Book Review #7 : Anti-Social Network

Author : Piyush Jha

Publisher : Rupa Publications India

Author Piyush Jha in his latest thriller "Anti-Social Network" has embarked on a mission to uncover the gruelling face of social networking. The advent of social networking has become a part and parcel of our daily lives. For some it's entertainment but for some it's serious business. For some it has been a boon but for some it has brought pain and agony. It has also become a source of notorious activities.

This latest crime thriller has been set in the streets of Mumbai and how social networking leads it's way and destroys lives of many and how a technologically challenged man wages war against this new age crime. The crime in this book is quite hi-tech and in tune with the times we live in. Although it deals with a series of murders, the motive behind them is quite different and that sets this book apart from other books in this genre.

Absorbing plot. Powerful narration. A fast paced thriller with the right amount of twists and turns, layered with suspense. Topped with all the ingredients to be made into a motion picture.

Looking at the cover page itself, a reader can guess that it is a crime thriller and gives a hint that something shady and mysterious is a part of this book. It is attractive enough to catch a reader’s attention. Title of the book is undoubtedly good and makes an instant connection with the readers.

Keeps you hooked on to the seat. A reader assumes something else till the time they reach second last chapter. But the last chapter brings the actual mastermind into limelight and that really left me surprised and shocked. A reader's interest multiples as the story develops. None of the part is exaggerated or lengthened. Boredom never generates while reading this book. There is quite a bit of action happening simultaneously all through the book.

The length and breadth of Mumbai is covered with ease.  I liked the way the mystery and plot took us through so many locales in Mumbai- the busy Bora bazaars, dark bylanes, nightclubs, the Marine drive, cafes and restaurants, dingy apartments under constructions, ghost towns, Jain temples -almost every unknown nook and corner of Mumbai. But some of the plotlines, and character details gave the feeling ‘read that somewhere’ and ‘seen that somewhere’. The chapters are short.

The book paces beautifully and along the way leaves a lot for the readers to decipher. The theme of the story as social networking weaves out its charm and commands the appropriate attention from thriller fanatics. The story has been spiced up at the right places and promises a completely new experience.

All in all, a nice quick read for all you lovers of the crime fiction genre. The book is one of the best crime thrillers, I have read so-far. You would just feel like, you have come out watching a crime thriller film after reading the book.

Rating: 4/5.

This book has been reviewed as part of The Tales Pensieve Book Review program.