Metamorphing
By Kunal Pancholi
Review By Ila Garg
Metamorphing,
by the debutant writer Kunal
Pancholi is published by Frog Books (an imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt
Ltd). The paper and print quality show that it is a publication house that we
should keep an eye on. Metamorphing is
a gripping crime thriller which is adorned by an equally illustrative cover
design.
The
cover shows a half opened door and draws an eerie picture of a murder site with
the marked area for a dead body. On the foreground, there is a red butterfly
silhouette which doesn’t fit in the murder site but had to be there to
emphasize on the title which is related to metamorphosing i.e. Caterpillar -
Butterfly. Yes, this misspelled word, ‘Metamorphing’ is deliberately chosen as
the title of the book.
Thus, this thoughtful title and cover
will instantly make you want to grab the book and read on.
The author graduated from SRCC Delhi in 2001
and completed his MBA from NMIMS Mumbai in 2006. He has worked with banks,
co-founded READO – an audio book publishing company and done a marketing stint
with a film production company in Mumbai. Currently he heads marketing at a
technology start-up. Metamorphing is
his literary debut.
The blurb reads as, “28TH APRIL, 2000: Flight No. 9x4876
bound to Srinagar has crash landed into the Everest Base camp. Unconfirmed
reports suggest that the flight mysteriously went off the radar for few minutes
and missed its landing. All passengers are feared dead… except for three bodies
that are yet to be recovered.
8TH DECEMBER, 2050: This,
without doubt is the most gruesome murder in recent times. Early this morning,
an unidentified woman was found mutilated at the western gates of the abandoned
Victoria Terminus Station in Mumbai. Authorities report her head was … well …
semi-decapitated and she was drained of all her blood. The shocking part - the
crime scene was devoid of any signs of blood spatter…
ROHAN: He was shorter
than the shortest girl in school; he had to be ahead in the game!
RUDRA: A man without a
past, coaxed into a murder investigation; will he ever grasp the true nature of
the crime?
A thrilling tale about
two men bound by an untraceable yet undeniable fate - One running away from his
past, another unaware of his own.”
The author covers a span of 50 years in this book. Kunal
Pancholi weaves an impressive story that narrates the tale of two people who
live years apart but still are connected to one another in some bizarre form.
One man who is desperately trying to run away from something in his past,
whereas another one who would do anything to remember anything from his past.
The story of these two people progresses in
alternating chapters. First man, Rudra, wakes up from an accident in 2050, and
finds his memories washed away. He manages to get his address and reach his
house but still remains clueless. He is then asked to be a private detective by
a woman whose son is wrongly accused of murder. Rudra takes up the assignment
assuming that he had been a detective in his life before his memories got
washed away.
The second man, Rohan is the shortest guy in his class.
He is in quest of love and living the life of a normal youngster at the
millennium year. His life is perfect when Gina reciprocates his feelings. But a
plane crash from which he is the only survivor changes his life forever.
The language is brilliant, easy, with no technical
jargon and fluid enough to read. As simple as it may seem, the story doesn’t
move on a linear path; it takes a zig-zag pattern. Readers will find it
interesting and will not be bored.
The
250 page book manages to a wonderful read. Not exposing the story much, I can
easily say that readers will enjoy it despite the non-linear pattern. The plot
that is different from the mainstream romance makes you keep turning the pages
to reach the climax and unveil the suspense of the lives of the two main
characters. The author binds
the attention of his readers from the very beginning. He manages to create an
aura of confusion and suspicion which compels the readers to read till the end.
For a debut writer, Kunal
Pancholi has presented a nice book with a different storyline. The plot and
thrill kept me glued to this book. Though the author should have worked more on
building the suspense. Also, the narrative style was a little different and is
gripping. Readers will find it a comfortable read and the pace is comfortable
too. Due to the simple language used by the author, the readers will not find
it difficult to comprehend.
‘Yay’ Factors: The story line and the language. Also, I loved
the characterization and the way Kunal Pancholi has created the house in 2050
with his words.
‘Nay’ Factors: The suspense is revealed well before the
book ends.
My Verdict: To find out who is
Rudra, why is he in the hospital, what is the reason behind his memory loss, how
he struggles to recollect his past, who is Rohan, is he successful in his quest
of love, what happened with him after plane crash, why cannot recollect from
his past, how he gets back to his normal life, who is Ayan, what role does he
have in the story, how are both Rudra and Rohan connected; you will have to
read the novel, Metamorphing.
Ratings: 4/5
This (Unbiased) book
review is a part of "The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program". To get
free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com. Thanks Nimi Vashi for
giving me the opportunity to read such a nice book!
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