Book Review of ‘Aarohi’ by Anupama Dalmia

This book review is special for many reasons. For one, it is the first time that I am reviewing a book where I know the author personally and have met her. Second, the author is a writer who I admire not just for her writings and other talents but also for the person that she is. Third, it´s Anupama Dalmia´s debut book and hence, an important milestone for her where she transitions from a blogger/writer to an author. Anupama Dalmia is a multiple award-winning blogger, writer, entrepreneur and social activist. She blogs at http://anupamadalmia.com/

Summary

After completing her residential MBA course, Anusha shifts in to live with her widower father, a retired Badminton coach at an apartment complex. She makes her first friend in Aarohi as their bond strengthens on the badminton court daily. Suddenly, one fine day there is no trace of Aarohi. Anusha goes to Aarohi´s flat to find out the reason for her absence. She is puzzled when the owner of the flat tells her that there is no girl named Aarohi living in that apartment.

The story takes an unexpected course at this juncture and the journey from there is quite an emotional roller-coaster.

What works

Áarohi´ is a poignant and inspiring story that has sisterhood as its cornerstone. It has an intriguing story-plot that starts on a sweet note, takes sudden detours into unexpected territories, explores and tackles the grey areas and has a victorious ending. At its core, Áarohi´ is a ´good triumphs over evil´ story.

The story flows in a seamless fashion from one subplot to another. Anupama Dalmia ties myriad elements of drama, horror and mystery neatly together to give the readers a satisfying experience.

There is a natural eloquency in Anupama Dalmia´s communication style. She is an excellent orator and writer. Those who are familiar with her writings will know that her strengths lie in simplicity, clarity and connect with her readers.  Áarohi´ is a manifestation of her signature writing style with a relevant social message.  

What could have been better

I don´t want to sound like a nitpicker. But if I have to pick something that could have been better, it would be the editing. Áarohi´ is a technically sound book with its grammar and vocabulary in place. However, it needed the critical eye of a seasoned editor to trim the superfluous and make it more elegant that what it is.

Having said that, it doesn´t take away from the fact that ´Aarohi´ is a powerful debut that packs in a lot of punch. The book has an interesting backstory to it which I am hoping the author will share with the readers someday. To even think that she came up with a story like ´Aarohi´ given her circumstances and the timeline is nothing short of inspiring. Also, Áarohi´ is a ´one-woman´ show. Anupama Dalmia has done everything from the scratch to make sure Áarohi´ sees the light of the day – the book cover, storyline, editing, publishing, marketing et all. 

I highly recommend this book which has been getting rave reviews and topping the charts on Amazon.

You can pick your copy of Áarohi´ at: https://www.amazon.in/Aarohi-Anupama-Dalmia-ebook/dp/B079SH2HHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524288369&sr=8-1&keywords=aarohi

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(Author´s Note: This is written for the #SuperBloggerChallenge2018 #Instacuppa hosted by HealthWealthBridge.com, FashionableFoodz.com and AllAboutTheWoman.com. The challenge is from 15 Feb – 26 April 2018. This article should not be re purposed, republished or use otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger but some of the images shown may be subject to copyright. SuperBloggerChallenge2018 is not responsible for any infringement caused.)

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