Some books don’t just tell a story — they become a part of you.
Preeti Shenoy’s Life Is What You Make It is one such book.
It doesn’t arrive with fanfare or noise; it quietly slips into your heart and rearranges the way you see life, love, and pain.
It’s the kind of story that reminds you how fragile yet fierce the human mind can be — how it breaks, bends, and still finds the courage to rebuild itself.
If you’ve ever stood at the edge of despair, trying to make sense of your own chaos, this is your mirror.
The Story Behind the Title: Life Is What You Make It
“Life Is What You Make It book”
Six simple words. A truth most of us forget while chasing everything that doesn’t matter.
Preeti Shenoy’s novel carries this truth in every chapter, every tear, every silent moment between Ankita’s breakdown and her rebirth.
Published in 2011 by Srishti Publishers, this contemporary Indian fiction novel isn’t just about love or loss — it’s about choice.
It’s about the quiet courage it takes to pick up the pieces when life doesn’t go your way.
Life is What You Make It Book Summary
At first glance, Ankita Sharma is just like any other young woman from the 1990s — ambitious, intelligent, and bursting with dreams.
She’s good at academics, adored by her friends, and admired by boys. Life seems perfect.
Until it isn’t.
The Spark of Youth
Ankita’s story begins with handwritten letters, campus crushes, and the heady rush of first love.
Her world is a mosaic of friendships, dreams, and rebellion — a portrait of India’s youth at a time when love was more handwritten than digital.
But what lies beneath her charm is a restless mind, one that wants more from life than what the world expects her to settle for.
When the Storm Breaks
As she steps into a new college and a new city, Ankita’s inner conflicts begin to surface.
She throws herself into academics and competitions, trying to prove herself.
But perfection comes with a price.
What begins as sleepless nights and bursts of energy spirals into something darker — a breakdown that shatters everything she built.
Preeti Shenoy doesn’t romanticize Ankita’s struggle. She doesn’t hide it under poetic lines or pity.
Instead, she strips it bare — the hospital rooms, the pills, the therapy sessions, the quiet rage of being misunderstood.
Ankita’s diagnosis? Bipolar disorder.
A phrase that carries weight even today, but in 2011, it was almost unspeakable in Indian fiction.
The Road to Redemption
Ankita’s healing begins in silence.
In her time at the mental health facility, she meets people who redefine what “normal” means.
Through therapy and reflection, she starts reclaiming her sense of identity — not as a patient, but as a survivor.
By the end, she learns what we all must: that life doesn’t happen to us; it happens through us.
And that power — that ability to rise again — belongs to every one of us.
Themes That Stay With You
Shenoy doesn’t just write a story; she plants emotions that grow inside you long after you’ve closed the book.
1. Mental Health Before It Was a Trend
Before social media hashtags and awareness campaigns, this book dared to whisper about the unspoken world of mental illness.
It offered compassion where society offered silence.
Through Ankita, Shenoy normalized therapy, acceptance, and the messy beauty of recovery.
2. The Power of Choices
The title isn’t metaphorical fluff. It’s a commandment.
Ankita learns — painfully, beautifully — that even when life spins out of control, we still have the freedom to choose how to respond.
That single act of choosing defines our tomorrow.
3. Love Beyond Romance
Yes, love is there — the kind that makes your pulse race and your heart ache.
But more than that, it’s about self-love — the kind that teaches you to forgive yourself for breaking down and to fall in love with who you’re becoming.
4. Resilience as a Form of Art
Preeti Shenoy paints resilience like a painter uses light — subtle yet powerful.
Ankita’s recovery is not linear; it’s raw and imperfect. But that’s what makes it real.
Writing That Feels Like a Heartbeat
Preeti Shenoy’s writing doesn’t demand your attention; it earns it.
She doesn’t hide behind metaphors or heavy language — her sentences breathe simplicity.
You can feel her empathy for Ankita in every word.
And that’s the mark of a storyteller who isn’t just telling a tale — she’s translating human emotion.
Shenoy’s background in psychology gives authenticity to her portrayal of bipolar disorder.
She handles it with care, dignity, and realism — something that’s still rare in mainstream Indian fiction.
Every reader finds a reflection of themselves in this book — maybe in Ankita’s confusion, her ambition, her anxiety, or her slow rediscovery of peace.
The Lines That Live Forever – Best Life Is What You Make It Quotes
This book is filled with small truths that echo larger meanings. Here are a few that linger:
“Sometimes the only way out is through.”
“You may lose yourself for a while, but you will find yourself again — stronger, softer, wiser.”
“You cannot control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you let it shape you.”
“Life is what you make it — no more, no less.”
Each of these Life Is What You Make It quotes captures the quiet strength of the human spirit — and the reminder that hope, no matter how fragile, is never truly gone.
Why Life Is What You Make It Still Matters Today
Because every generation needs a story that tells them they’re allowed to fall apart — and rise again.
Because even in 2025, when we talk about mental health and emotional resilience, there’s still stigma, still silence.
And this book breaks it, gently.
Because Preeti Shenoy doesn’t give you a fairytale ending. She gives you something more valuable — truth.
The truth that your scars don’t define you. Your comeback does.
If you’ve ever wondered how far you can fall and still rise — read this book.
If you’ve ever questioned your worth after failure — read this book.
If you’ve ever lost yourself and feared you’d never return — read this book twice.
About the Author: Preeti Shenoy
Preeti Shenoy is more than one of India’s bestselling authors — she’s a voice that understands the emotional map of modern India.
Her novels (It Happens for a Reason, The Secret Wishlist, Wake Up, Life Is Calling) all orbit around one core idea: the courage to be human.
Her insights on psychology, relationships, and personal growth make her stories both relatable and transformative.
Few writers can turn pain into poetry the way Shenoy does — quietly, confidently, and always with compassion.
Final Reflection – What This Book Teaches Us
Reading Life Is What You Make It feels like being seen.
It doesn’t hand you inspiration; it shows you where to find it — within your own story.
Every chapter whispers the same message:
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need to begin again.
So, if you’re reading this wondering whether you can make it through what you’re going through, remember — life is exactly what you decide to make it.
Tell us — what did Ankita’s journey teach you about your own life?
Drop your thoughts below; someone else out there might need to read your words today.
In Essence
Life Is What You Make It isn’t just Preeti Shenoy’s book — it’s a survival manual for the heart.
It’s for every person who ever thought they couldn’t make it, and then did.
And maybe that’s the whole point — not to avoid the storms, but to learn how to dance in the rain.
Read Also: The Palace of Illusions Book Review by Chitra Banerjee: Draupadi’s Story Retold Through Her Own Eyes
FAQs
- What is Life Is What You Make It about?
Ans. It’s about Ankita Sharma’s journey through love, heartbreak, mental illness, and recovery — and her discovery that life is shaped by the choices we make, not the challenges we face.
- Is the story based on real events?
Ans. No, it’s fictional, but Preeti Shenoy’s psychological insight makes Ankita’s struggles feel deeply real and emotionally authentic.
- What is the main message of the book?
Ans. That no matter how broken or lost you feel, you have the strength to rebuild yourself. Life is always, truly, what you make it.
- Is there a sequel to Life Is What You Make It?
Ans. Yes, the sequel — Wake Up, Life Is Calling — continues Ankita’s story, exploring her journey toward purpose and peace after recovery.
- Why should I read this book?
Ans. Because it’s not just a story — it’s an experience. It will leave you more compassionate, more hopeful, and more in love with the idea of second chances.