Chetan Bhagat Announces New Book But Netizens Say 'Throw Your Pen Away'

Author Chetan Bhagat has announced the release of his latest book, '12 Years: My Messed-Up Love Story'. This is his first book based on a love story in over a decade, following the earlier novels, '2 States' and 'Half Girlfriend', the author said in a X post on Monday.

The novel explores the complicated relationship between two very different individuals. "He's 33, Punjabi, and divorced. She's 21, Jain, and has never been in a relationship. They come from different worlds and shouldn't work together, but they can't stay apart," publisher HarperCollins India shared the details on its X account.

"12 Years: my messed-up love story is extremely close to my heart and it is one of my best," Bhagat described the novel. He said it's close to his heart and blends humour and emotion.

"At its core, it tries to answer the question a lot of the new generation faces these days: How do you know someone is 'the one'," Bhagat's post read.

While the author described the novel as one of his best works, the audience shared mixed feelings about the announcement. Many appeared unimpressed by the narrative.

"Yeah, it sounds like a messed-up story. He should give up writing at this point," read a comment on HarperCollins' post.

Other comments echoed similar sentiments. "He's ancient. She's barely legal. He couldn't get along with a woman his own age. She got preyed on. This shouldn't have been written... but money speaks," a user said.

"Kuch bhi greenlight ho raha aajkal (anything is getting published these days)," another user added.

"Congratulations. These days, your books feel more like Bollywood scripts than the love stories you once wrote. Wouldn't be surprised if, in a few days, we see you on set with Arjun Kapoor shooting the adaptation," another commented.

However, there were many positive reactions as well. "Loved your previous works! I’m sure this will be great too. Will be pre-ordering it," a user commented.

Bhagat's new novel will be released on Oct. 1, 2025. It is now available for pre-order on the e-commerce platform Amazon.