Once Upon an IAS Exam

by K. Vijayakarthikeyan

It's about a 25 year old Vishy who is trying to crack the UPSC Civil Services Exam, while he balances the tugs and lurches of love and family. Will there be a happily ever after?

Genres: Indian Literature, Novels

138 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2018

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can a person successfully manage a relationship while he is preparing for one of the most challenging exams in the world?

What will happen to the relationship and the preparation if he fails in his first attempt to crack the exam?

The author tells this story through the lives of Vishy, Rithika, and their friends. He also discusses some serious topics like the problems with the current educational system and how to overcome the complications caused by it.

This story of love, friendship, grit, and determination will be a good choice for those who are preparing for competitive exams.

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[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because of its interesting cover and the title of the book "Once upon an IAS exam". Being a teenager hearing the word exam always rings a bell in mind. Also, there were more than 100 positive reviews of the books on Amazon & Goodreads that made my decision easy. So I finally read this book.

This book follows the story of a boy named Vishy Who aspired to become an IAS officer, after failing the entrance exam once his will to become IAS officer got even stronger. And everyone in his family and his girlfriend encouraged him to do so but the ride to the exam was tough. His positive attitude got him through it and finally, he became IAS officer. In between 1st failed attempt and 2nd successful attempt lies the story which will keep us engaged till the last page. Read the book to know more.

I really like the character of Vishy and his attitude towards life and Civil service exam. His character is seen in the light of witty, courageous, positive and little humorous. By the journey of Vishy through his IAS exam, I have remembered my journey when I was giving my board exams. The memory, the anxiety of the exam, the hype around scoring the exams well all came rushing back to my memory. Besides Vishy, the character of his girlfriend is also kind and supportive. After reading this book every boy is gonna want to have a girlfriend like her.

I think this book is written beautifully and all and all if you want to read a soft book after reading an intense thriller or heavy mind blown stuff than this book is perfect.

Detailed Review Link - https://chevusread.blogspot.com/2019/...

[Sadaf sarkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon an IAS exam
Book review
Thank you @thebookoholics for the review copy
Interesting and a short book .It narrates a story of an IAS aspirant in specific and but touches on to the lives of the other people associated with him as well. The book further paints a socio-economic picture of coaching centres of India and their impact on our youth. The book has a steady pace ,and the characters are realistic. Overall it is book highly relatable , and will leaves a smile on your face once you complete it.

[Shadin Pranto · Rating 3 out of 5]

প্রতিযোগিতামূলক চাকরির পরীক্ষায় যারা অংশ নিচ্ছেন, তারা এই বইটি পড়ে মজা পাবেন ; খুঁজে পাবেন অনেক মিল। একজন চাকরিপ্রার্থী তরুণের জীবনকে অত্যন্ত বাস্তবসম্মতভাবে লেখক ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন পাশাপাশি চাকরির পরীক্ষায় ভালো করার কিছু টোটকা বাতলে দিয়েছেন। এই টিপসগুলো যে কোনো চাকরিপ্রার্থীর কাছে নিঃসন্দেহে পছন্দসই মনে হবে।

খুব সহজসরল ইংরেজিতে লেখা। হাতে সময় ও চাকরিপ্রার্থী - এই দুইটি শর্ত পূরণ করলে বইটি পড়ে দেখতে পারেন।

[Bookishbong Moumita · Rating 5 out of 5]

My views

1. First of all I really appreciate the plot. The simple and fast paced plot has made this loveable .

2. The author has inked  the reality  of Indian educational system really well .

3. The story isn't about someone's victory only . The epilogue is the prove of that .

4. Use of simple yet so amazing way of narrating the story has made the book more interesting .

   It's no doubt a 5/5 read for me .

[Solitude and books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authored by K. Vijayakarthikeyan , @kvijayakarthikeyan , a medico turned into bureaucrat IAS officer , this story is a hilarious account of a 25 year old boy Vishy who is confused about his decisions.Set amidst the coaching hubs of civil service in Chennai , it talks about the plight of millions of students struggling daily , each second for the Mother of all Indian Service exams - UPSC , IAS and this exam is toughest or not but it surely makes one's breathing tougher than ever.
▶Amidst climbing the never ending pile of thick books to answering about the failures to the hypocritic society still does an ordinary student's heart stops beating for love ? Will Vishy fail in exam and loose his love ?
Will he be able to marry his best friend ? Or miss every dream?
▶From uncertainty , loosing confidence ,scary fear of failing and having to go through the same torture year after year ,competition in peer groups , sacrificing life's desires to emotional ride on rollarcoaster of sweet love ,dreaming and achieving the biggest respectful success , this book has very relatable characters , funniest moments of daily life of such a student narracted in a funny way portraying the harsh realities of our country and millions of civil service aspirant's lives !
▶A breezy smooth enjoyable read for sure.Language is simple.

[Purbali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Vishy who after a failed atempt at IAS exam decides to give it another go, and proposes Rithika his best friend meanwhile. What follows is the struggle to make the ends meet.
This is a story with embedded humor and sarcasm and speaks of the struggles a student has to through for the competitive exams, the problem with our education system and the way coaching centers have evolved to help the students in exchange of huge amounts of money.

A detailed humorous account of the so called road to success, of the emotions the aspirants go through and of the actual path that should be followed- this text provides a huge insight to the things wrong in our education system and student mindset in particular. With a lucid language and relatable characters this is one entertaining read.
i would recommend it to everyone out there.
Read my full review on my blog, link is in the bio.

[Chandrika Vijayakarthikeyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and feel good love story! A good boy running behind his desires and his love life on the side is what the story tells us..The way it is told is very humorous simple and the same time classy! Do not miss this book if you are looking for a happy positive feeling..

[Hastha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Once Upon An IAS Exam
Author: K.Vijayakarthikeyan
Publisher: Rupa publications

Vishy, twenty-five years old Mechanical Engineer, is an aspirant of UPSC exam whose dream was to become an IAS officer. After failing in one of his attempts he decided to join in a Civil Service Exam coaching centre to pursue his ambition. Meanwhile, he proposed to Rithika who was his friend from school. Would Rithika accept his proposal? Will Vishy be able to pass in his attempt?

After all, the attempts are limited to a candidate.

This book made me think of how competitive it is to hold a place for us in this world!! Being an aspirant I personally know how much stress these cutthroat competitions are. Of course, self-doubt and fear were one of the key factors of these mental stress but I liked the way how Vishy composed himself and worked towards his goal in a calm state.

I always do self-preparation so I wasn't aware of the fees structure of these Civil Service Exam Coaching centres until reading this book. No wonder coaching centres these days became a money-making business and there was nothing to blame on them as long as people are willing to pay them in lakhs. But it's good to know that there are coaching centres like "Great Minds" still exist.

Coming to the point, this is a motivational book with a real-life example. The book has only 16 chapters yet the author conveys everything he wants to say within these 138 pages. Though I'm not a fan of cricket, I liked the cricket analogies used in this book. The use of language is simple. The narration is fast-paced yet flawless. It's a quick one time read.

My rating: 3/5

[Adv. Vandana Choudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty-five-year old Vishy plays the protagonist in this book Once Upon An IAS EXAM authored by Dr. K. Vijayakarthikeyan. Vishy is a Mechanical Engineering Graduate from Chennai. He wants bigger challenges and a multi-dimensional future. He prepares for Civil Services Examinations but he fails in his UPSC Prelims. The resultant doubts and fears disturbed him. At this time he expresses his feelings of love to his best friend Rithika as he feels insecurity of loosing everything around him. But with the support that he receives from his ever understanding parents during his this tough time helps him in overcoming these feelings of failure and insecurities. Unlike many other UPSC aspirants who fall in depression after failing in this difficult battle of clearing Preliminary Exam, Vishy chooses to stay focussed on his goal and decides to reattempt the exams.
To know whether Rithika will accept the love of Vishy or not, will Vishy overcome his sense of failure or not, you'll have to read this book.
This is a fast-paced book and hilariously narrated. You'll enjoy reading every page. I found the book cover really interesting and creatively designed. I liked the title which is apt. The language used is simple. This is a must-read for all the IAS aspirants and other students who are preparing for any exams.

[Shatakshi Dixit · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUTHOR:- K.Vijayakarthikeyan
PUBLISHER:- Rupa Publications
PAGES:- 138
GENRE:- Humorous Critic
RATING:- 4/5
--
*Blurb:-
Vishy's worst nightmare- failing the UPSC's Civil services exam has come true. He is plagued by insecurity, fear and doubts. The mother of all competitive examinations has rejected him and he needs a reason to live, so what does he do ? He tells hus best friend Rithika, ' I Love You .... Will you marry me?'
--
*PLOT:-
The plot of this book revolves around Vishy , the IAS aspirant who is confuses about his future, after the failure of his first attempt to IAS exams. But unlike many other people, getting depressed and giving up upon their dreams, Vishy motivates himself to go for one more Try !!! But in all this dilemma, he confesses to Rithika that He Loves Her. They take a month off each other to focus on their plans ahead.

Vishy joins an IAS coaching , where the author has shown how these coaching centres and other educational systems as money Swallowing machines . Vishy studies very hard for his dreams with two other friends - Vinod and Ashok. Meanwhile, Rithika accepts her love for Vishy , and supports him in every aspect of his Journey .

*CHARACTERS:-
The characters of this book are so lively and we can relate to them very easily. The SUCCESS is shown by Vishy & Rithika whereas FAILURE by Vinod & NEENA. Whereas Babu turns out to face the harsh reality of LIFE and goes with what is good for him. Eventually he becomes a Motivational Speaker and never regrets on what he does .

*MY VIEWS:-
Overall, the book is very well written with a funny yet promising and commenting plot. It is a real quick read. Recommended for beginners and all the teens who at once would easily relate themselves to this book!!

COVER:- 3/5
PLOT:- 4/5
CHARACTERS:- 4.5/5
NARRATION DIFFICULTY :- 1/5

[Vasundhra Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple story, that can be understood easily from the cover picture alone. It revolves around the life of an IAS Exam aspirant.

There are three key elements that make this story - the attitude/insights of IAS preparation, the love-story between the protagonist and his 'potential girlfriend', and camaraderie between IAS aspirants.

This book comes with the vibe of simpler times. It is quite predictable and despite being a fiction, not much was done to make the plot thicken. It is a sweet, easy and effortless book to read with narration using locality-centric (Chennai, India) writing. All in all - not bad, but nothing that stood out for me either.

It did not invoke any serious feelings of joy or disappointment. And that's my rating too, a neutral 3 on 5.

[Md Akhlaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to me it should be the hottest book to discuss about, this is the for sure a dream book for me. I was very curious to read this story which is written about the most prestigious exam of India. As we all know civils services are the most precious jobs in our country , that's why this is a unique story. If we talk about the cover , it's enough to attract me towards this book.
Plot is very interesting and straightforward about the struggle of protagonist Vishy a UPSC aspirant who failed in first attempt but still looking for the upcoming year. In this insoluble dilemma of adolescence he proposed his childhood friend Rithika. This book is a mirror of current education system of our country and about how private coaching institutes exploiting education system.

Character of Vishy is most relatable from the current student life of our country. He is an average but focused student which is relatable for most of the students. All the characters are acceptable and relatable to the real life.


As a student , i really loved this book as i said above. Lots of fun , will make you laugh till the end this is the best part of the book. Narration is impressive ,character Vishy is so beautifully defined as an Indian Student.

Highly recommended to all the students must read to make a change in student life and also to change the bad prospective of the society. Author took is a point which is having a deep social message to bring a change.

[Anitha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story line by line described upsc exam preparation of vishy alias vishwanathan. Very predictable.

[Kavita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very very curious about the story when I saw the cover of the book. The cover managed to attract my attention enough to get the book. The blurb is informative enough about the story and it does give you a feel as to what I should expect from it.
The story is written in a simple but lucid way. The plot is pretty straightforward. Vishy is an Engineer aspiring to become an IAS officer. The story begins with him failing the first level of the exam and hence began his journey to study to clear the UPSC exams. Whether he clears or he faces a disappointment read the book to find out.
The plot is very straightforward, although I expected a few twists n turns, though not many of those. The characterization is vivid, Vishy is very lucky to have very supportive family n friends. Rithika his girl friend is very likable character. Vishy's friends are like all other friends from college, funny, helpful n hardworking.
The pace of the story was a bit slow but even.
The things I did not like about the story is that it was pretty straightforward with not many racy moments. I was surprised that I couldn't find even a single person who was negative. The drama quotient was low.
All in all a one time read to enjoy a few hours. It could be those light reads we pick up in between heavy reads.
If you are a young college student preparing for any entrance exams then this could be a very interesting to you. Do pick this one up to relax in between your hard gruelling studies and it will surely cheer you up!!

[Radhika Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author: K. Vijayakarthikeyan

Pages: 138

Review:

The ability to identify one’s own shortcomings and then rectify them puts on the path of success.

The story of a young boy standing up strong after he had had a great fall. The story of friendship, true love, family and what not. There are emotions, introspection, comebacks, smart work as well as hard work, the sad reality of the Indian Education system and the encounters of a student and how beautiful is to have parents that support us, no matter what!

The witty and very natural narration of the story with a pace so nice, wants you to read the book, even after you’ve finished it. The plot is a commonplace of this world of competition. All aspects of a student living in India are shown in a very realistic way. The ups and downs of life are written in a very nonchalant way.

Once Upon An IAS Exam is a story with very interesting characters with struggles of their own to live a happy life with the people they love. Various life lessons can be learned from the book, even though it doesn’t have many motivational quotes, just a few of them here and there. The story is interesting and you keep on discovering something very different from what you have probably predicted about the story on the last page.

In a nutshell, everybody should read this book once in a life because it is a very relatable story to every one of us. The book is sweet and short. You can probably finish it in one go.

[Bhargavi Chandrashekar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romantic Genre Novels are selling like hot cakes in India, every debut author prefers to write Romance, and most of them will be falling under College Romance. In between these novels, there comes a book which doesn't follow the trend of the typical cliché romance novel. And once upon an IAS Exam is one such book which makes me feel like there's a few authors who still write something sensible in Romance/Comedy/Inspirational genre.

The book opens with the protagonist Vishy anxiously typing his roll number in the Preliminary Results of the Civil Services Examination. To his much disasters, it turns out that his name is not in the list of a successful candidates. People like Vishy are more common in our society, the confused youth who ends up taking Engineering by default. Soon he then decides to join a coaching center in an attempt to clear the UPSC Exam, since he doesn't want to lead a mechanical life with his engineering job. Meanwhile, he ends up confessing his love to his long time friend Rithika. What's ahead in the store for Vishy is the rest of the crux.

In a satarical and a humorous vein the book unfolds the things happen around and within the UPSC coaching centers. Vishy's Understandable & supportive parents and the fostering friends makes his life better even under the pressure. The author skillfully establishes each and every character in the story. Especially Rithika's character which runs linearly along with the main story.

There's no single single dull moment in the story which makes you feel like it's boring. Right from the first page till the end the story follows the right pace. It looks like the author has shared his personal experiences in a witty and charming modus operandi.

Overall, Once Upon an IAS Exam is a fast paced inspirational story with a pinch of Romance and Humor. The author's relaxed writing style is engaging, and once you start reading the book, You can't put it down. The author has created a vivid cast of characters and it is easily a novel, which I would recommend to others. And I give 3.6 out of 5 Stars!!

[Shriya Dasgupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the bustling Civil Services exam coaching hub of Anna Nagar in Chennai, Once Upon An IAS Exam is a hilarious account of the actuality, stress and struggle faced by millions of candidates who prepare year after year for this ‘Mother of Exams’. It is centred around the life of twenty five year old Vishy whose worst nightmare comes true when he fails to clear the Prelims of the UPSC examination. He is plagued by insecurity, fear and doubt. It is at this point when he decides to confess his love to his childhood best friend Rithika.

Amidst the tense, competitive atmosphere of the country’s toughest examination, there develops a sweet love story. Things turn even more interesting when Vishy, in his determination to conquer ‘Mount IAS’, enters the world of coaching centres. The author here, takes a dig at the growing business of these coaching centres which sell dreams to millions of aspirants. It is in one of these coaching centres that Vishy finds new friends who are on the same boat as him and they struggle together through this stormy trail.

Success doesn’t come easy, especially in the Civil Service Examinations. However, anything is possible through persistence and hard work. Hence, Vishy’s dream of becoming a bureaucrat also comes true one day.

This book portray’s the daily struggles of a regular aspirant and the emotional turmoil he goes through during the preparation. The novel, coming from a person who himself is a bureaucrat, makes it all the more special. Aspirants of the UPSC exam would find this book relatable. For others, it would be a sweet, light-hearted read.

[Kirti Changlani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book review -
Once upon an IAS Exam !
By K. Vijayakarthikeyan

Rating- 4🌟


Blurb -
Set in the time of 2009 , the protagonist, Vishy ,a graduate in mechanical engineering, fails to clear his attempt for giving the toughest exam of our country - IAS . But with the statement from his father 'You haven't failed. Your success is delayed' he gathers the will to attempt again but this time with the help of A Coaching centre,
From there his journey starts to find an appropriate coaching centre under budget to making friends there,giving class tests, making notes and the side his love story cooking with Rithika.

So the question is whether he will make it to being An IAS officer moreover firstly clearly the exams? Read the book to find out .


My reviews-

The book involves alot of humour and at many instances potrays the wit of the protagonist,
The vividly described environment of a coaching class might take you to your zones , of course if you would have given a national level exam ! Lol.
And the ways in which students arrange study material and other gossip is a thing to watch out.

The book is a quick read of only 138 pages , can be finished in one sitting most probably.

Recommended-
Yes , a one time quick and humorous read.



Review by @thatreaderjunkie

[Kiranmayi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vishy just failed in UPSC prelims but goes ahead and proposes to his best friend Rithika. Not one to easily give up on his UPSC dream, he plans to prepare for the next year in a more organized way, by choosing a different optional subject and also by getting enrolled in a coaching center. The story is about the friends Vishy makes at this center, how he crosses hurdles one after another; prelims, mains, interview - will he make it to each of these challenging but important stages before reaching his ultimate goal; a love story that starts at one of Vishy's low moments, does it sustain amidst the pressure of clearing the exam; how are Vishy's parents going to support him at each stage of this exam marathon.

The book is a complete account of what goes into preparing for one of the most challenging and prestigious exams in India. The book covers the smaller nuisances and details that only a person going through this journey would experience. All the characters have good graph and add to the narration, while being very relate-able.  

I would have liked to see some point of conflict as the story goes very much as expected with less or known twists. The exam preparation, family, friends, love, coaching centers, tea stalls - there are multiple angles and areas explored by writer through the protagonist but with a near perfect guy like Vishy and simple circumstances, the story ends up being cliched at places. The writer could have explored more around the scenarios to give a more edgy treatment to the story.

At less than 150 pages, it is a very quick and easy breezy read. With simple words and easy narration, this one is a good one time read. Overall a feel good story without a single dull moment.

Full review on my blog:
https://medium.com/@kiranmayi.g/book-...

[Richa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vishy is a mechanical engineer. But, he doesn't want to go ahead in his own field. He want to do something different, not just a typical 9 to 5 job. So, he appears for IAS exams, but fails in first attempt.
He then analyses and conclude that he shouldn't choose his optional subject as mechanical engineering but public administration.
Later, he searches for good coaching institutes which is described in a satirical manner. It has shown the real picture of coaching institutes in India.
Vishy joins one of the coaching institute and start preparing. He identifies his weaknesses and always try to overcome them with a cool head.
This book describes his journey to become an IAS officer, some obstacles in his path and support of his family and friends. Apart from it, this book also points out the way our education system works, the way teachers at coaching institutes just ask them to cram whatever they are teaching instead of understanding. How some students get into depression if they couldn't clear the exam and how some of them overcome these failures.
So, overall it was a good read. Narration style is good. The way Vishy always relates every exam situation to cricket matches is quite incredible.
If you are preparing for or have ever prepared for UPSC or any other competitive exams, then you must be able to relate with it.

[Sumith Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cover is good. It has been designed well.
Title is catchy, sounds pleasing to the readers.
Theme talks about studies, engineering, life, research, results, expectations, experience, humour, history, literature, logic, rational thinking, love, true love, hardships, romance, joy, happiness, care, sadness, examinations, pressure & many other factors which incorporate into a nice book.

The book describes the journey of Vishy & his love Rithika, who face many adversities on their adventurous journey of love. As he prepares for the prestigious exams of IAS. It's when he encounters several problems & faces them boldly. His lover also helps him & stands beside him strongly on this process.

The research has been done in a well-manner. Also, the sense of humour added across the book blends naturally with the book. Being a person who has lived in South India for a long time, especially in chennai, it was really a nice experience by reminiscing those old days. Language is simple, good enough to read.
Narration is also good.
Though I felt these could have been a bit better. Nevertheless, a good onetime book to read!

[Meghasi Bhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is about Vishy, a young man from Chennai. Vishy qualified as a Mechanical Engineer but now dreams of becoming an IAS officer. In order to fulfil his dream, he needs to clear the UPSC exams.
After failing on his first attempt, Vishy now joins coaching classes to help him prepare for his next attempt. Vishy is now helped along his journey by his parents, his friend and love interest Rithika, his friends and teachers of his coaching classes.
The story brings to life the numerous pressures faced by the aspirants to attempt to clear the UPSC exams, one of India’s toughest exams. Will Vishy be able to withstand the pressure and crack the UPSC? The reader needs to read the book to find out.
If you are looking for a breezy and light read, I will certainly recommend this book to you. People of all ages can certainly understand and enjoy the book.

[Tanu Parasar]

Genre :Fiction
Book length : 142
Author :@kvijayakarthikeyan
Published by : @rupa_publications
Review copy by : @vinfluencers
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🌟 Plot 🌟
Vishy, an UPSC aspirant, who failed in first attempt and looking forward for the upcoming year. In this dilemma, he proposed his childhood friend "Rithika". The book has made fun on current education system and money laundering by educational institutions.
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🌟 Characters 🌟
Characters are hell relatable from the real life of students and current situation of the society. Vishy is represented as an humorous, acceptable and an average student. Whereas failure is shown through characters like Neena and Babu.
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🌟 Opinion 🌟
The book is a kind of humorous critic on the present education system. It strongly depicts all aspects of each point. The book is must a "ONE GO!". It consists funny plot, yet commenting.
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🌟 Ratings 🌟
Plot - 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 /5
Reading difficulty - 🌟 /5
Entertainment level - 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟. 5/5

[Mallikarjuna M · Rating 3 out of 5]

ಚಿಕ್ಕದಾಗಿ, ಸರಳವಾಗಿ ಬರೆದಿರುವ UPSC ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಯೊಬ್ಬನ ಕಥನ. ನೀವೇ ಸ್ವತಃ ಹಿಂದೆ UPSC ಆಕಾಂಕ್ಷಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಥವಾ ಆಕಾಂಕ್ಷಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದವರ ಜೊತೆ ಒಡನಾಟವಿದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ರುಚಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

[Alagu Balaji · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written in a very simple language. This book takes us through the journey of successful IAS aspirants and there failures in a funny, filmy and sarcastic narrative. Real page turner and quick read. Looking forward to read more fiction from the author. Cheers

[Rituraj Anand · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is very inspiring, especially for the ones who are preparing for UPSC and other exams. I hope, I get to read more such books from the author.

[Poulomi Mandal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Verdict:

I am in awe of short books that capture what the author truly wants to say, while still being true to their essence. This book with its 138 pages does that. The story starts Vishy, an IAS aspirant in Chennai, struggling to come to terms with his failure at clearing the UPSC exams. Burdened with self-doubt and low confidence, he proposes to Rithika, who in fact is his best friend. Now Vishy, not only has to clear the massive civil services exams, but also get an answer from his lady love.

In India, IAS preparations and aspirants have a world all to themselves. Many around us have tried again and again to nail those tests and failed. In fact, this is similar to all entrance exams in the country. The youth struggles to come in terms with their failures and gears up for another year of rigorous studying to pass them. Reading this book made me remember of a time in my life when I was scared of results just like Vishy. That's where I think the readers will get to connect with the book as they must have gone through the same some time or the other.

The characters of this book seem to have been taken out of the real world, with traits similar to some of our own friends. The whole atmosphere of Anna Nagar, Chennai has been depicted beautifully through the eyes of Vishy and his friends. The stress, the constant hogging of others and the race to the finish- is so palpable throughout the story, that you would almost feel that you were preparing for the exam. One thing that I really liked about this book was that it tried to explain a bit about the world of money making coaching institutes who believe in packages and down payments than in results.

Although the story was nothing but a simple read, the writing and structure didn't fare so well. While in some places, the simplicity of language gave me clarity on the plot, at other places they were just bland with no spark. One thing that is truly commendable is the flow and narration. It never truly breaks keeping the readers engaged. Another plus is that this was truly a short book, which I finished at one sitting.

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This book has been provided by Vinfluencers in exchange for an honest review.

[Madhavi Yadav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon an IAS Exam
What happens when worst nightmare turns into reality. Usually people freak out and give up and the story ends.
But for Vishy that’s when the story begins.
His biggest nightmare- failing the UPSE Exam becomes his new reality.
Now He needs a reason to keep going so he tells, his best friend “I love you. Will you marry me?”
The story is set in coaching hub of Chennai. It’s gives you sneak peek into the actual world of coaching center.
The author has portrayed the whole coaching drama In a humorous manner. Characters are the kind of people you usually see around yourself, very relatable and funny.
The love story part expands the whole book into new horizon.
I loved the book cover way to much, very appealing and eye catching cover.
A smooth light read, I would definitely recommend to all the readers.

[Umesh Kesavan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is an IAS officer who relives his preparation days through this novel. The language is pedestrian and the plot twists are predictable. The novel will work only for those officers who nostalgically look back at their past and aspirants who will wistfully visualise their future.