Review: The Dumb & The Dumbfounded by Prerna Varma & Abhinav Shrivastava

Friendship just like any other relationship has to be handled with care and can be only maintained if both the parties are interested. Till the time selfish motives are out of it, it blooms or it turns towards doom. Author Prerna Varma & Abhinav Shrivastava in their novel "The Dumb & The Dumbfounded" have tried their hands on showcasing the essence of friendship. So is the book strong enough to portray such a relation? Let's find out. 

For few, college is the temple of learning, for some it is their ticket to romance, for others it is a place to make new friends, creating countless memories!What does 'college' mean to you?Does it remind you of your 'best friend?'The friend who has been there, shared your dreams, acted as an advisor and an agony aunt!But what if this same 'friend' betrays you, tries to sabotage your career and threatens to reveal every single detail of your life?Would you sit in a corner and sob? Or would to stand up and retaliate?'The Dumb and the Dumbfounded' is a tale of two friends- Aarav and Dhruv, who embark on a thrilling ride of life.But soon the thin line between thrill and fright starts to dissipate.Aarav begins to lead a 'dual life.'Dhruv gives a new meaning to IIT.And one of them discovers other's plans.Would they forgive and forget? Or would they seek vengeance? But first, they have to make the ends meet, without actually making them meet!This is a journey where there's nothing right or wrong.

First look at the title and the reader will be attracted to it as it's one of those modern day titles where titles tend to gain the attention of the readers. The cover image is dull when you look at the title. Perhaps a better cover image would have done justice to the book. The blurb talks about the journey of two friends where it takes all to maintain it. The blurb might not be the best representation of the title but it represents the story well. 

The story revolves around two friends Aarav & Dhruv and their exciting journey of friendship where everything is put to test. It's a story of their relationships, the trust, the lies, jealousy and the bond which will ultimately either overcome all the obstacles or succumb to the human emotions. Their lives though tread on two different paths but they are bounded by fate to help each other out in trying circumstances. So will they be able to hold it till the end? That's what the story is all about. 

Though the story is based on a very common theme of friendship between two people but still it has a lot of freshness in it when the reader goes on reading it. Their personal problems and rivalry take center stage in the story and sets the tone for a thrilling experience for the readers. The witty narration and some twists to the plot keeps it thrilling till the end. The goof ups and lies and unexpected situations make it an interesting proposition. 

The downside of the book is the diary portion which could have been handled in a better manner. There are a lot of chapters marked as diary entry which shouldn't have happened. A few spacing mistakes in the book could have been avoided too. 

The book with a modern day attractive title and friendship theme is not a regular college type story. It has a lot of emotions which can be associated with the real life and surprise and baffle the readers from time to time. It's a story to learn a thing or two about friendship. 

RATINGS: 

4 OUT OF 5.