Showing posts with label Novel_Contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Novel_Contemporary. Show all posts

Thursday, July 6, 2017

We were Liars by E. Lockhart || Fool ya~


Title: We were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Date Published: May 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 228
Language: English
ISBN: 9780375984402

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

 
 Okay, so many youtuber had been liking this book so I read. Well, it was pretty fun, but not that satisfying. Hmm the twist was definitely there but I wish for more character development or some improvement because the story itself didn't justify the ending to what would I like.


Friday, June 30, 2017

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng | Hello There Stranger


Title: See You in the Cosmos
Author: Jack Cheng
Date published: February 2017
Publisher: Dial Books
Pages: 320
Language: English
ISBN: 9780399186370

11-year-old Alex Petroski loves space and rockets, his mom, his brother, and his dog Carl Sagan—named for his hero, the real-life astronomer. All he wants is to launch his golden iPod into space the way Carl Sagan (the man, not the dog) launched his Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. From Colorado to New Mexico, Las Vegas to L.A., Alex records a journey on his iPod to show other lifeforms what life on earth, his earth, is like. But his destination keeps changing. And the funny, lost, remarkable people he meets along the way can only partially prepare him for the secrets he’ll uncover—from the truth about his long-dead dad to the fact that, for a kid with a troubled mom and a mostly not-around brother, he has way more family than he ever knew.

Bought this book on impulse when I was at an airport, on my way to a business trip. Honestly, it was the cover, I can't help myself. From the synopsis it was pretty interesting so I made it mine.

Well, let's say it just a light journey to find happiness. Alex was very bright and innocent, positive and very clear of himself. Along the way, story unravel, he met people, friends, family.

The depth was not really there, made it had less impact, power, and impression. But, if you want a quick and light read, maybe this one for you.


Tuesday, June 27, 2017

The Boy in the Black Suits by Jason Raynolds | Life Goes On


Title: The Boy in the Black Suit
Author: Jason Reynolds
Date Published: January 2015
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Pages: 272
Language: English
ISBN: 9781442459502

Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down—in this wry, gritty novel from the author of When I Was the Greatest.

Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. She’s got a crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She’s tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he’s drawn to her, and definitely why he can’t seem to shake her. Because there’s nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands your loneliness—and who can maybe even help take it away.

Well I perceived this book like an appetizer.  You see, I heard great things about All American Boys and the theme is kinda my things. But the softcover is yet to be released so I treated myself with this book just to peek into Reynolds writing skill. 

It's kinda muffled.

Is it strange when I said I read and heard the books? When it's a good book the voice is clear and strong, when it's not the voice is soft. I can't hear it well.

This book, theme and characters wise are one of my favorite but I just don't connect with them. It's just bland. I don't feel any emotions whatsoever.

The story was about Matt who trying to live after his mother dead with a father who can't seem to move on and wrecking himself to almost death. He worked at a funeral house and met a girl-the girl. He learned a lot from her how to accept the grief, how to embrace and live with it. 

See? The theme was great, superb. Try it, maybe I became really picky after so many many many plates of books.

Nonetheless I give it, 3 stars

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Perisai Kasih yang Terkoyak by Mira W.


Judul: Perisai Kasih yang Terkoyak
Penulis: Mira W.
Tanggal Terbit: September 2000
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Halaman: 182
Bahasa: Indonesia
ISBN: 9794030600


"Aku telah berjanji pada Ayah untuk menjaganya baik-baik. Sekarang aku malah tidak tahu di mana dia berada".

"Tapi itu bukan salahmu!".

"Aku belum puas sebelum mengetahui dia tidak kurang suatu apa".

"Kalau kau baru menemukannya sesudah rambutmu berubah, sudah terlambat untuk memikirkan dirimu sendiri!".

"Aku tidak menyesal".

Saat itu Cempaka memang tidak menyesal. Lima belas tahun dia merindukan adiknya. Bertekad untuk menganyam kembali perisai kasih mereka yang telah terkoyak. Penyesalan itu datang kemudian, justru setelah dia dapat mengangkat dirinya dari kepapaan.

"Semakin tinggi aku terbang merentangkan sayap, semakin kubutuhkan seorang laki-laki yang tangguh untuk menopangku, agar tidak luruh ke bumi bila angin kencang bertiup".

Dan badai memang datang di ambang perjumpaan.

"Mengapa kami harus dipertemukan kembali dalam keadaan seperti ini? Dulu aku selalu berdoa mudah-mudahan dialah adikku. Tapi kini... aku mengharap semoga dia bukan Bara!"

Karya Mira W. yang satu ini menceritakan tentang kakak beradik yang terpisah saat kecil. Mereka adalah anak yatim piatu yang dititipkan di panti asuhan.

Buku ini tipis dan ceritanya sangat cepat alurnya. Gak ribet jalan ceritanya cuman ya di akhir agak maksa. Tapi perjuangan kakak beradik ini untuk hidup dan bagaimana akhirnya mereka bisa bertemu lagi cukup menghibur dan mengharukan. Selain cerita keluarga ada juga sih roamance-nya, tapi dikit banget. Termasuk romance gak ya? haha.



Monday, April 6, 2015

Review The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson


Judul: The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
Penulis: Jonas Jonasson
Tanggal Terbit: 2014
Penerbit: Bentang Pustaka
Halaman: 508
Bahasa: Indonesia
ISBN: 9786022910183

Allan Karlsson hanya punya waktu satu jam sebelum pesta ulang tahunnya yang keseratus dimulai. Wali Kota akan hadir. Pers akan meliput. Seluruh penghuni Rumah Lansia juga ikut merayakannya. Namun ternyata, justru yang berulangtahunlah yang tidak berniat datang ke pesta itu.

Melompat lewat jendela kamarnya, Allan memutuskan untuk kabur. Dimulailah sebuah perjalanan luar biasa yang penuh dengan kegilaan. Siapa sangka, petualangannya itu menjadi pintu yang akan mengungkap kehidupan Allan sebelumnya. Sebuah kehidupan di mana—tanpa terduga—Allan memainkan peran kunci di balik berbagai peristiwa penting pada abad kedua puluh. Membantu menciptakan bom atom, berteman dengan Presiden Amerika dan tiran Rusia, bahkan membuat pemimpin komunis Tiongkok berutang budi padanya! Siapa, sih, Allan sebenarnya?
Saya tidak sengaja mendengar review tentang buku ini sewaktu menonton seorang booktuber di Youtube. Yah, hanya sekilas tapi entah mengapa saya kemudian menemukan buku ini di Periplus dengan edisi berbahasa Inggris, harganya yang wow membuat saya tidak tega untuk membeli buku ini. Untungnya Bentang segera menerbitkan dalam bahasa Indonesia, yah saya jadi tidak bisa menahan diri untuk membelinya.

Oke, saya tidak terlalu suka warna covernya. Kenapa harus hijau? Padahal edisi Inggris berwarna biru favorit saya. Yah sudahlah. Akhirnya saya baca buku ini lewat undian TBR jar. Hmm... memang buku ini bukan genre saya. Siapapun tokoh penting yang Allan temui lewat ketidaksengajaan dan serba kebetulan itu, saya tidak kenal. Well, saya memang tidak suka politik dan tidak pernah mengikuti perkembangan dunia. Maaf.

Gaya penulisan, hmm biasa saja. Bahkan saya cenderung bosan membacanya. Tapi sifat Allan yang selalu maju ke depan, positif, dan tidak pernh ambil pusing patut ditiru. Yah beberapa hal saja ya, tidak semua (kalau sudah baca pasti tahu, sifat Allan mana yang tidak patut ditiru, haha).

Oke, secara garis besar buku ini dapat mengajarkan kita tentang sejarah pemerintahan dunia secara humor. Lumayan sih bisa tau beberapa nama yang katanya penting itu. Sifat Allan dan gerombolannya yang santai dan positif itu sangat lucu dan menyenangkan. Ada beberapa bagian yang membuat saya tertawa geli, tapi ya itu, beberapa bagian cenderung membosankan.

Jika ada penggemar petualangan epik fantasi dengan banyak pertarungan dan adegan heroik yang cetar membahana mungkin buku ini buat anda. Tapi jika ada ingin petualangan heroik yang lucu dan santai, buku ini mungkin bisa jadi favorit anda.

3 stars for Allan.