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Book Review : What You Wish For

Name: What You Wish For
Writer: Saikat
Publisher: Redgrab Books
Publication date: 01 March 2020
ISBN-10: 9387390977
ISBN-13: 978-9387390973
Pages: 136
Price: ₹125
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★.5
Blurb: 
In life, the path of love is lined with heartache and filled with tears with the hard reality lying as an open field with bucket-load of memories left behind in the wide road behind. And so is life: filled with all sorts of delusions that are ready to snatch our presence from us. Prisha Bose finds herself in Mumbai with nothing but her best-friend's dying wish - to finish everything in the wish list that she couldn't. Prisha promises her to live the life she had only dreamt of. Moment by moment, Prisha shapes a life she had never thought of... Until Arav strolls in the café one afternoon, scattering all of her carefully knitted plans in the wind. Sometimes, an accidental meeting change lives forever. Sometimes, the universe makes us believe in fate and live through the stories. What You Wish For is the story of everyone whom life shaped the way they are. Where not everything happens as perfectly as it is thought of but what fate has in store for the reality, filled with heartache and agony that one faces in their life.

My thoughts:
Plotline:

The story revolves around the life of Prisha Bose, who works at a coffee house in Mumbai. After the death of her best-friend Ayesha, Prisha leaves behind her family and her hometown Kolkata and moves to Mumbai with the purpose of living freely and checking off Ayesha’s wish list. At the coffee house, Prisha comes across Arav, who leaves her totally mesmerized. Although the two don’t talk much then, destiny brings them together again at a party, where they instantly connect. Ayesha and Arav start dating, and everything seems to be moving smoothly, until one day, Prisha loses consciousness and is rushed to the hospital. Even though Prisha slides it off casually, Arav senses something suspicious. Following the unexpected visit by Prisha’s parents, Prisha and Arav’s relationship strains even more.
What is it that Prisha is hiding from Arav? How did Ayesha die? Why is Prisha so serious about Ayesha’s wish list? Will the misunderstandings between Prisha and Arav clear out? Or will it mark the end of their relationship? Read to find out.

Language and writing style: 
The story seemed beautiful to me. I loved Prisha and Arav’s love story. The impact the two of them have on each other was pleasing to read. The story has been well narrated and the language is lucid. The author has done a great job of building up the bond between Prisha and Arav. I was also happy that the author worked upon making the book more realistic, rather than giving it a dystopian touch where every action has a happy result.
But I wasn’t entirely impressed with this book. Although the plotline had a lot of potential to offer, I feel the author got distracted by the love story. The existence of Ayesha’s wish list has been mentioned, but the complete wish list was never presented. We don’t find out much about their friendship and bond either. I would have preferred if the author had presented a sort of a flashback at least displaying their bond.
Also, after spending a few days with Prisha, Arav suddenly disappears for months, and it was Prisha who had to go find him. Yes, a reason was provided for his disappearance – his doubt about the sustenance of the relationship. But is that reason strong enough to disappear completely, and avoid Prisha? I don’t think so.
The author also mentions Arav’s drunk father, but it is never mentioned again. And so, the topic seems slightly vague to me. There also were a few spelling mistakes in the book. But overall, the story is well-paced and the characters have been developed well.

Title and book cover: 
If you know me enough, you would know how much I love books that have pretty covers. The book cover is the major reason as to why I love this book. The beautiful floral pattern is extremely elegant. The title too is apt, since the story focuses on fulfilling the final wishes of Ayesha.

Recommend? 
The book can act as a good casual read.

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