- Author: Kochery C. Shibu
- Format: Kindle Edition
- Print Length: 184 pages
- Language: English
Faith and the Beloved by Kochery C. Shibu is a thriller that focuses on parallel plotlines loaded with violence, violation, rape, love, and betrayal. The story of greed and lust is at the heart of this book. A story of vengeance is at its core. A story of faith and a will to protect your loved ones screams from its heart.
The book essentially consists of two primary plotlines – one that of Naithy and Alice and the other of – Arun and Prem. Along with these characters, the book focuses on the individual lives of the many characters it includes in the story. Each chapter introduces a novel character and gives a thorough check of its background. It also sets the right tone for the character to contribute to the story. The plot is fast-paced and contains enough intrigue to hook the reader. There are utter violence and abrupt sexual violation that adds to the darker shade of the book. And with this being said, there is this air of crime resulting out of willingness for revenge that underlines the plot.
I have read the author’s debut work sometime in 2018. It turned out to be one of my best reads of the year. However, the same cannot be applied to Faith and the Beloved. In both his works, a common factor is his narration which always provides plenty of details. In this book too, the author touches upon a lot of facts and minute details of the characters that do work slightly in favor of the story. It’s just that too much of anything spoils the thing. Similarly, an over-emphatic approach towards the details might take the mind of a reader off the book.
The story is amazing, undoubtedly. The characters were realistic too and I admire the bold female voice in the book. I personally love quick-paced thrillers with violence. However, this book missed out on effective editing and plot treatment. There were too many characters for my link and each one’s story overlapped with the other. Although it was important as all the faces of the book converge by the end, it still made me confused and uneasy. The plot could have been more refined and crisp to engage the readers. Moreover, the book demands a round of editing to get rid of unnecessary details and typographical errors too.
To put in a nutshell, the book has an intriguing story that deserves a better execution. Additionally, a highly descriptive narrative and the fairly smooth narration does favor the book. If you like thrillers, you may give this one a shot. You might end up liking the thrilling story and an honest portrayal of the subjects.
MY RATING: 2/ 5
Buy your copy: Faith and the Beloved
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