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Despite Love: Love, Hate, Murder, Deception. Some Secrets Are Meant to Be Revealed.
Mistakes Happen...
After all, we are human.
Smriti wanted to be alone, away from Risabh. Their tumultuous relationship was too much for her to take. There was too much pain and sadness and they were staring at a point of no return. She needed a break from him, she thought. But little did she realise that she would be gone from him forever.
Risabh is shattered as he loses the love of his life in mysterious circumstances. Unable to come to terms with reality, he is constantly tormented by the memories of his past. With the investigating inspector pinpointing the murderer, it seems to be an open-and-shut case. Till things take a murkier turn with the death of another close friend of Risabh...
And then there is yet another murder, just as Risabh is about to pick up the pieces of his life again. Is there a professional killer out on the loose and is Risabh next in line?
Despite Love is an engrossing tale of love, suspense, intrigue and passion that keeps you on the edge till the very end.
After all, we are human.
Smriti wanted to be alone, away from Risabh. Their tumultuous relationship was too much for her to take. There was too much pain and sadness and they were staring at a point of no return. She needed a break from him, she thought. But little did she realise that she would be gone from him forever.
Risabh is shattered as he loses the love of his life in mysterious circumstances. Unable to come to terms with reality, he is constantly tormented by the memories of his past. With the investigating inspector pinpointing the murderer, it seems to be an open-and-shut case. Till things take a murkier turn with the death of another close friend of Risabh...
And then there is yet another murder, just as Risabh is about to pick up the pieces of his life again. Is there a professional killer out on the loose and is Risabh next in line?
Despite Love is an engrossing tale of love, suspense, intrigue and passion that keeps you on the edge till the very end.
242 pages, Paperback
Published September 23, 2016
2 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Siddhartha Srivastava
2 books45 followersAuthor of Despite Love
Storyteller | Entrepreneur | Motivational Speaker
#Despite Love : Get the book here - http://www.amazon.in/dp/1945926589
My Youtube Channel #Despite Love #Book
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSU0...
My Author Page @Amazon
http://www.amazon.in/Siddhartha-Sriva...
Storyteller | Entrepreneur | Motivational Speaker
#Despite Love : Get the book here - http://www.amazon.in/dp/1945926589
My Youtube Channel #Despite Love #Book
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSU0...
My Author Page @Amazon
http://www.amazon.in/Siddhartha-Sriva...
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 30, 2017
This now belongs to my best collection of novels. Wonderful story explained with perfectly. This is one of the stories that touched my heart. There is true love, true friendship, betrayal and suspense that will make u bite your nails and will keep you on the edge of your seat until you have finished reading it.
And i will just say, if you are fan of Agatha Christie, go grab this novel. It will mesmerise you!
And i will just say, if you are fan of Agatha Christie, go grab this novel. It will mesmerise you!
December 30, 2016
Love is a complicated feeling. It becomes more complicated when love meets jealousy. Possessiveness could be a part of love but resentment can never be. Above all, friendship ties have some secret vows which they dare to brake.
Rishabh met Smriti at first in their college which they joined for their graduation. They all four; Rishabh, Smriti, Aradhya, Ankit; shared a beautiful relation and a bond; as strong as a bond should be and became best of friends for life. Rishabh and Smriti fall for each other head over heels and he proposed her in most dramatic way to make it special for her. After graduation they all bagged job placement in reputed companies in four different cities. After months Ankit planned for a reunion. And this is where it all started.
It is a story of undying love, a friendship which is not only a bond they share, it is an emotion for them which keep them united, a betrayal which shattered their life and broke each vow of the bond, a truth which left them into pieces.
This story is a perfect blend of emotions; love, friendship, animosity and which the author mixed really well. Author gives space to every character to develop and no character overshadow the other. The suspense lingers till the end in the mind of reader and keeps switching to and fro. A suspense thriller which will leave you in awe
https://thereviewauthor.wordpress.com/
Rishabh met Smriti at first in their college which they joined for their graduation. They all four; Rishabh, Smriti, Aradhya, Ankit; shared a beautiful relation and a bond; as strong as a bond should be and became best of friends for life. Rishabh and Smriti fall for each other head over heels and he proposed her in most dramatic way to make it special for her. After graduation they all bagged job placement in reputed companies in four different cities. After months Ankit planned for a reunion. And this is where it all started.
It is a story of undying love, a friendship which is not only a bond they share, it is an emotion for them which keep them united, a betrayal which shattered their life and broke each vow of the bond, a truth which left them into pieces.
This story is a perfect blend of emotions; love, friendship, animosity and which the author mixed really well. Author gives space to every character to develop and no character overshadow the other. The suspense lingers till the end in the mind of reader and keeps switching to and fro. A suspense thriller which will leave you in awe
https://thereviewauthor.wordpress.com/
May 29, 2017
The language is kept simple and it made it easy to read and understand
Must read for every suspense lovers.This book will shock you!!
I found this book to be presented in a very simple yet in a very catchy style. You can feel being part of the plot, trying to solve the mystery as the truth reveals itself. Even when you close the book and go about your lives, you can't help thinking about it. The language is kept simple and it made it easy to read and understand. Overall, I will rate it 5 stars as there is nothing I find absurd and will like to change. It made my day!
Must read for every suspense lovers.This book will shock you!!
I found this book to be presented in a very simple yet in a very catchy style. You can feel being part of the plot, trying to solve the mystery as the truth reveals itself. Even when you close the book and go about your lives, you can't help thinking about it. The language is kept simple and it made it easy to read and understand. Overall, I will rate it 5 stars as there is nothing I find absurd and will like to change. It made my day!
February 7, 2017
Wow, I can't tell how much I loved it. From the very first page to the end, this book made me think relentless. I finished it in just five days. The author has spun an interesting story around the lives of Smriti and Risabh. It is also a great love story. It is so great that I recommended my 11 college friends and 9 of them bought it. There expressions were exactly the same as mine when I finished reading it. I think this is the author's first book and it is damn great. Thank u author for giving such a good story.
I admire the character of Aradhya. The way she stands by Risabh, when his two friends are dead. She cooks for him, controls him to move forward in life. But inside, she is too broken. She too had lost her sister and a close friend. But she didn't let fatigue and her emotions outweigh her courage. She is indeed a very brave girl.
Next, I admire the character of Asheesh. When Risabh gets a job in Google. He becomes friend with Asheesh, a software Google. Asheesh stays with Risabh till the end, until they find the murderer. He is also brave and true friend. He even postpones his marriage for Risabh.
Why I bought this book?
My friends asked me that why I bought this book. Coz I always read romantic fiction and never got my hands in crime genre. I bought this book on the basis of two reasons mentioned down below:
1- I loved the name and cover very much. The cover is fantastic.
2 - The prologue appeared to be very interesting. And straight away made me buy the novel.
This book has intense love, crime, ambitions of four college college friends thinking to change the world. I recommend this book to every reader of every genre. Go give it a shot!!
...
Also for the first time, I have written such a long review for any book :P
I admire the character of Aradhya. The way she stands by Risabh, when his two friends are dead. She cooks for him, controls him to move forward in life. But inside, she is too broken. She too had lost her sister and a close friend. But she didn't let fatigue and her emotions outweigh her courage. She is indeed a very brave girl.
Next, I admire the character of Asheesh. When Risabh gets a job in Google. He becomes friend with Asheesh, a software Google. Asheesh stays with Risabh till the end, until they find the murderer. He is also brave and true friend. He even postpones his marriage for Risabh.
Why I bought this book?
My friends asked me that why I bought this book. Coz I always read romantic fiction and never got my hands in crime genre. I bought this book on the basis of two reasons mentioned down below:
1- I loved the name and cover very much. The cover is fantastic.
2 - The prologue appeared to be very interesting. And straight away made me buy the novel.
This book has intense love, crime, ambitions of four college college friends thinking to change the world. I recommend this book to every reader of every genre. Go give it a shot!!
...
Also for the first time, I have written such a long review for any book :P
May 29, 2017
Beautifully Written--
I bought this novel from Crossword Bookstore in pune. As I walked in I saw this book in bestsellers list. Among all those bestsellers, what made me fix my eye on this book was it's stunning cower and blurb. I have been tired of reading same love stories and wanted to read a suspense fiction. And I purchased this one.
This book is beautifully written. The way of narration makes it special. The flashbacks, the emotions of the protagonist, all are exceptional. In various chapters this book made tears to roll down my cheeks and in some it made me laugh a lot. There is humour, love, possessiveness all written in a very perfect way.
Only one thing I found that should not be there was a bit lengthy description of a few places. Overall this book is exceptionally wonderful. I loved it!
I bought this novel from Crossword Bookstore in pune. As I walked in I saw this book in bestsellers list. Among all those bestsellers, what made me fix my eye on this book was it's stunning cower and blurb. I have been tired of reading same love stories and wanted to read a suspense fiction. And I purchased this one.
This book is beautifully written. The way of narration makes it special. The flashbacks, the emotions of the protagonist, all are exceptional. In various chapters this book made tears to roll down my cheeks and in some it made me laugh a lot. There is humour, love, possessiveness all written in a very perfect way.
Only one thing I found that should not be there was a bit lengthy description of a few places. Overall this book is exceptionally wonderful. I loved it!
May 20, 2017
Despite Love by Siddhartha Srivastava
Paperback: 242 pages
Publisher: Notion Press, Inc.; 1 edition (23 September 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1945926589
ISBN-13: 978-1945926587
Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 1.5 x 20.3 cm
Meet the author of this wonderful looking novel- Despite love! (Siddhartha Srivastava)
This young author met me through my facebook page one fine day and I was thrilled to know that at such a tender age, he managed to publish his first debut novel and have lots of followers at Instagram page too.
He is sweet to talk with and have lots of stories to narrate.
I was so excited to read his novel that I ask him to send his novel to me so that I can read him and share with my friends.
This novel is available at amazon - At Rs. 250 ONLY
So, let us talk about this novel- Despite Love by Siddhartha Srivastava now!
This novel talk about the story of 4 protagonist- Rishabh, Smriti, Aradhya, and Ankit. Rishabh, Smriti, Aradhya, and Ankit are good friends.Rishabh and Smriti fall in love and Rishabh proposed her and make a special day for her.
The story is simple yet you find it similar to your life in some way or other.
This story is a perfect blend of emotions; love, friendship, animosity and which the author mixed really well. Author gives space to every character to develop and no character overshadow the other. The suspense lingers till the end in the mind of the reader and keeps switching to and fro. A suspense thriller which will leave you in awe.
I admire the character of Aradhya. The way she stands by Rishabh when his two friends are dead. She too had lost her sister and a close friend. But she didn't let fatigue and her emotions outweigh her courage. Through this episode, Siddhartha has beautifully portrayed the women charactor and their strength as human.
This book has intense love, crime, ambitions of four college friends thinking to change the world
A couple of other things handled well is the switching of time, past to present, present to past. The author even mentions the time of the event before the chapter. The approach to the final climax and mini-climaxes in between the story is captured well and ensures the reader is on his toes to finish the book.
I love it !!!!
Paperback: 242 pages
Publisher: Notion Press, Inc.; 1 edition (23 September 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1945926589
ISBN-13: 978-1945926587
Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 1.5 x 20.3 cm
Meet the author of this wonderful looking novel- Despite love! (Siddhartha Srivastava)
This young author met me through my facebook page one fine day and I was thrilled to know that at such a tender age, he managed to publish his first debut novel and have lots of followers at Instagram page too.
He is sweet to talk with and have lots of stories to narrate.
I was so excited to read his novel that I ask him to send his novel to me so that I can read him and share with my friends.
This novel is available at amazon - At Rs. 250 ONLY
So, let us talk about this novel- Despite Love by Siddhartha Srivastava now!
This novel talk about the story of 4 protagonist- Rishabh, Smriti, Aradhya, and Ankit. Rishabh, Smriti, Aradhya, and Ankit are good friends.Rishabh and Smriti fall in love and Rishabh proposed her and make a special day for her.
The story is simple yet you find it similar to your life in some way or other.
This story is a perfect blend of emotions; love, friendship, animosity and which the author mixed really well. Author gives space to every character to develop and no character overshadow the other. The suspense lingers till the end in the mind of the reader and keeps switching to and fro. A suspense thriller which will leave you in awe.
I admire the character of Aradhya. The way she stands by Rishabh when his two friends are dead. She too had lost her sister and a close friend. But she didn't let fatigue and her emotions outweigh her courage. Through this episode, Siddhartha has beautifully portrayed the women charactor and their strength as human.
This book has intense love, crime, ambitions of four college friends thinking to change the world
A couple of other things handled well is the switching of time, past to present, present to past. The author even mentions the time of the event before the chapter. The approach to the final climax and mini-climaxes in between the story is captured well and ensures the reader is on his toes to finish the book.
I love it !!!!
March 31, 2017
Exceptionally Engaging Storytelling
The book is thriller mystery with multiple murders revolving around a group of friends. The plot is not that original and yes you can guess the culprit also but where this book completely and clearly stands out is the engaging storytelling. Kudos to the author who is just a 12th standard student. I hope he turns out many more stories in future, there is lots of potential in his writing.
A couple of other things handled well is the switching of time, past to present, present to past. The author even mentions the time of the event before the chapter. The approach to the final climax and mini-climaxes in between the story is captured well and ensures the reader is on his toes to finish the book.
Very well done, Siddhartha Srivastava.
The book is thriller mystery with multiple murders revolving around a group of friends. The plot is not that original and yes you can guess the culprit also but where this book completely and clearly stands out is the engaging storytelling. Kudos to the author who is just a 12th standard student. I hope he turns out many more stories in future, there is lots of potential in his writing.
A couple of other things handled well is the switching of time, past to present, present to past. The author even mentions the time of the event before the chapter. The approach to the final climax and mini-climaxes in between the story is captured well and ensures the reader is on his toes to finish the book.
Very well done, Siddhartha Srivastava.
April 3, 2017
Unattractive cover. Decent blurb. Good reviews on Amazon & Goodreads.
First look of the book doesn’t justify a really good plot written inside!
With the suspense element added in the very beginning, Prologue added curiosity and this was maintained throughout the book.
Climax and end gives this book an edge.
Gripping plot, good imagination!
Also, consider the fact that the suspense thriller is written by a 12th grader who aspires to become India’s Sidney Sheldon.
Saying anything on the story line can spill some beans. Rather read it!
‘Despite Love’ is a story of Risabh, his love life Smriti, and other friends who plan a reunion. But none of them wondered it would turn dark for them.
Gripping plot. Strong story line.
Organized in 4 parts, the book has a got a good structure. Parts in Delhi, New York and Hyderabad are used well.
The places used in the story failed to create the connect and feel that these metros give.
At certain places in the book, depiction is beautiful. Narration of Risabh’s life and his past memories are frequently used, giving it a Bollywood flavour. And then at times, the dialogue delivery and description doesn’t match his own standard!
There were portions in the book where plot was certain, but climax compensates for all minor errors.
P.S. The writer is 17 years old and is able to pull out a book with so much maturity. He has shown a lot of promise. All the best for your future endeavours, Sid!
First look of the book doesn’t justify a really good plot written inside!
With the suspense element added in the very beginning, Prologue added curiosity and this was maintained throughout the book.
Climax and end gives this book an edge.
Gripping plot, good imagination!
Also, consider the fact that the suspense thriller is written by a 12th grader who aspires to become India’s Sidney Sheldon.
Saying anything on the story line can spill some beans. Rather read it!
‘Despite Love’ is a story of Risabh, his love life Smriti, and other friends who plan a reunion. But none of them wondered it would turn dark for them.
Gripping plot. Strong story line.
Organized in 4 parts, the book has a got a good structure. Parts in Delhi, New York and Hyderabad are used well.
The places used in the story failed to create the connect and feel that these metros give.
At certain places in the book, depiction is beautiful. Narration of Risabh’s life and his past memories are frequently used, giving it a Bollywood flavour. And then at times, the dialogue delivery and description doesn’t match his own standard!
There were portions in the book where plot was certain, but climax compensates for all minor errors.
P.S. The writer is 17 years old and is able to pull out a book with so much maturity. He has shown a lot of promise. All the best for your future endeavours, Sid!
November 1, 2017
‘Despite Love’ is a romantic thriller novel. The story tempts with a beautiful love, tinges with true friendship and thrills with the crime. Travelling to the end, we are evaluated with suspense being submerged in every nook and corner of the pages.
The story opens with the death of Smriti, the love of the protagonist Rishabh. When Rishabh is already broken by Smriti’s death, the truth that she has been killed comes as a thunderbolt. None can believe this, as Smriti has been kind and lovable to everyone. Aradhya, sister of Smriti, and other friends Ankit, Amita along with Rishabh are called for the investigation. With Rishabh’s words, the love tale of him and Smriti gets untied.
Rishabh’s love for Smriti is a love at first sight. He falls for her when he sees her for the first time in Metropolitan University. They both pursue the same course and eventually they become good friends. With Aradhya and Ankit, they form the circle of best friends.
Guessing he and Smriti have a good understanding, Rishabh proposes his love to Smriti on her birthday. To his surprise, Smriti accepts the proposal in a blinks time and their relationship is taken to the next level.
The love narration is penned so sweet to make it more memorable. Being graduated, they are constrained to move to different places. Rishabh flies to New York, Smriti and Ankit to Hyderabad while Aradhya sets to Bangalore.
A luxurious life in a foreign land excites Rishabh to no level but the feel of being far away from his loved ones upsets him in no time. Yet he manages to move on with good friends like, Asheesh and Amita. Amita is also from Delhi and in the three-year work time of Rishabh, they have shared an understandable relationship.
Daily calls and chats with Smriti gets into the blank space of Rishabh’s heart but fails to fill it. Shortly a reunion is planned in Hyderabad by the three and soon, Rishabh returns to India. Amita also joins him as she wants to meet her family.
Each moment of the reunion is made memorable by their friendship and love. Rishabh feels so lucky to have them in his life. But the everything changes when Rishabh commits a big mistake by kissing Amita, which is witnessed by Smriti. A love lost, maybe gained. But trust, once gone is gone forever. Smriti says about the breakup idea which is completely an unexpected thing for Rishabh. He has tried his best to convince her but it’s impossible to make his mistake undone.
Smriti looks acting quite normal, or maybe for Rishabh, but everything goes away from his hand with the murder of Smriti. The story is upturned from romance to thriller from this part.
The way of narration of the crime part makes the reader to suspect each character in the tale in all possible ways. When Ankit is found to be the murderer, everyone gets into a state of shock. Aradhya and Rishabh tries to accept the truth, but the death of Ankit, another murder, bewilders them.
What has happened to others? Will Rishabh’s life be spared? Who is the serial killer? What’s the reason for him to kill?
To unleash the answers for these questions, grab “Despite Love” written by Siddhartha Srivastava.
The romantic part of the novel quenches the thirst of the soul and the crime part, increases the pressure of the blood. The author, Siddharth, has made justification to his work. The story goes great, that once you get into it, you’ll want to untie the knots of the suspense hidden in each page. The climax comes as an unforeseen one.
Despite Love – Anything can happen!!
The story opens with the death of Smriti, the love of the protagonist Rishabh. When Rishabh is already broken by Smriti’s death, the truth that she has been killed comes as a thunderbolt. None can believe this, as Smriti has been kind and lovable to everyone. Aradhya, sister of Smriti, and other friends Ankit, Amita along with Rishabh are called for the investigation. With Rishabh’s words, the love tale of him and Smriti gets untied.
Rishabh’s love for Smriti is a love at first sight. He falls for her when he sees her for the first time in Metropolitan University. They both pursue the same course and eventually they become good friends. With Aradhya and Ankit, they form the circle of best friends.
Guessing he and Smriti have a good understanding, Rishabh proposes his love to Smriti on her birthday. To his surprise, Smriti accepts the proposal in a blinks time and their relationship is taken to the next level.
The love narration is penned so sweet to make it more memorable. Being graduated, they are constrained to move to different places. Rishabh flies to New York, Smriti and Ankit to Hyderabad while Aradhya sets to Bangalore.
A luxurious life in a foreign land excites Rishabh to no level but the feel of being far away from his loved ones upsets him in no time. Yet he manages to move on with good friends like, Asheesh and Amita. Amita is also from Delhi and in the three-year work time of Rishabh, they have shared an understandable relationship.
Daily calls and chats with Smriti gets into the blank space of Rishabh’s heart but fails to fill it. Shortly a reunion is planned in Hyderabad by the three and soon, Rishabh returns to India. Amita also joins him as she wants to meet her family.
Each moment of the reunion is made memorable by their friendship and love. Rishabh feels so lucky to have them in his life. But the everything changes when Rishabh commits a big mistake by kissing Amita, which is witnessed by Smriti. A love lost, maybe gained. But trust, once gone is gone forever. Smriti says about the breakup idea which is completely an unexpected thing for Rishabh. He has tried his best to convince her but it’s impossible to make his mistake undone.
Smriti looks acting quite normal, or maybe for Rishabh, but everything goes away from his hand with the murder of Smriti. The story is upturned from romance to thriller from this part.
The way of narration of the crime part makes the reader to suspect each character in the tale in all possible ways. When Ankit is found to be the murderer, everyone gets into a state of shock. Aradhya and Rishabh tries to accept the truth, but the death of Ankit, another murder, bewilders them.
What has happened to others? Will Rishabh’s life be spared? Who is the serial killer? What’s the reason for him to kill?
To unleash the answers for these questions, grab “Despite Love” written by Siddhartha Srivastava.
The romantic part of the novel quenches the thirst of the soul and the crime part, increases the pressure of the blood. The author, Siddharth, has made justification to his work. The story goes great, that once you get into it, you’ll want to untie the knots of the suspense hidden in each page. The climax comes as an unforeseen one.
Despite Love – Anything can happen!!
October 11, 2016
Bought this book without reading any reviews. it’s really superb. I'm just spellbound I was so excited to read on. loved the book. The way it was started and ended, just amazing.
My patience level on reading is very low, so I normally stop reading after 4 pages if the book is not interesting or rather I don't put an effort. But I finished this book in 3 days, Once I started to read, just was very eager to finished ASAP. I loved it and completely read this book in just 3 days. I feel this is the best ever book I read. love the book a lot...
My patience level on reading is very low, so I normally stop reading after 4 pages if the book is not interesting or rather I don't put an effort. But I finished this book in 3 days, Once I started to read, just was very eager to finished ASAP. I loved it and completely read this book in just 3 days. I feel this is the best ever book I read. love the book a lot...
October 11, 2016
I just finished yesterday, very interesting book.
A romantic fiction and a crime thriller that kept me on the edge till the very end. Love and crime is not everything about this story. This story also deals with ambitions of four college friends who want to reach the max. height of success. From the first day at college to the day of campus placement, the story deals with dreams that are set to change the world.
I found immense love & passionate love story with tadka of hate, betrayal. Also talking of awareness in this story, i recommend this, go ahead to read... !!!
A romantic fiction and a crime thriller that kept me on the edge till the very end. Love and crime is not everything about this story. This story also deals with ambitions of four college friends who want to reach the max. height of success. From the first day at college to the day of campus placement, the story deals with dreams that are set to change the world.
I found immense love & passionate love story with tadka of hate, betrayal. Also talking of awareness in this story, i recommend this, go ahead to read... !!!
January 16, 2020
I won't go on about the story line since many reviewers have already explained the plot (both on Amazon and GR). The story for the first 3/4th part of the book is a nice narrative of Rishab's life. His school, studies, efforts, college, fun etc. Then comes some serious love. This leads to complications, of course. Emerging from this obviousness are twists, thrill, a suspense that suspends the readers on a fine thread leading to drop dead....you know what? Read it!!! I am not going to utter another word that could spill the beans or reveal any plot line :D
About the author and the writing style I have much to say. The author has got the facts right. It's narrated in a very simple language, An absolute 'easy read'. I really appreciate this 17yr old sticking to simplicity in narration which brings out the best of his age. The best part about the book is the narrative style of time swapping between past and the present. What I also am impressed is when and how the surprise bombs are dropped. The first half is simple, cute and lovely to read as all happy things are happening. Now even though there is time swapping nothing is revealed anywhere and bombs are dropped randomly yet carefully. Hard to describe :) . It's in the later part that the thrill kicks in which is exactly what I like in thrillers. It's ideal and expected to build the thrill first and Siddharth has done just that. Thanks for the book Siddharth and I wish you best of luck and I looking forward for more books from you.
About the author and the writing style I have much to say. The author has got the facts right. It's narrated in a very simple language, An absolute 'easy read'. I really appreciate this 17yr old sticking to simplicity in narration which brings out the best of his age. The best part about the book is the narrative style of time swapping between past and the present. What I also am impressed is when and how the surprise bombs are dropped. The first half is simple, cute and lovely to read as all happy things are happening. Now even though there is time swapping nothing is revealed anywhere and bombs are dropped randomly yet carefully. Hard to describe :) . It's in the later part that the thrill kicks in which is exactly what I like in thrillers. It's ideal and expected to build the thrill first and Siddharth has done just that. Thanks for the book Siddharth and I wish you best of luck and I looking forward for more books from you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2017
A budding author has chosen and penned his words very intricately. The book keeps you on your toes from the very beginning till the very end. Words and scenarios create a movie in imagination. Enthralling, intriguing and an excellent crime thriller. Looking forward to the next bestseller!
February 21, 2017
Let me start with a WOW!
I won't go on about the story line since many reviewers have already explained the plot. The story for the first 3/4th part of the book is a nice narrative of Rishab's life. His school, studies, efforts, college, fun etc. Then comes some serious love. This leads to complications, of course. Emerging from this obviousness are twists, thrill, a suspense that suspends the readers on a fine thread leading to drop dead....you know what? Read it!!! I am not going to utter another word that could spill the beans or reveal any plot line.
About the author and the writing style I have much to say. The author has gotten the facts right about everything. Like companies, recruitment, training etc. That's important, to keep it real and also so to keep the critics from pointing at such things and taking the points down. He also narrates in very simple language which simply means 'more readers'. People want to buy 'easy reads' without having to refer to dictionary again and again so they can finish off quickly and move to another one. The author's got this part covered. I really appreciate this 17yr old writer not trying to match up to the 30yr olds which brings out the best simplistic writing styles and makes the author sound ever more genuine. It also allows more time on creativity. The best part about the book is the narrative style of time swapping between past and the present. This gives it a creative touch which I never expected from a teen. Another best part is where the surprise bombs are dropped. The first half is simple, cute and lovely to read as all happy things are happening. Now even though there is time swapping nothing is revealed anywhere and bombs are not dropped randomly. Its the later part the thrill kicks in which is exactly what I like in thrillers. It's ideal to build up the thrill first and Siddharth has done just that.
What I am not a big fan of is the book cover. The guy is 17!!! The cover MUST be attractive, young, thrilling and also age appropriate (for readers). The current cover, me no likey. Apart from that I never expected a 17yr old to take this leap of faith and land up in writing and produce such a nice piece. I mean, when I was 17 all I knew was to lock myself up to study and sleep myself to stress. Anything RISK meant suicide basically. Even shopping for an hour extra meant death of time and word-torture from parents that never ended. And now I see a young boy doing something creative yet serious. As much as you feel stupid about yourself for not doing anything but study, you'll feel proud to have come across such a youngster who balances life with creative tasks on a bridge of loaded talent. I am super impressed! This piece is the proof of proper encouragement+talent.
I won't go on about the story line since many reviewers have already explained the plot. The story for the first 3/4th part of the book is a nice narrative of Rishab's life. His school, studies, efforts, college, fun etc. Then comes some serious love. This leads to complications, of course. Emerging from this obviousness are twists, thrill, a suspense that suspends the readers on a fine thread leading to drop dead....you know what? Read it!!! I am not going to utter another word that could spill the beans or reveal any plot line.
About the author and the writing style I have much to say. The author has gotten the facts right about everything. Like companies, recruitment, training etc. That's important, to keep it real and also so to keep the critics from pointing at such things and taking the points down. He also narrates in very simple language which simply means 'more readers'. People want to buy 'easy reads' without having to refer to dictionary again and again so they can finish off quickly and move to another one. The author's got this part covered. I really appreciate this 17yr old writer not trying to match up to the 30yr olds which brings out the best simplistic writing styles and makes the author sound ever more genuine. It also allows more time on creativity. The best part about the book is the narrative style of time swapping between past and the present. This gives it a creative touch which I never expected from a teen. Another best part is where the surprise bombs are dropped. The first half is simple, cute and lovely to read as all happy things are happening. Now even though there is time swapping nothing is revealed anywhere and bombs are not dropped randomly. Its the later part the thrill kicks in which is exactly what I like in thrillers. It's ideal to build up the thrill first and Siddharth has done just that.
What I am not a big fan of is the book cover. The guy is 17!!! The cover MUST be attractive, young, thrilling and also age appropriate (for readers). The current cover, me no likey. Apart from that I never expected a 17yr old to take this leap of faith and land up in writing and produce such a nice piece. I mean, when I was 17 all I knew was to lock myself up to study and sleep myself to stress. Anything RISK meant suicide basically. Even shopping for an hour extra meant death of time and word-torture from parents that never ended. And now I see a young boy doing something creative yet serious. As much as you feel stupid about yourself for not doing anything but study, you'll feel proud to have come across such a youngster who balances life with creative tasks on a bridge of loaded talent. I am super impressed! This piece is the proof of proper encouragement+talent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2017
Before I get down to the actual review of this novel, I would like to applaud the author, Mr Siddhartha Srivastava for putting in the efforts to pen this crime thriller as his first novel. Just so you know, Mr Srivastava is a student of 12th std and I can't help but take this into consideration while writing this review.
Despite Love is a story of four friends; Rishab, Smriti, Aradhya and Ankit. The novel starts with describing how these guys met in college, the romantic relationship that blossomed between Rishab and Smriti and later how the four friends drifted apart on their respective career paths.
To be honest, the first part of the novel wasn't much exciting to me as it primarily revolved around the romantic encounters of Rishab and Smriti and were along the lines of any teenage romantic novel.
However, halfway through the book, BAM! There is a major turn of events which didn't let me put down the book till I read it till the end. These events unfolded in succession and I was literally at the edge of my seat as I flipped through the pages, anxiously waiting for the mystery to unravel.
This book gave me goosebumps, literally!
It's hard to me for get into further details without revealing elements of the mystery that lie within, so I'll just stop here and say that this is a story of friendship, love, jealousy, deception and yes, murder. The author has done a stupendous job at arousing the curiosity of the reader and it will be hard for anyone to stop reading this novel once they are past halfway through it. I for one, couldn't stop reading to know how it all ends.
The characters are well defined and though certain parts of the novel could have been described in a better way, but considering this if the first attempt of the author at writing a book, I have to give him a huge credit for the way he has laid out the story-line till the end. The ending of the book is beautiful and almost had me in tears.
If you are someone who likes reading crime thrillers and suspense novels, give this a read. You won't regret buying this book.
Guys, this author is gonna go places in near future. If he could write a novel of such intensity at such a young age, I can only wonder what lies ahead of him.
Recommended!
Despite Love is a story of four friends; Rishab, Smriti, Aradhya and Ankit. The novel starts with describing how these guys met in college, the romantic relationship that blossomed between Rishab and Smriti and later how the four friends drifted apart on their respective career paths.
To be honest, the first part of the novel wasn't much exciting to me as it primarily revolved around the romantic encounters of Rishab and Smriti and were along the lines of any teenage romantic novel.
However, halfway through the book, BAM! There is a major turn of events which didn't let me put down the book till I read it till the end. These events unfolded in succession and I was literally at the edge of my seat as I flipped through the pages, anxiously waiting for the mystery to unravel.
This book gave me goosebumps, literally!
It's hard to me for get into further details without revealing elements of the mystery that lie within, so I'll just stop here and say that this is a story of friendship, love, jealousy, deception and yes, murder. The author has done a stupendous job at arousing the curiosity of the reader and it will be hard for anyone to stop reading this novel once they are past halfway through it. I for one, couldn't stop reading to know how it all ends.
The characters are well defined and though certain parts of the novel could have been described in a better way, but considering this if the first attempt of the author at writing a book, I have to give him a huge credit for the way he has laid out the story-line till the end. The ending of the book is beautiful and almost had me in tears.
If you are someone who likes reading crime thrillers and suspense novels, give this a read. You won't regret buying this book.
Guys, this author is gonna go places in near future. If he could write a novel of such intensity at such a young age, I can only wonder what lies ahead of him.
Recommended!
March 21, 2017
This story by the first time novelist Siddhartha Srivastava who is in his 12th Standard has impressed me a lot and I am sure it will impress the readers too.
I will not reveal the plot of the story. What I can say is this " One of the best stories I have read in recent times with related events coupled with incidents which serves as a backbone for the successof the story".
When Rishabh falls in love with Smriti and also landed a 7 figure salary with Google, everything seems to be falling in place. He also had good friends Ankit and Aradhya and these 4 shared anything and everything among them right from their college days. As their career set them apart, after a while, they plan for a reunion. Rishabh also had two good friends cum colleague Asheesh and Amita in Google.
It is over here, things starts going awry. Each one gets killed one by one and the way this was narrated in the story made me feel that I am watching the famous sequel "Scream" though the plot of this story is entirely different.
Why would they get killed?
Did the protagonist Rishabh survive?
The ending was a real good one though I could guess the killer after a while but it got confirmed only in the last chapter. The story is about Love, Hate, Murder and Deception as was rightly mentioned on the cover page coupled with lust and greediness.
Read the story today to find out who the killer was and the motive of the killer.
March 22, 2017
Despite Love is a book which has been written by a school going child; a mere 17 year old and that is what makes this book really special. I read thsi book sometime back and was amazed at the creativity and imagination of this young author. It is a story of The story is of 5 friends Rishabh, Amita, Smriti, Aradhya and Ankit who together set out on a task of transforming a humble and poor village into a developed and modern one. But their task is rendered incomplete when one by one they are being murdered by some unknown force. The book is a decent read though there are lot of issues the author has to work on. The book is divided into 2 parts each of which is good individually but does not blend into each other effortlessly.
Read the full review here - http://bookgeeks.in/entries/thriller/...
Read the full review here - http://bookgeeks.in/entries/thriller/...
February 9, 2017
Despite Love; A superb thriller and amazing murder mystery!! Wow, what a story, suspense maintained till the very end of the story. It’s a mixture of intense love story and thriller. brilliant story, Anyone who is a fan of this genre, just go ahead, get a copy and start reading I was unable to guess the suspense till the end. Absolute amazing.
In last week one of friend recomend this book. I really enjoyed my reading. Besides being an murder mystery, this book has lot of intense love story, betrayal, awareness. Amazing book, to me this book came as a surprise I appreciate the effort.
In short I would recommend this book I feel happy to read “Despite Love: :)
In last week one of friend recomend this book. I really enjoyed my reading. Besides being an murder mystery, this book has lot of intense love story, betrayal, awareness. Amazing book, to me this book came as a surprise I appreciate the effort.
In short I would recommend this book I feel happy to read “Despite Love: :)
October 11, 2016
Good Book, very interesting
March 30, 2017
good story.siddharth u tried vry well.expcting more frm u
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