If I Hadn’t Met You by Shalini Ranjan is a cocktail of many genres blended in a single story. It is a difficult feat to pull off for any budding author. Did the author manage to get the correct ratio of different flavors in her story? Read on to find out.
The story is about Tisha, whose life takes an unexpected turn on her 18th birthday. Nothing remains the same for her. She entangles in a wild goose chase which she doesn’t know will lead her somewhere or nowhere.
The author Shalini Ranjan starts the book with a bang. The story begins with a tragedy leaving behind an eerie feeling of something sinister in cooking. Some supernatural elements and paranormal activities enter the pictures. And I gear up, holding my breath to shrink in fear.
To my horror, all those elements were tossed out of the window when romanticism kicks in. The author tried hard to build mystery with a touch of romance, but all I got was romance dominance with shredded mystery knocking once in a while to make its presence felt.
The story read more like a Bollywood movie script. It lacked the complexity and depth required to pull off multiple genres. The plot lacked creativity, and many scenes went over the top.
The Verdict:
Nevertheless, on the brighter side, the author has a good writing style and good sentence construction that will see you through. A tight layout of the plot with eeriness lurking around and emphasis on subplots to deepen the mystery would have done wonders. However, If I Hadn’t Met You might entertain the young and new readers.
