The
Stranger Trilogy released its last book and when I got my hands on it, I assure
you I didn't keep it down until I finished it.
Every
person doesn't read the same book, I've heard. And I'm here to give my opinion
only on the book I've read. Interpretations differ and opinions vary. I know I
have a very insignificant amount of readers on my blog but The Stranger trilogy along with its review will
have a message. A message to everyone out there who find this book reasonable. A message
on why the moral of this story was wrong.
The
book was written in a very thrilling and exciting way where one cannot wait for
the next twist to unfold where things only get even more twisted. The book had me hooked to the very end but
the very end is what I had a problem with. Also coming to think of it, I have
my issues with the very beginning as well.
Warning:
Spoilers down here…
If
the Stranger trilogy was a story about one woman who had a stranger following
her, and her life turning and twisting in unimaginable ways since he became a
part of her life…I would have been much more supportive of this story right
now. Turns out it's not.
Stranger is not a single person intruding
a life of someone he specifically targeted. Stranger
or after the story you'd know, 'Strangers'
are apparently a group of emotional surgeons who operate on emotions of people
and help them find the better versions of themselves. Okay first of all, How do
you pick these people? Randomly? That makes it ridiculously illegal son.
Secondly WHY?? Why would anyone bother what kind of emotional betterment
another person needs unless they both are related in some way.
These
questions were not meant to be sarcastic, but even J.K Rowling took at least
half of the first Harry Potter book to make it convincing that the world of
witchcraft exists. She still is trying and succeeding pretty well btw. Not that
anyone doesn't know. Anyways, throwing
in an underground committee called 'Emotional surgeons' (Most bizarre thing I
heard this year) in the end of the last book in trilogy and that too with an
explanation up to only one page, is not
doing any good in convincing the readers on the realism of the story.
The
dialogues in the book did not hit the feel enough either. I could not feel the
trauma of a person who realized they were the reason behind someone's death. A
good thriller works when the characters care. I didn't feel enough care in
anyone. Only shocking turn of events.
Who
are these Strangers? Whom do they target? Why they target them? Why bother in
the first place? What's the backstory? And most importantly, Are you guys
getting paid for being stalkers? On no, let me correct that, Emotional surgeons?
The
stranger trilogy, especially now that has come to an end has disappointed me majorly
because it never touched the one issue staring right at the face. STALKING.
EXTREMELY DISTURBING LEVELS OF STALKING. Not only did the books never gave a
solution or any depth to this issue but also very successfully romanticized it, which is one of the
major problem with storytelling in our country. Romanticizing abuse,
romanticizing women's submissiveness, romanticizing stalking and every other
bloody trauma that a woman is suffering.
With
so much issues that had to be dwelled upon in the content, I really hoped the
writer would empower his character, give a solution where she puts an end to
the stalking. Guess people still live in
a Bollywood trance and aren't getting out of it for a very long time.
With
much disappointment, I rate 'Forget Me Not, Stranger' with 2 stars for the
thrilling trip until it reached the climax.
