A heart-warming tale of love and friendship
It was another one of those lazy Sunday afternoons when I decided to pick this book. It was lying on the shelf since more than a week now. Even though I always felt I wanted to read it, I never got the time. So yesterday morning (rather afternoon) when I woke up from my beauty sleep I decided I just need to cancel my plans for the day and start reading this one. Yes! So ‘Never Kiss Your Bestfriend’ it was.
I’ve known Sumrit since the time his first book ‘Just Friends’ released way back in 2010. It was a rather amusing book by a 17-year-old which went on to become a national bestseller. That’s what intrigued me to pick up his next book ‘A lot like love, a little like chocolate’ (2011) and I liked it. I was a teenager too, and could totally connect to these books. And when I got to know that a sequel to his first book is about to release in May 2015, I was rather excited and got myself a copy knowing what to expect. And man! Was it beautiful?
Sumrit Shahi
‘Never Kiss Your Best friend’ is a tale of two youngsters Tanie and Sumer, who after meeting in the prequel to this book had become best friends, rather soul mates. The story is narrated from the female protagonist’s point of view and set in three different locations- Chandigarh (their hometown and a place where they attended school), Delhi (where they attended college) and finally Mumbai (where they meet five years later). The book redefines the meaning of friendship.
It is a simple yet amusing story of the vivacious and smart Tanie and the hormonally charged and filmmaking enthusiast Sumer. The story starts with 25 years old Tanie who meets Sumer after five years of separation. You need to read the book to know whether they kissed. *wink* The book gradually takes us to their past and narrates their friendship story over the years and how they had fought, lost each other and made up every time. The line ‘He smiled. She smiled. Problem solved’, after every scene is rather sweet. Even though it’s carried from ‘Just Friends’ it doesn’t look cliché or redundant.
There isn’t anything great about the plot. And if you are looking for something hardcore, this isn’t the book. But if you are a hopeless romantic, emotionally charged and give more importance to relationships over anything else, this is a book for you. It’s as simple as the title and the blurb suggests. There’s nothing more complicated in the book than Sumer’s life. Sumrit just has a way with words. Even though there is no use of sophisticated vocabulary, the words are seamlessly woven to give rise to this beautiful book that’ll make you fall in love with the friend you have ‘friendzoned’ for too long.
It explores the emotions of youngsters at different age groups and shows us how different people tend to face or run away from the problems that are engulfing them. And it also has the stay-away-from-drugs message passed on through the final letter that Sumer writes to Tanie. I personally liked the book. It is witty and funny. ‘Never Kiss Your Bestfriend’ is the book you should definitely pick up for light reading over the weekend. It will take you into the past and make you dwell into memories that seem too distant due to your busy life. It has the ability to take to back to your high school and college days and make you reminisce about the best part of your life that cannot be replayed.
About the author:
Author of ‘Just Friends’ and ‘A Lot Like Love…A Li’l Like Chocolate’, 22 year old Sumrit Shahi is one of the youngest bestselling authors in the country. He is also the screenwriter for the popular shows, Sadda Haq and Million Dollar Girl, on Channel V.
Month and year of Publication: May 2015
Publisher: Rupa Publications India
Language: English
No. Of pages: 206
Rating: 3.5/5
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