Book Review: Anuj Tiwari’s new novel is less of a love story and more of a self-help book

'I Tagged Her In My Heart' is Anuj Tiwari's fourth novel and is based on real-life incidents

By: Ekta Agarwal |
January 22, 2018 2:25 pm

Written by one of India’s bestselling authors, I Tagged Her In My Heart is Anuj Tiwari’s 4th novel. Tiwari’s first novel Journey of Two Hearts was reviewed by The Guardian as ‘charming’ and a ‘masterwork’. His third novel It’s Not Right but It’s Okay hit the bestseller charts just four weeks after its release.

While you might think that Anuj’s new novel is based on a contemporary love story (all thanks to the title), let me tell you that it is nowhere close to being that.

Plot
The story revolves around the life of four friends — Arjun, Anushka, Ved and Adrika — who all are dealing with some or the other issues in their lives. Another character who has a constant presence throughout the novel is Anushka’s mother Dimpy aunty who behaves less like a typical mother and more like a dependable friend. With her being a constant support, the story focuses more on friendship and less on the possible love angles between the four friends.

Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Anuj Tiwari

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What works?
The book is based on a true story that will inspire you to look at the brighter side of life and Dimpy aunty’s character will keep you hooked till you flip the last page. Her wit and humour are what make the book worth reading.

What doesn’t work?
The story is very loosely written and the impact of the language is close to nill. You won’t be able to visualize any situation and that is what makes the novel really boring. And while reading the book, you will realize that the author himself has so much to say that it feels as if the book is cluttered his ‘gyaan’ about the various situations that pop up throughout the book. The narrator’s voice is so dominant that it suffocates the voices of individual characters and doesn’t let the stories take shape of their own.

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This book is not Anuj Tiwari’s best work and you will surely won’t regret giving it a miss.

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