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Book Review | Baaz by Anuja Chauhan


"Why do they call you Baaz? 
It means falcon, he replies solemnly. Or bird of prey.
Because I swoop down on the enemy planes just like a Baaz would.
Then he grins. The grey eyes sparkle.
It s also short for bastard."




There is a reason why every Indian reader is in love with Anuja Chauhan, she makes reading fun! A quirky, sweet love story, set in the 1971 war which explores the two sides of patriotism - the soldier falls for a martyr's sister. A slow, steady build-up with Chauhan's usual desi charm and hilarious side characters that make Baaz a light-hearted read set in an otherwise serious backdrop.

I am a huge fan and to quote Mint "The only Indian writer of commercial fiction really worth buying." But cut to Baaz, she went way out of her comfort zone and it resulted in a book that I wouldn't cherish or recommend. Don't get me wrong, I loved the story, it is the way it was told that didn't click. When I buy a book in English, I expect to read English. In her other books, she jotted down Hindi words but where they fit. In Baaz, it seemed like she was trying too hard to follow her own style and the frequent language switch seemed out of place and unnecessary.

The highlight was a war book that wasn't dreary and did not leave you heartbroken. Why, you ask? Because Ishaan (Baaz) wasn't a hero you'll fall in love with, not the way you fell for Dylan (the heartthrob in Those Pricey Thakur Girls). He was nice enough, like a lifelong friend. But a boyfriend? Not so much. I loved the ease and friendship between Baaz, Raks and Maddy, and maybe that set the tone for the entire book. A love story with not a lot of love, Tehmina (the heroine) and Baaz were rarely together and then, never. The action-packed scenes were remarkable and got my heart racing. It was well researched and the effort showed.

Can't wait for her next book and hoping it's more like Zoya or based in Bittora!


All in all, good enough and then, not so much.


That's all from my side, peeps.


See ya next time with another book, another review.

XOXO

Pearl



Comments

  1. Unknown5 August 2017 at 22:51

    Great review. glad you enjoyed the book. I always love it when friendship is shown in a good way in books. It really enhances the reading experience

    ReplyDelete

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