Author– Ruhee Advani
Book– Strangers in the Night
Previous Works– Growing Up, Finding Utopia
Publishers– Notionpress.com
Number of Pages– 196
Format– Paperback
Blurb-
Strangers in the Night is a love story of a girl Alisha who meets a boy Arjun outside a London nightclub one night and how that chance meeting changes both their lives forever. It opens with this random encounter and follows the journey that begins that night.
While relating their outer lives, the book also explores the inner lives of the protagonists. It shows how the outer affects the inner and vice-versa.
The story is about two people who meet and fall in love,it’s also about much more than just that. It’s about fears and dreams and the choice we sometimes have to make between the two. It’s about friendship and family and how powerful they are, how they can create magic sometimes. It’s about a hope that lives on forever. It’s about doors opening right when you’re about to give up on them.
The book, Strangers in the Night is a love story, but it’s also a story about life and the mysterious, magical ways it works in sometimes.
Review-
Strangers in the night is a light romance by Ruhee Advani, perfect for squeezing it into your tight schedules.
The story revolves around Alisha and Arjun, and their chance encounter that ends up changing Alisha’s life and Arjun’s perception of love. It was about awakening the dreamer in you and letting it take charge. It also deals with other emotions like friendship, jealousy and cynicism.
The book is nothing real, the entire plot seems like it was out of those fairy tales where the people end up happily ever after, but then, we all secretly want those fairy tales, don’t we?
I am sure Ruhee Advani may come across much criticism about how the book is not practical, in fact, that’s something I would point out in the later parts as well. Meanwhile, I also appreciate that she had the courage to try and make the reader believe in the spark that we may feel when we meet the one.
I enjoyed the book, in comparison to the books I prefer reading, this was different. I have always been a cynic who dreams in secret, so I can relate to those lectures Anandita gave to Alisha. It was mostly about taking life both seriously and making it fun to live.
Also Read- Review Pen: The Light Catcher by Sameer Chopra
The plot line was too simple but you get a few twists and turns and the characters have their plans on and off which the readers will either find irritating or funny. In fact the story doesn’t even last a month but it does deliver the magic promised. The book has a pretty elaborate blurb, and the author has managed to include everything mentioned in it, even if the story lasts for a short amount of time.
Its not a book you would swear by, but it definitely is a book that would make you smile. Would really love to read a sequel to this book, about the twist and turns in the life of Alisha
Cover- 3 stars
Title- 3.5 stars
Blurb- 3.5 stars
Plot- 3 star
Writing and Presentation- 3 star
Overall- 3.2 stars out of 5
The book could use some work on the cover. The cover is too simple and does not give the kind of pick-me vibe.
The title, though a good one could be better. The book does start with two strangers in the night but then that spark they share, would be appreciated if the title conveys that as well.
The plot was not much, it ends abruptly and has certain loopholes. Alisha’s decisions are based on really weak foundations. Her boyfriend for whom she was agreeing to change countries, might just break up and then she would have no reason to stay. Her friend with whom she plans to stay, had already kicked her out of her house once, and that too because she was jealous of her. If the jealousy returns, Alisha might not be only homeless, but jobless as well. Never in the entire book, was the term visa mentioned. A foreign resident does need a visa to stay in another country and extended visas are quite a luxury most people are not lucky to have. Alisha, the girl who was worried about the costs of a party, did not even give a thought to living with her friend and her daily expenses in a foreign nation.
The characters did not feel well portrayed because Alisha’s contrasting decisions as mentioned above, make her character complex, because we are not able to determine what sort of person she. And we just get glimpses of Arjun’s character, where he seems indecisive, contrasting to the way he was portrayed in the first chapter. The only well written character was Anandita, as we see the different sides of her and that’s enough to know what kind of person she was.
The book could be presented better, after some developmental editing, so that it leaves an impression on the reader. It surely has the capacity to make the reader dream again if well written.
The book is not for seasoned readers who would like to go to the depth of the plot, because it isn’t anything deep. It happens in a blink of an eye and then its all jitters and giggles.
Reviewed by- Banaja Prakashini
Buy the book-
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About Ruhee Advani-
Ruhee Advani is a 30-year -old girl from Bombay, India. She started writing when she was very young. She wrote her very first story when she was eight years old, and since then, writing has been one of her favorite ways of expressing her thoughts, feelings and creativity.
She has been writing poetry much nonstop for the past twenty years. Apart from short stories for children, she has written a collection of poems, a bunch of novels for children and grownups, plays and a massive amount of philosophy. For Rhee, writing is therapy, passion, a hobby and a survival tool all rolled in one.
After completing her ICSE, from Maneckji Cooper Education Trust School in Bombay, Ruhee pursued an IB Diploma Program at Dhirubhai Ambani International School and then a BA at St. Xavier’s College with a Major in Sociology. She then obtained a Master of Arts degree in English Literature from Mumbai University.
After completing her formal education, she worked as a teacher in many nurseries and kindergarten schools all over Bombay. She also has a stint at an Event Management Company called Groove Temple. Finally, she decided that she wanted to turn her favorite hobby, writing, into a career and attempt to get some of her written work published.
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