I really tried to like this book but couldn't. I picked it up after the book was compared to Anuja Chauhan's writing but sadly it isn't a fair comparison.
The premise is so interesting but the author does very little with the source material - I found the book insipid and boring. While Arzu's privilege is a fact of her life, there's far too much which is devoted to Arzu's glamorous life - the finishing school, eating and dining.... I would have liked to see more of her journalistic instincts rather than simply relying on the library, like chasing sources, maybe even tailing Siddhant on a story discreetly, digging up her father's own work and discovering her voice, speaking to an IBM engineer in person... Arzu doing more things on her own rather than things working for her...
I found it puzzling why the author set the book in 1991 when the book is just full of trite descriptions of New York, and does not pay homage to the era. Plus I found it hard to believe that Arzu would be searching on internet in 1991 (world wide web was made open to the public domain in 1993). Where are the floppy disks, struggling with early operating systems etc?
I would have liked to see more of Arzu's intelligence (rather than bits of Adam Smith's essay verbatim), a bit more about her late mother's activism...
It is a one time read at best... Hoping for stronger books from the author.
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A Refreshing, coming-of-age story that is a wonderful read!
Reviewed in India on 16 February 2021
The story is quite interesting as it traces Arzu’s journey as she finds her identity through the course of one year. I loved the fact how Riva has equated the growth in the Indian economy in 1991 with that of the protagonist, and the milestones coincide more than once. Another thing that is interesting about story is the manner in which it told, and how Arzu was shown to be living in a cocoon and how she emerges as a butterfly, which also jumps out from the cover once you finish the book. The language of the book is easy to comprehend, and paints a wonderful picture of the events as they occur. The climax of the story was quite interesting, and while one aspect of it was expected, the other was not, and I think this was the best thing about the entire story.Overall, Arzu is a refreshing coming-of-age story that takes an interesting idea and explores an aspect of the namesake that will not just entertain the reader, but might just inspire them to take a step towards their dream, and grab them.
Reviewed in India on 16 February 2021
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Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 3 March 2021
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Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 16 February 2021
Overall, Arzu is a refreshing coming-of-age story that takes an interesting idea and explores an aspect of the namesake that will not just entertain the reader, but might just inspire them to take a step towards their dream, and grab them.
A Refreshing, coming-of-age story that is a wonderful read!
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 16 February 2021
The story is quite interesting as it traces Arzu’s journey as she finds her identity through the course of one year. I loved the fact how Riva has equated the growth in the Indian economy in 1991 with that of the protagonist, and the milestones coincide more than once. Another thing that is interesting about story is the manner in which it told, and how Arzu was shown to be living in a cocoon and how she emerges as a butterfly, which also jumps out from the cover once you finish the book. The language of the book is easy to comprehend, and paints a wonderful picture of the events as they occur. The climax of the story was quite interesting, and while one aspect of it was expected, the other was not, and I think this was the best thing about the entire story.Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 16 February 2021
Overall, Arzu is a refreshing coming-of-age story that takes an interesting idea and explores an aspect of the namesake that will not just entertain the reader, but might just inspire them to take a step towards their dream, and grab them.
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Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 9 March 2021
'ARZU' is a kinetic character-driven romp that alternately tugs at your heartstrings, and then uplifts you at the speed of a Manhattan high-rise elevator. The eponymous heroine of the novel, Arzu Aggarwal, is a youthful 21st-century urban woman -- spunky, caring, headstrong and vulnerable by turns. Her adventures (and misadventures) from Mumbai to Manhattan, Pune to Paris and heartbreak to ultimate fulfilment, pull the reader along for a hold-on-to-your-hat, literary spontaneous combustion of a ride! A remarkable debut novel by first-time -- and soon to be the best selling -- author Riva Razdan. Read and delight in it.
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