Beyond our Melancholy by Zeba Ali – Book Review

Author: Zeba Ali
Paperback: 206 pages
Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers; 1 edition (10 October 2019)
Language: English

BLURB as on Goodreads

“Dream Catcher. It catches your bad dreams. But Fazal Bashir never wanted one.
Tasted the fruits of success quite early for his age, the billionaire Fazal Bashir is intrigued by the veiled lady of his dreams, who always begs for his help to save her. As it is proved, people close to God are tested; likewise, a new problem is waiting for Fazal which will force him to look into his past.
Beyond Our Melancholy is a young adult spiritual romance novel, a story which puts you on thinking about life and its intricacies.”

True love stands firm despite all the setbacks. The boulders of misunderstandings and ego might try to crush it but if it’s pure, the love is invincible. This outlines the essence of the love story of Zinia and Fazal.

Beyond our Melancholy is a beautiful title that holds together a simple love story of two souls captivated in their guilt and grief and liberated by their love. Zinia was married off to Fazal long time back against his wish and this renders him anguished. He leaves for his higher studies and later finds out that his parents are no more. Right after his return to India, he is haunted by his nightmares of a veiled lady begging him to save her. On the other hand, Zinia lives a tormented life amidst tears and dark memories of her past. What’s the link connecting them? How would the two estranged lovers meet? Would Fazal save that lady? Would Zinia ever find her peace of mind?

Dipped in the spirituality, the author has woven the story of Zinia and Fazal as she brings verses from the Quran in the context. The book starts at a snail’s pace and it’s only after a few pages in that you get the whiff of the storyline. The book discusses the stigma attached to victims of rape in our society and the trauma that follows it. It also brings into light how a horrendous act of rape could inflict severe damage on someone’s mental health. I liked the writing style of the author which was simple and binding but I didn’t find the central story fresh and intriguing enough.

For the most part of the book, the couple – Zinia and Fazal – are seen fighting over issues and living in discontent and disapproval of each other. I found this sequence overly stretched which does not cast a significant impact on the story. As they come to terms with each, their relationship finds stability and together they triumph over Zinia’s nightmares.

I like romance books but still, this one seemed more like a less explored daily soap than a story of a novel. I really liked the narration and the author’s way of putting up a story but the story itself wasn’t very appealing to me. Moreover, the narrative didn’t go well with me in terms of characters too. Perhaps, a better storyline with refined characters would have been likable.

I would recommend this book to the newbie readers who wish to read simple romance.

MY RATING: 3/ 5

Buy your copy: Beyond our Melancholy