'Chosen': Book by debut teenage author tells story on mental health through songs

Written by 17-year-old Suyash Dasgupta, the unique book, which claims to delve into the less spoken aspects of male mental health, would see readers flipping through pages having QR codes that lead them to songs narrating the story.Many people my age do not spend their free time reading, but many still spend lots of time listening to music.

A new verse novel, touted as a ''multisensory experience'', uses original rap and hip-hop songs to narrate its story exploring teenage mental health.

The book, titled ''Chosen'', is published by Academic Foundation. Written by 17-year-old Suyash Dasgupta, the unique book, which claims to delve into the less spoken aspects of male mental health, would see readers flipping through pages having QR codes that lead them to songs narrating the story.

''Many people my age do not spend their free time reading, but many still spend lots of time listening to music. I wanted to build a more explicit relationship between my novel and music. I decided to write and produce my own songs and integrate them into the storyline of my novel, creating a multisensory experience,'' said the Singapore-based debutant author.

The story revolves around Mason, an eighth-grade student at a school in Michigan, US. With his mother, a drug addict, out of picture he lives with his physically abusive alcoholic father.

Known for taking out his emotions on his peers at school, 'bully' Mason doesn't have any friends in his school, except Jordan -- who seems to be the favourite of every student.

''Mason, the bully, internally, loves to write and wants to follow his passions of poetry. Jordan, the faithful role model, dives into drugs and alcohol in his free time. Following Mason's father's death, Mason and Jordan discover Mason's father's old music and take time to discover what events lead to his father turning into the man he became, while simultaneously dealing with the question: 'Do we truly have a choice in who we become?''' shares the publisher in its description of the book.

The book, priced at Rs 395, is presently available for sale at online and offline stores. The proceeds from the sale would be used to support students at Anandalaya Public School in Jharkhand.