The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

What I like about this book is the title. I know you do, too.

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A. 

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. 

Swoony, sweet, all-airplane scenes, cheesy conversations – this was my first impression for The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. I know you do too, I really like the title of the book. Statistical probability? – that seems to be a mathematical phrase.

I’m pleased that the book has these sweet moments that make you swoon for a fraction of a minute. At least they make the prose alive. It also has the heavy problems that make each character as if they are real beings in dreadful situations. However, their actions failed them.

A beautiful plane so small compared to
the sky. (source)

I really would like to love the book. But there were points that I cannot simply ignore and its forbidding me to like the story. Oliver was too mainstream. We’ve been to many books with perfect British guy - cool, handsome, attractive accent and kind with sense of humor. It is becoming so common to contemporary literature. On the other side, Hadley’s actions were just for a daughter with a dad marrying another girl beside her mom. It was natural for her to despise the other women. But her actions when it comes with Oliver, they were too unrealistic. You don’t go after a complete stranger; add the factor that she was in another country. A 24-hour plane ride is not enough to tell yourself you’re in love with your seatmate.

On the positive note.

Throughout the book, I really like the ending. No biased statements or anything else. I just simply love it. I love how things became settled for both Hadley and his father about this new marriage thing. It’s lovely. And I wish all stepmoms are like Charlotte.

Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney

If you were to ask me what I prefer, day or night reading, I would choose night. Why? Because it's the time where everybody is sleeping and everything is at peace. I can focus more on what I'm reading when it is night time. You see, I'm very easy to be distracted. I don't want the noise of the day when I'm handling a book.

However, reading horror books at night time? Oh my, that should have a consideration for day time reading. I just finished The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney at exactly 12: 36am. Not to mention the scenarios like me looking over the window to see if someone is looking at me from the outside, me covering my whole body with a blanket to be "ungrabable" by ghost. Revenge of the Witch can make the horror out, but it seems there's a huge problem. here....

For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried - some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. 

Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last hope, the last apprentice. 

This a good book. But it can be better. 

Turning the first pages of the book, I was very delighted of the characters, the setting and their life style. They live in a farm. There are only villages, no cities yet. Have I told you that when I moved out of our house, I want to live in a suburban and near the sea? Neh? Now you know. 

The first part of the book was engaging. I learned the difference between a ghast and a ghost. Some scenes are very familiar with today's horror tactics - like creaking woods, walking sounds, thuds. But the book told it in some ways that make you feel the creeps.  

The culture was also very rich. I don't know what's the basis of Joseph Delaney for this book, but the way of life, the job of a Spook and how a Spook work, it's all perfect. It makes its world real. It's not just "Okay, to defeat a witch you must let her eat her own apple." It's beautifully crafted.

But I have some serious problems with the book. 

The character development of Thomas Ward was so weak. Though there are some, I see Thomas what he was in the beginning as the same as what he was in the end. He's brave from the start. There were clear text evidences that he has a strong personality and desperate when needed. He's clever but sometimes not from beginning to end. I don't know but I just can't see a new Thomas - shaped and molded by the hardships he have been through. 

The book also lost its momentum at the end. The ending was so easy and predictable. One factor probably was the very obvious clues that make you already know what's going to happen. And the book as so wordy. More on explanations rather than action. Maybe 3/4 of the book was only explanations. If you will say that "Well, because we are not familiar with it so they should explain and that's why." Well, actions can also explain. And much more entertaining. 

I know many enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed it but for the sake of criticism, we cannot let our emotions override the facts. We view things differently. 

I would like to give a four-star rating but the ending really disappointed me so I think three-star is more reasonable. Well, three-stars doesn't mean bad at all. For me, three-starts means "good". 

Yes, yes, I will try to read the other books in the series. I still want to get goosebumps and mini-heart attacks when reading this at night. 

Happy Reading! 

IMPORTANT

Not-so-positive reviews are not personal attack to the authors. Reviews are purely made for the criticism of the book and are base on facts.

DISCLAIMER: Book photo is owned by Goodreads. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

There are some books that leave you to keep think about certain matters. About why the characters did that. About things that you have learned. About how beautiful the book is. I finished reading Perks at midnight and left me with those questions. To simply say, the book is one of those inspiring and beautiful read. 


Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie is navigating through the strange worlds of love, drugs, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", and dealing with the loss of a good friend and his favorite aunt.


I honestly don't know how will I be able to post an effective review for this one. This is always happening to me whenever I've read sometime worthy. I also learned so many things in this book that I will try my very best to apply it in my life.


First of all, as a growing teen-ager, I've been able to relate to Charlie. I hope I have a friend like Charlie. We all have gone through the times when we ask why and how things happen. It's a part of growing up. But there is a difference between growing up physically and growing up mentally. When was ask why and how things happen, what are their importance and why we should care about them, it's growing up mentally and that's the real deal. But when you just copy what the grown ups do and call yourself one, you never have grown up. You remain childlike. 


The novel was written in a series of letters from Charlie for someone who he doesn't know or met personally. He talks about his life and friends. Patrick, Sam, Mary Elizabeth, Craig and Brad. His family. These were the times we got to know Charlie and relate to his life even more. I know that not everyone can relate and that's normal. But for me, this book is something that grabs. 


It's full of thoughts and lessons. I already told you about one and here's another one. When the whole world seem to be against you and that no one is there to support you, keep hoping because it will be over soon. It will be. And friends. Yes we sometimes misunderstood them but they are actually a vital part in our growing up years. Without them we will not learn things that our parents and teachers don't want us to know. We will not be able to learn how to take risks and learn from it. 

But I don't understand Charlie why he always cry. I think it's part of his mental disorder that make him more emotional. 

Try to be a filter when reading. Do not just mind the character development and how grand the setting is. Mind also the thoughts that say something important. I'm not saying that development and setting is not important but they are just a part of the work, how about the other parts? We all should mind all the elements.  

Oh, I'm becoming wordy again. But that's it. That's what I think about this novel. I will certainly recommend this to everyone. I'm actually planning to give this to a friend that I know can relate to it very well. 

I heard that Perks was adapted to a motion picture and I can't wait to see it in the theaters. Especially that Emma Watson is Sam. I will definitely watch it. 

The top picture is a WIN!

(Book 3 of 2012)

Matilda by Roald Dahl

It's not my intention to but I find it interesting so I borrowed Matilda by Roald Dahl from a friend once she have brought it in our school. I said to myself, "Well, it's still not very awkward for me to read a children's book, right?" And as you might want to know, I really want to go back to my childhood and because it's very impossible, I'm doing things child-like. Actually, in the following weeks I'll be watching Disney on Ice. XD! Can't wait!!!

The Trunchbull is no match for Matilda! Who put superglue in Dad's hat? Was it really a ghost that made Mom tear out of the house? Matilda is a genius with idiot parents — and she's having a great time driving them crazy. But at school things are different. At school there's Miss Trunchbull, two hundred menacing pounds of kid-hating headmistress. Get rid of the Trunchbull and Matilda would be a hero. But that would take a superhuman genius, wouldn't it?

I haven't yet read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Dahl and they say that it's better than Matilda. Well, for me Matilda is a very nice children's book. It's fresh and full of wits. Matilda, especially, is exceptionally smart and can do telekinesis. Her parents ignore her and that's the most unwanted thing you want your parents to do to you. However, Matilda can manage and enjoy herself by making her parents crazy by putting superglue on his father's hat and more. 

I found myself laughing every time Matilda does something crazy that makes her parents jump and act childish. But the book is not just about making fun of people, it also discussed the problems of different people. It shows helping, caring and loving. But of course there's the Trunchbull to ruin everything. This headmistress is like an ex convict and turned to a school master the next morning. 

One thing that distracted me was the book seems to lose its momentum at the end of the book. The story becomes out of the nature of the book and becomes very predictable. But of course children will not know that. All they need is the fun of reading. 

The book has illustrations by Quentin Blake on almost every page. I found some of them ridiculous so I decided to share them with you. 

Look at how small Matilda is! The book is even higher than her! 

Ms. Trunchbull 

And Matilda and Ms. Honey live happily ever after. 

(Book 2 of 2012)

DISCLAIMER: Images used in this post are owned by the Ivanbookworm and blog. 

Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor

To be honest with you, guys. I never heard of the Dreamdark duology before, not until now. It was Christmas last year when I went on vacation in our province. Luckily, there is one bookstore there so I marauded it. Dreamdark was one of my haul that month. It stayed in my shelf for months until another December has come and I decided to read it.

 When the ancient evil of the Blackbringer rises to unmake the world, only one determined faerie stands in its way. However, Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, is not like other faeries. While her kind live in seclusion deep in the forests of Dreamdark, she's devoted her life to tracking down and recapturing devils escaped from their ancient bottles, just as her hero, the legendary Bellatrix, did 25,000 years ago. With her faithful gang of crows, she travels the world fighting where others would choose to flee. But when a devil escapes from a bottle sealed by the ancient Djinn King himself, the creator of the world, she may be in over her head. How can a single faerie, even with the help of her friends, hope to defeat the impenetrable darkness of the Blackbringer?

Magpie, together with her friend crows, roam the world to hunt for devils that had escaped their vessel. However, humans, unknowingly, open a vessel that contains the greatest of all evil, darkness. This darkness feeds on everything, faeries, humans and even devils. In her quest to return this Hungry One to its container, she met incredible people, including the dead, that uncover who she really is. Not an ordinary faery, they say.

Dreamdark is one of those works that are truly remarkable and magnificent. Laini Taylor is such a great author. She can weave a very interesting and effective plot that even the devils will like.

The world that Laini Taylor weaved is a true art. You can feel the world of Dreamdark as if it really exists. Though very magical, it’s very easy to say that this world exist. You will be left in awe on how the plot was magically interconnected. There are times when you encounter details that seem unimportant just to find out that it’s the golden key to the problem. Even I now that I’m writing this review cannot find a word that best suits to describe how artistic this novel is.

Her characters are not just characters to play the plot while it throws all the troubles to them. The story does not consist of only one or two kinds of being but many! Including a bald chicken, Strag, who was actually a slave of a warlock. If we speak of development, oh I very sure the development of the characters in this story is one of a kind. It’s not forced. It’s very humanistic, very real. The characters, though they are different from commons, act how an intelligent being should on every trouble they encounter. (The problem in most of today’s works is their characters acting inhuman. They act in ways that make them unreal and unbelievable.)  

To cut out the criticism, this is how I imagined those crows that are always with Magpie. And also Strag the bald chicken...

I know! I know. They're are not crows at the first place but man, that’s how I picture them. And they are cute in that form.

Did I already say something about the artistic illustrations in the book? Neh? Well, here they are. Admit it, you like a book with tons of pictures. 

And to summarize this rambling, I will say that Dreamdark: Blackbringer is a must MUST read. It is unique and gives new form to faeries we know. This is renaissance! 

{Book 1 for 2012}

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French kiss is great. Lola and the Boy Next Door is also great. Stephanie Perkins is great.

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Young Adult: Romance

Pages: 338

Synopsis

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

I just finished this book. I've been reading it since last week but due to our quarterly exams, which I really need to prepare, I got delayed everyday. So now, finally, I finished it and I have great things to tell about it.

When I started reading Lola and the Boy Next Door, I got bored. I'm not a girl so I cannot get into the "fashion matter" of Lola. Also, I don't like the describe-all-manner in the first few chapters of the book. I first thought that Anna is better. In Anna, I got into the story at the very first chapter and enjoy it. But in Lola, I need to force myself to continue because I know that this must be great. Now, here's the thing. After finishing the book, I finally concluded the difference between the two. Anna and the French Kiss started with the introduction of the guy-to-be and then followed by sweet scenes. But at the past middle part, there are a lot of hanging moments. In Lola and the Boy Next Door, the hanging moments, for me, are on the beginning then suddenly we were placed in a sweet parts. I salute Stephanie for this matter.

Lola is just a typical girl, except for the costume matter. She improved very little in the story. We define dimensional or 3D characters as someone who developed throughout the story. From weak to great, for example. But in the case of Lola, many things about her didn't change. Her attitude and relationship with other people, especially to Norra, are the improvements I greatly like. Actually, we can never mind the other because attitude is one of the important traits for a character to develop.

Cricket, also, improved very very little. I don't know what's happening to me. I super like this books but I admit that the characters improved very little. Cricket is nice, talented in the field of mechanics, and is always in need to be present in his twin competitions. That's all. Nothing more.

Since this is romance, let's talk about the love factor of this book. The love between the two characters started years before the time in the book. Then when they met again, Lola found out that she still have that feeling for him. I think this kind of love is very rare for today's romance novels. Many of today's works started from not knowing each other then falling in love. But this book, it's different. I, again, salute Stephanie for expanding her imagination out of the boundaries.

Overall, I still like this book. I like the minor characters and their characteristics. I just have this problem with the main characters development. But I assure swooning, smiling, fantasizing , etc while reading this. Great work!

Dracula (Classic Starts) - retold

I'm not fond of reading horror books. I better like horror movies that reading horror books. For me, I cannot find the horror feeling when I'm just reading it. Until I read Dracula. Even though it is a retold (I cannot even know the author who rewrite this), I can still feel the horror, tense and suspense while reading.

Title: Dracula
Author: unknown
Publisher: Sterling
Pages: 143

Synopsis
Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania for a business deal with a Romanian nobleman, only to find himself ensnared in the horrific world of Count Dracula, a mysterious man with an evil secret. Worst of all, the Count is now headed towards London - and Jonathan's beloved Mina. Can this monster ever be destroyed?


I know that a lot of people know the story of Dracula. Some of you might have discussed it with your literature teacher. But not me. Since my childhood, I heard this vampire Dracula but never had the chance to read his story. So last month, while wandering a local bookstore to buy some Time for Kids Almanac, I came across a shelf that house these books published by Sterling. They are all retold of classics. I found myself interested with the books so I took sometime to choose what book to buy. Finally, I picked up Dracula.

Jonathan, an ordinary businessman, traveled to meet Count Dracula to discuss some business about buying a house in Carfax. But this man is not ordinary. He live in a castle with not even one mirror. He likes to talk to Jonathan in the evening. He doesn't eat - always saying that he had already eaten. And he can climb the walls of the castle like a lizard. You may want to add that he sleeps in a coffin.

Though a retold, this version of Dracula never forget to bring the horror out of the words. I usually read this at night that's why even the faintest sound can freak me out. Especially when I'm reading the parts where blood is emphasized. One negative comment I want to say is that it was written in a VERY fast-paced manner. There are no breaks between scenes. It immediately jumps off to the next and the next and the next. Well, I recently understood why. The publisher, Sterling, main purpose with these retolds is to give the readers the main story. They get rid of all dead scenes and just write the main, only the main, story.

In conclusion, this is a nice retold. Go grab it. Especially those who want to read Dracula but don't want to read the long novel of Bram Stoker.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

After a long time, finally I finished the book! With the hectic test reviews and other procrastinations, it took me a week to finish this one.

UNEARTHLY - Cynthia Hand
Pages: 435
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Netgalley


Sypnosis from Goodreads

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

REVIEW

Why was that I always smile while reading this? Why is that I always stayed up late with this book? Why is that I want to make the characters real people. Why is that this is a great novel?

Clara is an angel-blood. And all angel-bloods have purpose in life. They have visions of scenes that serves clues about their purpose. Her purpose: to save a boy. Personally, I will say that the development of the characters in Unearthly is pretty weak. There are not many differences from their characteristics in the beginning and in end. But despite the vague developments, I really really feel the characters as real life people. They act logically people. One of the problems in modern YA now is that characters seems to act illogical with their situations. If you are scared in real life would you have the appetite to kiss, snog till end? Of course you’re scared and your mind is focused on how to overcome fear. But in Unearthly, characters acts like human. They decide like real people. They don’t snog if they are about to die.

Jackson, Wyoming=Heaven. When I first read the book, I don’t have any background on how Wyoming looks like since I’m not an American. But then, I searched it in the web and god, that’s a very nice, gorgeous place. Considering the amount of green and whites. The snow and trees. The author takes us, together with her characters, in few places in Jackson. The hill where they do skiing. The lake that sparkles when the sun rises. The woods that almost feel like Narnia. It’s a very interesting place to set the novel in.

When it comes to style of writing, I like Cynthia Hand’s. She writes like a teen. She knows how teenagers acts. You might say, “of course, because the protagonists is a teenager.” Well, not all authors can write like a teenager. Some characters sound like a 35 years old man because of the writing. In Hand’s style, you feel like your talking to a teen like you. (If you’re a teen, btw.)

I really like the novel but the ending didn’t convince me. There is this BIG revelation, supposed to be. But with that BIG thing, the ending got tangled. It doesn’t make sense anymore. If the book expects the readers to be awe by the BIG revelation maybe for other it worked but for me it didn’t. The actions are good. You can feel the tense rising up but the story and how all ends is bad. If the ending will be different, I think that will be a remarkable one.

To conclude, Unearthly is a very good novel. One of those “real-teen” books. Although it doesn’t teach so much lessons, it instead brings you to the world where you feel the characters like your friend; like you knew them. I recommend this book to everyone. 

For my stared reviews, please visit my goodreads review HERE. 

Divergent (Divergent Trilogy 1) by Veronica Roth

DIVERGENT - Veronica Roth
Pages: 487
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Bookstore


Goodreads: 


In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 

REVIEW

In my case, I’ll rank Divergent higher over The Hunger Games in my dystopian list. Divergent is one of the rare ‘valuable’ dystopian books out there that doesn’t let LOVE predict the flow of the story. It is character-centered novel that I find myself really relating to it.

In my opinion, I found Beatrice/Tris as the only round character in this novel. It makes sense because the book focuses on her life and self-being not on the others. Being an Abnegation born, Tris is used to be selfless. She should care for others before herself. When she reached 16 and undergone Choosing Ceremony, she decided to leave Abnegation and chose Dauntless (fearless). This is where we find Tris character to improve and develop from being a weakling to a stable one. This whole situation of Factions is the one that ignited the development, not Tris herself. I really like the character of Tris, I find myself like her. Despite of gender, and basing on our intelligence, we are like so much the same. I’m fond of thinking first before choosing between the options I have. Have I ever told you that I used Scientific Method to choose the color of paint I will use in my room? No? Well, now you know.

They live in the future society of Chicago (according to the book label and trailer, the city is Chicago), but the book failed to really mention that the city is Chicago. The city was described to have tall buildings, which looks like Chicago but there are a lot of cities in this world that have tall buildings. The Factions, for me, does not represent settings but instead the theme of the book. I don’t mind how the world will ever be in this kind of value-separated society because I find that the factions represent development – specially the concept of Choosing Ceremony. This is the one that drives character development here.

I like Veronica Roth’s writing style. Less fragments. I noticed that a lot of YA now fill their paragraphs with fragments and losing the value of grammar. Overuse of period and commas, well Divergent is not one of them. I like how each sentence is a sentence. Though there are still fragments, it’s like it only has 20 less in the whole book. When it comes to writing the action scenes, some are very engaging. Like I really bite my nails and keep on turning the pages, but some are lame – like the adrenaline not rushing through. One thing I also notice is the conflicting tenses. The novel is in present tense but I found paragraphs starting with: “THAT EVENING, I walk…” If you ever use “that evening” it means that the story was already done, but the sentence remains on present tense, so I find this conflicting.

I would like to say that this book is really engaging. I sometimes find myself hating other character, liking them, and answering them. The moral of this book is one of the best features it has. If you read behind the words, you’ll find a lot of lessons that can be applied to real life. The story is like just the entertaining part of realizing what humans should be. Take the story aside for a while and spend some times thinking what really changed/developed in your from the past years of your life. It also taught me to think what I really want to be? Like Tris, I’m confused of what I like to be, so maybe this book can help us answer that question.

In conclusion, even good books have flaws, Divergent is not an exception. It was made by a human, who is imperfect, so does her work. But even with the flaws Divergent have, it still manage to hook readers and stand on itself. Because Divergent is a really good, full of lessons and one of a kind dystopian book. I recommend this to all of you. :)

~Ivan

Sea of Monster by Rick Riordan

The Sea of Monsters is the second book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Once again, our dear Percy, together with his friends and new brother - Tyson -, enter a quest needed for the survival of all Half-Bloods. But they don't know one thing.

Let's jump right into the characters. To be honest, I didn't like Percy in this book. He was given all the imperfectness that irritates you. Well, yes, imperfectness of the characters is needed to make them like real humans. I hate how Percy thinks, decide and acts. There are time which is pretty obvious that he should choose this option but then he still choose the wrong one. Isn't it that irritating? Percy is a full imperfectness in this book - not until the end. I mean the last chapter. I like his brother more, Tyson. Thought he is not that a character of focus, he have a balance of goods and bads. I feel like wanting Tyson to be my real brother.

There are also some characters who have an ABRUPT change of attitude just to trigger a scene. I know how they act in the previous book but they all change in this one. It's like they are not the characters I knew before.

Despite of my disappointment from the characters, I really like the writing style. Which saves the books for being a two stars. Though the actions scenes didn't thrilled me, they way it was written in great. Mr. Riordan can mix describing while doing actions. Some authors do the describing first then shifts to the action.

If you will ask me, I want The Lightning Thief more. I want to see The Titan's curse because I'm so confuse if the third book will be good or not. I wish it is good.

Au Revoir! See you to my next review!

Becoming Jane: Jane Austen's Life

This is not a review. This post is mainly about things I want to say about Jane Austen's life, the movie and the inspiration.

So yeah, I recently watched Becoming Jane starring Anne Hathaway (my crush actually, HA!) and James McAvoy. The movie mostly revolved in the love life of Ms. Austen with Tom Lefroy.

I am very proud of Jane Austen, though we not share the same ethnicity, I'm still proud of her. She define love that it should have affection. Yes that's true. Mostly now, there are many couples who only explore the bodies and not the real feelings for each other. Feelings is what we need to fuel our relationships. Not the body of our mate.

Soon, she fell in love with a lawyer with bad reputation, Tom Lefroy. Anna and James have real chemistry in this movie. They should do more movies together. Back to Ms. Austen, after so much years of no love, she first felt it with Tom. They became so much in love but struggles are always on their way.

Jane sacrifices so much, even love. She knew that Tom supports his family and with her, he will not be able to do it at the same time. Though Tom said that he can still support them, Jane leaves him broken hearted.

I actually have tears in my eyes when I was watching the part when she sacrificed. She is willing to give up all. That's one thing I learned from her, to sacrifice if needed and not just think about yourself.

After several years, they met again but Tom already have a daughter. But even though, they show that they still love each other.

I recommend you to watch it.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol.



I will say that I like Catching fire more than The Hunger Games because of several reasons. But for some reason, I didn't feel the tense in my nerves during the action scenes. Unlike when I'm reading the The Hunger Games which actually brought goosebumps and etc to me.


We dig much deeper to the personality of Katniss in this book. We see several characteristics of her that we didn't saw in the previous novel. Sometimes, I'm irritated that Katniss always want to be informed. Yes, that's not bad because they should be in a plan. But when she realized she was not informed of a plan. She got easily angry and doesn't accept any explanations. That's the only thing I don't want about Katniss personality. We should learn that some people sacrifice trust for our good. Yeah man! :) 


I know you knew this. The book is more on story, less dialog. Well, it's necessary because the book is like an action scenes. And you cannot describe it by dialog. Though you can, narrating it is much better. One of the consequences of more story-less dialog is that we can't see the other characters. We depend on how they interact to our main character to know their personality. BUT, in this book, Collins still give us the basic personalities of the other characters. We see the true Gale. How dedicated and brave he is. We see Haymitch that even being a drunkard still have strong will in life. 


One of the reason why I really love this is the writing style of events. Not the style of narration but the style of the events. For example, you see a pen today, then in the future you realized that, that pen plays a great role for your survival. Those kinds of things. Clues are everywhere and they were used during the game. I like those kinds of novel which you realized something helpful from the past.


Again, one thing I didn't like is the redundancy of some sentences in consecutive paragraphs. I don't see this as a spoiler but of you so then don't this sentence. There are these sentences "...I need to save Peeta..." "...my dying wish to save him..." that is always repeated. It's not bad to repeat them but the problem is, in consecutive paragraphs you can see them. For me, the redundancy is hard to ignore. I kind of like "again?" when I see repeating sentences. BUT that's for me. I know some of you didn't even noticed that, but if you do, you just ignored it. :)


So even there are things I don't like about the book, it's still better than the first novel. But for me just little a percentage. 


Next book to review is for Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. 

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I don't know how to write a review on this kind of book. Well, yes it is a Young Adult but it is like a self-help, philosophical book. So I beg your forgiveness if this post will be much more like a personal understanding of the book's question than a review. :)

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave "the Great Perhaps" even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same




Did I just say book's question? Oh yes, the question the book branded in the reader's mind is: "How do I get out of this labyrinth of suffering!" 


Well, the book is like the other YA books out there. They have the same young characters. Love issues. Her-eyes-attract-me stories. They only differ on the kind of message they want to pass to the readers.


The writing is great. I made some huge laughs at nights that my father will knock angrily on my door saying "Can you shut your big mouth up!" But the jokes were hilarious, how do I will shut my mouth? As I read through the story, I experienced culture shock. I was knew to the real American culture and how they differ from the Philippine culture. Believe me but I never had the desire to read so mature contents. Although I knew about those kind of uhs, but I don't explore further. So I'm a bit shocked on what I'm reading. 


So about the question. The labyrinth is the representation of man's pain. So how do we get rid of that? That is the question that the characters what to find out. Meanwhile, you are also finding out your own answer. 


For me, pain is the result of our own action. Decisions we made can sometimes bring suffering as an add-on to the package. Most times, I make decisions with little thinking; so mostly I need to accept the consequences it brings. I'm making my own labyrinth. Extending it further. I cannot bring back time to change my decisions so I will not experience suffering but I can stop the extension of my labyrinth. How? By making right choices and thinking what would be the consequences might be. By that kind of action, I can walk through the painful labyrinth today and walk with less pain in the future.


I told you I'm not good at reviewing these kinds of books :) Peace! 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

For some reason I don't read romance novels.  Short romance stories is acceptable but a novel, NO!  I'm tired of  they-met-each-other-and-they-are-now-in-a-relationship stories. The romance genre have repeated the concept of falling in love over and over again that it bores me.

Then people are freaking out to share their experience after reading Anna and the French Kiss. Well, I just say "They are girls, it's natural to them to giggle and jerk while reading a SWEET romance novels." Did I said sweet? Is the novel sweet? I still don't want to read it. But I saw the vlog video of John Green about 8 things he loves. He loves Anna and the French Kiss. I think something is going on in this novel.

So I bought my copy and read it. And read it. And read it. And read it. Okay, do the book comes with an adhesive to stick on your hands all day? Yes, it is. Anna and the French Kiss has this spell that when you started reading it, you will not stop. I can still remember the time I finished the book: 5:11AM.

The characters are SO good. You can feel them that they are real and not just written words on a page. Well, though I cannot relate to Anna, or their friend-group, there is this feeling that I enjoy being with their group.  Ms. Perkins created her characters real by not making them perfect. Yes, the characters are not perfect. Let's take for example the guy, Etienne St. Clair. In most novels, this character will have almost all the perfectness in the world. BUT in Anna and the French Kiss, he have crooked teeth, short (poor I'm short too!) and this inability to make decisions. Anna is sometimes so dumb that I want myself to enter the book and knock her head and tell her, why don't you tell him? What are you waiting for? That makes the characters dimensional. Even the minors were given life in the novel. They develop in some ways during the timeline of the story.

I want the setting. Yes, it's also my dream to take my college at American University on Paris. I mean, all in one. One whole world in one city. When you study there, you have the atmosphere that will encourage you to study more. Just walks from your home, you're in Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower and Seine river. The city is full of history, art, science and language. Perfectly fitting itself in the novel since the characters are students. 

I now know why the title is Anna and the French Kiss. I wondered if why didn't the author make the French Kiss, French Man? (Oh, St. Clair is not a french) or Anna in France? Well, of course, the kiss was the basis. In the book, the kissings are elaborated so if you don't like those scenes, just skip the pages. SEE, I'm not telling you NOT to read it because of the kissings, just skip the pages, because this book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 

The style of writing also contributed in the character of Anna and her relationship to readers. Ms. Perkins has the ultimate talent for style of writing I ever know, as of now! It feels like Anna is talking to you. It was like a diary, minus the dates and Dear Diary headings. It is like you are listening to her story instead of reading her story. I really adore the writing style! Really Really Really!

I'm kinda sad when I finished the book. Not because I'm not satisfied but because why good stories need to end. This should have a sequel. But I don't think making a sequel to this is good because all the nice happenings, sweetness, flaws and virtues were already given. So let's accept this. Let us leave Anna and Etienne to their new romantic life :)

Tragic Theater by G.M. Coronel

Tragic Theater by G.M. Coronel

Publication Date: August 2009
Publisher: Visprint Inc.
Pages: 245
Genre: Horror
Source: bought at National Bookstores(Philippines)

In February 1999, a group of spirit communicators attempted to exorcise the then-abandoned Manila Film Center of ghosts. These supernatural beings were believed to be those of the victims from a fatal accident during its hasty construction. 

Unknown to them something had, long ago, taken sanctuary inside the building feeding on the anger and misery of the victims' souls. They learned this secret too late and walked into a horrifying encounter.

 Annie is an official in the Tourism Department. They planned to reconstruct the haunted Manila Film Center, so they can build an IMAX theater in it. First, they need to drive out all of its inhabitance before proceeding to its construction. He seeks for the help of Father Nilo, a close friend of her, to exorcise the building. But during their procedures, the unexpected happened.

The action started in the first few chapters, enough to say that the book is fast paced. One thing I don't like in the book is its unnecessary explanation of historical background of some places. One example is a lengthy description of a chapel which was not necessary. The chapel in the first place is not a major setting, it was just mentioned then the description comes. It shows that the author researched well but he put in the wrong place.

In the first few chapters, Annie is very unlikable. She is very irritating when it comes to her decisions. But you will understand why as the story go on. For me, it seems that Annie and Fr. Nilo have a mutual understand between them. Which is very unlikely with a priest. The author wrote their actions like a couple rather than close friends. Annie came to the point where she will be a round character but the plot took over pushing her back as a flat character.

The writing is also not that good. I like how the author pick his words when writing. The Tagalog dialog, for me, added an emotion to their conversation. But what I don't like is the English translation after the Tagalog sentences. He should have written the book in purely Tagalog or English instead.

The ending is a huge cliff hanger. It is very obvious that there will be a second book. It should be okay but the ending was full of questions that should be answered, which I think is not that good. But personally I want the answers to the questions, making me wait for the second book.

Rating

Plot: 4
Characters: 3
Ending: 3
Writing: 4

Overall: 3.5

Waking the Dead by Yvette Tan

After a week of no blogging due to vacation, I will now post my review for Waking the dead which I read during my vacation in Bicol.

Waking the Dead and other Horror Stories is a collection of 10 horror stories.

Let's us talk first about the cover. I really like it especially the idea of an inverted image of a lady and the font of the title. It somehow catches my attention that is why I chose it to read first.

Let's just say I only like some stories in the book, The Bridge and Stella for Star. Those two stories, even not that scary, have a very nice plot. I also like the gross part in the Stella for Star.

Most of the stories, for me, lack the thrilling part in the ending. Sometimes, when the story begins to be interesting, it will suddenly end. If the endings will be a lot more dramatic, thrilling, I will say that I will like the book.

I also not recommend this to be read by young readers who are not educated in sexual matters. The book contains some bits of pornography. I didn't really know that it has, I'm a young reader but I know what is right and wrong so I think I'm safe:).

Rating: 4

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

It's almost midnight here in the Philippines, but I cannot wait for tomorrow to post my review about the amazing book of Neil.

Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to the neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy - an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack-who has already killed Bod's family.


First of all, I want to say that this review will not just be a plain review about the book. It will include some life reflections and lessons I've learned and want to share with you.

The book was narrated by neither the author nor the characters. It is called the persona. Sometimes, we just say that the narrator is the author since he composed the story.

According to Gaiman, the book was inspired by The Jungle Book, where instead of ghosts, animals took care of the boy.

Bod is a very clever man for his young age. He was taught lessons by ghosts teachers. This includes some magics, since he owned the Freedom of the Graveyard. He met Scarlet, who played a great role in shaping his life. Silas, his guardian, who always at his side.

The beginning of the story is kinda boring. Of course, because it is a children's book and look, I'm 16! But I'm very thankful I read this book. You will find the thrill, the excitement and the climax after the 200 page mark out of 307 pages. See, it will be boring. But there is a hidden message of making the first part boring.

Let's continue the review in a reflection.

The book was ( I think) intended to be boring at the first part. The first part included Bod who was still learning from his teachers while he is adventuring the whole graveyard. In life, when we are still young, we are learning, but we find it boring. That is why we need to cherish our childhood. It is only once in a lifetime chance to be a child. The book then will be interesting at page 200 and up. In life, again, this stage is our teenage stage. Where all the excitement happens. We have now our minds to decide what will make us happy. At the end, the book will turn to a very lonely tone, like that we are leaving childhood and taking a new life to adulthood.

I've learned a lot from this book. One is to cherish our childhood and the other is that everything has an end. Like book, you need to feel every page as it has an The End.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I'm here again for another book review. Before I started my blog, I have some couple of books in my shelf. One of them is The Little Prince by Saint-Exupery. I've encountered a lot of children books where even adults can relate. The most popular is Harry Potter. It is actually a children book but the lessons there seems to be for adults. Little Prince is like that.

A pilot forced to land in the Sahara meets a little prince. The wise and enchanting stories the prince tells of his own plant with its three volcanoes and a haughty flower are unforgettable. A strange and wonderful parable for all ages, with superb illustrations by the author.






If you read the summary, there's no doubt, it is a children's book. Add the factor that the cover is also like drawn by a child. But what is written inside is not only for children, for adults also. For all ages. I've seen a lot of people who give this book as a gift every Christmas Day. Then I got so intrigued on what is inside to  give it a try.

The book was in the point of view of the Pilot first then changes to the point of view of the Little Prince. They met at a desert and the Prince requested the Pilot to draw him a sheep. The Pilot had drawn a lot of things in his childhood but a lot of people misunderstanding them discouraged him. It is one of the lesson. Do not give up. Sometimes in life, there are discouragements which changes are character. You should take those discouragements as a challenge. Pursue what you are and you get better and  better.

With this book, I miss my childhood days. It is true, when we are still young, grown ups misunderstand us. It brings us back, like time traveling, to our past; to our youth. And realizes what a child should have so we will not do what our parents did to our children.

"One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes" This the line our elementary teacher let us explain. For me, this line means that the truth can be seen by the heart. What is important is only seen by the heart. Our eyes only see the physical features and not what is inside them.

I really enjoy this book, and I hope you too.

The Magician by Michael Scott

After The Alchemyst comes the Magician. This book series entitled The secrets of Immortal Nicholas Flamel is very unpopular in the Philippines. I knew only 2 persons who read it. My girlfriend and a blogger. Even it is least known, what it contains is a very nice story. A very thrilling action scenes and bits of knowledge from the past. So, here's my review:

After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris, the City of Lights. Home for Nicholas Flamel. Only this homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenell is still locked up back in Alcatraz and Paris is teeming with enemies. Nicolo Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He’s after them, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenell. For every day spent without the Book of Abraham the Mage, they age one year—their magic becoming weaker and their bodies more frail. For Flamel, the Prophecy is becoming more and more clear. 
It’s time for Sophie to learn the second elemental magic: Fire Magic. And there’s only one man who can teach it to her: Flamel’s old student, the Comte de Saint-Germain—alchemist, magician, and rock star. Josh and Sophie Newman are the world’s only hope—if they don’t turn on each other first.


I like it much more than the Alchemyst.
So let us first discuss the cover. This is NOT a spoiler since the some summary tells something about it. The first book, you will see air, because the Magic of Air is the focus magic of the book. In this book, you see fire, the Magic of Fire. Like the characteristics of fire, it can destroy or create, can be control and not, can harm and can heal, we can relate the book to it.

The characters in the second book, especially Sophie, developed a lot. I saw her character to developed from an ordinary girl to a little mature one. She can decided on her own, and think like a grown up. In the counterpart, Josh's character will make you annoyed. He is very annoying. He all wants powers. He cannot think what is good and what is bad. He cannot make decision that will help.

Nicholas Flamel remained the same, unless you will include his age. The book also introduce Perenelle. It says how powerful and brave she is.

Like make other books out there, death makes the book interesting. Not the way, "I want all the characters to be eaten up by a monster and die, and the story ends". What I mean is that, since we are humans, we have emotions. Even though they are just characters out of imagination and exist only by the inks in the book, we still managed to make bond with them. Then suddenly, you will become sad or happy when something happen to the character, whether good or bad. This book brings that bond and enables readers to love the characters. Lovely!

Like the first book, it is full of action scenes, knowledge about the past. New things that our teachers never taught us. Michael Scott did a very great job here. Although I cannot relate to the characters because I don't have a twin, the book instead relates me to the reality. On how human, us, forget our origin. On how interest is slowly eating our dignity. Soon, we will decide sometime that will make us harm instead of good.

My Rating 5 Outstanding