Dear readers,
The stars have aligned, and I’ve got my reading mojo back after a month-long break. I’ve finished a couple of books in the last month. I received some wonderful recommendations and purchased several more. After being a Kindle reader for almost three years, I still can’t get over the charm of physical books. Today’s book review is of the first book I read after getting my reading mojo back, “Circle with no Centre” by Deepak Khurana.
The weather in this part of the world is making us all sweat buckets. It’s extremely hot here and keeping ourselves hydrated is our priority nowadays, how is the weather in your part of the world? Let’s dive into the review of the book because I have a lot to say 🙂
Plot:
The lead characters surprisingly have no names in the story and get addressed as He or She throughout the novel. They both are emotionally unavailable for any relationship involvement and fighting their battles on a career front. For me, the character development of both the leads is a highlight of this book.
The story starts with the introduction of the male lead who is trying to break free from the comfort zone of his career choices. Is he perfect? No, yet the author almost successfully tried to create another “bookstagram” hero for women to swoon over. He is understanding, shy, gentle, and respects boundaries. He has two best friends, from catching up like old times to becoming an integral part of his journey ahead, their character development is pretty intriguing too.
The female lead was introduced with a sense of mystery and a lot of baggage from her past. She runs a YouTube channel, and storytelling is her forte. This character is a bit complex, for me. Although, I would give a thumb to the author to make this character relatable to an extent. She too has a friend whom she feels the closest and bears herself open emotionally.
From the blurb: “Each believed they would keep circling alone. But when their paths unexpectedly overlap, they discover a new space, an unplanned center neither saw coming. Within that gentle overlap, old fears soften, and dormant dreams spark to life. Yet real closeness challenges everything they thought they how to protect themselves, how to trust. Can two people, each rotating in a personal orbit of past mistakes and new ambitions, learn to revolve together without losing who they are?”
Review of the characters/story and plot
The author didn’t shy away from the discussion of depression, anxiety, and mental trauma. As I mentioned before, each character was developed as per the demand of the story. References to different movies and dialogues were an interesting take as well.
Being someone who has been a part of the social media industry, the wins and losses of the female character felt close to heart. Reading about the confusion and overthinking mode of a male lead character who is going through a mid-life crisis was like staring at the mirror. The unsaid relationship between the two, the back and forth of their emotional dependency, and then accepting what readers could feel, was a journey indeed.
Here are a few things in the story that didn’t work for me, to start with It was a slow read. The overthinking of the female character went overboard and I felt the story was dragging in the middle. Also, the backstory needed more weight and details for a reader to understand the after-effects of the female lead behavior.
This being the first book of the author, it was a one-time read.
This review is powered by the Blogchatter Book Review Program. You can purchase this book on Amazon.
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