20

by Vatsal Surti

They find each other one night, lonely and distracted. Monsoon clouds start approaching the city. Nights fall one after another, in precognitions and thoughts, lights and intimacies. In the midst of time, changes rise and sink like their chest. Like the night sky, an endlessness bigger then their eyes can see.

Genres: Poetry, Contemporary, Fiction

138 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 2016

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

When the young woman almost hits a young man with her car, time stands still. He picks up the books he dropped and vanishes from sight. The following night he is sitting behind her in a restaurant, reading a book. They make contact; they talk; they begin the challenge of getting to know one another.

Gradually over days and weeks they learn more about each other – but she’s lonely while he’s not there…

She is an aspiring model, just learning her craft – he is a writer. Together they have dreams; hopes for the future…

20 by Vatsal Surti is a novella about hopes, dreams, love and above all, loneliness. Described by others as poetic, lyrical and atmospheric I’m afraid it did absolutely nothing for me. It took me awhile to work out what was going on; it felt like there was no depth to the story, there was nothing I could grasp to form an interest. The strangeness of having both main characters without names just felt weird as well. It will probably appeal to some (there are already good reviews) but not to me I'm afraid.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

[Portal in the Pages · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this but I DNF'd it at page 36 of 140. It felt really empty. Stark.

[stefiereads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf on page 46 / 136.
Ummmnn... I really want to like this book because the first few pages it’s good.
However the more I read, I just couldn’t get into it. I feel so distance and disconnected with the mc. I couldn’t understand her train of thoughts.
Perhaps it’s me having a problem. I don’t like dnf-ing a book. But this one, I just couldn’t get into it.

Sorry!

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘There was so much to experience in this life. A haze held between endless colors.’

Young author Vatsal Surti writes about the interconnections of humans. His initial novella “To Desire” he wrote at the age of seventeen. Now with ‘20’ we note that he wrote this novel at the age of 20! Vatsal writes in a fashion that is flowing and effortless and invites the reader to simply soar along with him as he relates the relationship a boy and a girl, nameless. The emotions Vatsal plumbs are life and its extended forms, death, night as a symbol and day as the opposite, and the interconnectedness between humans and nature and feeling and passion and desire and love. Visit his website and watch the brief video and it is apparent that he blends the life and love of humans with the mysteries of nature – all one, all beautiful.

Vatsal’s prose remains poetic in this novel – “Sometimes I was so filled with loneliness,” she told him, lowering her eyes as if to think. “You were with me and then you disappeared. And all this time I thought: if that’s what love is, I hope I never experience it again. I try to please everyone, and then I distance myself. I always wonder where I am. Nothing seems real sometimes. The world doesn’t make any sense. My teenage years were so difficult. I search for meaning in mundane events to discover something real. I seek identity in empty relationships. All my life I tried to find a place in this world...”


Vatsal invites us to soar with this brief novel. He offers a synopsis to allow entry into his space – ‘A troubled young model, an introspective writer, 20 is about loneliness, love, hopes and dreams. One night as she is driving back home from a show, she almost runs over someone. She holds her breath, and through the fog they see each other for the first time. Love begins to form in the space between them, in precognitions and thoughts, lights and intimacies. Seasons change. They come to know more things about themselves and each other. Life wraps them in its embrace like a haze, in a vacant space bigger than their eyes can see.’

A love story, yes, but it is more than a romance: this is a palpable experience that enters our psyches for a while and leaves marks of beauty and memory. Vatsal Surti is a remarkably talented young writer, on who bears observing and following.

[Davida Chazan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The unnamed protagonist in this expressive novella is only 20 years old, but she seems to have quite an old soul. Author Vatsal Surti describes the last months of her 20th year using a stream of consciousness type of narrative. Read more about what I thought of this poetic book here.
https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/01/0...

[Kath (kath_reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Actual Rating : 2.5 out of 5 stars
I really wanted to love this book but sadly, it didn't work out for me. (full review soon)

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review can also be found in Chill and read

“20” is a story about a young model and an introspective writer. She almost hit him with her car, and after a few days they meet and start an affair. They both fell in love with each other and they are so much connected. They communicate, even without speaking, which is the ultimate sign for true love!

The story runs like a sort of diary of the young model. Even if the narration is not written in the first person, the reader truly gets to know all her thoughts and fears, all her actions within the day. The unnamed heroine is of 20 years old, and she goes into introspection doubting life as it is. She is also very insecure, something we can see in many of her discussions with her boyfriend.

Vatsal Surti, brings forward the thoughts and fears of the young adults of the days, in a more philosophical way. Yes, many of them are consumed by the material world we live in, however, there are others that are trying to understand bigger theories, like our existence, life and death. The writing style is so artistic. It is more of poetry than prose, which makes it so beautiful.

This is a lovely and promising debut!

Thank you to NetGalley & Hybrid Texts for an advance copy of this book.

[Avery · Rating 2 out of 5]

“She carried a thousand lights inside her heart, and a thousand lights carried her.”
“20” is the tale of a young couple—a model and a writer—who fall in love and break apart unexpectedly. Told in the sweet spot between prose and poetry, Vatsal Surti creates a philosophical and somewhat existentialist novella.
I came into this book expecting a love story and that’s not what I got at all. Instead, I received beautiful (while somewhat repetitive and dry) prose attempting to ask questions about the meaning of life and assert that it is, in fact, love.
However, I felt that the story was absurd in the sense that there was no character development, no real “plot,” no world-building, et cetera—this resulted in a fairly stagnant story that I feel was intended to be profound but translated as immature and unnecessary.
Maybe I just didn’t get it. Maybe there was something I missed. However, it is my opinion that this is a poor story told poorly. I have to give credit to the author—he pens beautiful prose, and I think he has all of the potential in the world to create something uniquely moving. However, he missed the mark with this story.
It thoroughly pains me to do this, but as my honest opinion is my number one priority in my reviews, “20” earns a rating of 2 out of 5 stars from me.

[thehalcyondaysofsummer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening line: 'She carried a thousand lights inside her heart, and a thousand lights carried her.'

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"20" is a powerful book, it is more poetry than prose. A young woman hits a young man with her car. He is uninjured and, through happenstance, she later meets him and they begin a love affair. Author Vatsal Surti tightly controls what his readers know about this young man and woman. Although we "hear" her thoughts and their dialogue, we are kept at a distance as we float with the nameless protagonist through her life.

Through Surti's ethereal, gorgeous writing, it seems as if we are observing more than a love affair; we are hearing a generation fearing the unknown future and asking: Why am I alive, where am I going? Surti's protagonist tells her lover: "We are so young. We are completely immature. It all seems like the beginning and it’s so scary. I used to think ends are scary, beginnings must be beautiful. But it feels so strange to think. We won’t be the same forever.”

While reading "20," I heard faint whispers of early Ingmar Bergman films, and the poems of the beat poets. Vatsal Surti is a young author, and while his writing is not perfect, it is amazing and beautiful.

(In return for an honest review, I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.)

[Cate · Rating 2 out of 5]

20 tells the story of a young aspiring model, she is by no means vapid or airheaded like popular representations of models in media, Surti's unnamed protagonist is very thoughtful and often muses about life, death, love and many other things in between.

The story is unusually presented and rather than being prose it's arguable that 20 feels more like poetry or a stream of thoughts. I can understand that some people may be put off by this aspect and deem it to be rather 'pretentious' but I thought it was unique and interesting to read.

Check out my full review on my blog here: Charlotte & Cate

[Alyssa Campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review at: Bright Copy Book Review

*This review is based on an advanced reading copy. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read the book in exchange for an honest review*

I have no idea what I just read, to be honest.

What the blurb should actually say is that this is a book about a mentally ill woman and her relationship written in full-prose-poetry-nonsense. Almost nothing happens in this book. There's basically no plot. The entire story could have been cut down to 20 pages if you just cut out 160 pages of filler words meant to evoke emotion that were really unnecessary and pretentious.

Let me clarify: I'm all about prose. Give me a book that's well written with a half-assed plot, and I'm okay with it. Give me a book that's not-so-well-written with an amazing plot, I'm not okay. This happens to be a lose-lose, as in writing that's trying way to hard to sound beautiful and deep mixed with a non-existent arc.

For example (one of the countless conversations that make no sense between the lovers):

"Stars are falling," she said. "In desperation we walk on the edge of sea. Distraction. Distraction. In heart there is peace. And everything is beautiful."

Every. Single. Person. talks like that in this book. Drove me nuts. I had no idea what was happening half of the time because I was trying to decipher meaningless conversations. The concept was fine, a lonely girl falls in love and loses her partner but this did nothing for me. I didn't feel anything.

This was not for me.

[⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw this on NetGalley sometime ago, I was quite taken by the cover, and found the little snippet of a plot tantalizing. I'm actually rather sorry I didn't pick it up sooner.

This little novella is odd and lovely. It has a fast pace and relies on vagueness, but I think that suits its intentions better. The author wanted to capture more profound things than a traditional tale of love. It resonated with me because I'm 23 and I've spent my whole life, lonely and wondering about dark, deep, vast things.

So in that sense, this novel is a drop pretentious and rings with the same tone a lot of twenty-somethings get when they're lost and longing, but that's kind of important to it having the impact it does. The storytelling style isn't so common. It's part prose, part poetry, part musings, part story. A strange little novella, but I think I am quite fond of it. I'd like to listen to a person Vatsal Surti; I think it'd be nice. A lot of what he wrote here means something to me. Nearly all of it.

In that sense, I can say that twenty-somethings who appreciate the act of wondering and who would enjoy a dose of something short and artfully real, this is a nice choice of reading. But I do understand why a lot of people didn't quite like it, or get it. This appeals to a slighter audience, I think, than a lot of other novels would.

Still, it hit a chord in me. I find it hard to talk about. I just... feel about it.

I think I'll look into the author's other works.

[Payal Sinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel 20 is much like its name. It is minimalist and still hold a profound lot of meaning. The story revolves around a young girl who seems to have it all- friends, fame and money and still she leads a lonely life. The story is comparatively short and written in the form of an omnipresent narrator. The author Vatsal Surti seems to present a new write up form that could only be defined as restrained. It is as if the author and the characters have too much to say and offer but they are restrained to show only their basic emotions. It is as if the glass is filled to the brim and is about to overflow, but still it is held in check and is perfectly balanced. You feel the heaviness of the content, but are not not allowed to soak in its wetness. Similarly, the story has number of emotions- the prominent one of them are love, happiness, sadness, and loneliness. But, these emotions are held in check and the reader could only feel the poignancy of it all. I loved the book both for its writing style and its content and look forward to more of it.

[Valery · Rating 3 out of 5]

20 by Vatsal Surti is a minimalist approach to writing that works well on some levels, and causes some difficulty on others. A young woman comes close to hitting a young man in her car on her way home. From there, a fluid relationship begins to form between the two. This is certainly stark writing, as we never can determine the characters' names, just that they are, and that they relate to each other on some level. While there is some progress to the story, as it is somewhat written in a linear fashion, much of it is loosely arranged, with an overriding sense of deep contemplation on the young woman's part. She is taking everything in, but not letting us into her character too much. Each chapter feels like a little vignette, with a poetic feel giving the book a lyrical quality. An interesting read by a promising young author.

[lapetitesouris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half was absolutely gorgeous. This is a book of vignettes, and there were many times I stopped to reflect upon what I had read. Much of the book is about our inner thoughts and how we can struggle to find a connection with the world around us.

However the second half was predictable and fell a bit flat for me, personally. The vignette style of writing got old quick and I couldn't help but think, "This was definitely written by a 20 year old".

Still worth a read. I truly loved the first half!

[Kimberlee (reading.wanderwoman) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something breathtakingly beautiful about this book. I had to flag so many pages because of passages that I fell in love with. I felt a very close connection with this character and all her thoughts as I feel as though I have those very same thoughts. The language and prose of this book felt like air. This book seemed to allow you to pause and take a breath with the character but also keep your attention and long for more. Truly exquisite.

[Catie]

Recommendation from Jude(@mybookbath) - 8/4/2017

[Olga Miret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful language for those looking for a very subjective reading experience Thanks to Net Galley and to Hybrid Texts for offering me an ARC copy of this book that I freely choose to review. They were also conscientious enough to inform me that an updated version was available, that is the one I review.
This novel is like a confessional/stream of consciousness diary of a young woman, a fashion model who lives alone and who records her thoughts, feelings and impressions over time. The book is divided into chapters and follow the seasons, but as we spend most of the time inside the head of the protagonist (although the story is written in the third person) sometimes, as we all do in our own minds, she might go back and forth in time, and other times, due to illness, substances and her state of mind, we don’t know if something she’s experiencing is happening at all in the real world. There are also fragments of the book told from the point of view of a young man she meets, whom she falls in love with, but these are not many.
Despite the beauty of the language, I found it a bit difficult to engage with the story (that is not really a story). Perhaps it is, as some reviewers have commented, partly the fact of not knowing the name of the main protagonist or her beloved. We get to know the name of Natasha, a friend who invites her to live with her, but we don’t know much about her. We don’t know where she is, know little about who she is, and her circumstances. I imagine it might be an attempt at universalizing the story, but most readers enjoy living other lives, even if completely different to theirs, rather than a very subjective but somewhat blank one.
What I thought at times while I read the book was that I remembered having similar thoughts and feelings when I was an adolescent, at a time when everything feels new, unique, and we believe nobody has ever gone through similar experiences or knows what we’re going through. Everything is measured by how it affects us and we live inside a bubble of our own making that few things can pierce. In the case of the protagonist she suffers a very traumatic event that depresses her (although it seems to be more a matter of degree rather than the nature of the emotions she experiences, as some of her thoughts were very similar before the said event) but in a way it seems to help shake her up and realise what life is really about.
To give you a taster of the language, here I share a couple of sentences I highlighted:
A few miles above them, a plane took off, breaking the sky that had begun falling to night once again, like love inside youth.
Her eyelids closed, and behind them, her eyes shone like stars.
In summary, a book that requires a very special type of reader, and that I suspect will connect better with younger readers (YA, NA). Not a book recommended for those interested in a good story and engaging plot, but for those who enjoy descriptive, subjective and sensuous writing.

[Barbara Scott-Emmett · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved the concept of this novel and thought the writing was often excellent, I'm afraid there were too many errors in it for me to recommend it in its present form. The errors are mostly grammatical and suggest that the writer is not completely fluent in English. Sometimes these miswordings are charming and add depth but a lot of the time they simply confuse the reader.

I also felt the book needed a little more substance. I was reminded of Murakami's work but even Norwegian Wood, which it most resembles in my view, has more substance (more story) than this. The writing, at its best, is evocative and compelling but I needed a little more to be happening.

I think a good proofreader is also needed - one who will be sensitive to the occasional delightful mistakes but who can get rid of the obscurities.

Thank you for letting me read this. It really does have a lot going for it.

I received a free copy of this novel through NetGalley.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘It was strange to think how many emotions there are for us to feel inside of ourselves.’

In a brief novel, of fewer than 200 pages, Vatsal Surti writes of life, loneliness and love. He writes about belonging, about being connected to others. His main characters are both unnamed. She is 20 years old, edging closer to 21 and works as a model. He is a writer. They meet by accident: she almost hits him in her car, he drops some books. They both move on, away from each other. An evening later, they are in the same restaurant. They meet.

They spend time together. They come to learn more about themselves and life, to love and trust each other. The world looks different, feels different. So full of possibilities.

‘Leaves fell with the wind, sticking on the pavement—waiting there like a whisper.’

I’ll leave the story there: a summary won’t capture the nuances and may ruin a first read.

My own reactions to the novel are mixed. Much of the writing is beautiful, evocative and haunting, for example:

‘Dreams fill the emptiness inside us like the beginning of life.’
and also:

‘That night, a strange precognition came that filled her soul with a million stars.’

But occasional turns of phrase jerked me right out of the story:

‘With only her chest expressing to her in a whisper that it wanted him to know something about her.’

and also:

‘She could see tears rolling down her cheeks in a delayed movement.’

Vatsal Surti is a young author, and I understand he wrote this novel when he was aged twenty. While I liked the idea of this novel and the poetic form it takes, I believe that editing would make a good story even better.

Note: I was offered, and accepted, an electronic copy of this book for review purposes from Hybrid Texts via NetGalley

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[belva hullp · Rating 4 out of 5]

20 by Vatsal Surti; (3 1/2*)

Surti blends the life and love of humans with the mysteries of nature and shows it all as interconnecting in a lovely way. With my limited understanding of his esoteric writing and the brilliance of his prose, I have to say that without comprehending all of this novella, I do love the beauty of his writing.

"20 is about loneliness, love, hopes and dreams".
~ Vatsal Surti

I don't know that I can recommend this little book in general but to a certain breed of reader I think it will be greatly appreciated.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher on Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a big fan of poetry, particularly when poetry is used to tell a narrative. This is a story about a young beautiful woman trying to be a model and a man she almost hits with her car. They fall in love, or at least it seems that way? It seemed more like codependency to me. This story had overarching themes of love, loneliness and following your dreams, but overall it just fell really flat. I think the beginning was strong but it really just kept falling. This is a short book but it felt like a drag to read, even though it was poetry! Maybe that's because the main characters had no substance, they were just loneliness or codependence or whatever else. Maybe because when they "talked" together it was like they weren't saying anything. I think the author tried really hard to be deep but instead it came off as contrived. Overall, I can't say I'd recommend this book for all of these reasons.

[Terri Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review**

This is a story of a young girl who struggles with hopes and dreams just like all of us do. The story itself relates to me, but I had some issues with the author's purpose. Neither of the main characters is named and that threw me a little. Also, the story is told more from a stream of conscious style. I did, however, find myself thinking about the story days after I finished. Upon reflection, it seemed to just click more and maybe that is what the author intended to do.

[Heidi | Paper Safari Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of loneliness and love and finding yourself. This novel is almost a poem in its lyrical and atmospheric writing. Its haunting, beautiful and left me scratching my head wondering what I had just read but feeling better having read it. Its one of those books that is hard to describe and even reading it leaves you a little lost but needing to go on. Beautifully written but not for everyone.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

20 is a short novel with a remarkable amount of depth, written by a young author, about young people using prose that is both poetic and relevant.

A true pleasure to read.

A longer review will appear on my blog Kathryn's Inbox in early 2017.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a bit torn over how I feel about this book. Some of the writing and language in this book is absolutely beautiful. I found myself highlighting many passages. However, by the time I was about three quarters of the way through it, I grew tired of this young couple, and what felt like the same thing repeated over and over. Perhaps if it had been shorter, I would have liked it more. I will probably still hang onto it though, just to re-read the saved passages.