Excelsior Correspondent
Young minds are a perfect breeding ground for ideas with unlimited expansion and universe of unlimited possibilities. However, it is rare for a young lad to put his thoughts into words and express his potential through a book. POWER BOY! THE BEGINNING by Prasiddh Goel is one such brilliant effort by an 11-year-old who has managed to create and communicate his world with the right nuances. While the book is about a superhero, it has a refreshing take on the theme, which brings in an element of intrigue and makes it an interesting read.
The book, through its seamlessly connected 12 chapters, has tried to unravel the family mystery in a young boy’s house leading to startling discoveries with one incident leading to another. The book has all the trappings of a gripping mystery, action, humor, and social messaging. The writing is simple, lucid and engaging, and one constantly wants to know the happenings in the next chapter. The book highlights the possibilities of having superheroes in our everyday life, and the use of powers responsibly and for the goodness of mankind. The book shall be an interesting read for young and old alike. Surprisingly, the adult readers would also feel as engrossed reading this book as the target audience of 10 – 12 years old.
The story begins with the protagonist leading a normal 11-year old’s life. However, he soon finds out a secret about his family which is beyond his belief. This sets in motion a series of adventures which he is not prepared for, but is compelled to undertake for the larger good of the society. As the story progresses, the transformation of the child has been treated with maturity, making the reader empathise with him. Coming from the child author, who is 11 years old, this is amazing.
The initial chapters lay the foundation for the plot which evolves as the story progresses. The young author has kept the element of mystery alive in all the chapters. This makes the book unputdownable and keeps the reader fully immersed in the adventure as it unfolds. It is commendable that at the young age of 11 years, Prasiddh has been able to keep the interest going, ending each chapter with a teaser, leaving the reader asking for more.
Prasiddh’s has taken care of keeping the moral element in place, making this book an apt one for the readers of ages 10 – 12 years. Coming from a child author of the same age group, this is much welcome and is a sign of the author’s maturity. While conveying the moral principles, Prasiddh has ensured to keep the fun element alive throughout the book and has consciously stayed away from sermonising. Even though this book is relatively short, it has all the elements to keep the reader hooked till the end. This book shows how brevity and creativity can prepare an engaging concoction.
The author has been careful while building the plot and the characters, laying emphasis on the details. At the same time, the narrative has been kept simple and conversational, while being fast paced. The story races through the pages and offers an edge-of-the-seat thrill. Its almost as if you are physically present in every scene and are witnessing the unfolding adventure firsthand, in person. Such an eye for detail is a good indicator of the young author’s observation, imagination, and creativity. With a firm handle on these aspects, one can visualise the future works of the author to be even more intriguing.
Overall, “POWER BOY! THE BEGINNING” makes a dashing entry into the world of children’s fiction literature. Such a book by a Indian child author is a welcome change from the routine adventure stories written mostly by foreign adult authors. The book is relatable to both the children as well as the adults. And the credit for that goes to Prasiddh for the way he has treated the story.
An 8th Grader, Prasiddh Goel is a voracious reader based in Gurgaon who, along with his school studies, is a budding author. His other interests are sketching, guitar, singing and football. He often participates in debates and discussions. As Prasiddh states, this is the first book in the POWER BOY series and more books are expected in the future.
His book is available on AMAZON. I am sanguine that he shall be a force to reckon with in the times to come in the landscape of books and authors.
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