THE STORYTELLER by DR. HAMNA LABEEB (previously published as SANA ROSE)

-

BOOK NAME: The Storyteller

AUTHOR NAME: Dr. Hamna Labeeb (formerly published as Sana Rose)

PUBLISHER: Bigfoot publications

GENRE: Psychological Thriller

Can you think of a book written by a female author that depicts domestic violence, childhood trauma and mental health problems to near perfection while maintaining a beautiful romance in the plot? A book that was loved by 100% of its readers? A book where no abuse was justified, mental trauma and suffering were not glorified and did not hero worship the main lead? 


Yes, it is THE STORYTELLER by DR. HAMNA LABEEB (previously known as SANA ROSE). If you were thinking about any other book, that's precisely why we need more book lovers and bookstagrammers than PR teams.



Like many other young women, Zara has PTSD because of her troubled childhood. But unlike others, we know her story here. Zara thinks she knows her mother, Lara, too well. She has a fluctuating relationship with her mother, who keeps reminding her of those events that could have been long forgotten. When Zara doesn't easily open up to anyone, she finds comfort in sharing her secrets with Zach and her mysterious online friend, the storyteller. But will sharing her secrets with a stranger have consequences? Will she be able to find him and his motives? Will she finally get to know her mother? Pick this book up to know.


PROS: I loved the way the book talked about mental health. It was to the point, neither exaggerated nor understated.

The book is written in multiple POVs with different timelines, including conversations, making it an interesting read.

One of the beautifully written books which is fast-paced and also intriguing.

All the characters felt very relatable (except Lara) and layered.

I loved how the book did not romanticise suffering; instead, it brought out the problems of dealing with them.

One thing that I admired the most about this book was that it did not hero worship someone who showed empathy and love which is a very normal human behaviour. And not all characters were perfect, they were flawed yet human.


CONS: I never found a dull moment in this book.


MY REVIEW: 5/5 (MUST READ!!)


#penbooksandscalpel

I am participating in Blogchatter’s #TBRchallenge

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHAPTER 1 - ALIZA AND AHMED

-
Image
Their eyes met for the second time in the day. Every time this happens, Aliza feels a ticklish sensation in her stomach. It's not that they have not been closer than just eye contact, but the jitters won't leave her alone. Her mother-in-law was busy scooping out the last few morsels of chicken from the bowl with a creaking noise that numbed Aliza's ears. Her father-in-law was lost in thoughts enjoying his chicken malai korma and tempered ghee rice.   ‘Aliza, can you get me some warm water?’ Aliza comes running with a jar of water to fulfil her new wife's duties, and Ahmed finds his moment just when Aliza is filling his tumbler and his parents are busy eating. He pokes her in the hip, which is faintly visible between her saree fold and her blouse. Aliza winces and moves behind quickly. She turns around to ensure no one has witnessed it and promptly returns to work, flashing a smile. Ahmed had to steal moments like these between daily activities because the house was alwa
Read more

CHAPTER 4 - DISTANCE MATTERS

-
Image
'Congratulations on your promotion and transfer. We are looking forward to your full commitment to us. Do get back to this letter at the earliest with your answer.' Read the crafted piece of paper. Ahmed's parents were delighted and jumping with joy. They were chanting 'Alhamdulillah' fervently while Aliza stood confused. She could not make anything of this news because Ahmed's promotion meant everything to her. But his transfer would only mean that Aliza must stay back with her in-laws while he would visit only during weekends. She would happily do so, too, if not for her unsupportive mother-in-law. Aliza wanted to cry, and her eyes brimmed with tears that the world looked like a smudged canvas laying still in front of her. She looked at Ahmed pleadingly and waited until 10 to ask him if he really wanted to go. Asking in front of her in-laws would only mean the end of her good days. Ahmed did not look up because he knew what his transfer meant for both of them.
Read more

CHAPTER 2 - THE BACKSTORY - ALIZA

-
Image
  Aliza is the middle child of her family, with two older siblings and two younger ones. She did not always get her parents' attention because the oldest or the youngest sibling often stole it. She was mostly brought up by her oldest sister, Razia, who made sure she bathed, ate, and went to school on time. After Razia's marriage, her next older sibling Fahim brought home his wife, who had sworn to taunt Aliza all her life. Her younger twin siblings Samir and Ameera were at school, and they often stayed outdoors playing. So Aliza grew up to be the one taking care of her siblings while also managing to thrive herself. After finishing high school, she wanted to join college because her friends were also planning to, and they said studying in college will help a lot in the future. She was also the captain of her school's volleyball team and was a tough player. Aliza thought she could pursue her ambitions after school if she managed to convince her father. But her relatives had
Read more