INSIGHTFUL The Bestseller She Wrote !

The title of this book, The Bestseller She Wrote pretty much tells what the story is going to be but still along the path Ravi has weaved many twists and turns. Shreya, the beautiful, cocky, smart and cunning girl is obviously out to have her way and stops at pretty much nothing to achieve it but the real twist in the tale is when finally she is cornered and the real villain of the story is revealed!

Aditya, is the smart, suave, handsome and super successful author with a perfect life but still chooses to be greedy. Yes, as it said in the book, “it’s a choice.” And he and his family suffer the consequences. I found that the author has done a very detailed study of the human mind both the good and evil. He has done full justice to portray not only the conniving mind of Shreya and the villain but also the other characters. The wife, Maya, Sunania as well as the other secondary characters in the book are well etched. I wish he had told a bit more about Melvin and his background.

Another thing I found amiss was that even though it was mentioned by Vaishali that Shreya’s book had been read by her earlier it was not explained why and how? Also what was Shreya’s inspiration for penning that particular book. These could have given a greater insight in to her mind as her troubled childhood explained her present behavior.

Ravi writes with a flow, a steady stream of incidents in the story keeps the interest going, bit by bit the small incidents add up to the final showdown; also adding the drama and controversy to the already potent story. Also his mention of various famous authors and contemporaries added a feel of reality and credence to the book. I found the story quite apt in today’s world since we keep seeing similar incidents with many famous people.

The drama and the twist of his personal issues, his love for his wife and kid and his being just human like us all add up to demystify the Bestselling author. It gave an insight into the mind of a great writer and busted the myth that we need to be full time writers – we just need to be motivated to write and nurture our muse. The wonderful insights into the writing process, tips and tricks of publishing and book launch given by the author added to the reading experience. He has managed to merge them into the flow of the book and yet standout as something we can use in our life and writing.

Ravi’s writing talent of making flawed characters into heroes stands out in this book too. How he turned my view of Aditya, the way he finally cornered Shreya made me root for him in spite of his flaws and from being a selfish man into one I was impressed with. He found help and support from surprising people and that was such a positive aspect. As if the author was trying to highlight the inherent goodness that is overshadowed at times in our harsh world.

Shreya’s relentless pursuit of her goal and her actions bring to light her motivation and actions but as I read, I was trying to find errors with which she could be caught. I could not find the real culprit till the fag end of the novel; a subtle surprise at that, which was hinted at many time. It made me think, oh! How did I miss that!!

Ravi Subramanian has indeed spun a masterful tale of “Love, Betrayal and Redemption”. Art and creativity imitate life and make for an interesting, insightful and introspective read. You should be reading it in these holidays.

©Inderpreet Kaur

I am reviewing ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!