Book Review
Under The Crescent Moon by Aditi Chandak
Love vs friendship and healing vs hurting
My Rating: 4.3/5
Maera and Vikrant are colleagues who get along really well. In a span of just two months, they’ve gotten really close and become the hot topic of the office grapevine. While trying to protect Maera’s reputation, Vikrant begins to pull away. A confused and hurt Maera finds solace in the form of Nikhil, someone she befriends while on a short vacation. Maera has affections for Vikrant as well as Nikhil, but whom does she consider just a friend, and whom does she see as her life partner?
Book details:
Blurb (as on Amazon):
Maera and Vikrant are close — really close — and everyone thinks it will only be a matter of time before they become ‘a couple’. but Vikrant has a past that haunts him and he won’t let go. He makes a decision that changes everything but the what-ifs still remain. They say the past is history but what if they’re repeating it? A tale of love, loss, and finding life, ‘under the Crescent moon’ is a story to move the soul and offer hope to the heavy-hearted. Fast-paced, set in today’s times, it brings together the everyday stumbles of relationships — heartbreaks, lost friendships, strained filial bonds, and death.
Genre: Fiction/Romantic Drama
Pages: 247
Format: Kindle eBook/Paperback
Price:
- Kindle eBook: 49 INR/$2.99
- Paperback: (available only on Amazon India): 199 INR
Detailed review:
What I liked about the book:
- It has many relatable characters and emotions of love — for family, for friends, for a life partner, and most importantly, for yourself.
- The maturity shown by each character is inspiring; be it Maera, Nikhil, or Vikrant. They’re poles apart, they have their own flaws but the way the author has shown their vulnerabilities and character growth, makes you fall for them.
The story carries this old-world charm that leaves you feeling fuzzy in the heart. On the other hand, the setting is so urban and modern times, with two metro cities and one small town, it almost feels like you are on a virtual ride with the characters.
- The story traces the grey areas of love, friendships, and relationships.
- The family dynamic of all lead characters is completely different and yet it shows us how these dynamics help shape someone’s personality. I loved Maera’s Daadi’s character the most.
- Vikrant’s healing process is dealt with very nicely.
The best part about the story is its message that two people of the opposite sex can have a comfortable non-sexual relationship.
What I did not like about the book:
- The story maintains the same pace throughout the book and this gets a little boring sometimes.
- Though it’s a romance book, there are very few romantic scenes in the book.
Quotable quotes:
-> Don’t be hard on yourself. You don’t have to blame yourself for everything. You couldn’t have averted what happened. Be sad, be scared, be sorry for the ones who lost a loved one, but don’t blame yourself in any way.
-> Some mysteries should remain so. The more you try to unravel them, there’s a greater fear of losing yourself.
-> It requires courage to talk about your lowest moments, even if to only one person.
-> We’re all different. You can’t really compare two people. We all have our stories, our fears, and our strengths. We’re not alike and that’s what makes us all special.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed that, you might want to check out my previous book review:
