Book Title: Along came a Spyder
Author: Apeksha Rao
Format: Kindle
Book Title:
The title of the book ‘Along Came a Spyder‘ is exciting and thrilling.
Book Cover:
The cover image of the book is an animated figure of a woman who is dressed in a Spy dress. The naughty smile gives a refreshing feeling to the readers.
My review:
It was 90’s I think, during my school times, there were many books and TV shows for children that were based on mystery spying and such adventures. On Indian Television, there were some shows where the protagonist was a teenager, either boy or girl. The episodes had wit, humor, fun, suspense, emotion, and social message. After a long time, while reading college romance books or Young Adult love stories, this book – ‘ Along Came a Spyder ‘ is refreshing and unique.
The story is about a 17-year-old teenager, Samira Joshi. Ever since she was aware that her parents are the RAW agents, to become a spy was the only target she had. Though her parents initially were interested in her becoming a spy, one day, her mother asks her to leave everything aside and prepare herself to become a doctor in the future. This sudden decision of her mother irks Samira. She looks for a getaway and happens to find a small organization of Spies or Spyders run by Col.SIngh. With a group of girls, her first assignment goes into unveiling a prostitution racket that links to a terror attack being busted.
This action-packed book is a continuous chain of events and incidents that are very gripping to read. As all the characters ooze with young blood, not a single dull or pale moment is observed in the story. We can expect an Indian Agatha Christie or Enid Blyton type story.
I very much enjoyed reading the book and will surely recommend it to everyone.
Check out the micro review and other book reviews in Storizen Magazine October 2020 Issue!
What I like:
1. The story-line
2. The personality of Samira, which is very inspiring
3. The intelligent usage of the resources she gets while spying, be it a technically advanced one or not.
4. Samira’s Grandmother, who is very pleasing
5. The conviction of a 17-year-old girl towards her friend’s problem is heartening
6. There is so much scope for a reader to be nostalgic and re-visit their teenage times where everyone at some point was a spy or read a book based on spies and espionage.
What I didn’t like:
The story is very entertaining, and hence this section stands obsolete.
Read Also: A Realistic Story: Gunpoint Groom
Characters:
Instead of mentioning about every character, that which can be understood after reading the book, I think explaining every aspect about the protagonist Samira Joshi is essential.
She is:
1. Young and dynamic
2. Sincere and spontaneous
3. Perfect daughter for such a couple, who are RAW agents
4. Brave, witty and cautious
This character is written with honesty and great depth. The adventures this character does in the name of spying is fantastic. Her presence of mind and intelligence in dealing with difficult situations is a lesson to all the female readers.
Narration:
The story is narrated from the view of a 17-year-old girl, Samira Joshi. The whole narrative in which the story is written is, emotional, thrilling, unexpected, informative, and concerning. It is moving because there is the concept of young girls being trapped in abusive tasks. It is exhilarating because well it has a great spy story. It is unexpected because the characters and conversations are out of the box. It is concerning because the quest that the characters carry out is for society. And the whole scenario of narration is perfectly aligned with a reader’s mind.
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Language & Grammar:
The language and grammar or the vocabulary constructs in a fiction book hold great importance. The captivating words will also clasp the reader’s mind tight, and thus the story will remain for a long time in the senses. Being a blogger, author Apeksha Rao has very well used a simple and accessible language that can be understood by readers of any age. The clear writing style of the author surely wins more brownie points in the eyes of the readers who like to read simple yet good fiction books.
My Final Verdict:
A rolling ride of spying!
Book Title: 3/5
Book Cover: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Narration: 3/5
Language & Grammar: 3/5
Final Rating: 3/5
(Reviewed by Swapna Peri)
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