The Reason Is You Review: The Story Of Real People Looking For Real Love While Dealing With Real-World Problems
Nikita Singh, known for her expertise in romance fiction, is back with the continuation of Siddhant’s story from ‘Like a Love Song’. With ‘The Reason Is You’ Singh has dabbled her pen in mental health and depression. The book also transverses to Siddhant and Maahi’s love story, which did not meet it’s happy ending the last time they came together.
The title ‘The Reason Is You’ doesn’t give away much except its possible genre. Even after reading the synopsis I went into it with a blank mind without having a lot of expectations. I’m glad I did so because the realistic characters and immersive storytelling struck a chord with me. Nothing in the book felt farce as every event had a reason and every character had a purpose.
The Reason Is You by Nikita Singh
Publisher: HarperCollins India
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Siddhant meets Akriti during their medical residency in Delhi. Their connection is instant, blossoming from the many similarities between them. So, when Akriti faces a devastating loss, she leans on Siddhant for support. In the heat of an emotional moment, the two decide that this must be love.
But as Akriti’s depression begins to take a stronger hold over her, she spirals out of control, sinking deeper into an abyss of fear, insecurity and rage. And while Siddhant struggles to help her, it seems like everything he does is only making things worse.
Meanwhile, Siddhant’s life gets further complicated when Maahi, his ex-girlfriend whom he never stopped loving, re-enters his life.
(Book blurb as on back cover)
I LIKE ‘The Reason Is You’ Because,
…I really appreciate Singh’s effort at touching a sensitive topic as depression in the most matured and realistic way possible. Belonging to a generation where movies (read Pyaar Ka Punchnama) slam women for being manipulative and scheming it is a fresh change to see someone try to explain (if not justify) the reason behind what people perceive as ‘conniving’. I’ll be very honest here and say that Indian romance is not my cup of tea. I used to read Durjoy Dutta’s books back in college but did not really explore the other writers in the same genre. I have read a lot about Nikita Singh’s books but was never drawn to reading any of her books. Even when I read the synopsis of the book, I did not have a lot of expectations from this book. But I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book and her emphasis on the importance of taking mental health seriously.
In this book, Akriti is going through a tough phase and despite being a doctor, does not know how to handle her current state. Life’s adversities get to her and she vents it out on her boyfriend Siddhant only to backtrack later and apologize profusely for her actions. What I like most about Akriti is how real she is and what I like about Siddhant is how unreal he is. Akriti is suffering from depression and spirals downwards often beyond her control. She is not a bad person per se but her mental condition drives her to do stuff she would not be doing otherwise.
If Akriti was real then Siddhant too was very realistic a character. And I am not saying this as a hard-core romantic but as someone who understands what Siddhant tries to do in the story. When Akriti suffers, Siddhant is often at the receiving end. He too suffers but without complaining. As a reader, you might find it baffling to understand why Siddhant is putting up with all the abuse. But, what people fail to understand is that Siddhant is a ‘healer’ personality. Healers are those rare humans who are highly compassionate and take it upon themselves to ensure others happiness. Siddhant is not just a regular romance hero who is unrealistically loving and caring toward the girl he loves. He genuinely cares for Akriti, understands her condition and tries to help her by being her punching bag. He does stuff he doesn’t want to do just to see her happy because he feels that if he does not do it then Akriti might suffer alone. It is clear that Singh has either done a lot of research or has had some kind of experience to create such unique and real characters.
…I also appreciate the way Singh has shown the consequences of neglecting a serious mental condition. In the book, despite being well aware of her condition, Akriti defers seeking professional help. She promises Siddhant and herself of seeing a shrink but she never really gets to doing it till life gets totally out of her control. Had she gotten herself treated earlier she would not have done the things she later feels regretful about. The importance of getting oneself treated is effectively addressed in the book.
…I surprisingly liked Singh’s writing. Since ‘The Reason Is You’ was the first book I was reading of hers, I didn’t know what to expect. As I started reading the book I was completely immersed in it as her writing gently gripped my attention and kept it that way till the end.
I Do NOT Like ‘The Reason Is You’ Because,
…of the third angle in the book. This book extends Siddhant and Maahi’s love story which is supposed to touch the prospect of ‘second shot at love’. With Siddhant and Akriti going through such a tumultuous time adding an ex-flame did not really appeal to me. I understand that Maahi is an imperative part of Siddhant’s story but the way their story develops in this book did not feel right to me. I’m sure even Maahi in the book agrees with it. 😉 Maahi was a kind of a distraction from the main story to me. Perhaps, like Siddhant, I too sympathise with Akriti which is why I don’t like Maahi one bit in the story.
Final View: Classified as a romance novel, ‘The Reason Is You’ is not your regular ‘love story’. The characters in the story are as real as can be. This rare genuine tale of connection and care strips human emotions bare and shows how to and how not to deal with complex feelings. Read it for insight on depression and how genuine love and care can help curb it.
You can check out Amazon.in for a discount on this book.
**This book is a review copy but the opinion in this post is unbiased and 108% my own.
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