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Archive for January 2014

BOOK REVIEW: Prodigy By Marie Lu

So I bought this book a year ago. Read first few pages and then just left it there on my bookshelves with no intention to continue reading it. I remember buying the sequel because the cover was so cool and it's hardcover!
Then couple months later, I decided to give it a try again and read more pages and gave up again because I was in my worst reading slump ever. Until now... To be exactly two days ago.

Prodigy.
Written by Marie Lu, the author of the famous dystopian trilogy; Legend. I loved the first book, Legend. My reaction for the first book was like, "This is a really good book. Better than The Hunger Games. I guess I'm gonna read the next book.". Well, guess what my reaction after finished reading Prodigy was like, "OH MY FUCKING GOODNESS THIS BOOK IS GOOD I NEED THE NEXT ONE RIGHT NOW!".
Swear to God, I almost got myself changed and went to the nearest bookstore that has Champion - the last book of the trilogy - and buy it. But then I realized it was crazy because it was 5 in the morning.
Yes people. This book is that good.

If you haven't read the first book, you have to! Don't waste your precious time doubting yourselves whether to buy it or not. Believe me you won't regret reading it.

Prodigy continues with June and Day attempts to find Day's brother and move themselves to the Colonies; hoping there's a better future there. But with Day's wounded legs, they have no chance. Desperate; they go to the Last Vegas - the military state of Republic - to find Patriots and ask them for help. Later they discover the death of Elector Primo and that Patriots don't do charity by giving them free helps. In exchange, Day and June have to do the mission Patriots is currently working on; Kill the new Elector Primo who non other than the former Elector's son which will lead them to the revolution; Republic and Colonies become one just like the old days. Well, at least that's what they being told.

The first thing you notice when you read Prodigy is the writing. It's really good. I think it's even better than Divergent or The Hunger Games. Correct me is I'm wrong but I think it is.
There are like tons of surprises waiting ahead in each pages. Reading this book is like experiencing a roller coaster that not only goes up, but surely goes down in a high speed which will make your heart stopped and scream out of frustration. (Wait until you find the shocking truth about Metias and Thomas!)

There are few new characters here but they don't really have roles in this book. They just pass by like any other supporting actors or actresses in a really good movie. You see them, you either love or hate them and then you just sort of forget who they are and what they're doing in this book.

The pacing.
God, it's so fast. It's like I'm actually there when Kaede flies the Colonies's military jet and do her best split-S! The last thing you'll realize is that you've been reading all night and you've reached the last page.

The romance. This is the one thing I really love from this book. Romance? Fuck it. There's a little bit touch of Romance in this book but not too much. Just the enough amount that a dystopian book needs. I hate it when an author writes a dystopian book, with this promising premise but when I read it, it's all about the protagonist characters love story, including the triangle love, sometimes a rectangle love and I'm like, "Go write some romance novels! Don't ruin my precious dystopian!". Yes, I'm not a big fan of romance.
I just love how June keeps saying things like, "We just know each other for less than a month. How could I fall in love with this guy?" which makes here kind of resist saying that she loves Day. It does make sense you know. Romance in young adult dystopian book is sometimes forced. Move to fast that you find it doesn't make any sense.
It goes like: "Hey, I just met you yesterday. You seem hot. Let's make out! I will betray everyone and leave what I have for no reason. Well, I think pretty much because I 'love' you."
Totally not happening in Legend trilogy. Everything happens for a reason and the romance just so good that I find myself loving it.

Marie Lu is a kick ass. She succeeded with the two point-of-view. She took advantage with this writing style to explain lots of stuff. Put all the characters emotions. Making us, the readers, so related with June and Day. Most of writers just failed taking advantage from the first person POV, but not Marie Lu. She nailed it!

If you've done reading Legend, go ahead buy Prodigy and read it immediately! This is so much better than the first book.

I rate this five out of five stars. (DUH!)
Prodigy is the second book I read on 2014 after The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, which was a reread and I gave it five out of five stars as well. I'm happy that I'm starting 2014 with amazing books. A good start, yeah?
I've ordered Paper Town and Looking For Alaska, both by the same author, John Green from Periplus online and I'm gonna get Champion, the last book of the Legend trilogy, around next week. So yeah, I'm officially out of my reading slump and currently enjoying my holiday with good books.
Book Haul and more reviews are coming!

BOOK REVIEW: The Fault in Our Stars

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(source: pittsburghmagazine.com)

This is a really late review, I know. The Fault in Our Stars by the famous author, John Green; winner of lots of awards. This book was really famous back then on 2012 and won the Best Young Adult Fiction on Goodreads Choice Awards 2012.

I'd originally read this book last year and didn't really like it. I didn't know what was wrong, until I found out this year. The main reason the book wasn't that 'good' for me because I didn't put my attention on this book because it was a busy week when I read this for the first time. Since the movie is coming out later this year on June, I thought 'Well, gotta give this book a second chance and this time no more distraction.'

On my second read, this book is just..... AMAZING! I love this book and I have to say this: the best book I've ever read so far (Let's pretend Harry Potter doesn't exist here).

Yes people this kind of thing happens sometimes. No kidding.

The Fault in Our Stars is a book about a young teenager named Hazel Grace who has terminal thyroid cancer and shitty lungs because like everyone knows, cancer likes to make colonies all over your body once it's caught you.

Her life changes when she meets young Augustus Waters, hot boy in the Support Group for cancer kids that not only has the magnificent blue eyes but also has only one human leg while the other is a fake leg. Why? Well - cancer.

Long story short, they fall in love. And there are a lot more coming. I won't tell you anything more than this because you have to read it by yourselves!

The first thing that I really love about this book is the characters. Hazel Grace is funny, awkward and incredibly smart especially in literature. Guess what, she loves to read which make me feel related to her.

Augustus Waters is just charming and also funny. Funnier than Hazel Grace. Weird in someways but still, cool guy that I wish I could have as my brother or best friend. Well, I know I couldn't since he's.. *CENSORED*

The writing is just amazing. Not too hard for me the poor skilled in English guy. You will laugh, smile, mad, furious, upset, sob and cry. There are lots of emotion in this book that I can't even explain in word.

The plot is as amazing as any other things in this book. The story just moves so fast and caught my breath in so many ways. This book makes cancer teenagers falling in love sounds new and not mainstream.

The thing about book with romance in it, sometimes it gets too romantic. Too much saliva being exchanged (read: making out). Too much dramatic scenes. But not this book. It doesn't mean that this book isn't romantic at all. It is, but it just has the right amount of romantic scenes and the perfect amount of saliva being exchanged. So yeah, it's not the book for those girls who gets excited whenever Isabella Swan making out with either Edward Cullen or Jacob Black. This is a book for people who admires beautifully written book with the love story that you wish you could have; well minus the cancer part.

Thank God there's no love triangle in this book because I've had it enough with Young Adult Fiction's cheesy love triangle! (The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, The Hunger Games - you name it!)

There are lots of emotions in this book. I guarantee you will feel lost and hollow after you finish this book. You will craving for sequel but there will not be a next book. You have to accept this is a stand alone Contemporary Young Adult Fiction. (Does this one count as contemporary? I'm not really sure.)

Okay, maybe I sound a little overreacted but believe me people, I'm not. I love love love this book. The word 'Okay' won't be the same again for me.

If you haven't read it, go to your nearest book stores and buy this freakin' book and finish it in a day! Why? Because you have to! This book is so good, I'm not lying.

If you're Indonesian, please just please don't read the translated version. Why? I'll tell you why.

1. The cover suck!

2. You won't understand what I'm telling you about the writing.... well, because it's translated, duh!

3. It's sucked. Believe me it's sucked.

4. If you don't understand English... Well, there's never too late to learn something new, right? Yes, this book is so good that you need to take English course now just so you can read this amazing book.

Five stars out of Five.

No doubt.

Okay?

Okay.