Delirium: Book Review

Title: Delirium
Author: Sowmya Aji
ISBN: 9350297574
Number of Pages: 216
Price: 299 [INR] Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Fiction

Blurb

I was addicted.

To him.

Anjana Narendra just can’t keep her head straight when it comes to the nation’s heartthrob,cricket vice-captain Avinash Katagi.The mere sight of him sets the heart of this thirty-one-year-old television journalist pounding, and fills her stomach with butterflies. He seems smitten too – taking her out for romantic walks in the botanical gardens, appearing by her side when she has a road accident,knocking on her door in the middle of the night. Even as Anjana is swept off her feet into a whirlwind romance,the reporter within her sniffs out the biggest scoop of the season. all too soon, she is neck-deep in trouble with her bosses and the cricket board, struggling to make sense of the sordid world of steroids and celebs. Will anjana give up the delicious young man she is hooked on to? and does she even want to? Sinful and alluring, Delirium is a heady cocktail of intrigue, temptation and betrayal.

Review:

***Spoilers Ahead***

Plot:

Delirium by Sowmya Aji is the story of Anjana Narendra, a budding journalist. She is as crazy as the majority of Indians about cricket. And needless to say of the handsome vice-captain Avinash Katagi. While covering him for an interview, he seems to have an interest in her and they get along. Oops, only that she is married to Narendra, a caring, devoted husband. When she decides to forget her crush on the Indian Vice Captain, as fate would have it, she is sent for an assignment by her boss to cover the truth about rumors of cricketers using drugs. As she gets the scoop she wanted, by a senior player of the team confessing of the drug use, she also finds herself in trouble. She is ‘captured’ on camera with Avinash and is now talk of the town. She is interrogated by the BCCI for revealing the name of the cricketer who confessed about the drug addiction and is being threatened. Will it cost her job? Her marriage? What about Avinash? Is it love? or just an obsession? Another chapter in his interesting life? Is it worth breaking her marriage?

Whoa!

Honestly, I began the book with no expectations- good or bad. Usually, I read reviews of any book before I buy. But I should say that this approach worked for me. I started off with the first chapter of the book and thought it is going to be just another cheesy romance (not that I don’t like them). But Lo Behold! I was in for a surprise! and it continued till the end of the story. The book is a bag full of interesting surprises. One would fall in love with Anjana, a head-strong, career-oriented, independent woman. The author has beautifully portrayed her character and her nature of job.

Let me confess, I was picturing our real Vice captain Virat Kohli while reading about Avinash Katagi- the aggressive, arrogant, charming heartthrob of the nation. 🙂 His interest for Anjana is incredibly penned down and the final twist in the form of Bhavana was the nail that hit right on the head. The supporting characters like Ratan, Mangal, Junaid also were rendered with such perfection.

What I loved the most of this book is that the author could have portrayed Anjana and Avinash having an extra-marital affair or a sleazy romance. But she has depicted the characters with grace and class. Having said that, the book is an action packed complete entertainer with equal mix of a steamy affair, the drug and steroid addiction, Indian cricket, the BCCI and a climax that is open to all to draw to a close.

Ouch!

Maybe a little more depth to the characters, Naren and Avinash’s fiancee?

Do I recommend?

Yes!!! To all those who love Romance, Indian Cricket and a light, breezy read on a rainy evening with a perfect cup of coffee in hand- 4.5 on 5! Many thanks to the author and the Book Club for this opportunity.

Watch the Trailer

Buy @

Amazon.in | Flipkart |

Meet the Author

I love day-dreaming and my close friends in this endless activity include Hamlet, Howard Roark, Absolem, Miss Marple, Elizabeth Bennett, Katniss Everdeen, Holly Short, Sirus Black, Gimli and Septimus Heap.. occasionally, Saphira also 🙂 Otherwise, I am a serious hard-nosed print journalist who writes about politics, social issues and culture..

I’ve spent most of my life reading and writing.. I also love movies, dance, theatre, music, trekking, yoga.. I tried my hand at Russian and French and remember Rooski Izink Nimnoga and je sais un peu de Francaise .. (I bet I got that wrong).. but the latest language I picked up, Spanish, is very close to my heart, as I want to read Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s yellow butterflies in Espanol.. I speak, read and write three Indian languages — Kannada, Hindi, Tamil .. and my masters is in English, so I obviously love language and communication..

I also love knitting and I hate cooking 🙂 I’m trying very hard to be good at a new job — parenting — to my three-year-old, but boy, is that the toughest job!

You can stalk her @

Book Launch by:

Comments

nabanita21 says

June 8, 2015 at 4:46 pm

Thanks for sharing..will make a note!

Shalzzz says

June 9, 2015 at 7:58 am

Thanks for stopping by, Naba! 🙂

parulthakur24 says

June 9, 2015 at 11:09 am

The book does sound fun.. Good one Shalini 🙂

Ruchi Singh says

June 13, 2015 at 7:33 pm

Great review Shalini, makes me eager to read. I’ll go and add it to my Goodreads list.

sundarivenkat says

June 23, 2015 at 2:27 pm

Excellent review Shalini! I agree with you on all your points. Yes, the author could have made the affair between Anjana and Avinash quite sleazy. It takes a lot of writing skill to portray that one with class. I enjoyed reading the book too 🙂

Delirium: Book Review

Like this:

muffytales

Instagram

Work With Me

Share this:

Like this:

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Footer

Instagram