Life is What You Make it - Preeti Shenoy

What would you do if destiny twisted the road you took? What if it threw you to a place you did not want to go? Would you fight, would you run or would you accept? Set across two cities in India in the early eighties, 'Life is what you make it' is a gripping account of a few significant years of Ankita's life.

Ankita Sharma has the world at her feet. She is young, good-looking, smart and has tonnes of friends and boys swooning over her. College life is what every youngster dreams of and she also manages to get into a premier management school for her MBA. Six months later, she is a patient in a mental health hospital. How did Ankita get here? What were the events that led to this? Will she ever get back her life again?

Life has cruelly and coldly snatched that which meant the most to her and she must now fight to get it all back.

It is a deeply moving and inspiring account of growing up, of the power of faith and how determination and an indomitable spirit can overcome even what destiny throws at you.

A tale, at its core a love-story that makes us question our beliefs about ourselves and our concept of sanity and forces us to believe that life is truly what one makes it.

Preeti Shenoy

Review : 

A must – read novel for all ages describing the rollercoaster life of Ankita Sharma. The author’s lucid style of narration makes it an easy – read as well. The opening scenes where Ankita finds herself in a mental asylum are more like they have been taken from a Chetan Bhagat book. Ankita’s days in Cochin and the ever – refreshing college atmosphere keeps the readers engaged and gives them a ‘feel – good’ touch. Ankita’s shift to Mumbai and Abhi’s tragic death takes the story in a completely different path. Bipolar disorder, a mental disease involving dramatic change in moods is well portrayed. The author could have shortened her description about Ankita’s sufferings as repetitive analogies and similies slow down the pace for 50-60 odd pages. Ankita’s mean and selfish character does not deserve sympathy but the author manages to make the readers feel pity for her. The feel that the story had ended abruptly is well compensated by what everyone call a happy – ending. The story makes one look back at his/her life and think, ‘Life is not only about money, jewels and expensive cars. Its about the profound joy in seeing a beautiful flower bloom. Its about the sheer joy on seeing an old friend after so many years. Its about the excitement when we walk in a rain. The book projects life in a different spectrum and makes us want to live our life differently.

Life is indeed what we make it!!!

Rating : 2.5/5