I THINK I AM IN LOVE BY DEVANSHI SHARMA: A Novel that Inspires

The art of the novel, in its serious and most fruitful form, deals with the questions of existence. This is one of the features of a good novel, I think. A novel should discuss in its unique way something about our life and the environment, the background of life.

I think I am in Love is a novel by Devanshi Sharma. This is her third novel. The simple and captivating title of the book reflects the spirit of the novel. It is written in simple English. The author's voice breaks into the narration of the novel on several occasions to exchange warm humour with the reader. When I say simple English, I mean the English that we use to communicate with each other daily in the streets, or market places or among our friends in college. Meera and Ishaan met as colleagues. Meera is a rookie in the office. She is also an aspiring blogger whose fashion blog has already found its audience even before she landed on her new job after graduation. Ishaan is drawn to her. But he only wants her to succeed as a fashion blogger. Meera, on the other hand, wants to have a life.

Devanshi Sharma's portrayal of characters is matchless. The moment you start reading this book, the relationship these two characters exhibit and the electric vibe between them pulls us into their story. All characters in this novel are portrayed so well that they seem very real to the reader. I think I am in Love appealed to me from the first page itself only because of the character sketch. It's a character-driven romance. Usually, formulaic fiction attempts to move its story based on a plot structure. They are often plot-driven. This, however, is not the case with I Think I am in Love.

Certain WhatsApp text chats are given in the book that takes place between the two protagonists. These chats are given in the form of style of real chats. This fulfils the postmodernist nature of the novel. I think I am in Love is a short novel. Its layout is good and is easy to read while travelling. This book comes in a weightless edition. It's easy to keep it in your bag suitcase for a long journey on road. It can be finished in a single sitting. I'd say that it's an ideal travel companion on your regular bus or train journeys to college or office.

This book is essential to every new writer in India due to two reasons. The first one is that I think I am in Love does not capitalize on a romantic story alone. It shows the inspiring story of a writer, Meera, the fashion blogger. The second reason is that this book uses the language of the common people. In India, writing in English might alienate several people from you. In I think I am in Love Devanshi Sharma uses the English language with a certain Indian twist.

The cover is pep and Srishti Publishers & Distributors have continued their good work in bringing out good quality fiction. While publishing a book like I think I am in Love in the Indian literary scene, the publisher's determination matters a lot. The author is just 23 years old. The subject of the book isn't an extraordinary one either. What is usually seen among publishers is an aversion to looking at books that are not sensational. However, Shrishti Publishers takes the risk and I think I am in Love proves to be a satiating read and a great entertainer.

Devanshi Sharma's previous books are No Matter What I Do and Imperfect Misfits. She hails from the city of Indore.