Thursday, October 2, 2014

Book review: The Helpline

"The Helpline " is the debut novel by  Uday Mane .He works as a social media enthusiast.He writes stories as well.He is a voracious reader & has an impressive collection of the classics .

The publisher is Frog Books.The cover of the book is white, with the novel name written in red & black towards the top of the book.Below that is stated the authors name, in black.The cover displays a young chap holding a gun to his forehead.The body of the boy as also half his head covered with words like pain,depression,dreams,goals,et al.The words are all in black over a greyish background.The cover art is by Yogesh Parab.The art is subtle & sets the pace of the novel.

The story is about Samir who is so depressed that he is attemtping suicide .He has tried it & failed.His friend goes on her honeymoon & he gets more suicidal.Then he comes accross a hotline wherein, he can call up & talk his heart out.He dials & is able to talk to Rachael on the hotline.Samir is able to put out his heart to Rachael.Is the call able to help Samir in preventing him from another suicide attempt ? And, what is the secret behind the patient hearing by Rachael ? Who is she ? Is she someone, who is known to Samir ?

The novel is simply told.Yet ,the sadness & grief as also confusion faced by the teens is so aptly put across, that it overwhelms the reader.This book states, why so many teenagers just feel like ending up their lives .Hopefully ,this book should help teenagers, to have a rethink over what the teens think are failures which lead to doomsday.

The book is of 252 pages .It costs Rs 145/-.The paper quality is good .Print is easy on the eyes.It is worth a read ,especially to understand  a teenager a little, if not completely.

The author has done a good job.I liked his humour or rather, the sarcasm .This is towards the end of the book wherein ,a character rants about parents.I am a parent myself & I knew that the character was rightly angry .Parents just want their child to have a decent job.They cannot think ahead.They have a very narrow vision which travels very little."Indian parents have kids because they want to safeguard their senile days.It's like an investment." And yet again ," It's a failed investment,that's what you are."And sample this " They will have kids ,mostly two ,just to ensure that if one is a rotten egg,the other should be ripe.They will have a long term plan right from the moment ,you are only half arrived to this world." This rant made me laugh uncontrollably though I know that I am a parent who behaves similarly.I hope to change for the better after reading this rant.

The book is very emphatic about teens ,& even about the differently abled.I loved the book.Would recommend it to all parents & even teens, to peek a glance  into what the teenage years are all about !


Helpline

by</ span> Uday Mane

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The Blurb</ b>
 Samir is suicidal. Rachael works for a suicide helpline. Fate connects them through a phone call. And so begins Samir’s story of love, longing, errors, regret and a girl who changed his life. As his story reaches its conclusion, Rachael will know the true reason behind his suicidal tendencies. But this suicide helpline is not any ordinary service. There is more to the mysterious and yet so convincing voice of Rachael. As this new mystery begins to unfold, Samir is going to discover three things: 

What is The Helpline? </ span>
Who is Rachael? </ span>
What is Samir’s own identity?  

Every year, several teenagers in India attempt suicide because of failing relationships, dwindling careers, parental pressure or the competitive world. This story is about one such teenager, his early problems and the hurdles to cope with them. This story is about finding hope in the struggle. This story is about fighting for what you believe in and discovering your true identity. This is not a story about falling in love. This is a story of rising from a failed love story.

Buy @

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Meet the Author


Uday Mane was born in Pune and raised in Mumbai. He works as a marketing professional during the day and a storyteller during the night. He is an avid reader, and loves to collect classic books. 

The Helpline is his debut novel that was launched in March 2014 at the hands of Padma Shri Paresh Rawal.




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