Rating: 5/5
The book by S Mukesh Rao starts off with a character who introduces himself as Sharad, and we soon come to realize that he is the narrator of our story, and this is his life story taught to us as a lesson: “Rejection happens for a reason.”
The entire first half of the book is like a slowly boiling pot of milk that we know is going to spill over when he isn’t looking. Every metaphor and every philosophy used helps readers connect with him on a deeper level as he struggles through his first rejection while teaching us how to cope with it. The entire 24 hours he spends waiting for the callback is utterly heartbreaking to witness. Every person will have gone through heartbreak at least once in their lifetime, so this book definitely hits home. And as expected, his heart is shattered into a million pieces.
The second part of the story is more action-packed than the first, keeping the readers on their toes the entire time. The pace is in stark contrast to the first half, as it quickly jumps from one interesting scene to another. We witness a beautiful love story that sparkles from the very beginning, showing us that somewhere, someone is made for us, and with them, things will be easy. Like the book says, he isn’t the one who gets you all jittery and nervous, but he is the one with whom you can feel calm. It showed me an entirely new perspective on my vision of love. It is a quick page-turner as we witness the cute love and the honeymoon phase they go through while learning more and more about Tiya.
The book had me on my toes throughout the entire second half. It only got better page after page. The few philosophies I came across in the first half of the book were some of the best paragraphs I have ever read, and trust me; I read a lot. I made it a point to mention them in my inline comments as I read through the book. They were strong enough to make me consider a few things in my own life when it comes to facing fears. In that way, the first half of the book was emotionally very strong.
However, the climax of Rejection Happens for a Reason steals the show. The flashback reveals the hardships Tiya faced and also answers some of the reasons behind her behavior, and honestly, Tiya stole the show. The story beautifully interweaves as we realize these two rejected souls learned to love and accept one another while, in reality, accepting themselves and that they are worthy of love. I love the entire message behind the plot of the book; it is simply what today’s youth need to hear.
In the end, it is a must-read for all readers. Thumbs up!