BOOK REVIEW: ONCE UPON AN IAS EXAM

ONCE UPON AN IAS EXAM

AUTHOR: K. VIJAYAKARTHIKEYAN

PUBLISHER: RUPA PUBLICATIONS INDIA

GENRE: CONTEMPORARY FICTION

PUBLICATION DATE: 20th OCTOBER, 2018

FORMAT: PAPERBACK

PAGES COUNT: 138

GOODREADS RATING: 4.19/5 (32 Ratings)  

MY RATING: 3.5/5


BLURB:
Vishy's worst nightmare-failing the UPSC's Civil Services exam-has come true. He is plagued by insecurity, fear and doubts. The mother of all competitive examinations has rejected him and he needs a reason to live. So, what does he do? He tells his best friend Rithika, 'I love you. Will you marry me?' 

In Once Upon an IAS Exam, twenty-five-year-old Vishy tries to overcome the uncertainty and confusion about his future and figure out ways of convincing Rithika to marry him. Things turn even more interesting, funny and emotional as Vishy reattempts to conquer 'Mount IAS'. As he tries to take his academic and love life towards safety, he seeks refuge in the world of IAS coaching centres. 

Set in the bustling Civil Services exam coaching hub of Anna Nagar in Chennai, this book is a hilarious account of the actuality, stress and struggle faced by millions of candidates who prepare year after year for one of India's toughest exams. Join Vishy as he sets out to prove his mettle to the world-and himself. Will Rithika accept the love of her best friend? Will Vishy overcome his sense of failure? Will there be a happily ever after?

MY REVIEW:

'Once upon an IAS Exam' is a story that revolves around Vishy and his friends and their attempt to crack the UPSC Civil Services Exam.

Vishy, the protagonist of the story is someone who does not want himself to be tied to the mechanical 'office-home-office' routine. He is a mechanical engineer but does not want to be around machines . He wants bigger challenges in his life and getting into the Indian Administrative Service is his dream. But unfortunately, he fails to clear the IAS prelims in his first attempt. Although broken, Vishy decides to give it another shot! He enrols himself in a coaching centre and starts studying again in the hope of clearing the exam. Meanwhile, he proposes his best friend Rithika. 

So what happens next? Will Vishy be able to crack the examination this time? Is Rithika going to accept him? Read the book to find it out!

'Once upon an IAS exam' was a very light read and a feel good kind of a story. The novel portrays all the stress and turmoil a student has to go through while preparing for competitive examinations and especially the mother of all such exams, Indian Administrative Service! It also shows the excessive amount of money the coaching centres charge in return for helping the students.

The sole reason I picked up this book was because I am too preparing for competitive examinations and wanted to know if I could relate to it, and I am glad that I did. It is a short story of about 138 pages and humorously narrated. I had a good laugh while reading it! The language was simple and neat. The narrative style was neither too fast nor too slow, but however I felt that it was a little rushed. And at times, the story jumped from one part to another, leaving the former part incomplete.

The characters of Vishy and his friends were well-etched. The way Vishy handled the pressure of the examinations was very commendable. Other than Vishy, I loved the character of Rithika, who supported Vishy in every way possible. 

The cover of the book is very funny and the title is quirky! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would definitely recommend to the people who are preparing for competitive examinations to give it a read. You can also pick this up if you want to read something short or light!

To buy a copy of this book, click on the link here 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 Dr K. Vijayakarthikeyan is a medico turned bureaucrat currently working as commissioner, Coimbatore Municipal Corporation, and is the youngest ever officer to have held this charge. He is well known for his hugely popular initiatives as an IAS officer and has won several awards and accolades for his pioneering work in land, solid waste and urban management. He has authored three Tamil bestsellers-Ethum Doorathil IAS, Adhuvum Idhuvum and Orey Kallil 13 Maangai. On sunny weekends, he can be found wreaking havoc on the cricket ground with his explosive batting and deceptive spin. 


*I received a copy of the book from Vinfluencers in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.*


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