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meeranair_54's review
4.0
Amit Sharma's The Woman Who Saw The Future is a feast in its entirety. The plot delves into the lives of the Vaid family after they discover that their daughter, Sapna, has premonitions of impending doom. She gets nightmares about all sorts of disasters leading to people's deaths around the world, whether they are terrorist attacks, accidents, killings etc. As time passes, the intensity and frequency of these visions increase to such an extent that it jeopardizes Sapna's mental well being. In order to appease her frazzled mind, she agrees to do a reality show called Lucky People wherein she puts her powers to good use and saves thousands of people from imminent death. But as we all know, "with great power comes great responsibility", and somewhere along the line, Sapna loses focus on the bigger picture. That marks the deterioration of a once innocent and frightened girl.
I want to give this book all the stars in the world. It blew me away, like winds on a dandelion farm. But it's very disheartening that I can't give it a full rating. So I'll start off with the minor points that I didn't really like. The writing style, although punchy and well articulated, had some repeated usage of word(s) that bothered me. For example, Sapna's mother Kalpana uses the words "you know" way too often! Similarly, with Mehak, she says "Lord" as a way of exclamation too often. And it doesn't really gel with what's happening. So these two occurrences stood out like a sore thumb. Secondly, there are sections in the book where either Sapna or her mother or some other character recounts the various calamitous incidents that Sapna has helped prevent. Those sections weren't seamlessly embedded in the narrative and felt a bit like they were being presented as bullet points. Finally, a couple of instances were a bit hard to believe.
Now, lets get to all the good stuff. And there's a lot! So bear with me as I rave about how fantastic this book is. (This review is going to be a long one.) The plot is very unique, not because of the "premonitions" aspect, but because the author introduces a reality show as a plot point. This very fact allows us to glimpse how thirsty the society is to revere someone, to idolize a person and place them akin to God. And also, how fragile that belief is. The part that takes the crown is how this story unfolds. It is told from the perspective of atleast 9 characters; that's something I've never encountered before. You'd think that it would get overwhelming, but it doesn't. And even in those chapters, what every character divulges is carefully tailored so that bits of the story wonderfully unravel at a time. Moreover, the narration jumps back and forth between the past and the present, which adds more substance to the novel.
There's barely any stereotyping or cliche. From a heartrending contemporary fiction with supernatural elements, this novel hurtles towards becoming a thriller. There's a bit of sexual content and profanities used, nothing too extreme. One of the highlights of this novel, for me, has to be the characterization of Sapna. The arc is so impressive! You can't help but be bewildered as you watch her turn from a stubborn, strong daughter to a scared, unsure girl and then a cold, pompous maniac. Believe me when I say that these aren't just adjectives. These parts of her personality surface at different parts of the book. The ending couldn't have been better. I just really wish that those tiny flaws had been smoothed out and I didn't find anything problematic. Nevertheless, I'm certainly going to recommend this book to everyone. And hope that for the sake of such excellent plot execution, you can ignore the small issues.
What do you get out of it? Tears. Joy. A package of a book that highlights the suffering of a family burdened by loss, reflects Indian society, brings out interesting supernatural elements and is ultimately a really good thriller.
Thank you Writers Melon for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I want to give this book all the stars in the world. It blew me away, like winds on a dandelion farm. But it's very disheartening that I can't give it a full rating. So I'll start off with the minor points that I didn't really like. The writing style, although punchy and well articulated, had some repeated usage of word(s) that bothered me. For example, Sapna's mother Kalpana uses the words "you know" way too often! Similarly, with Mehak, she says "Lord" as a way of exclamation too often. And it doesn't really gel with what's happening. So these two occurrences stood out like a sore thumb. Secondly, there are sections in the book where either Sapna or her mother or some other character recounts the various calamitous incidents that Sapna has helped prevent. Those sections weren't seamlessly embedded in the narrative and felt a bit like they were being presented as bullet points. Finally, a couple of instances were a bit hard to believe.
Now, lets get to all the good stuff. And there's a lot! So bear with me as I rave about how fantastic this book is. (This review is going to be a long one.) The plot is very unique, not because of the "premonitions" aspect, but because the author introduces a reality show as a plot point. This very fact allows us to glimpse how thirsty the society is to revere someone, to idolize a person and place them akin to God. And also, how fragile that belief is. The part that takes the crown is how this story unfolds. It is told from the perspective of atleast 9 characters; that's something I've never encountered before. You'd think that it would get overwhelming, but it doesn't. And even in those chapters, what every character divulges is carefully tailored so that bits of the story wonderfully unravel at a time. Moreover, the narration jumps back and forth between the past and the present, which adds more substance to the novel.
There's barely any stereotyping or cliche. From a heartrending contemporary fiction with supernatural elements, this novel hurtles towards becoming a thriller. There's a bit of sexual content and profanities used, nothing too extreme. One of the highlights of this novel, for me, has to be the characterization of Sapna. The arc is so impressive! You can't help but be bewildered as you watch her turn from a stubborn, strong daughter to a scared, unsure girl and then a cold, pompous maniac. Believe me when I say that these aren't just adjectives. These parts of her personality surface at different parts of the book. The ending couldn't have been better. I just really wish that those tiny flaws had been smoothed out and I didn't find anything problematic. Nevertheless, I'm certainly going to recommend this book to everyone. And hope that for the sake of such excellent plot execution, you can ignore the small issues.
What do you get out of it? Tears. Joy. A package of a book that highlights the suffering of a family burdened by loss, reflects Indian society, brings out interesting supernatural elements and is ultimately a really good thriller.
Thank you Writers Melon for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
singh_reads_kanwar2's review
4.0
Reader when see the book cover thought might it be supernatural novel, and woman who be much more that what we have to find... Then it turns out a story a Tragic heroine, whose fate is that no one can decide....
Key points
▶story line up superb
▶ character formation superb
▶ writing style good
▶ supernatural element great
▶ tragedy come to character because of catharsis and hamartia
▶ Nature of the novel suits to those who have some ability
▶role of administration is good
▶Some of the things looks bit exaggerated.
It's a must read for those who are in love with reading....
The beautiful thing about it is that novel is in a beautiful flow to enjoy every aspect of it....
Some grammatical error are their but that's okay......
Love the novel....
Key points
▶story line up superb
▶ character formation superb
▶ writing style good
▶ supernatural element great
▶ tragedy come to character because of catharsis and hamartia
▶ Nature of the novel suits to those who have some ability
▶role of administration is good
▶Some of the things looks bit exaggerated.
It's a must read for those who are in love with reading....
The beautiful thing about it is that novel is in a beautiful flow to enjoy every aspect of it....
Some grammatical error are their but that's okay......
Love the novel....
jasleeen's review
4.0
The book was a great treat all in all. It was fast paced at some points and was extremely gripping. I can recommend it to all those who needs a story with suspense and mystery in it. It do have a fantasy element in it or you can say supernatural element in it. There are love stories as well so there is something for every kind of reader in it.
You can read the complete review here:
https://thesubtlebraiding.blogspot.in/2018/01/book-review-woman-who-saw-future-by.html
You can read the complete review here:
https://thesubtlebraiding.blogspot.in/2018/01/book-review-woman-who-saw-future-by.html
pavi_fictionalworm's review
4.0
Disclaimer:A Huge Thanks to Writers Melon for providing me with a review copy. My thought, opinions and feelings expressed in this review are, however my own!
It’s rare to find an Indian author who I would have been content with handling the genre of science – fiction, a genre that I have fallen in love with every iota of imagination I have.
Saying that, Mr. Sharma had my attention with the blurb of The Woman Who Saw The Future (which btw is a spoiler-y, if I say so myself!) – but with my attention, he also had my apprehension about how he would handle this plot.
From page 1; the author had me hooked – the story in multiple POVs, a brilliant tactic by the author to make sure that the reader gets a 360b degree look at the plethora of characters and their emotions with revolving around the main character – Sapna Vaid. This way the reader gets the glimpse or rather the whole story behind the girl that she was and the woman she became – and the role that everyone plays in her life.
While I am not going to talk about the plot – I can’t without getting spoiler-y and it honestly is a book that you need to experience yourself. But it was the talent of the author that he made the connection between actual facts and the fictional ones to make the story certainly believable. Although at times, I did believe that the drama was a little bit on the extreme side, it didn’t take away from the pleasure of enjoying the book.
All in all, this is one book by an Indian author that I enigmatically enjoyed every bit!
For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page
anukriti's review
3.0
AS SEEN ON https://wp.me/p8IuG5-cv
Sapna was a regular innocent girl, belonging to a middle class family, attending a good college and had a great guy. Everything changed when she started having terrible nightmares of people dying and planes crashing. But these were not nightmares; these were premonitions!
When she gets a chance to save countless lives, she jumps on it! These premonitions have haunted her and because of that, her mental health had also deteriorated.
The blurb caught my attention because it had those sci-fi and supernatural elements to it and not your typical romance tropes which I really dislike but are a norm with many of the Indian authors. It was such an interesting concept to see the toll that this job took on Sapna and her family and friends and not about the tragedies as centre point.
The book did start out slow, swinging between present and past but it was pretty easy to keep track. After being like 60 % into it, it picked up some momentum. Many people have felt that the blurb could be shortened so there would have been more of an element of surprise and I’m of the same opinion. I also feel that the book was unnecessarily stretched out at some points which made it quite a drag and there was too much information whereas, less information would have been nicer. What I really liked was that every chapter started with a really nice quote.
This was a very character driven book with 9 point of views! It wasn’t overwhelming at all and what I liked the most about this was that every character had their quirks and way of speaking, like someone may repeat something a lot or someone will swear a lot. Yes, some of the characters did get on my nerves because of their way of narrating, especially Kalpana, Sapna’s mother, who had a very bad habit of using the words “you know” after nearly every sentence! It was very infuriating!! I did find some of the characters voice quite bad, language wise, and just couldn’t connect with them or couldn’t care less about them. Also, I did find one or two characters without whom the story would have moved forward.
One thing didn’t work for me but might work for some: the plot felt away from reality (No, I haven’t forgotten that Sapna can see the future). There were many instances of Sapna meeting important people and celebrities which I just didn’t like and found it a bit hilarious!
I loved how the Kalpana (Sapna’s mother) in the family was so strong and Prakash (father of Sapna) to be emotionally fragile. I also liked how it dealt with the powers taking a toll on Sapna’s mental, physical and emotional health and how it wrecked it havocked on her personal life. The responsibility of so much power can make any sane person crack and Sapna was no different. I also really liked the character growth.
The plot sure is interesting but the story could have been better executed. So, if you are looking for a short and light sci fi/supernatural-ish mystery novel, you can pick this up fo sure.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Sapna was a regular innocent girl, belonging to a middle class family, attending a good college and had a great guy. Everything changed when she started having terrible nightmares of people dying and planes crashing. But these were not nightmares; these were premonitions!
When she gets a chance to save countless lives, she jumps on it! These premonitions have haunted her and because of that, her mental health had also deteriorated.
The blurb caught my attention because it had those sci-fi and supernatural elements to it and not your typical romance tropes which I really dislike but are a norm with many of the Indian authors. It was such an interesting concept to see the toll that this job took on Sapna and her family and friends and not about the tragedies as centre point.
The book did start out slow, swinging between present and past but it was pretty easy to keep track. After being like 60 % into it, it picked up some momentum. Many people have felt that the blurb could be shortened so there would have been more of an element of surprise and I’m of the same opinion. I also feel that the book was unnecessarily stretched out at some points which made it quite a drag and there was too much information whereas, less information would have been nicer. What I really liked was that every chapter started with a really nice quote.
This was a very character driven book with 9 point of views! It wasn’t overwhelming at all and what I liked the most about this was that every character had their quirks and way of speaking, like someone may repeat something a lot or someone will swear a lot. Yes, some of the characters did get on my nerves because of their way of narrating, especially Kalpana, Sapna’s mother, who had a very bad habit of using the words “you know” after nearly every sentence! It was very infuriating!! I did find some of the characters voice quite bad, language wise, and just couldn’t connect with them or couldn’t care less about them. Also, I did find one or two characters without whom the story would have moved forward.
One thing didn’t work for me but might work for some: the plot felt away from reality (No, I haven’t forgotten that Sapna can see the future). There were many instances of Sapna meeting important people and celebrities which I just didn’t like and found it a bit hilarious!
I loved how the Kalpana (Sapna’s mother) in the family was so strong and Prakash (father of Sapna) to be emotionally fragile. I also liked how it dealt with the powers taking a toll on Sapna’s mental, physical and emotional health and how it wrecked it havocked on her personal life. The responsibility of so much power can make any sane person crack and Sapna was no different. I also really liked the character growth.
The plot sure is interesting but the story could have been better executed. So, if you are looking for a short and light sci fi/supernatural-ish mystery novel, you can pick this up fo sure.
confuzzledreader's review
5.0
What if you are able to predict future someday? Would you treat this power as a boon or curse? How will your life change?
I don't have words to describe how awesome this book is. It is full of every ingredient of thriller, mystery, romance, comedy and horror which makes the book so interesting. The story revolves around Sapna and her bond with other characters in the story. Sapna, an innocent college going girl discovers her power of seeing the future through her dreams.
The book is divided into two parts 'The Rise' and 'The Fall'. The first part states Sapna's journey from being a normal girl to the most influential Goddess. After the death of her brother, suddenly Sapna starts getting premonitions about death through her dreams. She uses her power to save lives of thousands of people. The second part focuses on the evil side of Sapna. How she misuses her power to take revenge, also in order to save her influential position she turns into a murderer.
I was totally hooked to this book. Even though I had an exam, I preferred finishing the book since it was becoming difficult for me to keep the book down even for one minute :P. The author has beautifully described every detail of the story and its characters. The language used is simple and the story line is captivating.
Its a MUST read for everyone. I highly recommend this book.
My Rating: 5/5
I don't have words to describe how awesome this book is. It is full of every ingredient of thriller, mystery, romance, comedy and horror which makes the book so interesting. The story revolves around Sapna and her bond with other characters in the story. Sapna, an innocent college going girl discovers her power of seeing the future through her dreams.
The book is divided into two parts 'The Rise' and 'The Fall'. The first part states Sapna's journey from being a normal girl to the most influential Goddess. After the death of her brother, suddenly Sapna starts getting premonitions about death through her dreams. She uses her power to save lives of thousands of people. The second part focuses on the evil side of Sapna. How she misuses her power to take revenge, also in order to save her influential position she turns into a murderer.
I was totally hooked to this book. Even though I had an exam, I preferred finishing the book since it was becoming difficult for me to keep the book down even for one minute :P. The author has beautifully described every detail of the story and its characters. The language used is simple and the story line is captivating.
Its a MUST read for everyone. I highly recommend this book.
My Rating: 5/5
indywrites's review
4.0
4.5 stars to the #WomanWhoSawFuture. I was so engrossed in the book from the beginning that is has been the fastest read of the past six months if not more. I did take time to review since I wanted to think it through. I took time to pick this book, I was not sure of the concept and how the author had handled it. I was however very surprised and happy to read this book. What a concept and I loved the way it was explored by the author.
The book has a few pages initially that are a bit slow and become like a teenage angst kind of read but I think the author wanted to really make an impact with the kind of transformation that Sapna goes through. The makeover from when she is unsure and scared to the haughty, mean diva who is ruling over people really is a contrast. Quite effective too, in making the reader realise the power she wields.
The main character is Sapna, a young college girl who comes to this power of seeing the future and saving those affected by it after a traumatic incident in her family. She takes time in embracing her ability. She is unsure, hesitant and a simple girl yet the power or the high that comes with the power is beyond her. The author, Amit ensured that as readers not only we understand the positive but the negative impact of her power as well. We know about her through others and her diary and it was almost like sneaking in and reading her inner thoughts. Her relations, her behaviour and her lifestyle made her from a simple girl to a goddess to a jealous woman and finally just fallible. What a journey!
The characters are all well etched and very realistic. Whether it was the parents or their relationship, it was explored beautifully. It was the sweetest aspect of the story. The parents with their mild nature and the middle-class sensibilities of Kalpana and Prakash made for such calm before the storm. Especially when compared to the mother in law, who I found rather distracted, mean and vague.
Kabir is instrumental in bringing her gift to fruition and making her the celebrity adored by millions. He could have been the man who keeps her safe, keeps her going yet #WomanWhoSawFuture could not save him, herself or safeguard her future. Emotions were their greatest enemy in this book. The author, Amit has explored the subtle layers of emotions skilfully in this book. The face of love, young love, pride, greed, jealousy, and revenge are explored and revealed. The impact of these on the characters, how they change and what all they are capable of doing is what I enjoyed reading the most in this book.
Aditya, the son who is instrumental in sharing her story has his own tale to tell and the author has hinted at it in the last chapters. I wonder what Amit has in store for Aditya and us next.
Sapna and her moods and mind, Kabir with his silver spoon, Aditya with his inquisitiveness and Kalpana with stories to share make for a well-balanced read. Different, surprising and almost real, The Woman Who Saw The Future is a page-turner.
The book has a few pages initially that are a bit slow and become like a teenage angst kind of read but I think the author wanted to really make an impact with the kind of transformation that Sapna goes through. The makeover from when she is unsure and scared to the haughty, mean diva who is ruling over people really is a contrast. Quite effective too, in making the reader realise the power she wields.
The main character is Sapna, a young college girl who comes to this power of seeing the future and saving those affected by it after a traumatic incident in her family. She takes time in embracing her ability. She is unsure, hesitant and a simple girl yet the power or the high that comes with the power is beyond her. The author, Amit ensured that as readers not only we understand the positive but the negative impact of her power as well. We know about her through others and her diary and it was almost like sneaking in and reading her inner thoughts. Her relations, her behaviour and her lifestyle made her from a simple girl to a goddess to a jealous woman and finally just fallible. What a journey!
The characters are all well etched and very realistic. Whether it was the parents or their relationship, it was explored beautifully. It was the sweetest aspect of the story. The parents with their mild nature and the middle-class sensibilities of Kalpana and Prakash made for such calm before the storm. Especially when compared to the mother in law, who I found rather distracted, mean and vague.
Kabir is instrumental in bringing her gift to fruition and making her the celebrity adored by millions. He could have been the man who keeps her safe, keeps her going yet #WomanWhoSawFuture could not save him, herself or safeguard her future. Emotions were their greatest enemy in this book. The author, Amit has explored the subtle layers of emotions skilfully in this book. The face of love, young love, pride, greed, jealousy, and revenge are explored and revealed. The impact of these on the characters, how they change and what all they are capable of doing is what I enjoyed reading the most in this book.
Aditya, the son who is instrumental in sharing her story has his own tale to tell and the author has hinted at it in the last chapters. I wonder what Amit has in store for Aditya and us next.
Sapna and her moods and mind, Kabir with his silver spoon, Aditya with his inquisitiveness and Kalpana with stories to share make for a well-balanced read. Different, surprising and almost real, The Woman Who Saw The Future is a page-turner.
bookishbulletin's review
2.0
The full review of this book can be read here: https://thebookishbulletin.wordpress.com/2018/03/21/the-woman-who-saw-the-future-by-amit-sharma-is-the-story-of-the-central-characters-emotional-and-moral-demise/
Sapna Vaid, a student, wakes up one morning having dreamt of brutal and traumatizing deaths of a few random strangers. Yet, normal life must resume for Sapna and she must carry on with her daily tasks. But when she starts to dream of people’s deaths every single night, she realizes she has been gifted with a strange power. When news of her power spreads, it catapults Sapna into world-wide fame. Suddenly, she is deified and revered by thousands of souls around the world. But what about her personal life? How does her ability to foresee strangers’ deaths affect her on a psychological level? And who is Sapna without her power? Author Amit Sharma explores these questions among others in his book The Woman who saw the Future.
MY THOUGHTS:
Firstly, when I read the blurb of this book (see image above), I figured that there wasn’t really all that much for me to find out on reading the book. The basic plot is more or less evident in the blurb itself. So publishers, please note, I would have much preferred if this book came with a shorter summary. Now, no thanks to the blurb, I knew exactly the sort of book I was getting into. We have read super-hero stories and those of mutants before but Sapna isn’t either of these. She is a soul in various stages of suffering. A wanderer who lost her way a long time ago. I’m not sure what message the author was trying to convey through this book but what stood out for me is this one: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Sapna Vaid, a student, wakes up one morning having dreamt of brutal and traumatizing deaths of a few random strangers. Yet, normal life must resume for Sapna and she must carry on with her daily tasks. But when she starts to dream of people’s deaths every single night, she realizes she has been gifted with a strange power. When news of her power spreads, it catapults Sapna into world-wide fame. Suddenly, she is deified and revered by thousands of souls around the world. But what about her personal life? How does her ability to foresee strangers’ deaths affect her on a psychological level? And who is Sapna without her power? Author Amit Sharma explores these questions among others in his book The Woman who saw the Future.
MY THOUGHTS:
Firstly, when I read the blurb of this book (see image above), I figured that there wasn’t really all that much for me to find out on reading the book. The basic plot is more or less evident in the blurb itself. So publishers, please note, I would have much preferred if this book came with a shorter summary. Now, no thanks to the blurb, I knew exactly the sort of book I was getting into. We have read super-hero stories and those of mutants before but Sapna isn’t either of these. She is a soul in various stages of suffering. A wanderer who lost her way a long time ago. I’m not sure what message the author was trying to convey through this book but what stood out for me is this one: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
fortheloveoffictionalworlds's review
4.0
Disclaimer:A Huge Thanks to Writers Melon for providing me with a review copy. My thought, opinions and feelings expressed in this review are, however my own!
It’s rare to find an Indian author who I would have been content with handling the genre of science – fiction, a genre that I have fallen in love with every iota of imagination I have.
Saying that, Mr. Sharma had my attention with the blurb of The Woman Who Saw The Future (which btw is a spoiler-y, if I say so myself!) – but with my attention, he also had my apprehension about how he would handle this plot.
From page 1; the author had me hooked – the story in multiple POVs, a brilliant tactic by the author to make sure that the reader gets a 360b degree look at the plethora of characters and their emotions with revolving around the main character – Sapna Vaid. This way the reader gets the glimpse or rather the whole story behind the girl that she was and the woman she became – and the role that everyone plays in her life.
While I am not going to talk about the plot – I can’t without getting spoiler-y and it honestly is a book that you need to experience yourself. But it was the talent of the author that he made the connection between actual facts and the fictional ones to make the story certainly believable. Although at times, I did believe that the drama was a little bit on the extreme side, it didn’t take away from the pleasure of enjoying the book.
All in all, this is one book by an Indian author that I enigmatically enjoyed every bit!
For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page
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