Title: The Crossover Year
Author: Bhargavi Balachandran
Publisher: Alchemy Publishers
ISBN: 978-81-8046-088-3
Number of Pages: 288
Price [INR] : 200
Genre: Fiction
Meet Sri Anu Prabha aka Anu, a twenty-nine year old banker who is terrified of entering her thirties. She dreams of quitting her job at the bank, sporting yoga pants and traipsing around the world. Her world turns upside down when things go awry and she is faced with the prospect of spending her days watching Tamil serials. She comes up with a five-point plan for reclaiming her life back before she hits the big 30. But things are never as simple as drawing up a flowchart in real life, are they? Especially with a ghastly recession rearing its ugly head.
Anu bumbles through the corridors of domesticity and travels on a fun-filled roller coaster ride in a bid to discover her passion in life.Along the way, she meets new people, experiences crazy new things and learns some hard lessons in marriage, friendship, parenting and life.
The Crossover Year is a funny, yet heartwarming story of a woman in search of her identity, and a chronicle of her hilarious quest for discovering her inner mojo. Bring out a platter of cookies and a steaming mug of chai, and join Anu on the ride of her lifetime.
The Crossover Year is coming of age story of Anu. An average job in an average bank with a terrible boss and office politics pushes Anu to give in her resignation letter. With a recession in full bloom, the jobs are scarce and none for Anu. After sitting at home and watching her favorite Tamil serials starring Raakkesh Kumar, insecurity creeps in and she joins a gym and abandons it half way, then attempts to audition for a play and fails, and even learns to try her hand at poetry for a day. She discovers that she can love pets and can handle brats too. And then she finds herself participating in Super Home Maker competition. Supporting her in all these trials and tribulations is her husband Mukund. The relationship shared between them is kind of sweet. I loved the idea of giving free gift vouchers to the spouse!
The story revolves around Anu and her old and new relationships, as she moves ahead in her journey to discover herself. It also makes you ponder over the abuse in a bad marriage and the stigma attached to divorce and single mothers in our society and gives insights about the virtues of Tam-Brahm Maama and Maami.
The author has written this book from a first person perspective and that connects better with the readers. I liked the wit and humour laced narrative which sets the tone of the book right, from the very first page. The story moves at an unhurried pace but keeps the reader in you entertained and engaged with the characters. The climax of the story wasn’t as impacting as it could have been. I found it to be too dramatic and perhaps a little hurried one!
The Crossover Year is a humorous, fun and funny, light read! It is an ideal companion for a journey or a lazy afternoon replete with smiles and giggles.
Rating : 3.5/5
And this is the 800th post on my blog!! 800 posts… I’m liking the ring to it! 🙂
36 Responses
Another great review and another book read! Oh I envy you! 😀
LOL 😀 You can do it too! 🙂
Congrats for post no. 800 and it’s been an amazing journey. Indeed! A rose for this milestone. Love the review and quite an interesting read, it seems 🙂
Thanks a lot, Vishal!! Looking back, I am wondering what all did I write in these 800 posts! 😀 Glad you liked the review, you must pick it up too 🙂
Interesting book, but I guess it’s women’s fiction. I might actually want to read it on that count, but not now. Too much to do! 🙂
Destination Infinity
It is a woman’s story, alright but men can read it too!! 🙂
😆 Thank you so much for reading and posting this review ..
…and congrats on the 800th post! It is an amazing achievement 🙂 Here’s too seeing your 1000th post soon 🙂
Thank you so much Bhargavi!! 🙂
Hi Destination.. Do give women’s fiction a chance .. Some men have read it and liked it 😉
You are really getting good at these book reviews. This book sounds pretty appealing. ♥
You are too kind. Thanks Kathy! 🙂 ♥
Congratulations on your 800th post. Looking forward for the next 8000 posts.
8000 posts!! That’s an ambitious figure, I guess 😉
Thank you SG!!
Congratulations on the 800th post Shilpa!! I wonder how you manage to find time to read so many books… First person accounts make you feel a part of the story.
Thank you, Reshma! The grey cells are cooperating and they are enjoying the excitement these books are providing them! So far so good 😀
That’s true, first person account makes you as a reader connect better with the story!!
Shilpa, congrats for reaching 800 posts. Big achievement. You have become an expert in reviewing books.
Thanks a lot for your kind words, Ma’am 🙂
Yay for 800 posts, Shilpa!
This sounds like a fun book! I’d love to read it. 🙂
Thanks Vidya!! You must check it out! 🙂
You know, I will relate to this novel. it’s always difficult when we cross that bar!
Then you must check this book for sure, Michelle 🙂
First most – a huge congratulations for your 800th post. Excellent efforts, shilpa.
I wanted to post a review of this book after reading this. Could’nt get hold of the book. Bhargavi is a nice person and a blogger too. This is her second book.
Aww.. that is such a sweet thing yo say 🙂 Thank you Asha.. 🙂
Thank you so much Asha!
Now that you say it too, I must read Bhargavi’s first book, soon 🙂
I read Bhargavi’s Seven Across. That was good fun as well.
I wanted to pick this up. Thanks for reminding me of it. 🙂
Lovely review.
Oh! That’s nice. I havent read her first book! I must check out that and you must read The Crossover Year, definitely 🙂
Thanks , Ava. Would love to hear your thoughts on this one .. 🙂
…..”sporting yoga pants and traipsing around the world.”…. I’m thinking the same too…. 😉
Another great review! 🙂
Wow!! So did you don those Yoga pants, Sheethal?
Thank you 🙂
Congratulations on your 800th post!
Thank you PI 🙂
Seems like I should read this one… The crossover year isn’t far for me. Loved your detailed review.
You must 🙂 Thanks Raj, glad you liked this review 🙂
And 800th post… You must be crazy blogger 🙂 congratulations 🙂
Dont you know that as yet 😉 😀
Thanks Raj 🙂