If the book wished to look like a diary, it kind of succeeds, though I believe it is more akin to a magazine.
I have no cause to fault the book. Except that it is a bit heavy. But that is thanks to the art paper used and the number of pages between the covers. Which in turn is thanks to the pink confection being peppered with illustrations, girlie pictures and full-page photos of Kareena. Some of them with Saif.
If the book wished to look like a diary, it kind of succeeds, though I believe it is more akin to a magazine. In fact, almost all the common sense, straight-from-her-heart sounding information in the diary/book is stuff one has been reading endlessly over the years in magazines. Shobha herself would have probably churned out similar stuff, except for the fact that the magazines she edited tried their darnedest to break the mould and succeeded too!
I know I have in my junior days written such stuff.... Eat six times a day, drink plenty of water, wear one piece of jewellery and don’t clutter your body, hairstyles for face types, clothes for body types and so on.
This is an interestingly put together book for the average teen with stars in her eyes (or at least Kareena)—one ready reckoner that takes place of friend, sister, aunt, whatever. Such books have their definite uses, and I wish this one well.
My only request is for Penguin to change portions of its publicity blurb. How to get to size zero is not politically correct for a book aimed at teens (though their mums might also dip into it). Besides, remember, Kareena only talks about her encounter with size zero as a one-off experiment!