RAPESCARS…THEY NEVER HEAL-By Gaurav Sharma

Name:  Rapescars…they never heal

Authors: Gaurav Sharma

Publisher: Petals

My ratings: 

Cover: 2/5

Writing Style: 3.5/5

Presentation: 3.5/5

Preview: Sometime back I came across a quote that exactly suggest the tone of this novel. It goes somewhat like this “I just want to sleep. A coma would be nice. Or amnesia. Anything, just to get rid of this, these thoughts, whispers in my mind. Did he rape my head, too?”  a line spoken loud enough to pinch and choke.

Rapescars is one such book to me. It is a commendable thing to put down a sensitive topic like rape into words. But what Gaurav has done is indefinitely an attempt to undo the stereotyping.

Review: Am not very happy with the cover of the book. Precisely because a beautiful art work of girl on with scars is being over-shadowed by news article that I couldn’t read because of the language handicap. Going to the back cover – I believe use of slightly more suspense and drawing language would have added to the appearance of the book.

This story is about Akriti, a gang rape victim. Who fell prey to her so called ‘loving who is gang raped by her boyfriend and his friends. Broken from within, with no hopes in heart Akriti begins a fight for justice. This fight is not just against the criminals, but against the stereotype thought, the shackled customs and the system that condemns the victim not the accused. All that she goes through post the traumatic incident is more hurtful than the trauma of being robes off her innocence, her faith her trust and her love…

An unusual genre, his attempt to see this pain through the eye of a victim and the effort to put words that only run tears when thought off has put the Author to a different level. Every word in the novel, brings in life. It feels as if you are in a theatre act. You may want to stop yourself from feeling the pain that Akriti goes through. But the Author ensures that every word reaches your soul.

The plot is very neatly built. I would say that the Author could have articulated the language a bit more..

The unfolding of the events post the incident only goes to show how ruthless and clogged our society is. In all the menace of pain, insult, cracked soul, lifelessness Akriti does the unthinkable.

This tale is the bitter after taste of a rape incident. The blame game. The inappropriate questions faced by the victim. The inanimate condolences. The verbal abuse. The jeopardizing of future. And the heinous attempt the victim for her choice.

She chose to love someone, she chose to trust someone, her faith, trust and belief was crushed, she was robbed of her soul…but she is to be blamed

Questioned, interrogated, abused, tortured judged and pointed at; was not the accused but the victim. Such is the mentality.

A complaint by the raped and battered victim does no justice to her, until she is pushed around and mocked with like an inanimate doll by the investigators and the police.

The scar remains, but the pain heals. Why is it so?

What I loved: This tale is an instrument of undoing the societal blind fold. The Author has walked far from the fiction. He has been mature enough to rightly use terms, that are although objectionable but stands as an epitome to unleash the unspoken.

What could have been better: There’s a tiny miny need to polish use of language to give it a more mature aura. There is also a scope of maintaining the pace in the courtroom scone; to me towards the end there seemed a vague rush. I really appreciate the Authors stand at the end. It shows how much beyond words the tale meant. Is idea behind to convey a message rightly reaches the reader.

All in All: The Attempt is commendable. A voice of woman reiterating a horrific nightmare trough a man’s quill is worth appreciating. I would personally suggest this book to readers and non-readers of all age. Teenagers primarily, cos very few books in this genre can actually make them see the harsh reality.

Overall rating: 3.8/5

Where Can You Buy This?

 http://www.amazon.in/Rapescars-GAURAV-SHARMA/dp/8192982742