Where the Sun Never Sets

by Stuti Changle

If you find someone's diary, would you dare open it?

Well, if you chance upon your old diary, would you dare read through your past?

Iti is forced to move back to her hometown of Mussoorie amid worldwide lockdown to work on her first movie script. Iti's chance encounter with her first love, Nishit, reunion with her estranged best friend, Shelly, and nights spent reading her well-kept diary, make her best memories and worst nightmares come to life. She has always run away from her past, but now has no choice.
Will reading her diary prove to be an adventure worth taking for completing the script? Will life be the same? Ever?

Set in the COVID-19 lockdown, from the national bestselling author of On the Open Road and You Only Live Once, Where the Sun Never Sets is a riveting personal account of unforgettable childhood dreams, turbulent teenage years, complicated close relationships, human resilience, and the never-ending journey of growing up.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

256 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2022

About the author

Stuti Changle is a national bestselling author and speaker whose words have inspired an entire generation of readers to chase their dreams. Leaving behind a corporate career, she set out on a journey to share life-changing stories with the world, one book at a time. Over 200,000 copies of her books have found their way into readers' hands, touching more than a million lives and making her a voice of hope, adventure, and self-discovery.

She is the author of You Only Live Once, On the Open Road, Where the Sun Never Sets, Make a Move Boxset, Lost & Found and Stars Will Guide You Home. Her book You Only Live Once continues to resonate deeply with readers, and has earned a place in The Economic Times’ ‘11 Best Books to Shape Your Thinking as Your Ideal Self’ in 2023, alongside other modern classics.

Stuti has been a sought-after speaker at leading corporate houses and esteemed educational institutions like IIT, IIM, ISM, SRCC and The Shri Ram School, where she inspires young minds to dream fearlessly and embrace life to the fullest.

Her work has garnered widespread recognition in major media outlets, including The Economic Times, Live Mint, India Today, Zee News, Dainik Bhaskar, Deccan Chronicle, New Indian Express, YourStory, Deccan Herald, Harper’s Bazaar, Scroll, Business Standard, Entrepreneur, She The People, Sheroes, and ET Edge, and also featured in prominent book festivals across the country.

Stuti’s hometown is Indore, but now, home for her is New Delhi, where she lives with her husband Kushal Nahata and their daughter Avyana. A traveler and seeker at heart, she values experiences over possessions. Wandering through sunlit streets, bustling cafés, and quiet corners of the world, she finds stories waiting to be told.

When she’s not writing, Stuti’s either immersing herself in nature or losing herself in creativity; reading a book, strumming her ukulele, dancing her heart out, running uphill, cruising down the highway or swimming in the sea. She finds joy in life’s simple pleasures like skygazing, gardening, painting, creating and decorating. She could dance all day long; for her, dance isn’t just movement; it’s pure freedom, a celebration of life itself.

Stuti loves to talk to her readers. Connect with her:

Instagram: @stutichangle
YouTube: @StutiChangle
Facebook: stutichangle1
Linkedin: @stutichangle
Threads: @stutichangle
X (Twitter): stutichangle

For updates about meetups, book signings, storytelling workshops, speaking engagements and exclusive content, subscribe to her website or simply DM on Instagram.

Join Stuti’s newly launched IG channel “SC Family” to catch up with fellow readers!

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is good and the book started out really strong. I was thinking it would become one of my favs. But yes, the desperate attempts to make the book longer, trying to make the characters more convincing things somehow seem to lose track.

More like a middle grade book with a young adult kind of story with immature adult characters.

Not the book for me.

[Dalia (book_o_creativity) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some books or stories when you read you feel the story is about you, you want to scream and tell everyone this is how I'm feeling right now or this book gets me. 'Where The Sun Never Sets' is one such book that resonates with me, which is though a short read but it will linger in my mind for quite some time. This book is about finding hope in the most darkest days of our life. As Covid 19 took over the world, Iti is forced to move back to her sleepy hilly hometown of Mussoorie. Now she has all the time to herself to work on her movie script but when she thought she has it all figured out, she is stuck in a writer's block. One thought after another and reminiscing about past led her to her old forgotten diaries. Will she dare read them and inflict more pain or is this the closure she was looking for, the ultimate healing? It will be quite an arduous and adventurous journey.

Where The Sun Never Sets is a work of fiction in epistolary format, written in bunch of diary entries. The book starts and follows a very calming and slow pace writing style but time flies and you see you've completed the book in no time. This book takes us through a journey of mental health and healing from past traumas, which I felt is done in a very subtle way to not trigger the person reading. As Iti takes us through her memory lane, the road to past pains is almost similar for all of us and the writing does not aggravate the wound rather it tries to soothe and promotes healing. It's a relatable situation describing turbulent teenage years, bubbling emotions, complicated relationships, fear of unknown and human resilience in first person narrative. But be aware of yourself judging the characters because they are dynamic and there're so many facets in their character to learn. I found Iti an interesting sketch of human psyche, totally unpredictable and full of mystery, she is herself a master storyteller who weaves reality and fiction together.

A wonderfully penned story but the thoughts sometimes felt scattered, and the entangled plots sometimes makes it difficult to follow the timeline of the past and present. Yet this book is special to me and will hold a special place in my heart.

[Shivani Brams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diaries are always beautiful because they always take us back in time, to that memory, between those people, who may or may not be with us now.

This is a diary of stuti which she has written during the pandemic.

I love reading my diaries & I love to read the thoughts of others.

Somehow I find this book relatable to my life, those mental struggles, fear of losing our loved ones & tussles between you & your family regarding your career & dream.

Our decisions decide our future, somehow while reading this book you will feel a sense of comfort & hope

Loved it!!
Read it for sure.

[AANVI WRITES · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first read from this author and I'm glad it was an enjoyable read for me. Set in the beautiful town of Mussoorie, the story revolves around our protagonist Iti an advertising professional. She goes to her hometown during pandemic on the insistence of her boss kajol. Back to her place, she finds some old diaries, reading which she revisits her past. Memories of Nishit, her first love, Shelly her friend and above all her parents who were no more resurfaces. With the emotional turmoil, that Iti is in , will the script be completed ? Grab the book to know more.....

The Covid lockdown was the most difficult phase of our lives. It turned our entire world Topsy Turvy in no time. The difficulties faced by the common man in the lockdown has been discussed along with the scenic beauty of Mussoorie which has been captured well. The switching between the past and the present in the form of diary entries gives a clear picture of Iti's life. The climax is unpredictable and has been planned perfectly.

The concept is good, with a captivating narration in a lucid language. The characters are placed well. The cover is attractive and the title is interesting .Overall an engrossing light read.

[Jainand Gurjar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where The Sun Never Sets by Stuti Changle is the story of Iti, who is working in a company and writing taglines for the companies and advertisements, and as the lockdown was just about to begin, she was offered to go to her hometown in the lockdown period and work on a script for a movie. Written in the diary format, the book explores the to and fro of Iti's life from her past relationships from her first love Nishit, her best friend Shelly, to her parents and co-workers!

Written in easy language and fluctuating between various timelines through the course of the diary, the writer has tried to develop the character of Iti, and show the change in her from being down in life to upliftment through various instances which have affected her! The dynamics of people in the company are shown very well with whatever space it has given. The character of Shyamala didi was something with which I feel connected the most because we can see people like her very often in our life and can understand their perspectives.

But I felt that the book has much more capability in delivering the emotional connection, character development, and showing more of the places where the story is set! Set in the beautiful city, of Mussoorie, I feel that the story could have shown the beauty of the place through words a little more. The sudden change in the attitude of Iti was something that I feel could have given a more subtle and soft transition instead of a little abrupt and fast. Also, the relationship dynamic of Iti with her grandfather was something that I thought would be explored in the book, but it didn't which left me feeling a little disheartening!

Overall, if you are someone who is looking forward to reading a book that can give you a happy ending and feel-good vibe, you can try it! I will give it 3/5 stars.

[Lokeshna Bulani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where The Sun Never Sets by Stuti Changle

This is one of those books which has highly disappointed me, which wasn't expected from @penguinindia. There was absolutely *NOTHING* that I liked in this book except the cover (thus two stars). The female protagonist here was so overused that I could easily predict the whole story by just the first diary. Dear author, please bring up something *new*, not anything which a remake of a Hollywood web series. That's why Indian Authors can't be trusted at all.

Let's me tell you about it. There was nothing special in the book - just a set of diary entries of a normie girl with a traumatic past, useless Indian drama and what all boringness ( if that's the right word) it could hold. The story is in the form of diary entries and that makes it worse. The novel could've been improved in every aspect, even the editing part - there were more than ten errors in the book, which for me, as an editor, is not up to the mark. Please do not turn Indian fiction into ruins. Many underrated good Indian fiction novels are not in the limelight because of such novels.

The writing style is so simple thus monotonous - I finished this one in an hour, although it was a 200-page read. The plot is so slow and so many unnecessary details have been added.

The story is super-duper predictable. The plot has been over-written these days, won't recommend to anyone. Not even beginners.

I apologize for being overly harsh today. I'm so sorry, author. So sorry.

Definitely not up to my expectations.

Rating : 🌟🌟

( Just because of the cover)

sorry,
Lokeshna

*THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION*

[Ishan Agrawal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being from mountains has its own perks. Having born and brought up in Rishikesh and studied in a college around Mussorie, I was quite fascinated when I come across this book ,read the blurb and realized it is created around the theme which is set in the backdrop of the beautiful landscape. And I knew from the word go that I had to pick this.

Covid impacted each one of us and Iti ,the protagonist of this novel was no exception. She was asked to write a movie script by her boss and is forced to go back to her hometown Mussorie. Back at home she comes across her old diaries and all the mild imprints on her psyche suddenly resurfaces. She meets Nishit her ex boyfriend and also Shelly ,her best pal after a long time.

The novel is written in diary like format which gives it an edge . The cover is pretty raw and the colour combination has that enchanting vibes. The flow of the story is well maintained too but it has its flaws as well . Like it seems its been stretched to the core. The tale could have been narrated simply in 120 pages and could have had a long lasting impact but somehow it ended up being 250+ pages which dint really augur well for it. Also the beautiful hill station could have been given a more vivid description which is by and large missing. Morever, a development editor could have given it a more relishing touch as a lots of unnecessary details were not really required and they inadvertently crept in.

Nevertheless, certainly a one time read.

[OJ Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the Sun Never Sets is the story of Iti, who returns to her hometown, Mussoorie, after a long time due to COVID-19. She has to write a movie script and stay away from the people of her past. But she hardly has any idea to write nor control the unexpected stumble upon her ex-boyfriend and her forgotten best friend. She starts to read her old diaries to find ideas for her script but ends up with so many emotions and the greatest and worst memories of her past that she had buried for so long. It is a total nightmare or maybe the closer to moving on from where she is stuck.

Some stories play with your mind, and this book exactly does that. The author tricks you, confuses you, holds you in one moment, then surprises you with unexpected twists. The beginning of the book is slow, allowing you to get into the plot, but the end is rushed, much like a movie story. But I was most struck by Iti's growth over the years, a voyage of mental healing, and an exciting twist at the ending. The author wrote beautifully about young rebellious feelings, obstinate adults, and confusing relationships. Until the end, it never seemed like the story was about mental healing nor overburdening me with deep and more complicated thoughts.

This book is not a romance story but has elements of it. It is more about friendships, family, and acceptance of unexpected circumstances. The entire story is about re-discovering and mending herself, which has been lost somewhere in the past. When you read a story that mixes fiction and reality, you want the two to split at the end. The beauty of Mussoorie didn't explain the way I had expected.

An incredible read which has left an imprint on my heart. It holds a special place in my heart and mind. This book is written in the form of diary entries and feels like a quick read to me.

Full Review on OJ Reads

[Fathima Shifa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The opportunity to write a movie script for an OTT platform is Iti's big break who is working for an advertising firm. She chooses to travel to her hometown Mussoorie, during the lockdown. The narrative centres on the discovery of her old journal and the inspiration she derives from them despite her tough old times. She recalls a lot of memories when reading her old journals. The book is written in the format of Iti's journal entries.

I'm still enthralled after reading this fantastic book. The story is simple yet it is something different. I loved the character and her name 'Iti'. The emotions are well portrayed and written in a wonderful way and sometimes relatable too. The language and narration is just perfect for this flawless book. This book was indeed a great pick and I was so gripped while reading it. No doubt for the cover page and title it is aptly chosen.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

''Fiction has the power to move people through the magic one can weave using words. Reality is incomplete without a dash of fiction. A cat has 9 lives, but a writer lives many."

This is my favorite line from the book called WHERE THE SUN NEVER SETS by stuti changle.

Firstly, I felt offbeat as it was written in a leisure manner, but later, it started engaging.
It literally rendered the memories of my lockdown. Stuti made it so good. This book helps you to find hope in the darkest mean times. Especially I had connected to Iti. I had seen her in myself.

[Shruthi Maniraj · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute waste of time and money. The story did start out strong,but was very watered down and dragged to fit the number of pages. Editing could have been done better.

[Doton Dutta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just loves it

[Srija · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story frame has an epistolary touch, which nurtures the plot aggressively.

The story starts with the turn of the protagonist's life "for better or worse? Only time will tell." The inexplicable rush in the story leads to a climax.

The cover page and the title of the book illustrate the story well. This story is all about the story of the protagonist's overwhelming thoughts about his past.

She has told her version of reality on his behalf of herself which grips the story to read in a take.

The author has impeccably narrated the story of the main character with the set of pandemics to bring reconciliation relationships.

The plot is revitalising. The character's accounts are a never-ending journey of the grownups.

[Indra Lekshmi]

If you find someone's diary, would you dare open it?
.
Iti is forced to move back to her hometown of Mussoorie amid worldwide lockdown to work on her first movie script. Iti's chance encounter with her first love, Nishit, reunion with her estranged best friend, Shelly, and nights spent reading her well-kept diary, make her best memories and worst nightmares come to life. She has always run away from her past, but now has no choice.
.
Most people have those cute diaries from our school days and treasured it by keeping it under the pillow or in random pile of books, so no one dare to open it and read through your thoughts and emotions at the time...
.
Our main character Iti reads her old diary and goes through the past memories that she desperately wants to escape, like she did all the time. A wonderfully written story with relationships, past memories, acceptance of your true self in a simple language that makes it enjoyable.

[Sanchari Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There is no absolute truth. We all live in our version of reality. We all want to tell our side of the story."

And no one else can tell our side of the story better than our own diary. But we don't often think of reading our own diary and journey through our past. Iti didn't, either. But trapped in the lockdown with a script to submit, she is compelled to turn the pages to her past from which she has been running away for a long time.

Welcome to the inspirational tale captured in the book "Where the Sun Never Sets" by author Stuti Changle. Forced to move back to her hometown of Mussoorie amid the COVID19 lockdown, Iti relives her best memories and worst nightmares brought about by the long nights spent reading her well-kept diaries.

"Every person has a story, and it is their journey that sets them apart from others."

Showering pearls of wisdom through its pages, the book teaches a lot about life, struggle, hardships, hope and victory. It's truly a story about finding hope that can brighten our day, in the darkest of time. Embedded with powerful words, the story works its magic to incite, inspire and motivate us to become a better person in life.

"Life tests you, challenges you and sometimes changes you as a person."

Lessons from the lockdown phase of our life surfaces through the story that again reminds us everything that the hard time taught us. It makes us relive the scary lockdown moments which are brought back with a touch of some worthy lessons.

"2020 is more like an alarm you can't snooze. You have to wake up."

The serene beauty of nature at Mussoorie peeps in through the narrative and satiates the readers with the comfort and inspiration that only mother nature can provide. Spread within the arms of nature, the readers are bound to forget their surrounding for a while and lose themselves in its divine serenity.

"Hometowns cast this weird spell on you. They make you see eternity in a moment. "

The entire story is narrated in the conventional voice and intimate tone used while writing on our diary. The stream of consciousness technique is used at times to depict how we pen our random thoughts on our personal diary hopping from one thing to another, steering away from the topic and coming back to it again.

Multiple narrative style is employed as the narrative dances between the past and the present since it's random diary entries that we are reading here. The shift in writing from adult journaling to the scribblings on the diary pages of a teenager can be clearly noticed as one jumps from one diary entry to another. And deep into the book, the readers feel as if they are truly reading the deeply personal and intimate thoughts penned within one's beloved diary.

"In life, there are no absolute rights. There are no absolute wrongs. One has to choose right and wrong."

The end brings with it an element of self-reflection that gives rise to bigger questions and hence paves the way for greater possibilities. It also brings a huge twist and a few surprises that will leave the readers agap, pondering over the turn of events for a long time.

"A perfect life is an illusion. A happy ending is just a story. Life is challenging, dark and grim sometimes. But there's light at the end of the tunnel."

Set amid the chaos and confusion of the COVID19 lockdown, the book "Where the Sun Never Sets" written by the bestselling author Stuti Changle is not just a riveting personal account of unforgettable childhood dreams or turbulent teenage years and complicated relationships, but also an inspirational ride through the human resilience and a peep into the never-ending journey of growing up. It's one of those amazing books that stays with the readers long after they have finished reading.

"You need to change yourself from within and happiness will chase you forever."

[noorthebookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make a move‼️
___
Have you ever reread your old diary or peeked in someone's else's ❓
There's a burst of emotions that awaits you, if you have reread your old ones. I tried peeking into my grandfather's diary but alas it was in Urdu, which only my grandpa & grandma could understand. I sometimes wondered if there were any secret messages shared between them.

Anyways, this beautiful "fiction" book is my 1st read from the wonderful author, i discovered & am going to read more from.
Although this looks like a simple story, diary entries & something to do with the pandemic & post lockdown. (I can't believe we all actually went through the pandemic & the world had come to a stand still.) This story is much much more. For me it was an uplifting read, with some amazing & pragmatic life lessons & the to-n-fro jumping of timelines & especially the twist towards the end (like in a psychological thriller) made it a totally awesome read.

I could relate to the character of ITI at so many levels. Her penning her feelings in her diary & then being fearful of someone finding it.. Her wanting her best friend to read few lines from her diary but also not read without permission.. Her being so close to her best friend.. & missing her dad so much. Her struggling at relationships, in her career, trying to find her true calling.. Her creative bent of mind & the need to spend time with herself.. Nostalgia & memories came & hit me with a bang when i went through her diary entries..the perfect era of the 90's. The last chapter, the new normal, was my favourite. And the name change to Verona was hilarious, i tried with my dog too! I called him Neo, peo, keo n he was staring badly at me. 🙈

📍Here are my fav. life lessons;
- time changes & so do we
- read
- journal/ have a personal diary where you dump your feelings/ thoughts
- you little bro will always have the sweetest memories with you
- you are not guilty about someone else progressing, you are guilty about not moving enough. Set individual goals and achieve them. When you look up to someone, don't feel jealous. Look up to them & feel inspired
- teenage crushes are not the end of life, infact nothing is
- we all need validation & appreciation. Wisely build a circle of true friends around you.
- everyone relates to stories
- our househelp is also family
- self acceptance is so crucial
- it's better to take professional help always
- you cannot always plan your future
- forgive, apologize, make amends & move on.
___
WHERE THE SUN NEVER SETS
by
@stutichangle
a riveting personal account of unforgettable childhood dreams, turbulent teenage years, complicated relationships, human resilience, & the never-ending journey of growing up.

Simple language, easy narrative, changing timelines & a happy ever after.

[Kiranmayi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review on my blog:
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2022/09/bo...

Iti moved back to her family house in Mussoorie days before the lockdown was imposed in Mar 2020 following the Covid-19 induced global pandemic. She only has the caretaker Shyamala aunty for company as she lost her family few years ago, her only surviving family member no longer stayed connected, so did her two best friends Shelly and Nishit.

Before leaving, Iti has been given a new assignment by her boss, to write a movie script as ad jingles may see a low phase during the lockdown period. Once back home, Iti must fight the guilt of old mistakes, haunting family memories from her childhood, the uncertainty of a pandemic while working on idea for the movie script. Will Iti be able to overcome these emotional hurdles and find her calling, forms the rest of the story.

I read the earlier books from author Stuti (You Only Live Once?) (On the Open Road) and loved both of them for the coming-of-age stories, fresh characters and underlying message. Where The Sun Never Sets has a similar story of the protagonist Iti set against the backdrop of Mussoorie.

The early days of the pandemic and the uncertainty that accompanied it are well narrated by the author. The entire story reads as the diary entries of Iti, few in the timeline of 2020 while others from her school and college days, hence the story keeps moving back and forth between different time periods of Iti’s life.

Few pages into the story, it was a bit annoying when Iti keeps speaking to the diary as ‘Dear diary’ until I realized that Iti did not have anyone to speak to or share her emotions with for the longest time, which gives a new perspective to the protagonist's emotional turmoil. I also liked the surprises the author dropped, especially in the latter half of the book, and the biggest one being the reveal in the climax.

However, before these twists are revealed, the story does get boring at places - the childhood portions of Iti. The ending albeit the big twists lack depth, especially since few portions feel rushed towards the end. Only Iti’s character gets the maximum footage as the entire story is narrated from her perspective. The significance of the title, cover and blurb are tied together well in the story.

The story has a good message about what is home and who is family. However, if you have read the earlier two books of the author, this one may not live up to the expectations. A story set during the pandemic narrated as diary entries has a lot of potential; I personally felt this potential has not been explored to the hilt. Pick this one to read the coming-of-age story of a young girl.

[San · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iti warned us all that we should read this book at our own risk. And curiosity can kill a cat and I dived into the book yesterday itself. Iti is a working professional, who write a tagline for advertisement. The story was framed in the year 2020. As the surreal lockdown was rolled out, Iti’s boss Kajol asked her to write a script for a movie. Iti was very excited to write about it and with renewed energy, she is visiting her hometown Mussoorie. The old home is stirring her memory of her dead parents which in turn is creating emotional turmoil. She found herself missing her ex-boyfriend and friend Shelly. But as time moves, the bond we use to share changes as well. Change is the only constant phenomenon. After much struggle, Iti framed a script line and shared it with her boss, but he seemed not to like it. With a broken heart, Iti is set to write a new script line relating to real-life events, will she be able to deliver her best work?

The book is in form of a diary entry. The author highlighted the tough time we all faced during the lockdown. But this book is shedding more light on our emotional status during the lockdown. The concept is refreshing just like Mussoorie's air. The story covered the journey of self-acceptance through Iti. How a shy and meek girl learned to voice her wishes. How she developed her personality by linking her past mistakes with the present. One can easily connect with Iti’s emotional turmoil. But at times I felt Iti's 2014 diary entry is not much different from 2020’s diary entry. The clear difference in thinking patterns was not visible over time, which I dearly missed. Iti's character traits changed over time but not significantly. However, how the author has highlighted the reality check from time to time is mendable. For most of the book, the author has covered the scenic beauty of Mussoorie. My favourite part of this book is how Nishit came up with the name “Where the sun never set”, the whole idea behind it was truly beautiful. I was seriously interested to know, how it is going to end. I was flabbergasted, how the author looped one story into another will simply blow your mind away. Poonam was right, a time will come when one can't separate reality from imagination. The epilogue meant everything to me. And I loved the book cover. Interested to read the other two books by the author. This book has a special place as it is my first signed copy, I would like to extend my thanks to the author for her gesture.

[Riya Patwardhan]

WHERE THE SUN NEVER SETS
To the desperate times that test human resilience and eventually teach us to cope, in our way.
Northern Norway, a place on the earth where the sun never sets. Where the sun never sets, a book written by an Indian author Stuti Changle, is a book written in the Covid times to fight the depressing and monotonous life. Iti, the protagonist of the book, works in an advertising company selling lies to people all her life. She is given a chance to write a movie script amidst the lockdown declared in the country. “One day she will find her way back home, one day everyone has to find their way back home.” Iti moves back to her home town, Mussoorie, and is made to face her best memories and worst nightmares come to life all at once.
In our universe, change is the only constant. If you try to structure the randomness of life, you’re going against the law of nature. The hardest of time teaches you the simplest of things. Iti, an intelligent writer, is forced to accept her past and structure her future based on the same. But she refuses to do that. She makes choices, choices that enable her to even change her past. How? That’s what the story is all about. Iti makes sure that her present and future is not affected by her past in ways no one can think about.
A perfect life is an illusion, a happy ending is just a story. This book makes you believe these words. Sometimes, its not about the feel-good things but about the reality and how you have to accept it without any choice. Sometimes, God, destiny, universe- whatever you term it- has a story already written for you and no matter whether it’s the best version or not you can’t change it. It can only be accepted and sooner the better.
“That’s the place that unites us, that’s the place that divides us.” It’s one of my favorite lines from this book. Sometimes it is difficult for you to stick to any decision as much as letting go of the same. But you have to choose one. Life isn’t always the same. Sometimes we take decisions which may seem very difficult at the certain point of time but those decisions turn out to be the best ones. The ones that shape you. So never hesitate to dive deep in the sea because deep inside is a beautiful coral world that waits for you. Beauty lies everywhere, sometimes your surroundings don’t change but your perspective does Ones that happens to you, you have achieved your home. Just like Iti does.
Riya S Patwardhan (20th June 2024)

[Shally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iti a young girl who was working in Gurugram before covid-19 hit the country. She lost her parents and belonged to Mussoorie. After the lock down she was forced to go back to her house where she had the memories of a parents and her childhood. There she finds her diary which takes her back to the old days which she reesented heartfully. As it is said the past always hits hard, same to the case with Iti who founded difficult to beer the whole burden of memories.

Shyamala Aunty the Woman who stayed with her and to care of her suggested her to write a movie script based on the real life incidences, since Iti was working on one after leaving her job. In Mussoorie she happens to meet her best friend, Shelly and Nishit, her first love. But meeting the lost ones after a long time does not have the same impact on the human as before. And same was the case with Iti. She had an habit of writing a diary since her young days, so on her returning back to Mussoorie she starts reading the diary once again which did not go well since it bought the good and the bad experiences together back in her life.

The main task of Iti is to write the movie script and the journey becomes worth reading with her past experience coming to life through a diary. It is a ruler coaster ride full of emotions, experience and struggles. Fighting the demons of the past was not an easy task for her and thus this journey becomes worth reading for us readers to learn from the experience of this young girl who is an orphan, has a not so good mental health, but still managed to survive the nationwide pandemic with a lot of courage and strength.

The book ends with a beautiful Epilogue with what smile to my face. The book is easy to read and comprehend since it is written in lucid language. The most important thing is the narration which is inspiring and motivating at the same time. A lot of content is written in the form of a diary entry which makes us feel as if we are sneaking into someone's personal space. The book is based on the themes like mental health, nostalgia, and women empowerment.

I really found it interesting and recommended to all the people who like reading light fictions on happy summer evenings.

[Review with Sohini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't really type out what in general journaling daily would impact your life. I started writing down when I was first admitted to a boarding school. Yes, the 10 whole years. So phones or any other electronic gadgets were just out of question and my school was way too strict. So for the first time when I came back home, suddenly a thought came and I took a normal diary back there.
Now I can say that, I'll always be appreciative of myself for this.

Sometimes when you find a thing that's way too relatable and you tend to get enticed by it. The same was with me when this book came.

The story is about Iti, who works for an advertising agency and is all set to work on her dream job which is to write a movie script. So, it's the COVID-19 lockdown which causes her to move back to her hometown which is in Mussoorie. There she gets acquainted with her best friend, her ex, her sisters and a lot more happen. That's when she finds her Diary to go through which might serve as ideas for her new assigned work, which holds more than just her secrets. She's petrified to face what it contained but it's not that she has alternatives NOW.

What happens next is something you need to look for.
This book is primarily a narration from an old Diary, comprising her previous teenage hood, ex-lover, friends, and family. The author talks about how lockdown has influenced every person in different ways. Amid the chaotic situation how people have also realized to move on and put up with how they are just as Iti does. She is no more a sheepish or sloppy girl like she used to be and has all grown up to be more confident. Language is pretty simple which makes every bookworm enjoy this. Light yet impactful read. Change is the only constant you must have. I liked how the book started with a little disclaimer as I'm sure most of us write in front so that no one dares to touch or read right? She is no different as she knows anything but organised things will be written. The beauty of diaries can never be compared where you don't fear getting judged or scrutinized or so on.

[Aparna Prabhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I have come a long way in life, enough to realize that we don’t run away from places, we run away from people”

Did you know that Corona is also the name of the sun’s envelope during a total solar eclipse and Verona is a place in Italy which was the setting of Shakespeare's play Romeo & Juliet?

Iti is an advertising professional, who has retreated to her family home in the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. She's treated by violent flashbacks of the past on her way back to her colonial-style home in Mussorie. Shyamala aunty her house caretaker is the only familial figure in her life apart from her estranged elder sister, Riti. On the work front, she's been given the task of scripting her movie for an Over The Top (OTT) platform acquired by the agency before the lockdown ends. A chance encounter with Nishit, her ex, at the park brings a flood of memories that makes her sift through her old diary entries.

The story is narrated in an epistolary format that focuses on the raw emotions felt by the main character. It tries to incite hope through a protagonist that stares at reality hard on the face. The entire sequence of events was set in a small town in Mussorie. The writing style is an amalgamation of her insecurities and the wisdom imparted by the author through Iti’s life experiences. The story that was developing within the story serves as a subplot that focuses on the deteriorating mental health of people during the pandemic and voices support towards local businesses. The title ‘Where the Sun never sets’ can symbolise a place of hope, a place where two lovers separated by time will meet. It can also be a place where we can fall back to when all paths in life are severed and that to Iti, was her hometown.

The trepidation of moving to a new town, the trauma of losing your loved ones, the turbulent teenage years, and the uncertainty and hesitation in facing the tumultuous past, will relate to you on a personal level. The language was kept simple, engaging and beginner friendly.

[Murshidha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assalamu Alaikum 😊, 'Time is the most important variable and change is the only constant'- extracts from the book

Book📗: 'Where the sun never sets' by Stuti Changle

Genre 📸: Contemporary Fiction/ Romance
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Overall Ratings 🌟 : 3.8 / 5
Pages📚: 195
Language : Easy, humourous and interactive
Safemark 💫 : 4.2/ 5
(Safemark - It denotes that the safety with the presence of erotic/ over romantic content. 5 denotes the presence such contents and 4.5 denotes the little occurrence of such and likewise)
______________
⛅ Iti, an ad script writer, travels back to her Mussoorie amid the COVID 19 Lockdown. Iti had been assigned a task of writing a movie script. In her home town, fate crosses her with Nishit, her first love and Shelly, a long lost best friend. Shelly runs away from her painful past, but now all of it comes in front of her. Will she find hope during the difficult times?

⛅ Do you dare to open someone's diary that got to you randomly? Will you open your old diary which is full of memories? Yup, the entire story revolves through the diary entries. Each chapter is actually an entry in the diary. Author had beautifully sequenced the presence and the past. Narration is quite intervative and humorous.The plot is moving quite slowly and some unwanted details are the minus.

⛅ Does she complete her movie script, or is it selected? Might be just one part of the climax. I would say that the main motive of the author is to tell us how Iti find hope when she confronts her past and accepts it. Our protogonist Iti, is not a super model, but a normal looking girl with her own flaws and positives, this really interests the readers, as I believe we are almost done with extremely gorgeous heroines in books. If she finds a closure for her relationship life,in the story, it would be more positive vibed. Her relationship with family especially Dad is so warming to read.

'You can make others happy only if you are happy from within' - extracts from the book.

[Srinidhi Thanga Thirupathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

At some point of time, most of us would have written diaries. Would we really read it if we stumble across it after years?

A lot of us would probably have diaries from our formative years in high school. Our entries might be doused with happiness, confusion, sadness, betrayal, denial, anger, and loneliness. Do we really have the strength to relive our life by reading our old diary entries? Do we really have the courage to visit a place that has a lot of trauma threads tied to it?

The book ‘Where the sun never sets’ revolves around the main character Iti, a very ambitious, hard working aspiring writer. Due to covid-19 she is asked by her company to work from home, and write a movie script. Iti has a lot of painful pasts linked to her hometown Mussoorie. However, she comes back because of the lockdown. In pursuit of inspiration to write, she turns the pages of her old diaries from her teenage years.

I really loved the book because of the main character Iti. She is a ‘straight A’ role-model student in school, who dreams to become a writer. She feels she’s not beautiful enough but she’s optimistic that she will be beautiful once she achieves success in life. I think most of the ambitious women who try to make use of their talent and hard work to reach success will love this book too. This book has been quite an inspiration for me. And I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get out of both reading slump and writer’s block. The writing style is simple, yet conveys the necessary message keeping us hooked to the story. I really admired how Iti stood up for herself in this unfair corporate environment and quit her job. Slay, Queen!

I loved this quote “But let me warn you. If you want to please everyone you can’t have a point of view or an opinion!”

Go check out this amazing book to know more about Iti and her life. I am sure you too would love this book. This has been a straight five star read for me. Something I would re-read whenever I feel down or upset.

[Quirky Booklover Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

2020 will be an unforgettable year for everyone. The dread of a global pandemic, prolonged lockdowns, staying at home 24/7, and fear of contracting the virus were everything that kept popping up in our minds all the time. Many lives were lost and many made out through the horrendous infection. That is when we realized that everything can come to an end in no time. Our life is not what we plan but we go as life takes us. Waking up every day, breathing life, food on our plates, a shelter above our heads, and people to love and care for are the real blessings. We were all so caught up in our race with life that we forgot to appreciate all the good and necessary things. Finally, it took a microscopic virus to remind us to slow down and see the good around.
Thousands of individuals traveled back to their hometowns without knowing if they would return to their former homes. Many people were happy to see their family again, however, some did not find it to be a pleasant experience. Reuniting with family brings happiness and calm. But Iti is not anticipating it at all. She feels trapped in a deceptive environment while working as an ad scriptwriter. When given the chance to write a movie script, Iti returns to her house while attempting to deal with her anxiousness and the pressure to succeed. But she doesn't want to think about her past experiences or go through them again. Whether she was able to complete her task and overcome the anxieties of her memories is all about this book “ where the sun never sets”.
The diary entries of Iti are documented in the book. The author's narration is engaging and easy to understand. The episodes from the past and the present alternate, which helps to make the plot apparent. In Iti's story of finding hope, mental trauma and how to overcome it are discussed. There are certain drawbacks, but they are all manageable. This is a book I suggest you read quickly during a reading slump or in between several challenging books.

[Kunal Thakkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Diary,
Today my heart felt heavy with the burden of unsaid words for the first time.

This is what Iti writes in her diary 7 years back in 2015. Was it really the first time, though? If you find your old diary, would you open it and read it and live your past? That's exactly what Iti did in this story.

Iti is working in the advertising industry and during the Covid-19 lockdown she moves back to her hometown in Mussorie to write a movie script (which doesn't seem realistic for this plot) assinged by her boss. While she was on thinking on how the story of the movie would be, she encounters her old diary and picks it up to go through it and relive her past.

This book is in a way a narration of Iti's diary, her transformation from her teenage to now when she's all grown up-living alone-lost her parents-has a breakup story-fought with her best friend-acted kiddish in the past like we all do and what not. Nishit was her first love, their love story was very cute here actually? And hence looked unrealistic. I would have wanted to like this story if not for the weak writing style and messy edit. I loved the plot, though. In the last 50 pages I did find a lot of sentences which were quoteworthy. There were many instances which showed Iti was missing her first love, or where she regrets being rude to Shelly, her bestie, how she had good relation with her parents and all of this was pure. But not how I think it could be and it could have actually been better.

Completing this book when life is being ruthless to me. Completely ruthless. I'm forgetting things. Slowly. Every thing. I'm scared to death to write a sentence in my diary. This story did try her best to brighten up my gloomy days, though. Complimenting the last 50 pages again, really thankful that they actually bought my interest back to this story and overall this one is a light read with a good setup.

[Padmajha [PJ] Me and My Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of us went on an emotional roller-coaster ride during the pandemic and were locked indoors fearing and not knowing what would happen the next day and how the future would look.
Well, this story takes place under these exact circumstances where Iti returns to her hometown just before the lockdown and the events that take place after that. Her house is empty and she desperately wishes her family is around, especially her mom.
The story is written in a Diary format which makes it an interesting read. It is filled with nostalgia, her childhood dreams, aspirations and ambitions,teenage crush, and more importantly family relationships.
The storyline keeps getting exhilarating every time you think of a reason behind why she has been running away from her past! And what does she do when she comes face to face with a past that she has been trying to get away from?
Written in simple language ,the pages take you back and forth between her present and past, the struggles she faced and is facing.And it ties in with another storyline neatly. It might sound like a light read but has some inner meaning and will surely make you believe that you have to let the bygones be bygones and create a new path where you can fulfill all the things you dreamt of accomplishing.

The author has written this book as a means of coping in those difficult times, where writing healed her heal. This book is a beautiful dedication/tribute to all the people who faced the pandemic which we all faced and which we never want to be in.
Last but not the least; I’m totally in love with the stunning colors on the cover and not to mention the title and the meaning behind it.
In all the poignant tale that happens around It, her past and present make a good read where it will lead to you believe that you can find hope even in the darkest of times.

[Debabrata Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

👉𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊:-
📚ⓉⒾⓉⓁⒺ:- Where the sun never sets
🖋️ⒶⓊⓉⒽⓄⓇ:- Stuti Changle
🗞️ⓅⓊⒷⓁⒾⓈⒽⒺⓇ:- Penguin Books
🔤ⓁⒶⓃⒼⓊⒶⒼⒺ:- English
📖ⒻⓄⓇⓂⒶⓉ:- Paperback
👉𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒:-
This is the story of Iti. She is smart creative intelligent & digital advertisement script writer.
.
Everything is going well in her life until the Covid 19 entered into her life & the imposement of lockdown forced her to go to her hometown mussoorie. But but she has a bigger work in her hand as her boss instructed her to write down a movie script.
.
In her old house she found her old diary in which she penned down everything about her past & that's is some nostalgic feeling & she started remembering all her old days.
.
Not only that she met with her ex boyfriend Nishit & her best friend Shelly after a long time.
.
To know what happened next grab the book & give it a try.
👉𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 :-
🙂 I must say the cover of the book is one of the beautiful cover I saw in recent times. Totally eye catching & beautifully designed.
🙂Writing style of the book is good with some fresh idea. It's not like the old school storytelling but author adds some extra crunch to your reading experience.
🙂Language used in the book is simple & easy to understand.
🙂 author nicely developed all the characters they all are dedicated roles in the book which they were playing precisely.
🙂 The way author transit in between the past & present time with such a buttery smooth manner that never going to create any sort of confusion while reading it.
🙂 The book is written in a diary style manner that adds an extra crunch to the reading experience.
🙂Book is moderately paced. It's a 250+ page book & author focused on each detailing of the book. You never feel any sort of frame drop while reading it.
𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑:-🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Aditi Bhowmick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is revolving around Iti,i our main protagonist, who is working in a top advertising firm, W&W and there she writes taglines for advertisements. While working at W&W, her boss Kajol gave her s opportunity to write a movie script for an OTT platform. In, 2016, Iti leave her home town Mussoorie but finally she came back to Mussoorie in 2020 during COVID-19 for a peaceful environment to write her movie script. But, she can't decide on the topic of the movie script and she started reading her old journal to get some ideas which she kept in her college days. Her best friend Shelly told her to write in a diary if she felt anxious. While reading this diary she recalls a lot of memories about her past, remembers so many emotions and the best and the worst days of her life, she recalls her first love Nishit and her long-lost best friend Shelly. She always tried to run from her past, but she is facing it and maybe she could find some idea for her movie script.
The book is written in a diary form as if it is someone's old personal journal you are going to open. The book is mainly written on mental healing from past traumas and acceptance of the circumstances easily. On the one hand, the author wrote about teenage feelings, those confusing yet beautiful relationships, and those uncontrolled emotions, which we all had in our life at a certain point, on the other hand, he wrote about adulthood emotions, acceptance, mental healing, and maturity. It is not just a character she is also a girl like us, her story is reflecting our life story. The whole story is all about accepting reality and finding her lost side in memories. The book is really good. I recommend everyone to read this.

[Ruqaiyya Mohammed · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW- I , honestly was fascinated with the title of the book. How come the sun never sets , curiosity kills the cat. Reading this diary , was a good experience. With life lessons that pandemic taught us, different emotions and experiences we all went through in lockdown is all that this diary has. The content was elaborated and language was simple (stretching and felt forever to end). I would suggest the author to look at brighter sight of the day and note down good things of the day rather than recollecting bad experiences. Each dairy entry begins with so called "already concluded mood of the day ". Change is the only constant (as per the author's perspective ) , but change from inner soul is the real one.

SYNOPSIS- The main characters are none other than author and her family and friends as it's a diary writing. Her feelings for classmates, emotional loss and sibling rivalry , parental loss and struggles for establishing a successful career, and last but not the least; her confused relationships are detailed in the diary. The book discusses about adjusting to the new normal and facing financial challenges in an adult's life more often .

LESSONS FROM NOVEL- Pandemic taught us how unpredictable life is and nobody can do anything about it. When life blurs out , the prism of happiness is yet to come sooner.
The diary definitely makes me realise to make memories before the time slips off. Cursing or sulking indeed brings self loss and regrets.

RECOMMENDED- For the generation who haven't witnessed COVID 19 pandemic, this diary can give them a clear picture of what we all went through.