So this is my first review and I wanted it to be a book by an Indian Author.

I recently ordered this book from Amazon and trust me or not , I ended up reading half of the book in a single go. (Well I would have completed it but prior commitments).

For keeping the reviews an easy task , I’ve kept some parameters for ratings.

Title
Cover Page
Plot and Characters
Positive and Negative Attributes

So, without further adieu let’s come to the review.

The Boy Who Loved – Durjoy Dutta

TITLE

There is something about the titles of all the books i’ve read of Durjoy. TheY give you an impression of what you can expect from the story. ‘The boy who loved’ shows love for one’s parents, love for siblings and his choices , love for a girl , love for animals , love for friends , your country your community and yourself. The title is appropriate according to me.

COVER PAGE

Let’s just take a moment and appreciate the one who designed the cover. I am a sucker for doodles and this cover just left me spellbound. The cover itself speaks a lot about the novel. I didn’t notice the details earliar but look closely you’ll notice tall buildings which signifies Raghu’s suicide intentions , a mosque – for Zubeida’s identity. Trust me , if this novel wasn’t by Durjoy Dutta it would have been solely a COVER BUY for me.

The cover has my heart ❤ (Sorry Durjoy Sir :p)

PLOT AND CHARACTERS

The story unfolds in a form of diary entry written by a 16-year-old Delhi based Bengali guy Raghu Ganguly who belongs to an hindu orthodox family. I liked the concept of diary entry , it makes a connection between the main protagonist and the reader. The words are kept simple and you can relate well with the lives of Raghu and Brahmi. Durjoy perfectly captures the tensions and reactions of Hindu parents hearing about a muslim love interest of their son.

I specially liked how well Durjoy has mentioned minute details of the happenings in 1999-2000 , be it the India-Pakistan disputes , Cricket matches between the two nations, Atal Bihari Vajpai , the reference of Humpanch and LCD Tv’s.

The reference of tall buildings indicating suicide at the end of few diary entries was what caught my attention and I liked how they were kept small and yet created a major impact on me. The last letter made me sob real hard. Though the novel ends on an abrupt note, it is justified as there is a next book coming your way. Yes a SEQUEL.

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES

Simple yet strong impact
Every character has a role and no extra people involved
nostalgia binds the readers
perfectly showcases the orthodox hindu society

NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES

A few grammatical errors caught my attention here and there and were a bit disappointing.
I wish the reference of the tall suicidal buildings in the form of “P.S.” were given either after a little space from the dairy entry or in a different format (italics maybe) .