +Pinterest
Follow The Book 's board The Reengineers by Indu Muralidharan on Pinterest.
Win Rs. 1000 worth Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This Tour is Hosted by
.png){kind=small}
No comments:
Post a Comment
Not a SPAM comment! :)