Book Review : 'Split' by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan

‘Split’ by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan kind of reminded me of my days in school, it did have a nostalgic feel to the whole thing, after all. The book starts off with Noor Khan Rai, a pretty young girl, all of 16.

Noor, who is angry with her mother because she left. And I don’t mean just left, I meant left for good, after a divorce. But she does try keeping in touch with Noor, but it is not exactly welcomed. Now, now before we go ooh, ouch and all the other things maybe I should begin the review. 

So, poor ol’ Noor, who does not want to tell everyone this split story, is off to her college. Here, we are introduced to her four other friends, we also have a little bit about them, but that’s for you guys to see and judge or not. They have classes, parties, cafes and everyone else has boyfriends. But Noor does not have one.

Meanwhile, Noor has to readjust at home, as she has to welcome her grandmother. Her father’s mother has plans to live with the father and his daughter. Noor who is the child of a Hindu father and a Muslim mother thought she would have tough time, getting through their divorce, but she little did she know, she would have an even tougher time, handling her grandmother who was against the match in the first place.

Meanwhile, Noor is literally forced to go to a club, called Teens of Divorce. So, it is at the first meeting of TOD that she meets up with Ishan. Ishan, who too is suffering from the aftermath of his parents’ divorce, and an array of other kids who seem to be in the same boat as her and  now, a part of this group. Ishan offers to drop her home, and she agrees, a little reluctantly. He even takes her number, to keep in touch.

Okay, now that's the background. In between, all the club meetings, her times with her friends, her dates and also her parents, the story begins to take shape. It is a pleasant story, with the pitfalls of being a teenager. Her friends and the fights they get into, her newly made boyfriend, her own struggle with herself, and even her father in the middle, are all a part of this tale. 

Okay, I liked it, probably because of its simplicity, its nostalgic touch and even the idiosyncratic meetings with the grandmother, and the friends. Probably a little memorable and at times a little unpleasant. But, it is up to you, my readers to pick this book up, to occupy your weekend with.

You can Buy the Book, right here.