Review by mrboswell1982 -- Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar

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mrboswell1982
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Latest Review: Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar

Review by mrboswell1982 -- Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar

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[Following is a volunteer review of "Mock My Words" by Chandra Shekhar.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Chandra Shekhar's Mock My Words is a riveting story about David Tan, a Chinese immigrant who is a successful author, but a struggling professor and husband. Surrounding David in this tale are his emotionally-distant wife, Laura—whose struggle to help a company rebuild its image after a major data breach provides a gripping subplot—and a college student, Melissa, who changes David's life in unexpected ways.

Mock My Words is an absolute page-turner that I rate 3 out of 4 stars. The story deals with many themes that will appeal to modern readers: the ups and downs of marriage, immigration and its attendant difficulties, and technology with all its benefits and potential dangers. I think that anyone who has experience with the modern American university, either as a student or especially as a professor or instructor, will definitely find this book relatable. It accurately portrays the difficulty of connecting with students, teaching those who are socially-conscious, and the behind-the-scenes struggles that take place between older professors and the newer generation of scholars. In addition to creating engaging storylines, Shekhar makes it easy for readers to delve into his story with his clear, crisp narrative. Especially remarkable is his ability to represent David's struggles with the English language in a way that avoids caricaturizing him.

The only criticisms, which by no means take away from the overall excellence of the book, deal with the storylines surrounding the women in David's life. First, because Shekhar undertakes the impressive endeavor of developing three distinct but connected plot lines, the story about Melissa at times seems unnecessary, especially since the majority of her story takes place outside of the realm of David's daily life and because her appearances are sporadic until the final chapters of the book. Granted, Melissa's purpose in the story becomes clear in the end, but until then, the reader is left wondering what she adds to the story.

Second, the reader is left with an unsatisfactory end to the story of Laura and David. In particular, Shekhar leaves many questions unanswered regarding Laura's treatment of David. Throughout the story, Laura frequently takes her frustration out on David and has little concern for his needs (in fact, her treatment verges on emotional abuse). She offers him only crumbs of affection and respect, which he hangs on to in hopes that they will be the seeds of a better relationship. While Laura often wonders why she cannot treat David with the same love with which he treats her, she never comes to a satisfactory answer. This lack of answers leaves the reader frustrated, yet it also hints at Shekhar's grasp of an uncomfortable truth of human relationships: sometimes there are no answers as to why people treat others the way they do, or if there are answers, they may not come when we feel we need them most.

Despite these minor weaknesses, Mock My Words is a compelling story. Like his main character, David Tan, Shekhar has written a book that will leave readers eagerly awaiting his future works.

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Mock My Words
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Jlblawrence
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Post by Jlblawrence »

I agree with the body of your review. I often felt that it was not necessary for me to know what was going on with Melissa. I had a strong feeling we were kept informed for a reason, but still it was a little much. And I completely agree with the unsatisfactory way that Laura was written out. I think that was the scene in the book I disliked the least. I just couldn't accept the coldness of her attitude. It just felt rushed in some ways. Thank you for the comprehensive review.
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