Crazy about cricket
'Tushar Raheja goes a step further from Anything for you Ma'am, as he tells the story of four school boys, Romi, Sukhi, Golu and Sunny - crazy about cricket, worshippers of Sachin Tendulkar, hate morning assemblies, and love adventure. They could have been anyone, but the passionate writing makes their story exclusive and personal. The story is littered with moments that make you go 'aww'. The book grips you with the strong story of friendship, and how care free boys evolve into mature men while playing the gentleman's game.
It is the equivalent of watching Lagaan. You know the author has lived by the 'Eat, drink, breathe' cricket mantra some time in life. The writing style in the book, set in a small town, Mauji, is such that you find yourself praying for every run, and a four, as Romi, the protagonist bats to thrash the opposing team.'
- Hindustan Times
More than just cricket
'The parts involving street fights, conflicts between seniors and juniors, ragging, procrastination of studies, Romi idolising Sachin and his father will remain etched on our memories...
Raheja takes a dig at the education system and also delineates the importance of sports in school...
Run Romi Run is a piquant tale of chasing your dreams and a reminder that there is some innocence left in everyone. It is a must read for all!'
- The Hindu
Fragrance of lost childhood
'Raheja steers clear of the obvious trap in writing such a book. Romi never comes across as a hero who figures out mysteries that have stumped adults, and there are no easy victories over life’s problems. This only makes the characters more believable, and Raheja has a good economy in narration - he removes lengthy buildups and long-drawn-out scenes, instead starting from where the action really begins, and filling in any background details as the scene goes on, keeping the story going at a smooth pace.
Run Romi Run is a good attempt to take on a difficult subject, the childhood years of someone...'
- Deccan Herald
A labour of love
'Run Romi Run has an endearing allure enveloping its tale of a cricket-obsessed boy from a lower middle-class family in a small north Indian town...
As a novel for young adults, set in Mauji, a fictitious town in the northern plains of India, Run Romi Run does well enough in absorbing the reader in the school-home-studies-cricket routine of the young protagonist and his three best friends. With a lump-in-the-throat beginning and ending, the narrative makes us grow fond of the four, who are at that stage of boyhood where life revolves around cricket...
Life in Mauji, a sort of Indian counterpart of the one-horse town of Westerns, comes alive and fleshes out the coming-of-age tale...
The book would appeal most to a reader like its cricket-loving protagonist.'
- Asian Age