CHARACTERS: 3.5/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
CLIMAX: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3/5
A Few Musings
When I received “Road to Cherry Hills” for review, I fell in love with its cover.
There was something about the title and the attention-grabbing cover that got my interest spiked.
Hence, even though I had plans to pick up another book, I couldn’t keep my hands off this one and ended up choosing it instead.
The Genre
“Road to Cherry Hills” can be best classified into the categories of general fiction, drama, contemporary adult fiction and maybe inspirational.
It is a good mix of many genres but unlike what is mentioned on the back cover, it isn’t a romance – at least I didn’t think so.
The Story of Rimjhim
It is the story of Rimjhim whose journey into the adult life begins when she gets admitted to the prestigious Cherry Hills Media School.
There she meets and falls in love with Ankit. Post Ankit, her life takes a beautiful turn and she finds herself getting everything that she ever wanted.
This, however, is not the end. As the days go by, her equation with Ankit changes and she becomes distraught.
Nevertheless, life continues to throw unexpected joys and sorrows in her way.
This book spans over decades and tells us about the challenging and inspirational story of Rimjhim and her tryst with life.
The Plot
The plot of the book is pretty basic. It follows the story of the protagonist Rimjhim and in that sense, it is a character-centric plot.
There are not any subplots to speak of and therefore there are times when the story becomes dull and monotonous.
What are its Characters like?
The main character of “Road to Cherry Hills” is Rimjhim who is a likeable person. Her easy charm and vivacious personality instantly establish a connection with the reader.
Since the book is contemporary adult fiction, the character of Rimjhim also faces the same struggles and challenges that most other women in her position do.
In that sense, Rimjhim’s problems and troubles become easily relatable to the reader.
How was the Author’s Writing Style?
The writing style of Sohini Bagchi is fuss-free and uncomplicated. She makes use of a simple and easy to understand language that will appeal to many readers.
The fact is that this debut novel speaks a lot about the author’s skills as a writer. With time her writing is definitely bound to mature and improve.
What about the Climax?
As far as the climax is concerned, the book is quite predictable. The story’s ending was easily established in the last few chapters.
This is mostly because the story follows a pretty standard form and there isn’t anything which will differentiate it from a boy-meets-girl story.
There were a few surprises in the end, but those too were expected.
What did I love?
The fact that the book very realistically portrays the challenges of a woman in today’s society is worth appreciating.
I also liked the way Rimjhim’s and Karan’s romance blossoms in the end. The starry night sequence was beautifully scripted; it was simply mesmerizing.
I also loved the location of Cherry Hills in which a major part of the book is set. The village Rangeela is also a charming location which is frequently made use of in this book.
What I disliked?
There were certain areas where the editing seemed to be off. The story was pretty standard. It did not offer anything unique to me as a reader.
It was yet another “me-too” story out there which did not do much to differentiate it from the many other similar books in the market.
What could have been better?
I would have loved it if the book had a few other subplots. More space and time should have been given to developing Ankit, Bhaskar and Karan as strong characters with good backstories.
The Final Verdict
“Road to Cherry Hills” is a decent novel which on one hand tells a decent story but on the other hand, fails to shine.
Who should Pick it?
- People who enjoy contemporary fictions may go for this book.
- It will also appeal to readers who are getting started with reading English novels.
- Readers who enjoy simple stories and quick reads with an easy to understand language can opt for it.
Who should Skip it?
- Readers who diligently look for the “literary quotient” in their books will do better to stay away from it.
- Readers who read a lot of books might not like it.
Can’t wait to read it? Grab your copy at the link below.
