Author: Kalyan Nanda

Kalyan Nanda Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Contemporary Fiction Paperback: 214 pages

214 pages Publisher: Notion Press; 1 edition (30 May 2016)

Notion Press; 1 edition (30 May 2016) Language: English

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Is God good? Or is He a manipulative villain who plays with the lives of his creations in the name of karma? As far as Mohan Mishra is concerned, God is a villain. Mohan is God’s soft target, for He ‘blesses’ him with a strange mental problem and kills his support system when he needed it the most. The Soft Target is the story of a boy’s journey into manhood, as he takes on God with his mental prowess, defeating Him at every stage, thus making God his soft target. Supported by great friends and a loving wife, Mohan fights an epic battle against the murderous society, the conniving legal system and ultimately God himself, with remarkable courage and spirit.

We all are the children of the Almighty and he treats all of us equally. However, we are put to tests which challenge our mental stiffness and brittleness. A few of us succumb to their pressure and curse God while there are others who brave against all odds and prove that the target was indeed ‘soft.’

Mohan Mishra is a differently challenged boy who is unable to speak out his mind. This takes a heavy toll on his well being while the entire society bullies and ridicule him. The kind of condition he suffers from is unique and I am amazed to know and read about it. Despite severe circumstances, this young man smiles through all hurdles and secures a position in the elite institute, IIT Bombay. He comes across Brij, who is a fun element in this book, and Nikhil, who too suffers from stammering and knows the pain of being the subject of society’s mockery. Together, these three men live their tough lives at IIT and pass with flying colors. And finally, Mohan gets his wife Samidha entering his life. But would his happiness last long?

With a candid and informal writing style, the author has put up a great show as The Soft Target. Mohan’s character is inspiring and teaches us to equip ourselves with hope, knowledge & guts to face the odds and ultimately, succeed. His terrible condition never deterred him. True that he loses his faith in God but wasn’t it obvious? He was repeatedly taken through the darkness but still, he chose to smile and win. His grit and determination are commendable. The parallel track of the real estate mafia is also brought out intelligibly. Together, the two plots converge to a point where Mohan has to make a choice between him and the higher good. This battle of dilemma brings out the best of him.

I liked the lucid language in which the story has been woven. With an interesting plotline and entertaining characters such as Brij, you’d enjoy this book to the fullest. It is highly motivating and engaging. There is love, there are beautiful friendships, wonderful relationships, amazing characters, intriguing presentation of the narrative, and a smooth narration. I liked how the author converses with his readers at certain points in the book. He explains his views very nicely. That one to one engagement makes up for a good reading experience. Also, the wit pervasive in the author’s tone gives you food for thought. I was moved by the purity of Mohan’s & Samidha’s love for she understands him like none. That unadulterated love won me. I also liked the handling of the parallel tracks by the author. He manages to bring them to one point fluently.

What I disliked was the climax. Perhaps, I found it way too dramatic and speedy. Samidha’s demise was sad that it broke my connection with the story. The final decision of Mohan was also abrupt. I guess I over expected or maybe expected a happy ending. The cover too could have been better.

The title, however, is well conceived. I could relate to the idea behind it by the end of the story. For all the readers out there, I would suggest you give this book a try for it surely has some seriously amazing stuff for your brains and heart.

MY RATING: 4/ 5

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Thank you The Readers Cosmos for the review copy!

“This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. For details check http://www.thereaderscosmos.com/“