Thursday, August 1, 2013

Review: The Redeemers by Suresh Taneja

It's a society which everybody dreams of. It's a future where each and every person wants to enjoy all the riches of the life with minimum hassles. It's a long fight to achieve the dream of a developed nation. But somebody needs to take the first step. Author Suresh Taneja in his debut novel "The Redeemers" talks about the future of India. So whether the future portrayed and painted by the author is a good enough picture or is it a hazy one? Let's find out. 

One bizarre vacation marked a turning point in the lives of four teenage friends. It dawned upon them that corruption and malpractices had become rampant and deeply ingrained in our culture. They felt anguished and shocked at the shameful state of affairs. They pledged to redeem and change the destiny of the country. They had only two weeks of vacation left to take some big initiatives. The pressure on them was immense. Status quo or failure was not an option for them. Read the inspirational story of a unique movement masterminded by youngsters through innovative ideas and creative thinking. Not a single family could escape from its unrelenting onslaught. It was a rewarding outcome for their persistence and hard work, as they nostalgically recall in 2030.


The cover page shows four people celebrating some kind of success. They are rejoicing over something big. The title gives more of a sci-fi feel to it. The blurb talks about the futuristic India. It's about India in 2030. It's not a college love story rather it's an inspirational story as mentioned by the author in the blurb. It's a good blurb but it won't feel connected with the title. 

The story is set in future i.e 2030 where India has transformed into a superpower and is rendering help to U.S as four people recall old times which led to these changes. It's about a gang called G4 which comprises of Yuvika, Akshay, Vikram & Manisha. They have survived the odds to tell the tale to their kids about how India went by all these changes and became a superior nation in comparison to others. It's all discussed on a vacation to U.S. 

The story is the brainchild of careful observations, meticulous working on facts and figures, observing the patterns of people in India and most of all it's about corruption, the corrupt, the scams, administration and it's loopholes. It's been narrated through the eyes of 4 determined children who set out to change the world with a movement which has power, the will and the sacrifice required in order to awaken the youth to take the mantle in their hands and root out the evils which have made the strong foundations of our country weak. It's a story of redemption, pride, honor and respect. It's full of ideas which can very much lay the foundations of a strong nation. The future has been carved out brilliantly by the author. The ideas and the movements have been connected well enough to rattle the brains of the readers. Conversations and one on one interviews with politicians and media are an asset in the book. Characters have been carved out well with respect to the sensitivity of the subject. Media's role has been highlighted well too. 

This book might not suit the taste of the readers because of it's unconventional theme. It's the first  step towards creating awareness among people about their misleading surroundings. Some readers might find the terms G4 & G6 annoying too.   Kolkatta is not the correct spelling. It's Kolkata. 

It's a brilliant attempt by the author towards highlighting the problems of the nation. We can't deny the facts and accusations. He has made us feel we all are part of this system and we all need to work together in order to sustain the democracy we achieved after a long struggle. It's the future whose glimpses can be seen in the book. There's a change coming and it starts from this book: a brilliant mixture of fiction and reality. The message is loud and clear. If you want to be the change get ready to walk on a path of struggle, obstacles and surely one day success will dance on your fingertips.

RATINGS: 

4 OUT OF 5. 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Meghant for the review. I am honoured to be reviewed on your blog.
    Best Wishes,

    Suresh Taneja

    ReplyDelete