I'm not twenty four...I've been nineteen for five years....So very TRUE

Of course, I am not 24, just been 19 for 5 yrs...and coming June, I won't be 25, just 19 for 6 yrs...though yeah,while picking the book, I was wondering, why 19 and not 16..aren't girls supposed to stick to sweet sixteen..but then to think of, nineteen is the last of teen..and teenage is probably the age where you can even kill someone and come out innocent because, "Oh! but she was just a teenager...we all know how confused and terrible teenage is...one can never be sure of what they feel and do at that age..."

So yeah, when a murder is excusable, a wrong turn or two in love life are definitely forgiven (and forgotten too!!) Now that's one reason, I am going to be a teen till I end up marrying (or who knows even after that...after all who said I will stop making errors once married...seven rounds around the fire doesn't result in instant wisdom, right?? )

Anyways, even after being the self obsessed person that I so often am, I should probably come to this book,  'I'm not twenty four...I've been nineteen for five years by Sachin Garg'...The background of how this book reached my hands...of late to kill time, I have started ordering books online (now I can't always be in front of laptop, and then it's very tough to find e-books of Indian authors...and then again, when Flipkart offers you book within 100 bucks, you really shouldn't waste efforts finding an e-version)...And after reading the new books from two renowned and pretty hyped Indian authors (I probably shouldn't name them because I am bickering and not praising them, but common, just because your first novel was best-seller, you can't give everyone a crap to read every next time!!), I was giving up on Indian authors...but then thankfully, I had to order a home appliance, and in the whim of the moment, I ended up ordering both the released books of Sachin Garg (now seems like I had confidence on this guy...after all I didn't try and test, but ordered all that was available :D )

Starting with the book, well the best and the unique part was the book being written from the girl's POV..If I end up writing anything from a girl's perspective, it's understandable, but a guy actually doing it..."WOW" specially because we all know, 'Guys never can understand Gals'...and I won't say Sachin actually does, but let's say, he has done it better than most guys would...and that in itself deserves an applause...the tone of the book was a lot fun...I don't think there was much place for sad or vulnerable emotions here...even when at places it got a little emotional, it was quickly moved ahead...ahead enough that you won't really feel the pain related to the accident...and somehow I prefer it that ways (there is too much to worry and cry about in real life in any case :| )

I won't say that the book was perfect, like I said...it was a fun read...pages passed by...what I liked the most was, the story moved on...things happen, life gives crap...we do have the right to feel low, but we owe it to us and those who care to keep moving...so thankfully no character was crying or ruing over something lost...there was no exaggeration...all believable, other than the idea of someone spending a life in the welfare of others, that too after forgoing all the riches and a perfect career life could have offered..honestly, I am yet to find such people...but well, one can always hope (and in case one does know, please tell me a way to reach out to those people...sometimes, ok a lot many times, even I am inclined to do that...not in all goodie goodie selfless way, but in the way of I want to get rid of my job and do something which can make a difference so that I feel good types ;) )

Honestly, I don't know why I liked the book enough to have told everyone around me in last couple of days to try n read this author...because I frankly wasn't left in tears (and yeah it happens as much reading a novel, as it happens while watching a movie...n u know I am someone who can shed a tear or two...or tens even in animated movies...sighs), I wasn't even left deep in thoughts (my thoughts were provoked by the beginning of the author's second novel :P )...it in fact had an open ending (and I so detest open endings...it leaves you a lot to imagine, and then it of course forces you to buy the sequel whenever it comes...marketing gimmick!! )but then I still liked the book....maybe for it's simplicity...maybe since it tried something new (love stories aren't new, but writing from gal's perspective is new in India...and then of course sending a gal to a remote corner, even if for a kind of HR job is pretty new as well...) 

And then, of course, this was a book I could relate to...at least as far as the title goes...but since it's not perfect, what more can I ask for...well, it would have been great to have a little background and past perspective of the character...only Shubho had his past revealed...rest were the way they were, no reasons given...and maybe that's one thing I appreciate the foreign authors for...the attention to details is something I find only from the authors of west...and maybe that's the reason none of their novels are less than 400-500 odd pages whereas we hardly find novels over 200-250 pages in India...

All in all, a pretty decent attempt, in fact a more than decent attempt...the book delivers what it promises...a good couple of hours read...of life which you can identify with in bit and parts...and best of all, this one won't make you think...and definitely leave you with at least a couple of smiles at places....

My ratings: 3.5 (oh I gave 4 on Goodreads..in fact I even rescued the book on Goodreads (now that's a long story about whole rescuing thing), but the only reason is, I like getting into the skin of the character and have inside out on their lives...which I couldn't in this case...and of course the open ending...) And yeah, I forgot, I loved the cover image of the book (how can I not with my craze for high heels...and the best part, the author sure gives the story behind the image...true or not is for readers to decide :) )

PS: After all my non stop talks, in case one does reach this point, please do suggest me a few other Indian reads that I can order from Flipkart...