#IAm16ICanRape by Kirtida Gautam - Book Review

BLURB

Rudransh Kashyap is a self-made billionaire and man of high moral fiber. His life is shattered when he returns home one day to find that his prodigy, his 16-year-old grandson, Aarush, has been arrested and accused of a brutal gang rape. It is easy to say, “Kill the Rapist” but what if the accused is your child? 

This case takes an unprecedented turn when Aarush’s identity is made public on social media. Rudransh finds himself living a nightmare as he fights against tremendous odds to get justice for Aarush, to save him and to bring him back home… But what if the unthinkable is true? Can Rudransh save his grandson, or will he end up fighting a different battle altogether?

REVIEW

It’s difficult to write when you have a challenge of writing on something that is controversial and taking this challenge with your debut book is something that is pretty unimaginable but Kirtida Gautam in this debut novel ‘I am 16 I can Rape’ has done something that could leave anyone with a falling mouth.

The title itself, creates the initial momentum that a reader wants before picking up the book. The book is pretty long and the major reason of it is the vast characterization that the author has provided. Each chapter is dedicated to individual character and that provides the reader to indulge in the timeline of the story and think in the same way as the character. Author has done stupendous work in playing with the psychology of different characters involved in the story.

Some of the sequences of the book are written with huge patience just to leave a long term impact over the reader. The much talked ‘Court session’ is something that would not leave you so early. It actually deserves a standing ovation because it must have needed great research to pull out that sequence of the book.

Now coming to the negatives. Actually the positives of the book are also the negatives too, I mean characterization. Author gone across so deep to pull out the character perfectly in the mind of the reader that she forgot the overall story of the book. The theme of the book is not able to hold reader for around 600 pages.

Overall, this book is something out of ordinary. A must read.