BEAUTY QUEENS OF BISHAN BY AKSHITA NANDA

-

BOOK NAME: BEAUTY QUEENS OF BISHAN

AUTHOR NAME: AKSHITA NANDA

GENRE: CONTEMPORARY FICTION

PUBLISHER: VINTAGE BOOKS

BOOK BUY LINK: https://amzn.in/d/2WTxLsG


BOOK COVER IMAGE



BOOK REVIEW

The peaceful coexistence of several small beauty saloon owners in the suburbs of Singapore is threatened by the arrival of D’Asthetique by April Chua. Particularly, Gurpreet, who runs the Monty Spa, develops a rivalry with April Chua, the celebrity makeup artist. They once again lock horns when they style their respective customers participating in the beauty pageant The Glam Slam Singapore, and both of them fight for their place in the saloon society. 


Set around the lives of affluent Indian families living in Singapore, the story aptly represents the place and its people. This book felt like a mix of Crazy Rich Asians with any Bollywood festive movie. The vibrant setting, the lighthearted narrative, the theme of beauty, and its depth were appreciable. But I felt its language was a bit weak, which the book also boasts as Singlish - colloquial Singaporean English. Though the language is representative of Singaporean identity, as an outsider, I felt it difficult to grasp certain words and the continuity was hampered to a great extent.


There is more drama in a typical Bollywood style, witty banter among the spa ladies, lessons to learn based on beauty standards, and a show of strength and resilience. But all said and done; I was sometimes lost among the sea of characters who showed up randomly at their will. There were so many backstories for each character and sub-character, and remembering them felt like a chore. Also, I felt the story was slightly lengthy and certainly repetitive in most places. 


Since this book is based on the flashy lives of affluent Indians in Singapore, I couldn’t relate to the story as much as I expected. But still, this is a book that can be read for its humour and identity value, maybe once. And I am open to views from other readers who enjoyed reading it to see what I have missed. 



MY REVIEW: 3/5

This is a part of Blogchatter’s #TBRchallenge

#penbooksandscalpel





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