The Tales Pensieve

We are living in the world of digital technology and a number of our interactions happen through social networking sites now days. But, what will happen if you find out that one of your beloved Gods is trying to reach you through one of these social networking sites? Have you ever thought about that? Well! 1 Friend Request Sent From Hanuman is a nice little book by Neeraa Maini Srivastav and tries to answer this exciting question. The book presents a thrilling encounter between a 10-year old girl and Hanuman, a popular Hindu Deity.

The story revolves around 10-year old Pia Kapoor who is confined in her room due to a leg injury. Once while browsing internet, she comes in contact with Hanu on Peerbook, a social networking site. Hanu shares funny jokes with Pia and tries to cheer up her depressing mood. Gradually Pia realises that this Hanu is none other than Hanuman, the powerful God from the grand old epic Ramayana. What happens then? Well! You have to read this delightful tale to know the rest.

The author can write well. Her writing has a distinctive voice. Most of the characters in the book are woven well. Scenes in the book have been constructed well. The emotional scenes have also been done well. The story neither rushes too fast nor goes too slow. While the storyline is not as compelling as it should be, you find it hard to put down the book. This statement of mine should be taken as a compliment as it shows that the writer has written the book brilliantly.

However, at the same time, you end the book with a touch of disappointment. While the idea of presenting interactions between a child and a God through internet is innovative and exciting, communication between a child and a God is not a new concept and has been dealt earlier also. And, therefore, after reading this book, you feel that the book could have been much better. For me, the main plot of the book could have been developed further.

The title of the book is catchy and creates some sort of anticipation in your mind. In fact, the title of this book was the main reason for me picking up this book. But the same cannot be said about the book cover. The book cover fails to leave any sort of impression on you. While authors know that book covers play an important role in the success of a book, some of the authors still do not pay enough attention on this vital aspect. And, that’s what surprises me sometimes.

The book under review tells the story of Hanuman in an interesting way. While this book may not be able to satisfy adult readers, it is a very good book for children. Children love reading stories about Indian mythologies. However, they prefer to read about it in the form of comics as they do not find books very engaging. On the other hand, they find books a bit overwhelming and confusing. Not so with this one. I am sure that they will not only love reading it, but will also thoroughly enjoy it.

Title: 1 Friend Request Sent From Hanuman
Author: Neeraa Maini Srivastav
Publisher: Cedar Books
Pages: 144
Genre: Fiction/Young Adult
Rating: 3 of 5
Reviewed for: Author

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