BOOK REVIEW: The Longest Ride on the Kincham Express by Divya Johry

Divya Johry’s latest book The Longest Ride on the Kincham Express is a contemporary fiction about five travelers. It is a tale that summarises different human aspects in one journey that seems long enough. Thus, making the plot of the book intriguing.

The plot includes five characters: Amaaya, Sujoy, Neil, Mihir and Trisha who are chosen by their organization to embark on a journey with a task of accomplishing by travel back along with a criminal baba. The plot is interesting from the start when a reader is being introduced to these different personalities without much knowledge of what they were chosen to do. Each personality shows different traits throughout the book by not agreeing as unibody on the matters that seem to have an adverse effect on their lives later on.

Their journey gets more complicated when they encounter a mysterious group of strangers that bring out their worst fears. The emotions that flow with them backed by each character’s history or background as if to justify why are they behaving in the present timeline in a distinct manner.

The use of subplot by introducing a mysterious group of people could have been a plot in itself but I had trouble understanding the scope of it. Because it does not match with the main plot and does diverse a reader’s attention from the locus of the book. The secrets these personalities possess could have taken a different route to expose in front of others and to the reader, a much shorter one. But that is just my point of view.

From page one, I was hooked by the writing style of the author. She does choose her words carefully but it did occur to me the words are in such a flow that makes the writing pleasurable to read. From a reader’s perspective, I think her writing style is excellent. A great sign to keep an eye on her future books. The narrative style is the third person and it does fit both the writing style of the author and the plot overall.

If you decide to read this book, I would say go for it but do enjoy the highly appreciable writing style of the author and her way to bring life through words.