Author– Alaknanda Goutham

Book– Coffee and Mocha

Previous Works–  Debut Novel

Publishers– White Falcon Publishing

Number of Pages– 191

Format– Paperback

Blurb-

Falling in love with someone is pretty easy. But staying in love with that someone is quite tough.
The easiest part had happened in the most ridiculous way.
So! In the summer of 2013, I fell in love.
I fell in love and I was just 17.
I was 17 and I fell in love with a girl I never knew that I once knew her.
I fell in love with a girl I never knew that I was once in love with.
I fell in love with a girl that made my life little like Coffee and a lot like Mocha.
It happened in the month of March 2013.
And as it happened, it made the most toughest thing possible; staying in love with the person forever.

Coffee and Mocha is a simple account of a teenage flings, love and friendship.

Review-

Coffee and Mocha by Alaknanda Goutham is a teenage love story that can absolutely pass off as adorable. The story revolves around Anirudh Chandra, a 17 year old, looking for the right career to choose from, when he stumbles upon a pair of icy blue eyes that make a go for his heart. From a dramatic beginning to searching for the girl of his dreams, the book takes you on a ride of young adolescent love that would make you smile. The plot deals with young love, friendships, support and my favorite, a puppy.

One of the best things about the book, that I would loved to the core, was how pleasant it was. It does not make you go through too many strong emotions but by the end, you feel good about reading it. I am currently pursuing my Masters, and it can be tough when you are crammed up with assignments, records, and forced extra-curriculum. This book because my refuge for a few weeks. I was not able to find the time to read it,  but whenever I did, I felt satisfied.

Also Read- Review Pen: Two Leaves And A Bud by M.A Chacko

The author’s narration was spontaneous, which added to the pleasant feeling. The scenes, though a bit dramatic at times, do not feel enforced. No matter how peculiar certain aspects of the book seemed, the narration made it look like there’s a  possibility of it happening.

The plot does  not only focus on love, it also speaks a great deal about career, moral support and all those other things that teenagers go through. If you are looking for some teenage fling, this is the book for you.

Ratings-

Cover- 3 star

Title- 3 star

Blurb- 3 star

Plot- 3.5 star

Writing and Presentation- 3.5 star

Overall- 3.2 stars out of 5

The book is name “Coffee & Mocha”, despite being a beautiful title in itself, does not match the storyline. We don’t find any reference about the title in the book, nor does it get mentioned any time. This could have been avoided it there was some better description about the characters, inclining towards the title. I also spotted a few editing errors that add a bit of humor to those lines.

The book sports a simple cover, the color combination is classy, the designing is worth noticing but again it seems irrelevant to the story without any reference.

The blurb of the book is elaborate, and there is a part which focuses a lot on staying in love, which is not detailed in the book. The staying in love, part of the story happens in a jiffy, during the last few pages of the book, while the blurb makes it look like it’s a big deal. The blurb was probably the only time the title was mentioned in, apart from the cover.

The plot is cute, but it does not leave any sort of impact on the reader’s mind. It’s a one time read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Reviewed by- Banaja Prakashini

Buy the book-

Amazon

About Alaknanda Goutham-

You can write back to Alaknanda Goutham at hello@alaknandagoutham.com