ronica.wahi

Review by Ronica Wahi   Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life…and a Man By Reenita Malhotra Hora Published: August 22, 2022, Zenith Publishing. Pages: 220. ISBN: 9781958503089 Cute, light-hearted, entertaining, and at times, funny, Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life…and a Man by Reenita Malhotra Hora is a young adult novel, whose protagonist – well – does exactly what the title and the subtitle suggest. Ila, the protagonist, is a teenager who – like all teenagers – has certain issues with how her mom wants her to live; part of what her mom wants is that she give up her obsession with Ali Zafar and find a boyfriend for herself. Ila, helped by her best friend Deepali and one of Deepali’s three boyfriends – Dev, whom Ila herself is attracted to, sets out to find a man for her single mother instead. The plot is fun, and the narrative flows really smooth. The best portion of the novel is when Ila, afte...

  Review by Ronica Wahi  Cleopatra’s Vendetta By Avanti Centrae First published: November 15, 2022, Thunder Creek Press. Pages: 397. ASIN: B0B5JJGV2N Cleopatra’s Vendetta is stellar work! This is a cleverly crafted novel that entwines past and present, fact and fiction, history and science, thrill and drama. Adventure, suspense, and fast-paced action make this a quick and fun read. While Timothy – or Tim – Stryker with Sam and his other associates is on a mission to stop the next of the planned assassinations of high-profile individuals across different locations in the world, there comes another grave thing to tackle – Tim’s wife Angie and their daughter Harper – who are also Sam’s sister and niece – are kidnapped while holidaying in Italy, leaving behind hardly any clue of their whereabouts. Tim and team rush to prevent the assassinations they do not know the exact purpose of, and also save Tim’s family time...

Review by Ronica Wahi A Kiss After Dying By Ashok Banker First published: June 23, 2022, Michael Joseph. Pages: 400. ISBN: 9780241510513 A couple of pages into A Kiss After Dying and the reader knows there is a sinister plot on offer. After a bombshell start, the scene of action changes and for long pages afterwards, the novel seems to go the way of the enemies with a revenge motive-turned-lovers-turned-life partners tale until another bombshell is dropped. Not for nothing is patience a virtue; yes, a bit of patience would be required in getting to the exciting zone in this novel but this patience will be rewarded. The plan hatched by Hannah, the female protagonist, for the “mission” is a well-thought out one, and she is smart enough to spring into combat mode and alter this well-crafted plan whenever the need arises. The title A Kiss After Dying is reminiscent of the title of Ira Levin’s superbly successful A Kiss Before Dying , with which Ashok Banker’s work shares ...

Review by Ronica Wahi Back to School: A Useful Guide to Navigate through the Pandemic By Lavitha Vaz and Shalini Mukund First published: January 1, 2022, Sita Infobytes Solution Pvt. Ltd. Pages: 74. ISBN: 9788195656806 Back to School: A Useful Guide to Navigate through the Pandemic by Lavitha Vaz and Shalini Mukund is, as the subtitle says – yes, truly – a useful guide that can aid parents, teachers, and schools in making the transition back to school much easier for young children and teenagers. The book starts with a pretty poem that talks of – among other things – hope and how children are beacons of light. It is the collective responsibility of parents, teachers, and schools to ensure that all school-going kids are steered in the right direction so they can shine their brightest, and this book offers tools and techniques to help in such endeavour. Once the pandemic started, children were denied the pleasure of playing outdoors and got only limited opportunities fo...

  Review by Ronica Wahi Perfect Peace By Dr. Debaruna Ghosh First published: May 26, 2022, FanatiXx Publication. Pages: 111. ISBN: 978-9354527173 The creativity and the vitality of the orange; and the joy and the optimism of the yellow hues in a beautiful, serene setting that invites peaceful introspection and meditation over life form the first element that greets the reader as Dr. Debaruna Ghosh’s Perfect Peace is chosen for a read. This pretty cover designed by Abhijeet Ghosh is a perfect fit to the contents of the book. A hundred pieces - presented a piece a page – varying in length but each encompassed within a few lines mull over distinct factors that can fetch sometimes fleeting and sometimes lasting peace and contentment, and - only if just momentary – happiness. For instance, the first piece talks of how life becomes dreary, with an individual just functioning and working mechanically, monotonously without chasing dreams, and sleep is what brings such indi...

Review by Ronica Wahi All the Halloweens By William P. Mallory First published: July 24, 2020, Independently Published. Pages: 146. ASIN: B08DC5W1YN A collection of seven short horror tales – All the Halloweens by William P. Mallory – is a good option for an entertaining read, though not perhaps too suitable a choice for a late night one. The stories are all different from one another, each with its unique plot. Mallory sure has creative ideas and the skill to stylishly put them forth. He has a knack for the development of plot – the way each tale progresses towards its respective point of climax and conclusion builds tension progressively within the reader. Each tale offers a distinct source or avenue of horror; collectively, the tales indicate that the scary or even evil can lurk or suddenly appear anywhere – in everyday things and situations, by just indulging in ordinary desires or curiosities. Some stories are crafted better than others, achieving with greater fo...

Review by Ronica Wahi The Mars Room By Rachel Kushner First published: May 1, 2018, Sribner. Edition Reviewed: June 7, 2018, Vintage Digital, Kindle Edition. Pages: 352. Epub ISBN: 9781910702673 The Mars Room , like other works of Rachel Kushner, was received well, even being shortlisted for The Man Booker Prize 2018 . And rightly so. The novel is unapologetically bold and is a much-needed voice, raising many important issues. Among the key merits of the novel is its ability to touch deeply, without being too sentimental, despite the strong presence of memories and nostalgia. The laying bare of cruel realities and raw details, and the constant juxtaposition of the varying circumstances in life as the narrative moves back and forth in time by way of recalled events as life is suffered in the present are done with finesse. Kushner brings to life with untiring effort – and yet effortlessly – the realities of so many suff...