Book Review: The Color of Our Sky by Amita Trasi

About the book:

Title: The color of Our Sky

Published by: BloomHill Books

Published on: June 30th, 2015

Pages: 318

Genre: Fiction

Rating: 5/5

Blurb: A sweeping, emotional journey of two childhood friends—one struggling to survive the human slave trade and the other on a mission to save her—two girls whose lives converge only to change one fateful night in 1993.

India, 1986: Mukta, a ten-year-old girl from the lower caste Yellamma cult of temple prostitutes has come of age to fulfill her destiny of becoming a temple prostitute. In an attempt to escape this legacy that binds her, Mukta is transported to a foster family in Bombay. There she discovers a friend in the high spirited eight-year-old Tara, the tomboyish daughter of the family, who helps her recover from the wounds of her past. Tara introduces Mukta to a different world—ice cream and sweets, poems and stories, and a friendship the likes of which she has never experienced before.As time goes by, their bond grows to be as strong as that between sisters. In 1993, Mukta is kidnapped from Tara’s room.

Eleven years later, Tara who blames herself for what happened, embarks on an emotional journey to search for the kidnapped Mukta only to uncover long buried secrets in her own family.
Moving from a remote village in India to the bustling metropolis of Bombay, to Los Angeles and back again, amidst the brutal world of human trafficking, this is a heartbreaking and beautiful portrait of an unlikely friendship—a story of love, betrayal, and redemption—which ultimately withstands the true test of time.

About the author

Amita Trasi was born and raised in Mumbai, India. She has an MBA in Human Resource Management, and currently lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and two cats. This is her first novel. Visit her website at www.amitatrasi.com

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My Review:

Some stories are meant to shake you to the core by their very intent- with their haunting projection of the reality and inexplicable charm!

Welcome to Tara's and Mukta's life, as they recount the moments of childhood, the social order of the society and most importantly being together.
Tara blames herself for Mukta's kidnapping years ago. She has now returned from the US to India, with the determination to find Mukta.
Mukta is born to a temple prostitute, the product of a sick tradition that continues unabated till date, and forms a major part of the novel. Tara is our regular school-going kid who is fortunate enough to be able to attend school, and spend time in the lap of her father, who is clearly a role model to her.
A poignant angle has been set- India in all its dichotomy is the backdrop to the brutalities inflicted by fate, the indifference in flesh trade and the compassion that can save lives.

Tara's father is the ideal altruist, volunteering actively to rescue kids from the murk they'd otherwise end up in, and bringing kids home to provide them temporary shelter. All is well until he brings Mukta, this time for ever. While the permanence of her stay is a  major bother to the mother, who is ready to forgive her husband for everything, Mukta has issues of her own. She has seen her mother die in front of her. She is in a foreign land, with no one ready to accept her as her own. It is an identity crisis, but it is a lot more than just that. She is trying to convince herself that she deserves to live after all.

The narration alternates between our two protagonists and it is reminiscent in its element. It is clear that the author is concerned with deeper discussions - some soul-searching, and contemplation of the atrocities of fate, and so beautifully manages to capture this throughout the story.

It is a commentary, of the superlative degree, on the frailities and fallibility of human nature. Interspersed with quotes like,"The only way we can rectify our mistakes is to try and undo the wrong we have done", it is undoubtedly some epic food for thought. Truths are revealed, and it is so heart-warming and gut-wrenching at the same time to see how everyone copes with the lies they had been living. It is the story of not giving up, forgiving, moving on, finding a better purpose to life, being the better person, learning courage and fortitude.

The appeal of the plot is not just this message and the moral debate: it is as much in the thrill, the suspense, the flawed yet sympathetic characters, the persistent sense of loss, which is sprinkled throughout the plot. It is an intense, emotional and meticulous account- be sure you are ready for the emotional roller-coaster which will challenge your principles as you peep into the characters.

An increasingly poignant assault on the heart strings, with unprecedented lessons in family, love, redemption, forgiveness, and life, this one comes highly recommended.

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Source of the review copy: BloomHill Books

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Book Review: Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

About the book:

Title: Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Published by: Sourcebook Fire

Published on: July 7th, 2015

Pages: 304

Genre: Young-adult (YA)

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb: Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

About the author

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

On her own website, she says, "My birthday is April 29, 1982. I grew up in Manchester, Tennessee, a quaint Christian town where nothing cool ever happened until after I left. (Now it’s the home of Bonnaroo). My dream was to become an author, a Major League Baseball Player, a Cracker Barrel manager, a country music singer, or an interpreter for the United Nations.

When I was 18, I escaped to Washington, D.C. Talk about major culture shock: On my first day of college, I showed up at the dorms wearing *cringe* overalls and not knowing much about life or myself. I didn’t really even have a plan – I just knew I wanted to learn more about the world, maybe major in print journalism, and maybe learn to speak Russian.

It was the year 2000, and Al Gore was going up against George W. Bush for the Presidency, and I didn’t even know the difference between a Republican and a Democrat. My political science professor made us write a report on the various Presidential debates. Not knowing much about politics, instead I chose to describe the candidates as characters, e.g. “What the hell was up with the makeup caked on Al Gore’s face? He should become the new model for CoverGirl.” Anyway, the professor loved it, gave me an A, and told me to keep writing. Not bad for someone who didn’t even know what a Libertarian was.

So instead of becoming a Cracker Barrel manager, I discovered a love of news (from politics to Hollywood trash) and international relations. While I’m not a good enough linguist to be an interpreter, I did get a job at the U.S. Department of State, dabbling in all sorts of stuff.

Also while in D.C., I’ve re-embraced writing, which I loved so much as a kid. The first thing I ever had published was a short story for a publication at a writing camp I attended when I was eleven. The name of the story was Patsy’s Prancing Poodles, a comedy about a circus performer who decides to do a tightrope act with her poodles. Obviously, the story was absolute crap, but I loved seeing my work in print. And, of course, I was majorly jealous of my friend Rachel’s story. She wrote an awesome mystery about some stolen shoes or something, and I remember thinking, “Damn, why didn’t I write a mystery? This is suspenseful. This is cool. This is much better than some lame poodles doing flips on a high wire.”

Now, I’m still thinking the same thing every time I go into a bookstore. Why didn’t I think of Bel Canto? Or Feed? Where the Red Fern Grows? Ender’s Game? (Well, besides the fact those last two books were written before I was born)

So many wonderful writers are out there, and I love reading their books while trying my best to become as good as them."

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My Review:

How do you review a book which has been nothing but a pure light hearted joyride for a stretch of 6 hours to you? 

Well, one can always try. So here we are. Although this is a book in the series by this amazing YA author, this is read just as cheerfully as a standalone. The story of Jesse Scott and Maya Henry is endearing, quirky and romantic interspersed with hilarity in just the right amount. When I read love stories, especially Young Adult stories that are not about star-crossed lovers, what I most look forward to the most are the conversations, repartee and friendly banter and wordplay. And this novel is brimming with such banter, much to my pleasure. 

It begins in the cliched way & for a moment I think It will turn out to be just another hatred-turns-into-love story. But its not. Well, in a way it IS hate into love but it isn't cliched at all. There is a substance in the whole plot. 

Both the protagonists are driven by passion. And there are some explicit and implicit lessons in living. Consistent effort. Never giving up. Undying yearning to learn. And I live that in a novel- when it has something to offer in soul besides the plot in mind. 

One thing about the novel that deserves a special mention is the fact that everything seemed pretty balanced and thought out. Nothing seemed forced or out of the place or extraneous. All characters fit the plot just fine. 

To top it all, I was smiling continuously while reading the novel. I like that about a book. That is able to give me reason to smile through words. 

I could totally relate to Maya Henry, not in the factual sense but in what we feel. She asks at a point "What am I doing wrong? Why don't I belong anywhere?". And all I manage is a sigh, thinking to myself: I feel you Maya. I really do. And that is when I am completely, like entirely engrossed in the novel. There is a gripping urge to see it through the end. 

And the best part is that there is a reality to it all: no one sacrifices anything and reason and practicality always remain dominant. What more could have one asked of a novel? 

Maya's family and especially her brother and his girlfriend are all adorable characters, for lack of a better adjective. They are the most endearing supporting characters I have ever seen. 

The journey: defeat, betrayal, a pestering family, love, agony, despair, longing: all the emotions are worth living in this book, with this book. 

I am already in love with this author. On to reading more. 

oh, and a friendly advice:Never waste time pining for a boy, because the boy you're meant to be with will want you so bad, you won't have to pine at all.

This book gives just too much to fangirl for.

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Source of the review copy: NetGalley ARC (Advanced reader Copy)

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