Sunday, February 09, 2014

When I Found You - Review

They first met when they were just twelve and then they kept meeting again and again, each time wanting to confess their feelings for each other but it never came to such a pass for Tiya and Aarav. Falling apart and bowing down to the miseries of a broken family and a daunting past, at 24, they decided to move on. But life pulled out one trick after another to bring them back to each other and give one last chance to do what they couldn't do in the past twelve years. A choice had to be made and there was no going back. Could they learn from the echoing footsteps of their parents and speak their heart out or the fear of saying the unsaid killed it once again for them? Did their time to fall in love come or like always, they met, greeted and departed to part forever?

About the Author
Born and brought up in Kanpur, Sankalp is an MBA graduate from NMIMS, Mumbai. Apart from being an entrepreneurial soul, he is a workaholic who believes in turning every single moment of life into something constructive and fruitful. All his dreams and aspirations are driven by his wish to make his parents feel proud of him.His first attempt with the pen in the form of Because Every Raindrop is a HOPE, released this year, was well received by his readers and has already become a national bestseller. He now hopes to take a second step in this direction through When I Found You.




‘When I Found You’ is not just your usual run-of-the-mill love story. Neither is it one of those I-have-read-it-before kind of a book. True, it does have its moment of boy meets girl, and all the mushiness that comes pre-packed with young dovey love, yet, it differs from the rest in the manner in which the story has been treated. It’s different ‘cause it doesn't adhere to the tried-and-tested formula that have been resorted to so often in the past. Sankalp Kohli, the bestselling author of ‘Because … Every Raindrop Is A Hope’ presents a sweet little romance in his second venture, and as expected, does a pretty decent job at it.

‘When I Found You’ is the story of Aarav and Tiya, the blossoming of their friendship, and the subsequent development of the feeling of love, hidden, unproposed and undeclared. The timeline ranges right from their schooldays, when they first meet each other in Class VI, to their adulthood, and explores the passage of their relationship over the years, the hardships they face, and the joys they experience, sometimes together, sometimes away from each other, yet, their paths crossing, and the chance meetings at various phases of their lives, giving an all new dimension to their relationship.

The author uses a dual character narration in the book, the story divided into different sections, told by either Aarav or Tiya. Thus, you gain a view of both the character’s mind, and their way of thinking. The author in this way successfully manages to characterize the protagonists, making you acquainted with them in a manner that you would know someone close to you. Delving into their mind also gives you the power of judging, as you play their actions in your head, and visualize if you had done anything else had you been in their place.

However, though this dual style of narration serves the development of the plot and the story-telling, it also hinders the flow at a few instances. Specially towards the first half of the book, you feel as if you are reading the same happening of events twice, with not much difference except in the tone of the narrators, one by Tiya, and the other by Aarav. Again, in the first half of the book, which deals mostly with their school days, the subtle traits of innocence are found missing that a young teen inherits in school. Perhaps, the author could have done a better job with the first half.

The second half, though, is tightly knitted, and along with Aarav and Tiya, you also get to know more about their families, and start feeling for them. Sankalp does a brilliant job in this part, his story-telling and choice of words impeccable, and the narration tends to be immaculate. The pace picks up, and you realize that this author certainly has the potential to deliver, and turn out as the winning horse in the near future.

This book excels at several moments, and at a few odd instances, you feel that the writer could have done better. However, do pick it up for the innovative story-line and the beautifully woven second half. This is a quick read, and will certainly serve you well on a lazy weekend.


Title: When I Found You
Author: Sankalp Kohli
Publisher: General Press
Publication Year: 2013
Language: English
Binding: Paperback
Genre: Fiction
No. of Pages: 184
Price: Rs 140
My Rating: 3/5



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