The Helpline
By Uday Mane
Review By Ila Garg
The
Helpline, a gripping
narrative by the debutant writer Uday Mane 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. The cover designed by
Yogesh Parab is apt as much as the title is and hooks the readers. It will
instantly make you want to grab the book and read on.
Born in Pune and brought up in
Mumbai, Uday Mane works as a Social Media enthusiast during the day and a
storyteller during the night. He is an avid reader, and loves to collect
classic books. The Helpline is his
literary debut.
The blurb reads as, “Samir is suicidal. Rachael works
for a suicide helpline. Fate connects them through a phone call. And so begins
Samir’s story of love, longing, errors, regret and a girl who changed his life.
As his story reaches its
conclusion, Rachael will know the true reason behind his suicidal tendencies.
But this suicide helpline is not any ordinary service. There is more to the
mysterious and yet so convincing voice of Rachael. As this new mystery begins
to unfold, Samir is going to discover three things:
What is The Helpline?
Who is Rachael?
What is Samir’s own identity?
Every year, several teenagers in
India attempt suicide because of failing relationships, dwindling careers,
parental pressure or the competitive world.
This story is about one such teenager,
his early problems and the hurdles to cope with them. This story is about
finding hope in the struggle. This story is about fighting for what you believe
in and discovering your true identity. This is not a story about falling in
love. This is a story of rising from a failed love story.”
Note:
"Proceedings of Rs. 5 per book will be used for child welfare through The
Rotary Foundation"
Needless to say it is a story of love undoubtedly; a
failed love that led to self-discovery. Samir, the protagonist is well etched
by the author who desires for a life with a girl who made him a changed man,
but fate has only disappointments in store for him. He is a good person all set
to lose his identity and re-create himself.
His best friend Neha is probably his only companion
who stands by him through thick and thin. Later, she indirectly leads him to a
life changing experience. In the
journey of this book, Samir grows up, learns from his surroundings, love finds
him when he is off guard and he embraces it as his whole life, only to realize that
life is about struggles. It doesn’t always go smooth, he suffers and is
rendered suicidal despite being a keen writing enthusiast.
The way Uday Mane has
penned down this particular story is really appreciable. The author has
described every emotion very beautifully. There are episodes in the book that
make you feel so anxious for Samir. You almost develop an unsaid bond with him.
Right from the beginning, you feel a connection that doesn’t let you put the
book down.
The
252 page book takes you along with it and makes you realise that all that
glitters is not gold after all. The story is quite meaningful and the main reason
that I loved this book is the characterization. The narrative is tactfully
written and the readers wouldn’t find it difficult to keep up with the pace of
the story. The language is easy to comprehend and there would be no difficulty
in understanding the various twists and turns in the novel. The author has skillfully used the helpline (as evident from the title,
yes it does play a major role in the book) to create such a beautiful and
heart-melting story.
The
too many turmoil of Samir’s love life is just one of the reasons you want to
keep turning the pages to find out what happens in The Helpline. To find
out whether he survives the misery of a broken love story, how he turns
suicidal and who is Rachael, how she helps him through a suicide helpline, is
he able to discover himself after all, how strong is his friendship with Neha,
how long will she stick to him to help him survive, what role do the books play
in his life, how significant is this mysterious girl Riya and her brother
Siddhartha in Samir’s life, when the time comes will he choose to survive or go
in an oblivion world; you will have to read the novel, The Helpline.
For a debut writer, Uday
Mane has done it; he has proved his mettle and yes he is an excellent writer.
The way he has captured all the intricate emotions of a dejected heart, kept me
glued to this book.
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!
