CHARACTERS: 4/5
WRITING STYLE: 4.5/5
CLIMAX: 4/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 4.5/5
2016 has been a pleasant year so far. I have come across many good books this year and this book was definitely one of them.
The moment I read that first line, I knew I was in for something special. That elusive line. Oh! That teaser of a first-line was all I needed to hook me on to this book.
“I was born because of one man’s inability to read.” This line is full of secrets; full of intrigue and the book which follows this line is also equally enthralling.
There are very few books which say so less and yet create an impact which authors will kill for, to have in their books. Nikhil Kumar, as far as I can say, is a gifted writer in this department.
His usage of language and style is extraordinary. He writes with finesse and charm and kills with suspense. I know I am sounding cryptic but trust me what I say is 100% correct.
So before you cast this review away as being completely moronic, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Shall we?
To start with, nowhere in Anya’s Lyric the characters have been given names (except for the main character Anya) – everybody is described.
The woman with a mole on her left cheek, the man with one hand are just a few of the characters whom you come across – unnamed yet described.
The story is simple but the plot is twisted in such a way that you will find it unpredictable and spellbinding at the end of every page.
There are a few parallel stories which run alongside the main story but in the end, how these stories come together and become a coherent whole is the fun part.
Every story is different from Anya’s and yet every subplot and every character are somehow linked with her story.
Anya is a differently-abled person and the way she is described is anything but ordinary. The world is her home and the people are her story and they all add lyrics to her life – that is the essence of this book – Anya’s Lyric.
I loved the way the author has maintained the element of secrecy, thrill and intrigue at all points. I also loved the way the author has made a 180-page novel so deep and intricate.
I cannot call this book an easy read as the book is indeed complex.
I myself had to often go back and visit some pages again and again in order to be able to make sense of what is happening. But all of that was beautifully rewarded in the end.
The book also does a very good job of highlighting the evil in today’s Indian society. The misfortunes which today’s underprivileged suffer from find a voice in this book and that makes you sit back and acknowledge that yes, all is indeed not well with our society.
The realisation that some lives are dispensable as compared to ours is a rude shock which slaps the reader across the face.
So, if you are a fan of some good literary fiction, Anya’s Lyric is definitely the book for you. I simply loved this book and I am eagerly waiting for the next book from the author’s kitty.
I end this review by rating the book four and a half out of five stars and recommending it to all my readers.
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