Author– Maniissh Aroraa
Book– Sunshine Town
Previous Works– Debut novel
Publishers– Peacock Books (Atlantic Publishers)
Number of Pages– 194
Format– Paperback
Blurb-
Shlok, a lanky teenager, a daydreamer, doesn’t want much from his life. A dream to make his parents happy and affection of a neighbourhood sweetheart, Natasha. Though both are poles apart, their interests bring them close. Together, they experience new emotions. But, just when they are ready to acknowledge their feeling of love for each other, it is too late.
The rapids of life set Shlok on an unexpected journey, and he realizes one can’t always be in control of circumstances. Unable to crack an important entrance exam and geographical difficulties affecting his love life, Shlok’s life goes through turbulent times.
All the while, his faith in God ebbs and flows, but like a wave, it ends up breaking on the shore before returning to the sea. He is confronted with a perennial question-am I good enough for anything? Holding a mirror to himself, he is faced with a decision to give up on everything he thought was right for him.
Set in Varanasi, a city in North India, during the late 90s, before the pervasiveness of technology, Sunshine Town is about the aspirations and emotional turmoil of being a teenager. This story deals with the themes of love, career, and personal fulfilment.
Review-
Ever had that one thing that you worked really hard for, yet fate wasn’t that kind to you?
The story of Shlok and the series of misfortunes he encounters, called life. Every effort though more, seemed less and lesser seemed the result. Read the story of Shlok, in Sunshine Town as he explores his chances with career, love and goals.
The book is a teenage fiction, giving a take on a life where ambitions are plenty and working is tough. I am usually not a fan of teenage stories but the book is highly engaging and unpredictable.
It is more focused on achieving goals, and that’s what makes the book perfect to be read by the ones who are struggling with life and academics to be exact. The author has given detailed steps on how the protagonist manages his life and puts his hard work into a schedule, which a tremendous amount of help for those who actually need it. The struggles of the teenager is surely going to inspire the reader to strive through their own.
The plot is a well executed one as the author keeps the reader from guessing the next scenes.
The book is written in easy English, making it appealing to the ones who are beginners at reading novels or are reading books after a long break. It touches all the important aspects of a teenager’s life.
Most teenage fiction I read in the past years had several scenes to ensure sales, that most parents would not approve of, Sunshine Town is different and absolutely sleaze-free.
Also read-Review Pen: Prem Purana by Usha Narayanan
The book has a beautiful cover, making it easy for grabs, as “Judge a book by its cover” is the oldest book trend. The blurb explains all the sections of the book in a straight manner that would help the readers make a choice.
Ratings-
Cover- 5 stars
Title- 4 stars
Blurb- 5 stars
Plot- 4 stars
Writing and presentation- 4 stars
Overall- 4.4 stars out of 5
The book is written for teenagers and might not appeal to the seasoned readers who prefer classics in their tbr.
The author elaborates a few things that were not much necessary for the plot and could have been avoided .
Reviewed by- Banaja Prakashini
Buy the book-
About Maniissh Aroraa-
MANIISSH ARORAA is a published author and IT professional, living in Bangalore. His short story ‘Purple Diary’ was selected and published in a prestigious transnational journal-Illuminati. Being born and brought up in Allahabad, he has a special interest in the people and culture of North of India and his stories include day to day characters from the region.
