Written In The Stars By Divya Anand

 Love stories have never been my genre but of late the love stories come my way as if by destiny.  When I got hold of Written in the Stars by Divya Anand, I was expecting a couple of head over heels in love. The usual love story formula was expected but that was not so.

A Cliche in a new avatar

The plot takes off in a cliche of the smart girl fighting a breathtakingly handsome boy, to find later, that she would have to work under him. But further, there is no dragged love-hate plot or sudden switch to the attraction between both. This is a fresh change for the readers. 

The protagonists ease out as colleagues and gradually a friendship develops. The relationship is naturally developing and hence engaging.

The entertaining counters

Of late "cool" characters is a rage. The protagonists who exchange counter dialogues have been pulled thin but without substance. This is where Divya Anand stands out with her quirky dialogues especially for the character of Abhimanyu. Some dialogues by the character are sure to tickle the funny bones. The imagery he uses is entertaining. 

The astrology intersection

The author has exploited the astrology angle effectively. The author has taken care not to offend anyone in the process, which is commendable. She is not predisposed to any preference or so speaks her narrative. This in turn is a welcome approach.

The sassy sisters

The relation between the sisters is the most endearing one. There are no melodramatic sequences and no dramatic emotions are flowing all over. Just natural love and unpretentious expressions. A sister telling another 'you better be dead and lying in a ditch' could be rendered as an offensive dialogue. But the author deftly established that the dialogue entails nothing but warm love and concern along with a warning to the 'always late and quitting family function' attitude of her sister. This is equally endearing and refreshing. 

Another character is Kavya. I would be permanently borrowing the dialogue "But I have the. right to tell you I told you so!" in the future. 

The competitions

The author has established the intellect of the characters by telling but deftly including the sequence where they are regularly participating in the GK quiz. The scenario breaks the pattern of office romance or infatuation.

End with a cliche 

The climax is a tad disappointing. A cliche to bring trouble in Paradise could have been avoided. The scenario makes the book predictable and brings it back to the cliche. 

Impeccably quirky narration 

Notwithstanding the cliched seeping in through the book, it is indeed an entertaining light read. The author's choice of words is surprising and entertaining. She deftly brings humor into the repartee between sisters, friends, and even enemies.

Overall the book is an entertaining read for core romance lovers who are looking forward to books without sleazy love-making sequences and Bollywood-style puppy love.

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