Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9788172344573
Pages: 300
Price: INR 250
Parinda Joshi is a true Indian. She puts three Indian favourites; love, cricket and politics in a big grinder and reproduces it in the form of her book, Powerplay. The book, though promising lags in a few departments.
Vivek Grehwal, the protagonist, is a power-hungry, savvy, never say “NO” workaholic in Cello Consultants, perfecting in Mergers and Acquistions. His love for cricket and for his favourite IGL team (no points for guessing where this is picked from) gets the better of him and he manages to convince his long time friend/client, Harsh Desai to invest in the team. And there, he meets Keya, the uber-sexy, driven, idealistic city girl. But things get murky with the deal, multiple investors, shifty players and a very worried Vivek.
The book is written very well. The style of writing seems natural and easy. This makes the book a riveting page-turner. Some work-place conversations seem natural and well-placed. The hero is very Harvey Specter-esque (from the TV show “Suits”) with his immaculate suits and flawless appearance. So much so that in my head, I imagine him to be playing Vivek in the movie-version (if there is one ever made) of the book. The heroine is a typical Indian woman who is over-thinking and over-analysing. Vivek’s family anecdotes, Radhika, Harsh and Xiang, for his short-lived appearance enrich the book with their presence.
But the romance between Keya and Vivek, though completely imaginable seems forced and chemistry-less. Their love-story seems unnecessary in this mix and I feel, could have been done without. The book moves very slowly through the first half, and deals with too many nitty-gritty details. It feels like a drag until the twist appears, a tad bit too late.
Though this book is highly predictable, it is a light read. I like how Indian the book is, with its nagging mothers and tastes of distinct cities. Another great thing to watch out for is the way the chapters are numbered.
Rating: 7/10
More Details:
Author on the web: Parinda Joshi
Book on the web: Powerplay
Book on Facebook: Powerplay
If you find the book interesting, buy from Amazon or Flipkart here: