9 to 5 Cubicle Tales – Bonds of Friendship

“True friends aren’t the ones who make your problems disappear. They are the ones who won’t disappear when you’re facing problems.” — Unknown

Review by Ms. Shreeti S

What was your initial reaction when you heard the Title of the Book?  

My first reaction and thought after hearing the title was it will be a book about daily office life of a person and the challenges one faces after joining the corporate world.

Did you find it meaningful, why or why not?  

It’s a very meaningful book for me because there are formalities and challenges that most of the people face once they start with their corporate life. The issues one faces are quite complicated, but they are explained in the book quite simply and in an easy language.

 

What did you think of the writing style and content structure of the book?  

The book is very well written. It’s an easy read with basic grammar that any person can understand. The character development is slow and progressive. Depiction of each scene and other basic objects is very vivid such that it could be imagined easily. The content is structured in such a manner that it will make you stick to the book as the end of each chapter will make you think what’s going to happen next.

Which location in the book would you most like to visit and why?  

USA is the place where I would like to visit. I want to explore the culture food festivals and people there. In the book the protagonist Hridaan celebrates Indian festivals in USA which I also want to celebrate in a similar manner.

How did the book make you feel? What emotions did it evoke?  

The book has a roller coaster of emotions. There are parts where I smiled and recollected the similar incidents with my family and friends. There are incidents where I had mixed feelings (joy and sorrow); but I was encouraged while reading Hridaan’s journey into the corporate life. The book is highly relatable, so one can feel and understand the mental and emotional states of the characters in the novel.

Which character did you most relate to and why?  

Hridaan is the person I could relate to as I, being in a phase where I am starting my corporate journey could easily relate with the struggles of getting a job. Like Hridaan I also have some goals to achieve, dreams to fulfill and targets to meet.

Did the characters seem believable to you? Did they remind you of anyone you know?  

Characters in the novel seemed very believable. Hridaan’s friend circle reminds me of my friends, who share a special bond of friendship with me. The conversations among Hridaan and his friends are engaging and informative but also light-hearted and friendly.

Did the author do a good job of organizing the plot and moving it along?  

The story is well paced and organized in a structured manner. Each chapter is given its due attention, and everything is properly explained without any rush. The Story revolves around the protagonist who has ups and downs in his personal and professional life which is explained beautifully. As the story moves, we have addition of new people, each with different character and nature. The author has given equal attention to the character development of these side characters as given to Hridaan.

Would you recommend the book to your friend/colleague/family members with similar bookish interests? 

Absolutely! I would recommend the book to my colleagues, family and friends.

Describe the book using 5 words/adjectives.

  • Exciting
  • Engaging
  • Optimistic
  • Outstanding
  • Expressive

If you got the chance to ask the author of this book one question, what would it be? 

My question to the author would be “When is the next book releasing?”

What do you think of the book’s cover? How well does it convey what the book is about? 

The books cover design is well made. The cover has images of a cubicle with a personal computer along with picture of books, dollar symbol and UNO cards. It is simply conveying that book revolves around the corporate life journey where there is fun and games but also work and money involved. Also, there are outline maps of Pune, Mumbai and USA which shows that the story involves travelling.

What was your favorite part of the book? 

The most favorite part in the book for me was the Friday game session. The chapter is so well written with such enthusiasm that it forms a thrilling and exciting feeling to know who is going to win the game. Additionally, some clues given to the characters in the game are written in a poetry format. It shows that the author Harish has a skill of forming poems along with writing novels.

Were you satisfied with the story ending? If you weren’t, how would you resolve things differently? 

The ending is very well written. It ends on a cliffhanger and makes us want to know how will the next phase of Hridaan’s life be. Eagerly waiting for the next part of the novel to be released.

Tell us more about yourself   

Shreeti S – I have completed my graduation in bachelor’s in Medical Technology. Currently I am pursuing my Healthcare Management from Welingkar Institute, Mumbai. I am a Healthcare professional and have worked in different hospitals in Pune during graduation. I’m a person with optimistic approach and a reading enthusiast.

Grab a copy of the Kindle/Print version via Amazon. The print version in India can also be ordered from the Pothi (the publisher).