CHARACTERS: 3/5
WRITING STYLE: 2.5/5
CLIMAX: 2.5/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3/5
“Survival was my only hope, success my only revenge” – Patricia Cornwell
With these illuminating words of wisdom from the famous author Patricia Cornwell, I chose to start my review.
“Inside the Heart of Hope” is a book which was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The book tells us the story of Rick who suffers from a peculiar heart condition called Aortic Valve Stenosis which makes it difficult for his heart to function normally, in turn, putting a lot of pressure on his heart.
The result of this life-threatening disease is that he requires frequent surgeries and a very relaxed environment free of tension and any kind of physical exertion.
Even after all the precautions, there is no guaranteeing how many years he may live.
A consequence of this is that he is made to live a caged life, devoid of all hope and all possibility of ever living the life of a normal human being.
As mentioned at the start of this book, “Inside the Heart of Hope” is a fictional story inspired by true events and tells us the story of its main character Rick.
The plot of the book is pretty straightforward. It traces the story of Rick and that’s all about it. There isn’t anything else to look forward to.
The plot is extremely simple (or you can also call it non-existent). Instead of a story, the book reads more like a fictional memoir. The story is told in the first-person voice.
“Inside the Heart of Hope” has a decent set of characters but none of them impressive enough to leave a mark on the reader’s mind.
At times, you feel sorry for the protagonist Rick and at other times you feel proud of his commitment to making something of his life. The other characters are a mediocre bunch.
The author’s writing style is pretty straightforward too. The language is simple and neat. The writing is fluid and breezy and that makes the book a fast read.
The pace of the book is not very good though. Even though the book is just over 100 pages, there are times when the story seems dragged and lacklustre.
There is promise in the author’s writing and I am sure Rishabh’s writing will flourish with every book that he writes.
The climax is predictable but then the story demands so. I don’t think there was any other way to end the story. So, that pretty much explains the conclusion.
The author could have spiced up the end somehow; there could have been a couple of surprise elements thrown in to make the reader gasp without disturbing the final outcome.
That being said, the end was still beautiful and satisfying.
The entertainment quotient of the book wasn’t that great. The book clearly lacked good plot and strong characters. That coupled with an average and predictable climax does not add up to a good entertainment quotient.
Final Verdict – “Inside the Heart of Hope” is a decent one time read especially for people who are or know people who are in a similar life-threatening situation. It will indeed be an inspirational read for such readers.
It can also be picked by people who are looking for a short and breezy read and books based on true stories.
Buy the book from the link below.
