Title: The Disappointing 5
Author: Bobanga
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
First Publication: 2020
Language: English
Book Review: The Disappointing 5 by Bobanga
Akash Malhotra is the poster child of a teenage rebel. He drinks alcohol, smokes cigarettes, and is an all-round anti-social. But he is not the only one with problems. His best friend, Dhruv Kapoor, thinks the answer to all his problems is bullying others, particularly the school’s smartest boy, Robin Alberto. His other best friend, Sunayna Mahapatra, who thinks she is too mature for things like teenage romance, is also up for a huge surprise.
Akash also has another secret: his relationship with the school’s most popular girl, Bindya Shah.
Akash thinks his life couldn’t get any crazier; until he comes face-to-face with a young homeless boy and uncovers the dangerous world of child trafficking. Oh, and he is pretty sure his mother is hiding a dark family secret…
Will Akash and his friends survive the trials and tribulations of teenage life? or will they be consumed by them? One thing is for certain: they will not go down without a fight.
Book Review: The Disappointing 5 by Bobanga
There comes a moment in our lives that greatly changes us, greatly affects us. This definitive moment that can either change a person for the good, or for the worst. This one moment that would determine who we are and after nothing is ever the same. That moment is the central point of our lives, we measure every experience by it. It can be an awakening, a culmination of something, the start of a journey, a lucky break, a union, a war, and even a tragic loss. And for every person, it only happens once.
The Disappointing 5 is a heavier teen novel. One where kids are in a school learning the life lessons. The story follows five teenagers from the St. Xavier’s School, Akash Malhotra, Bindya Shah, Dhruv Kapoor, Sunayna Mahapatra and Robin Alberto. Everyone has some hidden secrets. From the crazy school life to the scary world of child trafficking, this book will take you on a roller-coaster ride.
The Disappointing 5 is an entertaining, heart-breaking read that really messes with your mind until the very end. The writing, while not for everyone I’m sure, had me mesmerized. The story explores love, lust, loss and longing. The cast is large, and the dark, twisted fairy-tale-like quality is ever-present inside this tale revolving around greed, power, and material things. It did take me a bit to get all the characters and different dis-accords in order and to make sense of what’s being conveyed at times, but this is clearly purposeful.
This is one of those stories that is so difficult to summarize/review. What I can say is that author Bobanga’s characters are easy to relate with. There are so many great moments in this story. In spite all the booze and mischief, this book is thought-provoking and it will leave your mind dancing with questions too.
Author Bobanga wrote the all-rounded characters in The Disappointing 5 because if you look, you can find a bit of yourself in each of them. It was the characters that really sold this story for me. Each individual has such an enigmatic and powerful presence, with their profound insights and unique passions making them more human than character. Akash was not the most immediately likable character but, weirdly, that is exactly what makes him… well, likable.
I also liked particularly school settings and so I, early on, envisioned great things for this book. This feeling was enhanced by each chapter heading, until some grand and unknown event. It infused each scene with tension and made every small sorrow that much more poignant. The story also has a touch of philosophy in it. There is a serious and thoughtful air present. This coming-of-age novel is gorgeous and is written in simple and lucid language. The book is not only serious and thoughtful, but also has a humorous side which as a whole makes it wonderful and absolutely worth reading.
