‘Wake Up, Life Is Calling’ by Preeti Shenoy is a beautiful sequel to ‘Life is What You Make It’. Preeti Shenoy needs no introduction. She is among the top bestselling authors of the country. I have read almost all her books and though I find her books quite average but I liked ‘A Hundred Little Flames’ and ‘Life is What You Make It’. So when the sequel came out, I had to read it.
‘Wake Up, Life is Calling’ is the story of Ankita who had a troubled past. She spent a year in a mental asylum due to Bipolar Disorder. Now she is out of the asylum, has joined creative writing course and is trying to rebuild her life. All is going well till her ex-boyfriend appears on the scene. She doesn’t want to be in touch with anyone remotely connected with her past. She is slowly getting back to normal life when an unexpected incident at college brings back painful memories. She starts falling into depression and again starts having suicidal tendencies. Will she be able to confront her fears or will she fall prey to the engulfing darkness that envelopes her?
Mental disorder is like a shadow which always lingers behind you. You will be scrutinized and judged forever. You live in the constant fear of being misjudged. ‘Wake Up, Life is Calling’ is deep and targets at people who need help for their psychological issues. The book gets quite dark and depressing midways. It was scary to read how a person gets suicidal thoughts and fascinatingly reads about the ways to end life. I thought the sequel would be about Ankita’ s embracing a healthier life and the challenges she faces on the path. However, I found myself reading about the same loneliness, tormenting thoughts and the worthlessness that Ankita feels in ‘Life is What You Make It’. This made the story look a little dragged. However, the positive climax comes as a refreshing change.
Reading about Ankita is like delving into the mind of a person with suicidal tendencies. The narrative feels a bit repetitive and the pace is a bit slow but slowly the story picks up. The book is a kind of fictional self help book with precious words of wisdom about dealing with negativity and adopting a positive attitude. The author has used an easy language to deal with a difficult subject. I liked the vibrant book cover and the catchy title.
Though the book can be read independently but you will gain more perspective if you have read the first book. With an interesting plot and new characters, Ankita’s journey makes for a good read.
Title: Wake Up, Life is Calling
Author: Preeti Shenoy
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary romance
Originally published: 17 April 2019
Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors
Page Count: 256
©2019 Shaloo Walia All rights reserved
What a poignant story. Of all illnesses, if I couldn’t trust my brain, I might want to give up.
The book was quite depressing in parts and I also wanted to give up.
Thanks for the review. A depressing story 🙁
Yeah, very depressing…quite contrary to the optimistic title.