#IAm16ICanRape- Book Review

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Book Title: #IAm16ICanRape

Author: Kirtida Gautam
Publisher: Read Out Loud
My Rating: ***1/2
About the Authors: Kirtida is a clinical psychologist turned screenplay writer who completed her education from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, India. Her passion for psychology and writing inspired her into writing psychological thrillers. 








This book has been the most unique read of all times. #IAm16ICanRape has been written by an author who seems to have a whole lot of spunk in her. Everything is gutsy about this book, starting from the subject to the style in which the prose has been rendered. I think writing an entire book in the present progressive tense is a mean feat. Also there are a whole lot of characters that are introduced with every new chapter. Each character gives us an in depth peek into their psyche by narrating their own story in the first person. This must definitely have been a brain wracking task for the author and it has a sort of similar effect on the reader too I believe. At least I found myself mulling over each new character's POV for a bit longer than I normally do. Well, then the subject is also such- thought provoking!


Rudransh Kashyap or RK Ji is an impressive patriarch and Aarush Kashyap- his 16 years old grandson is the sole heir to the gigantic empire established by him. The billionaire's life comes collapsing one day when he realises that the apple of his eye- Aarush, has been arrested and accused of a brutal gang rape. The story has been penned  in parts, often switching the sequence of events. And this keeps the reader on the edge of the seat. 
I however found that the sheer enormity of the book is a tad bit overwhelming. Since the subject is so intense, the story may have required that kind of elaboration and fastidious attention to details but half way through the book, I was tempted to give it up. 
Mujh se tu puch ne aaya hai wafa ke maane, 
Ye teri saada dili maar na dale mujh ko!
Kirtida Gautam has successfully woven Ghazal lyrics and also nursery rhymes into the fabric of the prose, adding flavour and variety. They uncannily fit into place too!
At 592 pages if you manage to read each and every word of it, this book is quite an epic in itself. Kirtida seems to have researched the various topics around which the story rotataes, like Indian Juvenile Law, Cryptanalysis, etc. Being a clinical psychologist, I shoudl have pre-empted that the storyline would be this intense. Quick, light, easy, such words will definitely not be used while describing the kind of reading material #IAm16ICanRape makes for!
Despite the volume of the book, the editing has been kept quite tight and the quality of the paperback is definitely good. I hope all the readers read and assimilate every last word of this painstakingly written book project. Soul-stirring in its format, this book has the potential to bring about a paradigm shift in Indian society.
Wishing the author luck for her next thriller in the making....



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