Book Review: The Light in Blackout
Writing a book review is a task in itself, I feel so fortunate to chat, draw on the specialized knowledge of the writer and finally get a chance to do a review. This book grabbed my attention, the main character shares the name with my daughter, “Alizah Rizvi”, what a coincident, this review is being published today and it’s her birthday too. Love you Alizah, proper and shine.
People face different challenges in life and sometimes need the inspiration to keep them going. Various uncertainties come up in life while we are caught up in the expectation of something better.
Since life challenges are inevitable, people have no choice but to hang onto hope that someday, they
will make a breakthrough. The story of Alizah as narrated in ‘The Light in Blackout’ is a symbol of
hope that every aspiring reader needs to go through.
Alizah’s events in the book are so emotionally amazing that no part of her life is left untouched.
The author gives a prologue of the book, giving readers a captivating introduction to the novel and
also introduces some of the characters giving readers a glimpse of what the story entails. Dr. Naqvi’s
writing style uses flashbacks, vivid description, dialogue, and suspense. Uncertainty gives readers the
urge to know the next event pushing them to read further. Dr. Naqvi uses suspense in different sections
of this book, creating eagerness in the reader to find out the content of the next chapter, to answer
some of the itching questions and uncertainties and the turn that the novel might take.
Flashback has been used by the author effectively to unveil the past events that help in building up the
story providing information about the characters involved in the tale. For instance, the author takes the
readers back in time when Alizah was just a little girl, going around the happy moments of her life,
around her loving family. Beginning from Alizah’s childhood, days spent with her parents, siblings
-Amna and Arish, her best friend Meera, storytime with neighborhood grandma, the opening chapter
provide a perfect foundation and starting point for the book.
The following chapters bring out Alizah’s character, capturing her friendship moments with Meera
and Arish. Dialogue between characters gives the readers a hint of the challenges experienced by
Meera. The author uses the beginning chapters to pre-empt the upcoming battle in Alizah’s life. For
example, in a conversation with her mother, she seems genuinely concerned about her pet rabbits and
enquires from her mother why some rabbits never seem to come out of their dark burrows. The
mother vividly replies, ‘when it decides to come to light, it will! It will not matter then, how long it
has been in the darkness’.
As the story moves forward, Alizah’s picture-perfect childhood is suddenly transformed into a
difficult one when she gets diagnosed with epilepsy. While she struggles hard, dealing with the
enormous physical and psychological turbulence caused by the condition, she captivates the readers
with her strong-willed personality that is determined to persevere. However, the tough times and her
uniquely negative experiences circling around people perception, social stigma, doctor’s attitude, and
medical reports leaves her affected. The bright, bubbly and ambitious girl seems almost beaten down
by untimely seizures, enveloped in negative thoughts discouraging her from visualizing and chasing
her dreams. After reading, “The Light In Blackout”, author Dr. Farah Naqvi is assured of the top place among the best writers of her generation.
The author briefly portrays the teenage life of Alizah, where she discovers her fears and strengths. My
favorite lines from this chapter are the piece written by Alizah in her diary that she writes after putting
up a small act of courage.
“You cannot impair my dignity
You cannot hurt my pride
You can only stare at me but cannot influence my ride
I may pretend not to hear but,
I will not let you feed on my fear.
I will continue to soar and,
If needed, I will roar.”
Dr. Naqvi takes her readers through Alizah’s adolescent years, where she meets her favorite teacher
and a very compassionate neurologist. Their words of encouragement and faith in her abilities provide
Alizah with the much-needed motivation, and she strives to attain the best version of herself. When
Alizah leaves her home to pursue her MBA, she encounters newer challenges in life. She struggles to
be of help to her best friend, who is going through a grueling phase in her life. At the same time, she
has to ensure that she emerges successful from college and carve a career for herself. While going
through all this, she finds love in Sahil. Sahil always remains there for her though she has trouble
opening up to him.
Dialogue is one of the key techniques used by the author to create a sense of visualization. The
conversations presented in dialogues represent key themes and messages that are intended for the
readers to grasp. For instance, communications between Sahil and Alizah make you experience the
beauty of unconditional and the purest form of love. The conversation between Alizah and her
neurologist not only informs the readers about this medical condition that needs the attention of the
common man but also makes one believe that there is surely light at the end of the tunnel.
Varied intense emotions related to self-acceptance, embracing true love and overcoming the loss of
loved ones, all have been seamlessly woven in a manner that makes it relatable and unforgettable.
Experience proves to be inconsiderate and harsh many times when she meets another blow in her life,
losing Meera. However, looking on the bright side of her life, she gracefully strides through
everything realizing her dreams and finding meaning in life.
Though the author of this book, Dr. Farah Naqvi is a Ph.D. in Management she has revealed her innate
creative prowess in this book- ‘The Light in Blackout’. I would recommend this book to any individual
who is looking forward to reading an honest and simple story that touches the deepest chords of your heart. I am positive this book will turn into the bestseller.
