It was one more of those impulsive picks, about the time when I was tired with intense accounts of Tibet, its trials and tribulations and a David Baldacci book that let me down.
The book is fast-paced maintaining a smooth continuity, of thought as well narration. It keeps you hooked till the last page. There is a good mix of breadth and depth, keeping you interested right through the 200+ pages.
A must read if you enjoy fiction for what it is, and not for what it is not!
The book traces the adventures of Rishi Rai, a dot com whiz kid, once celebrated but who also quickly fell out of favour when the computer games that he created failed to take off. We are introduced to Rishi at a time when he is at his lowest, his company is winding up, he is coming to terms with a failed relationship and all-in-all he is burnt-out. And then he meets Alex, a hippy, with a devil-may-care attitude, who believes in living for the moment. And what follows is a roller-coaster ride.
Alex and Rishi trek to the Himalayas in search of the Malana cream, the finest hashish, almost get killed, but live to tell the story. Following their impulses, they then set up base in a little beach town on the coast of Karnataka. As Rishi's business takes off, he falls head-over-heels in love with a mysterious gamer, loses her, visits the Kumbh Mela where he starts a million dollar business, finds love again and realizes that it comes at a price.
The climax, on the sets of a reality show, through predictable, provides some nail biting moments. And of course, all's well that ends well :)
The book is fast-paced maintaining a smooth continuity, of thought as well narration. It keeps you hooked till the last page. There is a good mix of breadth and depth, keeping you interested right through the 200+ pages.
A must read if you enjoy fiction for what it is, and not for what it is not!
