Shobha De's first book for children, S's secret is a simple, down-to-earth book with a very naïve and innocent story. This story is about a 14 year old girl, Sandhya (Sandy) who lives with her parents, her sister Pia, her brother Siddhartha (fondly called bhaiyya), her dog Zorro and her housekeeper, Gauritai. This book is about her painful transition into a teenager and the raging hormones that leave her in a dazzled state. She is a typical teenage girl, who is on the phone for hours; fights dirty with her sister and yearns to be beautiful and popular.
The story begins with an attempt to create suspense about Sandhya's secret, which she doesn't disclose even to her best friend Asavari. The tale then twists and turns leading to a set of confusing events when Sandhya tries to cheat, help her brother recover from something deadly and confesses her secret to her strict but besotted parents.
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This book is very simple, to the point that gives the insights of a teenage girl's mind. This is a book every teenager can relate to as this book contains no elements of fantasy, but gives a true picture in its purest form. Her parents are like any other parents, typical, like mine and yours, strict, doting, conservative, sensible and yet friendly and understanding. Despite the book being warm, pleasant and smooth, it tends to bore you at times because of the predictable storyline and the exaggerated conversations between the characters. Even the book takes a turn for the better, the dialogues put you off making it an awkward read.
The language is straight forward but the story lacks continuity and ends on a brusque note. Perhaps the fact that it is something we come across every day or might have experienced sometime, it fails to create a spark but nevertheless it is a book that secretly relieves you by confessing your deep inner thoughts.
Overall it is an embarrassing, blunt and a natural book but closely looking at it, it is a story with a life in it, a beating heart and like soft music. Its notes aren't a masterpiece, yet it maintains the rhythm of a story with apt ingredients.
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It definitely is a part of a series that is both snappy and happy. I would say that it is a book no teenager can afford to miss. It's the personal diary you never got to write!
Shravanti is a Std X student of P.S.B.B.S.S.SCHOOL