Book Review - Rapescars

About the Book

Title: Rapescars

Author: Gaurav Sharma

Publisher: Petals Publishers 

ISBN: 978-81-92982-74-8

No. of Pages: 151

Price: 150 INR

Genre: Fiction

  

About the Author

Gaurav Sharma, a Mathematics teacher by profession and a writer by passion. His first novel is 'Love @ Air Force' which is a bildungsroman literary novel, brought out by Blackbuck Publications. He also contributed a poem in 'The Essence of Eternal Happiness' which is a collection of poems from 29 poets from six countries. Lunacy for his dreams, he claims, has helped him being a published writer. As a writer, he doesn't want to be just a storyteller but yearns to create a stir.

The Cover Speaks

The cover page of the book seems more of a newspaper report over the ghastly incident of rape. But the newspaper is printed in some different language which marks a stark contrast in the theme of the story which is plotted in the city of Delhi.  

Synopsis

A girl is raped…! Her parents insist to report. Police tries to scuttle the case. Her father’s influence works! Doctor, the fourth

man, sees her bare. The defense lawyer encounters with obnoxious questions…

As if, she had inveigled the innocent boys…

As if, she’s the one accused and her violators are seeking justice against her… She feels & experiences being raped in public again.

Her lawyer manages to seek conviction! Akriti wins the case but refuses her culprit to have imprisonment.

Why does she do this?

What does she decide then?

Is this the decision of ‘her’ or ‘raped mind’?

Rape Scars is the voice of a rape survivor who thrives to stand against the violation of her persona…

Book Review

The author took a challenging job of narrating the very sensitive incident of rape and its effect on the victim and the defaulter. The book's prologue gives the very first sight into the untoward incident of rape narrated by the victim herself. The first chapter flashbacks the college life and the budding romance. But I felt it was narrated way too sombre and a bit fast. That tingling effect was missing. The story takes a turn soon and the gloominess seizes the protagonist. Her battle with her betrayed love begins. The fear, the shame, the self-guilt of falling in love, the stigma of being robbed catches hold of her. She finds it difficult to stand again. The coldness of police, the casual attitude of doctor, the instigating questions of lawyer, the outcasting of the family and self dejection all are weaved into the story. Some punchlines are very strong in the book.

"Being born with a vagina makes you a girl, but to reiterate that you are a human, you need a VOICE."

The entire story seems fast paced. The intricate details are overlooked and reader feels the absence of something. Though the author tried his best to put forth a story from the mouth of a girl that too half of his age. The story takes a turn when the charges are proven after a long ordeal. But the victim, Akriti denies the punishment as just 'imprisonment'. She wants her defaulters to suffer for entire life like her. What does she seeks for to the judge? And more interesting is the end, when the rapist absolves and starts a new life, I am satisfied with the decision of Akriti. The ending is not a happy ending nor a sad ending but a CONTENTED ending.

My Rating

 3.5/5

¡Salud!

JJJ

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