Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsSkin Deep Dilemmas!
Reviewed in India on 5 October 2019
Really Long Review Alert!!
Do we really know our loved ones? Are ever really sure that the face we see each day, cherish, nurture and love each day is not a facade?
Damyanti shatters a lot of assumptions in her book You Beneath Your Skin. It is not just a thriller trying to figure out the dark underbelly of Delhi but also the privileged criminals. The ones, who are whisked away under the garb of being too young, too rich, too powerful or just being born into privilege.
Anjali is trying to find the mother for a young girl, hoping to keep the siblings safe until the mother is found. A kind soul with enough problems of her own yet she puts in that extra bit to ensure the ones less fortunate have a chance.
Jatin the cop who tries to keep his path as clear as possible but as they say that if you work in the coalmines, you will catch the sooth. So does he, but what I found both predictable and relevant was how the crime follows him home.
For the longest time, I felt his wife was the greyest character in the story but there were surprises till the last page. The belligerent son, the self-absorbed father or the slick politician; or could it be the silly social worker- the suspects were many. The initial story about the love affair and the gruesome acid-induced murders felt a bit obvious considering it was Delhi and its crimes of passion but the story picked up with the unrelenting twists soon enough. Damyanti manages to tie all the ends, unravel all the knots and remind us that nothing is as it seems!
Well written and twisted with a balanced dose of reality, You Beneath Your Skin is an interesting story. The title is so perfect!!
You Beneath Your Skin is a crime-thriller that follows the lives of Anjali and Jatin. As the victims pile up, both of them are pulled in the murky business of drugs, poverty and corruption. I was up all night reading the book trying to find out if Anjali would fall into this corrupt void or is it Jatin who takes the fall.
The killers, the politicians, or the boys; who are the key players? Why is a simple, supportive, honest, kind woman being dragged into this mess? Can saving a life mean giving up your own? Or is it a loved one who doesn’t love you anymore? All these questions kept me reading no-stop.
You Beneath Your Skin is a pager-turner, emotional, heart-wrenching story with excellent writing. The author has portrayed a vivid picture of the dark underbelly of crimes against women, children and how innocents are sacrificed.
A book with a message, of not just love, acceptance but also of never giving up on yourself and your loved ones.
The book will tug at your heartstrings not just for the innocent in peril but also the subtle instances of love and emotions. The tiny gestures of love and endearment between Anjali and Jatin. The sweet and solid mother and son understanding. The brother who is a tough guy but a softy for his sister. I especially loved the subtle story arc of Pawan and Maya, keep an eye out for them and the simple yet powerful declaration by Pawan that made me a fan!
The most important reason I loved the book is the voice it gives to the innocent, voiceless victims. The mothers who are abused, killed and forgotten. The little girls who are sold, used as puppets, while their family is thankful for a member who can earn, no matter how! The author proceeds of You Beneath Your Skin go to the Project Why and Acid Attacks Victims. This makes it even more relevant since not only does the author talk about them in her book but also shows the misery they face.
You must read You Beneath Your Skin not just to know who you and your loved ones really are but to understand that no one truly knows anyone perfectly.
Gritty, edgy yet subtle, Damyanti’s writing will keep you awake!
