Book: 8
Hours
Author: Upendra
Namburi
Publication:
Westland Books
Trust, as they say, is an expensive souvenir,
you shouldn’t give it to everyone...
Going
by the title ‘8 Hours’, and the blurb, one would think the book is a fast-paced
thriller, well, I wouldn’t call it so. The story progresses at a relatively
normal pace, educating the readers on the detailed background of the event and briefing
on the past of the characters, well that’s much required, isn’t it?
The
most prominent character in this book is an inevitable device – mobile phone.
Yess! The author Upendra Namburi would have mentioned about 80,000 calls in the
8 hours (not literally, com ’on, I did try counting it, but lost the track :P)
This
corporate thriller has left one question unanswered, how does the protagonist,
Aratrika manage to drape a saree within 3-4 minutes, right from scratch???? (between
8:48 am & 8:52 am) Yes, I really wanna know that (*straight face*) and I wanna know if that’s possible and if I am missing something
in life.
Nevertheless
coming back to the review of the book, the story revolves around Aratrika Reddy,
the CFO of a multi –billion business empire and her tryst to save it from the
clutches of power-hungry, greedy, profit-oriented business tycoons, and
overcome her fears that has been her shadow since childhood…. all of it in just
8 hours. The story explores the ever-changing dynamics of relationship in
personal and professional lives. It puts the protagonist in situations when she
doesn’t know who is trustworthy, who is against her. The story which is about a
night, though the pace is normal, it is not boring.
Aratrika
has to fight not just with the external demons to protect her baby – ARYA Holdings
Ltd, but she is also pitted against her limitations, her fears, her relations -
the men in her life – her father, brother and ex-husband. This is her story of
how she overcomes her weakness and miseries, rises above her sorrows and pains
and attains peace.
Often
while reading a thriller, the reader knows what the conclusion will be - the
protagonist will win or find the solution, and yet it is the journey to the end
of the tunnel that keep the reader engaged. However, in 8 Hours, the author
throws in so many twists and turns to even believe if Aratrika will be able to
save her company from being sold off or overtaken. As a reader, you see her making
all the possible attempts, pulling out all the strings, believing that things are
working in her favour and then you see how fate mocks at her, not knowing if
she will win at the end.
At a
later stage the story felt a little dragged, as it does get a little tiring to
read over the similar manipulations, and you would want the story to conclude.
Once we are nearing the end, the story picks up speed. The narration is flawless and overall engaging. The cover does justice to the story.
My takeaway: Determination is what keeps you thinking to achieve your goals, even if you are tempted to give up.
My takeaway: Determination is what keeps you thinking to achieve your goals, even if you are tempted to give up.
My rating: 4 out of 5
I received a review copy of the book
from Westland Books in
exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
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