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What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror?
How much of the person in the mirror is truly you? A young couple decides to die together when they are old, but when it's time, one of them isn't done living. A child fosters plants in a month-long challenge. A woman makes a desperate attempt to rescue her brother from his demons. A groom-to-be meets a green-eyed fairy the night before the wedding. A son vows to connect with his father after his mother's death. In this dazzling collection of short fiction, bestselling author Nikita Singh explores the secret inner lives of her characters as they grapple with love, loss, grief and mental health.
- GenresFiction
268 pages, Paperback
Published April 12, 2022
9 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Nikita Singh
57 books1,138 followersNikita Singh is the bestselling author of eleven novels, including Letters to My Ex, Every Time It Rains and Like a Love Song. She is also the editor of the collections of short stories 25 Strokes of Kindness and The Turning Point.
After working in the book publishing industry in New Delhi for a few years, she got her MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) at The New School in New York. Invested in the fight against climate change, she handles marketing for a solar energy company based in Brooklyn.
Nikita is a digital nomad, currently obsessed with travel, tea and thrillers. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter (@singh_nikita).
After working in the book publishing industry in New Delhi for a few years, she got her MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) at The New School in New York. Invested in the fight against climate change, she handles marketing for a solar energy company based in Brooklyn.
Nikita is a digital nomad, currently obsessed with travel, tea and thrillers. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter (@singh_nikita).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 13, 2021
Rating: 3.5/5
I have always noticed books portraying an emotional turmoil of the characters fascinate me. Human nature is confusing and complicated. To understand human nature and pen down tales about them is one hard job. Nikita Singh in her latest book has crossed the hurdle effortlessly.
15 stories.
Different Premises.
All dealing with the same agenda.
Dwelling with inner self.
In the book description it is written that “Best Selling author Nikita Singh explores the secret inner lives of her characters as they grapple with love, loss, grief, and mental health.”
I think the book can be best described by this line.
I have read some of Singh's previous works. A few of them are cherished by me till date. I am glad that she has decided not to enclose her writing genre within a definite perimeter. This has been a strong and bold step for her which I highly appreciate.
Coming to the stories of the book, they were of different flavours. The first story, though I predicted the twist beforehand, was able to make a deep impact. As the pages were turned, the graph of the impact started to fluctuate. As I always say, the only problem I find with a short story collection is that most of the time one or the other story tends to disappoint me. Same case happened here as well. However, I am glad that as I turned the last page over, I was impressed by the book.
Funny thing with short stories is that if well written they can connect to us far more deeply than any novel. There were some moments where I just closed the book and kept on thinking about the characters and their deeds. If observed closely, the main pillar of the book is human needs and emotions and decisions. That is why I think the title of the book is totally justified.
If you want my verdict for this book, I will definitely give a thumbs up.
I have always noticed books portraying an emotional turmoil of the characters fascinate me. Human nature is confusing and complicated. To understand human nature and pen down tales about them is one hard job. Nikita Singh in her latest book has crossed the hurdle effortlessly.
15 stories.
Different Premises.
All dealing with the same agenda.
Dwelling with inner self.
In the book description it is written that “Best Selling author Nikita Singh explores the secret inner lives of her characters as they grapple with love, loss, grief, and mental health.”
I think the book can be best described by this line.
I have read some of Singh's previous works. A few of them are cherished by me till date. I am glad that she has decided not to enclose her writing genre within a definite perimeter. This has been a strong and bold step for her which I highly appreciate.
Coming to the stories of the book, they were of different flavours. The first story, though I predicted the twist beforehand, was able to make a deep impact. As the pages were turned, the graph of the impact started to fluctuate. As I always say, the only problem I find with a short story collection is that most of the time one or the other story tends to disappoint me. Same case happened here as well. However, I am glad that as I turned the last page over, I was impressed by the book.
Funny thing with short stories is that if well written they can connect to us far more deeply than any novel. There were some moments where I just closed the book and kept on thinking about the characters and their deeds. If observed closely, the main pillar of the book is human needs and emotions and decisions. That is why I think the title of the book is totally justified.
If you want my verdict for this book, I will definitely give a thumbs up.
November 7, 2021
Written in an engaging style, and in a simple language, these short stories are life snippets of fictionalized people in different scenarios of life. The author has explored the secret inner lives of her characters as they grapple with love, loss, grief and mental health.
.
We all are two different people and this fact couldn't have been better portrayed. These stories tug at your heart with their simplicity and spark. They talk about these little secret nuances of one's character with a cleverness that is rare.
.
These stories stay with you, because at some level you will relate with the characters, and you will be left feeling them your own long after you're done reading the book. These are no outstanding tales or extraordinary out of the box, but still manage to probe you, and help you get to know yourself a little better.
.
We all are two different people and this fact couldn't have been better portrayed. These stories tug at your heart with their simplicity and spark. They talk about these little secret nuances of one's character with a cleverness that is rare.
.
These stories stay with you, because at some level you will relate with the characters, and you will be left feeling them your own long after you're done reading the book. These are no outstanding tales or extraordinary out of the box, but still manage to probe you, and help you get to know yourself a little better.
October 25, 2021
For a long time, I had been desperate to read a collection of stories and Nikita Singh released her first collection of stories. I was pretty intrigued by the book title.
‘What do you see when you look in the mirror?’ is a collection of 15 short stories themed around embracing one’s inner self. Each story has something deeply indulging to connect with its readers that invokes a whirlpool of thoughts and emotions .
I’m glad Singh explored this style of writing short stories with fictional personalities but human emotions.
I took these stories and embraced them in different time frames and I must say, it was a beautiful experience.
With the stories, each of them are set in a different time span. The stories justify the timeline it is written and draw our imagination accordingly. Some stories really have a strong voice that is deeper with the inner turmoils of the characters. It was vaguely complicated to actually dig into human nature. This book has a power of its own kind to sweep through this complication impressively.
To be honest, while some stories were unstoppable and triggered my mind as a positive impact, some, unfortunately, couldn't create the same turmoil.
I have read Singh’s works. Though few in number, but highly memorable and cherished with the weight of language and convenience. ‘What do you see when you look in the mirror?’ has a crisp writing style, like its the author’s forte. The last story is an amalgamation of all the other 13 stories but like maybe, many other readers, ‘Guru’ and some others remain to be my favorite, highly resonating and bittersweet. Not just this story is a different attempt at writing style but the emotions are raw, relatable for someone who had faced it somewhere slightly but couldn’t acknowledge it of sorts. The above mentioned story title, indeed made me just grab a pen and showcase gratitude to my Guru.
Its a beautiful and insightful read and if you’re looking for such reads through different perspectives, you must follow up through this book.
‘What do you see when you look in the mirror?’ is a collection of 15 short stories themed around embracing one’s inner self. Each story has something deeply indulging to connect with its readers that invokes a whirlpool of thoughts and emotions .
I’m glad Singh explored this style of writing short stories with fictional personalities but human emotions.
I took these stories and embraced them in different time frames and I must say, it was a beautiful experience.
With the stories, each of them are set in a different time span. The stories justify the timeline it is written and draw our imagination accordingly. Some stories really have a strong voice that is deeper with the inner turmoils of the characters. It was vaguely complicated to actually dig into human nature. This book has a power of its own kind to sweep through this complication impressively.
To be honest, while some stories were unstoppable and triggered my mind as a positive impact, some, unfortunately, couldn't create the same turmoil.
I have read Singh’s works. Though few in number, but highly memorable and cherished with the weight of language and convenience. ‘What do you see when you look in the mirror?’ has a crisp writing style, like its the author’s forte. The last story is an amalgamation of all the other 13 stories but like maybe, many other readers, ‘Guru’ and some others remain to be my favorite, highly resonating and bittersweet. Not just this story is a different attempt at writing style but the emotions are raw, relatable for someone who had faced it somewhere slightly but couldn’t acknowledge it of sorts. The above mentioned story title, indeed made me just grab a pen and showcase gratitude to my Guru.
Its a beautiful and insightful read and if you’re looking for such reads through different perspectives, you must follow up through this book.
November 14, 2021
4.5
Short stories really haven't ever enticed me, but my God wasn't this worth the read. Nikita Singh has a way with words. and this book a compilation of 15 stories contemplate the thoughts and feelings that anyone and everyone went through during the quarantine phase of 2020. The seemingly intricate thoughts, the confusion and mess, the havoc that runs in our minds, just a wonderful piece of what art should really look like.
Also, if you've read Nikita Singh's works starting from Love @ Facebook up until The Reason Is You, there is significant jump of growth that What Do You See When You Look In The Mirror? takes, that you can see coming over the years.
Short stories really haven't ever enticed me, but my God wasn't this worth the read. Nikita Singh has a way with words. and this book a compilation of 15 stories contemplate the thoughts and feelings that anyone and everyone went through during the quarantine phase of 2020. The seemingly intricate thoughts, the confusion and mess, the havoc that runs in our minds, just a wonderful piece of what art should really look like.
Also, if you've read Nikita Singh's works starting from Love @ Facebook up until The Reason Is You, there is significant jump of growth that What Do You See When You Look In The Mirror? takes, that you can see coming over the years.
September 22, 2021
“What do you see when you look in the mirror?” is a collection of 15 short stories centered around the main subject of confronting one’s inner self, embracing it, and if necessary, confronting it. Each story has a different context however the central theme concerning each of these stories remains the same.
For me, the stories invoked mixed emotions. Some of these stories gripped me emotionally because of the depth of emotions they held while some of the stories left me mulling over their interpretation. A story that held my interest the most was “Talking to Strangers”. This story taught me a significant lesson about relationships and communication. Another story that I liked was “Guru”. The heartfelt letter warmed my heart.
This was my first book by the author and I can say that I am impressed by the writing style. There is a simple and crisp style to the narration that I observed and enjoyed in some of the stories which caught my attention. Also, even though the title is a bit long, but it aptly holds the essence of the stories within and the minimalistic cover design is just beautiful.
Overall, this was a good, insightful read for me and I will like to more works by the author in the future.
For me, the stories invoked mixed emotions. Some of these stories gripped me emotionally because of the depth of emotions they held while some of the stories left me mulling over their interpretation. A story that held my interest the most was “Talking to Strangers”. This story taught me a significant lesson about relationships and communication. Another story that I liked was “Guru”. The heartfelt letter warmed my heart.
This was my first book by the author and I can say that I am impressed by the writing style. There is a simple and crisp style to the narration that I observed and enjoyed in some of the stories which caught my attention. Also, even though the title is a bit long, but it aptly holds the essence of the stories within and the minimalistic cover design is just beautiful.
Overall, this was a good, insightful read for me and I will like to more works by the author in the future.
September 1, 2021
Incredible collection of stories
It is a collection of 15 short stories about people with wildly different perspectives and circumstances, who lead inner lives that would astonish those who presume to know them. The characters are tightly woven and convey the message very sharply.
Each story with themes on love, loss, grief, family, mental health and society aims to go beyond just words, as it reveals the emotions that all can relate to. Together Forever, The Watering Can, Mamabear and Good for Nothing are the stories that I loved the most.
Most of the incidents will make you feel that it has happened in your life as well and see yourself in some of them. The stories range from fun, meaningful, heartwarming, to bizarre that will remain close to your heart.
How much of the person in the mirror is truly you?
It is a collection of 15 short stories about people with wildly different perspectives and circumstances, who lead inner lives that would astonish those who presume to know them. The characters are tightly woven and convey the message very sharply.
Each story with themes on love, loss, grief, family, mental health and society aims to go beyond just words, as it reveals the emotions that all can relate to. Together Forever, The Watering Can, Mamabear and Good for Nothing are the stories that I loved the most.
Most of the incidents will make you feel that it has happened in your life as well and see yourself in some of them. The stories range from fun, meaningful, heartwarming, to bizarre that will remain close to your heart.
How much of the person in the mirror is truly you?
March 8, 2023
What do you see when you look in the mirror? By @singh_nikita
How is it to stand infront of mirror looking at your own good self and embracing the truthfulness? Well, that might be task to acknowledge the peace, guilt, love, storms or challenges within.
This book serves the blend of 15 short stories which sneak peak into the life of different people at different emotional and mental states. The stories are relatable, gripping and even common under today's circumstances. There is unique combination of plots and satisfactory endings.
Although just one story 'Talking to Strangers' gave me solid Fredrick Backman vibes. Storywise, that was the only five star read.
If you're looking for short stories, fiction and light reads this can be your answer.
3.5🌙
~🌻
How is it to stand infront of mirror looking at your own good self and embracing the truthfulness? Well, that might be task to acknowledge the peace, guilt, love, storms or challenges within.
This book serves the blend of 15 short stories which sneak peak into the life of different people at different emotional and mental states. The stories are relatable, gripping and even common under today's circumstances. There is unique combination of plots and satisfactory endings.
Although just one story 'Talking to Strangers' gave me solid Fredrick Backman vibes. Storywise, that was the only five star read.
If you're looking for short stories, fiction and light reads this can be your answer.
3.5🌙
~🌻
September 21, 2021
This was my first book from Nikita Singh and I quite enjoyed it. A collection of wonderful and mixed short tales, What do you see when you look in the mirror was very enriching and lovely reading experience. The stories meandered in different genres and themes, but individuality played a huge part. I loved the first story and most of the endings of them, reminded me of the short movies on youtube. A few of these stories were set during the quarantine / lockdown period and hence made it so very real. I liked the writing style which was very easy to grasp and follow. The ending was an absolute banger and I loved it!
November 16, 2021
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗗𝗢 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗥 by 𝑵𝒊𝒌𝒊𝒕𝒂 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒉 is a collection of 15 unique collections of short stories.
I'm so touched by this book I can't even express it in words. Glad to see that the author has explored this side of her writing style. I embraced each of the stories and made a part of mine. While I was reading, I could easily relate and you'll also feel like “oh my God, this is what I feel, this is it, I can relate, she/he is me, I could mirror myself in her and so on”.
I'm so touched by this book I can't even express it in words. Glad to see that the author has explored this side of her writing style. I embraced each of the stories and made a part of mine. While I was reading, I could easily relate and you'll also feel like “oh my God, this is what I feel, this is it, I can relate, she/he is me, I could mirror myself in her and so on”.
April 5, 2022
The title of the book caught my eye and I instantly had expectations from this book.
I have read other books written by Nikita Singh, but this was not up to the mark.
The first short story made the cut, but i slogged through the rest of the stories in the book.
There was something missing this time.
Hoping her next book to be a better one.
I have read other books written by Nikita Singh, but this was not up to the mark.
The first short story made the cut, but i slogged through the rest of the stories in the book.
There was something missing this time.
Hoping her next book to be a better one.
January 20, 2022
Refreshing storytelling. Looking forward to your next collection.
January 5, 2023
Mixed Emotions.
March 19, 2023
Didn't like it much.It is too complicated.
April 28, 2023
Was of the opinion that this was going to be mind blowing and instead had to deal with things I already knew. The writing is also way too plain for me
July 15, 2024
DNF 62%
Feeling a disconnect with the characters. The book is full of people that are ill or crazy, and that is off-putting.
Feeling a disconnect with the characters. The book is full of people that are ill or crazy, and that is off-putting.
September 8, 2024
Wow! I would say it is an underrated book, Very good writing, and the stories are so good. Every single story is unique and beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews