#BookReview: Dark Blossom by Neel Mullick

Title: Dark Blossom

Author : Neel Mullick

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Published on: January 2019

Binding : Paperback

ISBN: 978-9353332945

"It isn't going to be an easy journey for either of us."

BLURB

Sam returns home from a business trip a day before his son's thirteenth birthday and is looking forward to being with his family, when his world is cruelly shattered in one fell swoop. Initially he thinks he can cope with the loss, but finally seeks the help of Cynthia, an experienced therapist, to regain his equipoise. What he does not know is that Cynthia herself is trying to cope with a debilitating divorce and the sinister shadow of her ex-husband over her daughter...
What happens when doctor and patient find themselves in the same sinking boat? Moreover, when they are rowing in opposite directions--one clinging to the past, and the other unable to get rid of it! In the midst of it all is Lily, Cynthia's daughter, who harbours a secret that has the power to explode the lives around her. Taut with tension and intensity, Dark Blossom is a glimpse of what lies under the surface of apparently 'normal' people.



COVER PAGE

The cover page of the book Dark Blossom is very beautiful and subtle.When I got the book in my hands, I was very much curious to know what it holds. The cover page is very attractive with beautiful image of dark cherry blossom flowers and the title of the book is not in the same line rather in different lines. The colours used in the cover page are very gentle. I really liked it a lot.



REVIEW

There are few books that satisfies a reader to a great extent and for me, Dark Blossom by Neel Mullick is one of them. Being a psychology student, I really like to read about mental health that too which are written in a delicate manner and which involve me in the story taking me away from the surroundings and Dark Blossom did it. When, I got this book in my hands I was very much curious to know what this beauty holds for me. When I finished reading this book, I took a deep breath because I was not able to come out of the story and I really didn't want it to get over.

Dark Blossom revolves around Sam who was on a trip and was returning back from his work just before his son's 13th birthday, when he heard a devastating news that shook him. While, on the other hand, was Cynthia, who was an experienced therapist and was trying to cope with her divorce and trying hard to mend her relationship with her daughter. And, then one day Sam met Cynthia which changed their lives.

Dark Blossom is a book which explores different emotions. It is an overwhelming read and I was blown away with the first chapter itself. The plot of the book is very engaging which made me hook to the book till the end. A lot of different feelings evoked while I was reading it. The story moves a bit slow in the initial chapters just to build it up and then it is fast paced and a very gripping tale. It holds a lot of suspense. I really liked that the author addressed the sensitive issues of mental health, child abuse so efficiently. It amazingly covers the themes of mental health and human relationships.

It is a beautifully penned down book in a fluent and a lucid way. The writing style of the author prominently made me dive into the book and it made my feel the plight of each and every character. The author has very greatly described the various events which took place in the book in a very delicate manner and the intensity of the words is so much that it touched my heart directly. There are not many characters in the book. It revolves around Cynthia, Sam and Lily at a great extent and I loved the character of Cynthia which had very different shades and how hard she was trying to mend her relationship with her daughter. The relationship between Sam and Lily was a bliss to read. The characters are very well crafted.

Overall, it is a very well written, heart touching and an overwhelming read. I am glad that I got a chance to read this marvellous work of  fiction which is so realistic in nature and talks about mental health. The title of the book is justified as each character in the story holds darkness within themselves. This book has secured a special place in my heart and I got to learn a lot from it. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.




Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.in/Dark-Blossom-Neel-Mullick/dp/935333294X




ABOUT THE AUTHOR



With degrees in Software Engineering from Carnegie Mellon, USA, Business Administration from INSEAD, France, Neel is the Head of Product and Information Security at a Belgian family-office technology company.
He mentors women entrepreneurs through the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, is involved in raising a generation of digital and socially-aware leaders with the Steering for Greatness Foundation (Nigeria), supports improvement in the quality of life of domestic workers at Emprendedoras del Hogar (Peru).
Spending his time across three continents, working with people from six, and having travelled to all seven, he believes the solution to a rapidly fracturing world lies in peeling enough layers to discover the similarities, rather than judging on more superficialities.



* I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Rupa Publications) in exchange of a review. Thank You.


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Happy Reading!