Bitch Goddess for Dummies- Maya Sharma Sriram - A Guest Blog

Okay, so yes this is my book and I have  a guest blogger reviewing it for me.
Disclaimer:
I have to admit , however there is bound to be an insider bias even now . The blogger is related to me

Scene: Pizza hut.  My friends  and I are talking about my mom’s book.

Friend: So, what is your mom’s book about?

Me: It’s the story of a woman who is trying to undergo a transformation, and she embarking on a process of self discovery. It’s all about how important it is to be yourself and not try and be something you’re not. You know, accept yourself.

My friends: wow! It sounds beautiful.

Then:

What is it called?

(pause)

Me: …”Bitch Goddess for Dummies”?

That is basically how “bitch goddess” goes too, a little self-mocking, a little tongue-in-cheek, really fun and cute. The story is a pretty simple one-Mira Iyer wants to become a Bitch Goddess, but how will she? She’s a wimp, and a responsible, sensible one at that (oh, the horror). So she decides to transform herself. She starts with a makeover and then changes the way she behaves too. She learns from and tries to defeat the ideal Bitch Goddess- her bête noir, Sanya,  the perfect woman. But things threaten to go too far once she falls for smooth Rohan and later ends up having to face her past and estranged family. What will happen to Mira now, with her life like a dormant volcano, ready to erupt and engulf her in the heat?

The novel isn’t a very serious one, and is clearly for fun value. If you’re looking for literary intensity, look elsewhere. This book is written for all the girls (and guys) who just wanna have a good time. The narrative is fast paced, but a little too much so in the middle, where one would really like to have a bit of emphasis on character rather than action and story. The language is good and as far as I can see it has no spelling errors; the writing is good.

The author has managed to pick up the mood and style of a chick lit really well and gives it her own, slightly smoother edge. The comedy is tongue-in-cheek and light. The issues in the story more often than not are sartorial. Talking about the clothes, they’re all tasteful and really cool.  The novel doesn’t have any of the clichés that everyone finds in chick lit these days.  The best thing is that the story is not a romance, but the story of a woman who is discovering herself, with romance as a subplot. The women in the story are all very strong role models and none of the characters, male or female are stereotypes, they all have a unique dimension or perspective. The story more or less laughs at itself. The funny Bitch Goddess rules are the funnest part. This book is on a low-steamy sex scene and absolutely-no-mush diet. The  book invites laughter, so on a low-key day, go ahead and pick it up, it’s the perfect recipe and has been proven to keep you riveted till the last page.   

Vishaka Sriram