“FANGIRL” BY RAINBOW ROWELL: DECEPTIVELY RICH AND COMPLEX

RATING GUIDE:

 

6 – Life-Affirming and Life-Changing!

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

After reading all these books for young adults where the young are either perpetually horny, perpetually smart-alecky, or perpetually pa-profound, you’ll be thrown off-balance when you first read Rainbow Rowell’s “Fan Girl”.  What is this girl all about, what is this book all about?  Is it worth my time and money or should I just toss this into my “To Donate” box?

Rainbow Rowell’s “Fangirl” is the story of Cath, a whiny, geeky, socially inept girl who hates change.  Tough luck, for soon, Cath and Wren, her twin, are forced to leave their home and their dad for college.  Unlike Cath, Wren can’t wait to start school.  Soon, she leaves her socially anxious sister in order to try out all the fun things a freshman supposedly does (e.g., getting drunk with the popular ones).  At first, Cath stays holed up in her dorm room, writing fan fiction.  Unlike in real life, Cath is highly known in the fandom she belongs to (she is a well-known slashy/bromance fan fiction writer).  But Cath can’t stay in her room forever.  With the help of people like Reagan, her dorm mate, Levi, Reagan’s best friend, Cath is coaxed out of her shell.  It turns out that Cath is a girl running away from her own life and its dark, painful secrets.  As Cath slowly gets to know herself and the world and the people around her, Cath needs to make a decision.  What kind of future does she want?  Will she continue hiding in her boring but comfortable shell, or face her demons and build a new life?

To be honest, I initially thought this book was a dud, because the writing style was so simple.  After reading John Green’s books, I was looking for something that was extremely witty or profound and “Fangirl” didn’t fulfill those expectations at first.  It took a while, but I soon learned to appreciate what Rainbow Rowell offered her readers --- a simply written, yet very honest and moving book about the complex world of today’s teenagers.

In this book, we have twins (Cath and Wren) who are very different from each other.  There’s the socially anxious Cath, who’s so scared of people, you wonder if she’s mentally ill.  Then there’s Wren, who seems like your ordinary freshman.  But then, as you read more about their lives, you discover that they are older beyond their years and are forced to cope in a world not of their own making.  We see some of the ways teenagers deal with their angst in the 21^st century (in Cath’s case, it’s escaping into the internet and her fan fiction writing; in Wren’s case, it’s partying).  Yet, we also see that no matter what generation teens belong to, whether it be the 20st century or the 21^st, there are some things that never change.  A teenager will always need a home, a family and real friends. 

Rowell’s cast of teenagers aren’t all innocent and virginal like Cath, but they are thankfully real and mostly good and kind-hearted.   As for her cast of adults, it’s easy to sympathize with them, even though some of them are so screwed up.  The good thing about this kind of portrayal is, readers are reminded that no matter what one’s age is --- whether one is a child, a teenager or an adult --- there is always hope for redemption, as long as one is brave enough to face one’s issues, forgive one’s self and others, and choose love over hate.

RATING:  5

THE CUCKOO’S CALLING” BY ROBERT GALBRAITH: NOT BAD FOR A RE-INVENTION OF SELF

RATING GUIDE:

 

6 – Life-Affirming and Life-Changing!

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

I have to admit that I am not a fan of whodunits.  A friend once lent me some of her prized Agatha Christie books, but I just ended up returning those books to her (mostly unread) after a few weeks.  However, I think I might consider giving those Agatha Christie books another go after reading Robert Galbraith’s “The Cuckoo’s Calling,” an interesting debut novel from Robert Galbraith.

“The Cuckoo’s Calling” begins with the death of Lula, a supermodel.  All signs point to it being a suicide, but her brother, John Bristow, refuses to accept this.  So, John Bristow employs the services of a down-and-out detective named Cormoran Strike.  Strike is nothing at all like the detective in your head (you know, someone like Benedict Cumberbatch).  His business is close to going under, his body is unfit, he lacks one leg and has the unenviable nickname ever, Pubehead (to describe his pubic hair-like hair).  But Strike is just like the Tranformers of the eighties --- “more than meets the eye”.  Together with Robin, his temp secretary (who also has inclinations towards being a detective), Strike explores London (its posh side and its grittiest side) in order to find out what really happened to Lula.

The two best things about this book are (1) the narrative, and (2) the character development. Galbraith’s writing style is simple yet very fluid.  The description is very good, so good that you wouldn’t have a hard time imagining everything that the author wants you to see or feel or hear.  But what’s better than the narrative is the character development.  I was surprised to read so much detail.  I never thought something like this would come from a man (sorry, I guess I am prejudiced).  I appreciated the amount of care that Galbraith put in the details.  The characters really came to life in my mind.  It was also interesting that Galbraith created a detective who’s so far from the stereotype.  Yet, Galbraith succeeded in creating a character who is likeable, dignified and admirable despite his flaws and shortcomings.  You wouldn’t even mind that his looks aren’t exactly stellar, his hair looks like it should be on one’s private parts, and was actually a wimp in his last romantic relationship.  He’s still a hero.  In today’s visually shallow world, that’s quite a feat.

The plot isn’t really very complex (my seventy-something year old mother, a whodunit aficionado, correctly guessed the book’s ending without even reading the entire book).  Just the same, it’s an entertaining read, and worth your time.  With this book, a highly popular and successful author gets to reinvent herself (yes, Robert Galbraith is just a pen name).  If you can, don’t try to find out who this author is until you’re done reading the book (you’ll be surprised to find out who Galbraith truly is).

RATING:  4

JOJO MOYES’ “ME BEFORE YOU”: SO MUCH MORE THAN A (BORING) ROMANCE

RATING GUIDE:

 

6 – Life-Affirming and Life-Changing!

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

It’s a shame that Jojo Moyes “Me Before You” is marketed as a romance, for that makes it appear as if it’s just one of those Boy Meets Girl stories that we’ve grown so used to reading about.  The truth is, “Me Before You” is so much more than your garden variety (read:  boring) romance.  It’s an extraordinary tale of love and friendship that also explores the complex and controversial issues of human dignity and the right to die.

“Me Before You” is the story of Lou, a young woman with a lot of potential … the problem is, she’s stuck.  She suddenly loses her job at the beloved café she works for, just when everyone in her family needs her to be the breadwinner.  Lou hasn’t graduated from college yet, and her prospects of finding a decent job appear dim.  She’s definitely on the road to nowhere.  Out of desperation, Lou takes on a job as a caregiver of sorts for a thirty-something man named Will Traynor.  Unlike Lou, Will has led a very rich, BIG life.  He had the kind of life every man would envy --- he had the looks, the wealth, the power, the prestige, the hotshot career, the gorgeous girlfriend … until an accident turned him into a bitter, depressed quadriplegic.  

Lou’s new role as caregiver is off to a rocky start, for Will proves to be a sarcastic bully; but as time passes, Lou and Will develop a friendship.  Then comes the startling truth about the nature of Lou’s job.  She wasn’t really hired to be Will’s caregiver. She was hired to try to convince Will not to take his own life at the end of six months.

Like I said, “Me Before You” is wrongfully marketed as a romance.  It really isn’t a book about “kilig” moments (even though there are a few sweet moments here and there).  It’s not something to cry about, however, for Moyes gifts her readers with characters who are so well-thought of, they seem to be real, like people you might actually know.  None of them are stereotypically good or bad.  All of them are people you might not necessarily like, but definitely people you can relate to and maybe sympathize with. 

“Me Before You” is a highly moving and thought-provoking book that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.  In my experience, it raised a lot of questions about many things --- about love and sacrifice (What are you willing to give up for love?  Can you compromise your own principles for love?), about what defines a well-lived life (Is it living large but living mainly for yourself, or living an ordinary life in service of others?), about the dignity of human life (What do you consider to be a dignified existence?  Can you be dignified even if your health is failing?), and of man’s rights (Is it really one’s right to take one’s own life?).  

RATING:  5 1/2

“FIRST LOVE” BY JAMES PATTERSON AND EMILY RAYMOND: SAME OLD STORY, AND YET …

RATING GUIDE:

 

6 – Life-Affirming and Life-Changing!

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

There appears to be a new trendy subject when it comes to literature for young adults.  In the last couple of years, we’ve been sucked dry (literally and figuratively) by young vampires … or brought to worlds inhabited by strange creatures.  Apparently, authors want to go back to the basics.  Now, we’re reading love stories about ordinary teenagers in good old planet Earth … except that one of them is suffering from some type of sickness (usually cancer).

In the seventies, there was Erich Segal’s “Love Story”.  In the eighties, there was Barbara Conklin’s “P.S. I Love You”.  In the 21^st century, there’s John Green’s “The Fault in our Stars”.  And now, here comes “First Love,” written by James Patterson and Emily Raymond.

“First Love” is about the friendship (and the love that ultimately blossoms) between Axi, a “good girl” who has never broken the rules, and her best friend Robinson, a rebellious charmer.  On impulse, Axi invites Robinson to a cross-country road trip.  It’s a funny, exhilarating trip that soon turns into something more serious, for Robinson is sick (and probably dying) of cancer.

This kind of bittersweet young love, first love has been explored many, many times in the past, not just in books but also in movies and TV shows.  We all know, more or less, how it’s going to end.  Yet, we’re such suckers for it that we don’t mind rehashing the tale for the nth time. 

“First Love” is one such story, and if I may add, a story that seems quite similar to John Green’s “The Fault in our Stars” (you’ll easily spot the similarities).  To use a Filipino term, gasgas na gasgas na. 

And yet, there’s something about the way that Patterson and Raymond wrote this story that still makes it worth reading.  There’s something … heartfelt and touching about it.  And as we readers all know, sometimes, it’s not the originality of a story that grabs us, but the sincerity and rawness of its emotion.

“First Love” won’t be the last bittersweet love story you’ll ever come across, but it’s still a good reminder to seize the day and take a chance on love even if it’s a game you might not win.

RATING:  3

“THE HUSBAND’S SECRET” BY LIANE MORIARTY: THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT PEOPLE IN GENERAL AND WOMEN IN PARTICULAR

RATING GUIDE:

 

6 – Life-Affirming and Life-Changing!

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

“THE HUSBAND’S SECRET” BY LIANE MORIARTY:

THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT PEOPLE IN GENERAL AND WOMEN IN PARTICULAR

If you are brave enough to face your own “dark side,” then you might want to read “The Husband’s Secret” by Liane Moriarty, a complex tale about lies, secrets and compromises.

“The Husband’s Secret” is essentially the story of three Australian women.  There’s Cecilia, who appears to have the Picture Perfect life.  Everything about her life seems Martha Stewart-perfect.  She’s married to a gorgeous guy (considered a great catch by everyone), has beautiful children, a flourishing career selling Tupperware.  She and her family are model citizens of the community.  Then, there’s Rachel, a woman in her twilight years.  She used to have the big career and the wonderful family, but now, she’s just an aging widow who can’t get over the death of her daughter, Janie, thirty years ago.  Finally, there’s Tess, who hates change but is forced to change her husband has an emotional affair. 

One day, Cecilia stumbles upon a letter written by her husband, Jean-Paul.  Despite his written instruction that the letter must only be opened after his death, Cecilia’s curiosity gets the better of her.  She opens the letter and discover’s Jean-Paul’s deepest, darkest secret which totally turns her life upside down.  If she tells the truth, it will destroy her family.  If she doesn’t, she destroys someone else’s family --- Rachel’s. 

If you are able to get past the endless, confusing changes in point of view, and can overlook Liane Moriarty’s tendency to give her readers too much information (for example, does it really matter what kind of food her characters ate?), then you have a story that is deeper, darker and more complex that it initially appears to be. 

At first, “The Husband’s Secret” irritated me.  The story and the characters seemed shallow and frivolous.  However, further reading shows that “The Husband’s Secret” is a laser-sharp, unpleasant presentation of the secret thoughts, desires and pain of people.  Whether they’re ordinary people or “special” people, Lainie Moriarty’s book shows us that many times, what we think is real truly isn’t.

Lainie’s characters are painfully shallow, nasty, irritating, hypocritical, but sadly, very real.  As a woman, these fictional women made me cringe.  I found them so terrible that I think my overall view of humanity went down several notches.  I particularly disliked Tess’ character, who was such a hypocritical, mean-spirited bitch compared to her adulterous cousin, Felicity.  In fact, it is ironic that the characters who initially seem to be the “bad guys” (Will and Felicity) turn out to be the “purest” of them all.  And yet, despite these, it’s still easy to sympathize with the characters because they seem so real.  I’m pretty sure there isn’t a reader out there who has been as shallow or mean or hypocritical --- flawed --- as the characters in the book.

Ultimately, Liane Moriarty’s “The Husband’s Secret” presents us with so many thought-provoking questions.  How far would you go to protect what is yours?  Are people inherently good or evil?  Will you forgive someone who betrayed you and took away what you love the most?  How sure are you that you will do the “right” thing in a given situation?  Do you know how to forgive yourself and others?  What does it take to move on from a painful experience?  These are just a few of the serious questions that Liane Moriarty asks in her seemingly trashy but ultimately profound book.

RATING:  4

MACCARRICK BROTHERS TRILOGY BY KRESLEY COLE (IF YOU DARE, IF YOU DESIRE, IF YOU DECEIVE): THE HISTORICAL ROMANCE, 21st CENTURY VERSION

RATING GUIDE:

 

6 – Life-Affirming and Life-Changing!

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

 

The only exposure I’ve had to reading historical romances has been by way of a few Dame Barbara Cartland’s novels, where absolutely nothing steamy goes on between the characters other than a chaste kiss that occurs at the END of the story.  Although I did come across a Barbara Cartland novel that tried to keep up in step with the times (this was a novel in the seventies, if I remember right), I remember feeling absolutely scandalized when the hero grabbed the heroine’s boob at the end.  Not that I have anything against sexy scenes in books.  It’s just that it felt a little “off” to have Dame Barbara combine old-fashioned romance with a little boob-grabbing.  Now, Kresley Cole attempts to update the historical romance for the 21^st century with her MacCarrick Brothers trilogy (“If You Dare,” “If You Desire” and “If You Deceive”) by combining it with … what else?  A lot of hot sex.  Is it possible to combine the old and the new without turning readers off?  Let’s find out.

The MacCarrick Brothers trilogy is the story of three Scottish brothers --- Court, Hugh and Ethan --- who appear to be doomed to remain forever single and childless, no thanks to a family curse.  None of them can marry, unless they want their wives to … well, drop dead.  So, the brothers try to steer clear of serious relationships until they meet “the one”. 

Like I said, the only exposure I’ve had to historical romances comes from reading Barbara Cartland’s novels.  And I have no idea what a Scottish man (hunk?) from a few centuries ago might act/sound (is he anything like The Highlander from the movies?).  So I’m not sure whether Kresley Cole’s MacCarrick hunks are credible at all.  As for Cole’s heroines, well, they do seem like feistier (and sometimes, more annoying) versions of some of Barbara Cartland’s heroines.  I suppose the difference between Cartland and Crosley’s novels lies in the abundance of sex.

I suppose the concept of No Sex Before Marriage is practically dead in the 21^st century, which explains why the heroes and heroines of Cole’s novels have to get it on, even when they supposedly live in more conservative times (Fine.  If you really must have those in the book …).  Thankfully, Cole’s sex scenes are steamy without being gross and (obviously?) gratuitous. 

While I do appreciate Crosley’s more modern, lustier take on the historical romance, I am still a hopeless, old school romantic at heart.  I don’t need sex scenes to make me swoon over a story, just a brooding, handsome, angst-ridden hunk who can make the heroine’s knees buckle with one simple kiss.  Give me a Cartland novel anytime. 

RATING:  4

JODI ELLEN MALPAS’ “THIS MAN TRILOGY”: THE YOLANDA/HAIYAN OF BAD BOOKS

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

 

Just when you think that “Fifty Shades of Gray” is the worst book you’ve ever read, here comes Jodi Ellen Malpas’ “This Man” trilogy, this horrible, horrible book that is a plague on one’s brain, body and soul.  If this were a natural disaster, this trilogy would be the equivalent of Yolanda/Haiyan, a disaster of epic proportions!

This total waste of money, time and energy (you can pay me all the money in the world and it still would not compensate for that part of my life that was wasted on this crap) is the story of Ava, a twenty-something interior designer who gets chosen to work on a posh place called The Manor.  Ava wonders why she even got chosen for the project, since designing for posh places isn’t really her specialty … but then she stops caring when she meets who her client is.  Her client’s name is Jesse Ward, a man who’s so gorgeous she likens him to God, a man so sexy that his voice is enough to make her wet and orgasmic.  Soon, Ava finds herself doing something else other than decorating … instead, she finds herself doing Jesse over and over and over …

But Ava has just broken up with her boyfriend, and a serious relationship is the farthest thing from her mind.  Yet, she can’t get enough of Jesse --- the sex is sooooo good and in abundance … even if all signs point to him being a controlling, domineering bastard.

Now as a rule, I don’t like bashing any author’s work.  Most of the time, I find something good in any book and very rarely do I come out and say something negative.  However, I can’t lie about what I feel about this book.  I hate it.

At first, I thought this was going to be the British version of “Fifty Shades of Gray” (as if that wasn’t bad enough)… I was wrong.  Despite its attempts (planned or otherwise) to copy elements of E.L. James’ trilogy, unfortunately, “This Man” didn’t even make it to “second rate, trying hard copycat” status.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but “Fifty Shades of Gray” seems like that erotica classic “Delta of Venus” compared to this. 

Though Malpas’ Ava is supposedly in her twenties, and earning her own keep, she seems very immature at times (not to mention bigoted --- just read her reaction to John, one of the characters in the book).  For one, I can’t imagine anyone in her twenties jeopardizing her reputation at work and risking another heartbreak simply because of a guy who looks like God --- take note, not even a god … but God with a capital “G”!  And a Lord (with a capital “L”!) and a penis that can puncture any woman’s womb (yes, ladies, he’s that BIG and LONG).  To have unprotected sex with a man you know very little about, who uses his money and power to keep you at his beck and call at all times, who tells you to watch your mouth all the time, and uses sex to punish you or get his way … if Ava is a representative of today’s generation of young women, then I’ll be very afraid for the future of this world. 

As for Jesse Ward, don’t be fooled by his looks and his sexual prowess.  Don’t be fooled by his tortured past.  He is a monster.  Run for the hills!

Malpas’ writing isn’t that hot, either.  My English isn’t perfect, and yet I spotted quite a number of errors.  The characters have no depth (even if there is obviously an attempt to make them more than cardboard characters), it’s very difficult to empathize with them and they’re very unlikable.  As for the story … there is no story.

As for the sex scenes, which supposedly form the meat of this trilogy … if you’re looking for smutty material, there’s an abundance of that here.  But if you were to ask me if they’re hot and exciting … sorry, but I found the sex scenes repetitive and boring.  Same venue, same style (I wonder if the author just cut and pasted the sexy bits all throughout the book), very, very mechanical.  If you’re looking for happy erotica, maybe you’re better off with “Fifty Shades”.

I’m sorry, but this book was so bad in my view that I had to create a new level of low just for it.  I hope the publishers would be more discriminating in the kind of books they offer their readers in the future.  Just because it’s all sex doesn’t mean it’s all good.

RATING:  0

EMILY GIFFIN’S “HEART OF THE MATTER”: AN AFFAIR IN THE EYES OF THE WIFE AND THE MISTRESS

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

Emily Giffin tries to dissect the anatomy of an affair from the female point of view in her book, “Heart of the Matter”.

“Heart of the Matter” is the story of two women --- Tessa, the wife of a handsome, kind-hearted and successful surgeon named Nick, and Beverly, a self-made woman and a single mother to a beautiful boy named Charlie.  Even though they both seem to lead enviable lives are actually secretly unhappy and discontent.  Tessa leads a comfortable life, is married to the love of her life and yet can’t seem to shake off the feeling that something is wrong with her life and her marriage.  Meanwhile, Beverly’s successful career in law hasn’t shielded her from the difficulties of raising a child alone, as well as her own desire to have a companion.

The women’s lives change forever when Charlie becomes Nick’s patient.  Though Beverly tries to control her emotions, she finds herself falling for Nick.  Nick, even though he loves his wife and family, feels alone in his own marriage.  Soon, the two develop a friendship … which leads to an affair.  How will Tessa and Beverly deal with this act of infidelity?

Unlike many books for women that are fluffy tales about romance or hot sex or being a bitch to other women, Emily Giffin’s book is a book that tackles a number of serious matters such as (early) midlife crisis, emotional affairs and infidelity.  If you want a distraction from your own life problems, you might want to skip this book.  However, if you want to read a fairly realistic book that tackles many of the issues that confront women and families today, then this is a good book to consider.

The best part about this book is that Giffin’s book neither condemns nor condones affairs and the people who get involved in these types of relationships.  It is more of an analysis of how affairs evolve.  Whether they like it or not, women will identify with the two women in this book.  Married women readers, however, might view this book as a horror story, for in this book, even a marriage that appears to be full of love, isn’t safe from the prospect of infidelity.

Women generally condemn affairs and women who get involved with married men.  This book, however, presents the Other Woman’s side with respect and empathy.  Although I’m sure many of us want to condemn the Other Woman as a gold-digging slut, Emily Giffin’s book points out something that many of us refuse to accept:  that sometimes, oftentimes, the Other Woman is really just an ordinary woman who happens to fall in love with a married man. 

It would have been interesting had Giffin included Nick’s point of view in the story.  In the book, we only get to know about Nick from either Tessa or Beverly’s point of view.  I would have wanted to hear what Nick had to say about his infidelity.

While Giffin paints a very objective picture of infidelity, she also makes a strong statement about it:  that in any affair, no one really wins, and it’s the children who suffer the most.

RATING:  4

“FOLLOW YOUR HEART: SUMMER LOVE” BY JILL SANTOPOLOS: THE ULTIMATE DO-IT-YOURSELF ROMANCE

RATING GUIDE:

 

6 – Life-Affirming and Life-Changing!

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

 

Remember the concept of permutations and combinations in Statistics class?  Well, author Jill Santopolos has made clever use of those concepts in her fun book, “Follow Your Heart:  Summer Love”.  In this book, the reader has the freedom to literally create her own love story by choosing among the options that Santopolos presents within the book.

Sadly, I had a very short-lived experience “writing” my own “love story” for my “story” ended barely fifteen minutes after I had chosen some of Santopolos’ options.  I don’t know about you, but a fifteen-minute romance is not satisfying, at all.  Maybe I’ll be luckier next time … that is, if I’ll even have the time and the patience to write my own love story (wait, shouldn’t that be the author’s job?). 

If you’re into fluff and imagining yourself as the heroine, then you might enjoy the fun offered by “Follow Your Heart:  Summer Love”.  Personally, while I find the concept cute and interesting, I would still prefer a book with a lot more substance.

RATING:  2

SALLY GREEN’S “HALF BAD”: DARK, DISTURBING, COMPELLING

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

            Sally Green’s “Half Bad” is the story of Nathan.  The offspring of a forbidden union between a White Witch and a Dark Witch, Nathan is a Half-Code and is one of a kind.  But being special is not exactly appreciated in the world of White Witches, where Nathan grows up.  Despite his healing powers, his artistic abilities, his physical strength and compelling appearance, Nathan is feared, discrimated against and HATED.  Though he is raised by a family of White Witches, Nathan is treated like a freak by many of the White Witches (who are supposedly good and kind), bullied at home and even in school.  His only friend is Annalise, a White Witch and the love of his life. 

            Every Witch is supposed to receive his “gifts” (special abilities) when he or she turns seventeen.  But Nathan is a Half-Code.  No one wants him to receive his “gifts”.  If Nathan doesn’t receive his gifts by the time he reaches his seventeenth birthday, he will die. 

            “Half Bad” makes use of elements that are already pretty boring and tiring to read about about:  the world of witches, the forbidden love affair.  Part of me wanted to groan upon realizing that this was going to yet another book about that world, those types of characters … I mean, aren’t the readers fed up with that yet? 

            Thankfully, Sally Green’s take on witches and doomed love affairs is surprisingly fresh.  If you’re not sidetracked by some of the British phrases and words in this book, you will find yourself reading about the very scary life of a young man whose only fault is being the child of a union that is frowned upon by his society.

            “Half Bad” is very dark and very disturbing.  The cruelty and evil just leap off the pages of this book, grab your heart and pull it right out of your chest.  I really don’t know how this could even be considered a book for young adults, because of the graphic ways violence was depicted in this book.  The imagery is not as gross as in Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, but it feels very raw and real.  Not like a horror movie, where you can still detach from it.  The violence and evil in this book feels like something you are surrounded with on a daily basis.  Like something you see on the news everyday, or something you’ve actually encountered in real life.  Definitely a different form of “scary”.

            Reading this book is like being a spectator at a crime scene or a place of accident.  You can’t help but check it out, even though it’s very dark and disturbing. 

            All in all, “Half Bad” is a compelling read, a page-turner.  However, I don’t think this is a book I would like very young readers to get hold of, given the violence it contains. 

RATING:  4

             

“FROZEN (HEART OF DREAD # 1”) BY MELISSA DE LA CRUZ AND MICHAEL JOHNSTON: A “HALO-HALO” ADVENTURE

RATING GUIDE:

 

6 – Life-Affirming and Life-Changing!

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

I knew it the moment I read the words “turo turo” that one of the authors must be Pinoy, and so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Melissa de la Cruz, one of the authors of “Frozen (Heart of Dread # 1)” actually grew up in Manila.  She currently lives abroad with her co-author (and husband) Michael Johnston.

“Frozen (Heart of Dread # 1)” is a pretty scary dystopian novel that seems to take place in a post-apocalyptic/post-Climate Change era.  The world as we know it is long gone.  Instead, people live in an ice world where almost everything else has either been turned into trash, rendered obsolete, or treated as the rarest of luxuries.  Living conditions have deteriorated to a point where it is a rarity for a person to reach middle age. Young people are sadly forced to live adult lives in a very violent society.

One such person is Nat, a young woman with a past that she doesn’t even know about and an inner voice that keeps giving her all sorts of weird instructions.  The voice tells her to go find “The Blue,” a mythical place that is supposedly the replica of the world that was.  A world where the sky is blue (and not forever gray), the weather isn’t always wintery, and plants and animals are not extinct. 

Nat enlists the help of juvenile mercenaries, headed by the young and handsome Wes.  For some strange reason, Nat is drawn to Wes.  He seems familiar.  As the journey progresses, Nat’s heart slowly warms up to Wes (who turns out to be more of a knight in shining armor than a mercenary).  Her memories also return, bit by bit.  The problem is, just when Nat finally falls in love with Wes, she also remembers a terrifying bit about her past.  If she tells Wes about it, it might spell the end of their relationship and her quest.

Overall, “Frozen” is an entertaining read; although I can’t help but think of it as the literary equivalent of a “halo- halo”.  It’s as if the authors borrowed elements from several stories/films and mashed them all together to produce “Frozen”.  If you’re familiar with movies from the eighties and the nineties, you’ll recall parts of Mel Gibson’s “Mad Max” and Kevin Costner’s “Waterworld” when you read this book.  But the author doesn’t just stop there.  She even includes anime elements, such as the power to summon mythical creatures.  Sure, it’s entertaining.  However, the book also feels too contrived, as if the authors wanted to make sure the book had something every reader would like.  It also felt a little awkward to be reading about young adults behaving like jaded grown-ups, so some suspension of disbelief is necessary when reading this book.  And here’s a question I never really considered until another reader pointed it out.  If water is such a precious commodity in the “Frozen” universe … couldn’t someone MELT the ice to produce the water? 

RATING:  3

JUNE GRAY’S “DISARM”: AN EXAMPLE OF MODERN DAY ROMANCE

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

0 – Nothing will compensate for what I lost reading this book 

 

Gone are the days when romance meant flowers and chocolates, and walks along the beach on a moonlit night while holding hands with your special someone.  In June Gray’s “Disarm” at least, the 21^st century version of romance appears to be … sex, sex and more sex. 

June Gray’s “Disarm” is the story of two childhood friends, Elsie and Henry.  Elsie and Henry are forced to live together following the death of Elsie’s elder brother, Jason, who happens to be Henry’s best friend.  The problem is, Elsie and Henry have long been attracted to each other, and this attraction finally erupts into full-blown passion right before Henry leaves for an overseas assignment. 

Elise patiently waits for Henry’s return, expecting the two of them will resume their love affair once he gets back … but Elsie is thrown for a loop when Henry unexpectedly puts an end to their relationship.  Will Elsie fight for her love for Henry or move on?

Generally, I don’t enjoy reading books that are heavy on sex scenes.  I prefer reading books that are more focused on plot and character development.  However, thankfully, “Disarm” has both elements.  At least, in this book, sex is presented as a by-product of the love shared between Elsie and Henry, which grew out of a long and deep friendship.  Elsie and Henry are PEOPLE, and not just animals in heat.

The most satisfying part of the book was when Gray told the story from Henry’s point of view.  I wonder if Gray planned to write this book this way at first, for this portion is very different from the way the story is told (i.e., from Elsie’s point of view).  Personally, I think I would have enjoyed this book more had it been told from Henry’s point of view.  It was in Henry’s portion of the story that I learned about the characters’ history and felt some form of empathy for them.  Elsie’s portion of the book just reads like a mashup between a Harlequin romance and porn (quite boring to me).

As a Filipina who isn’t in her twenties anymore, I found it quite difficult to relate to Elsie --- but I guess that’s the generation gap at work.  Perhaps, the twenty-something Filipina with more liberated views (or at least, raging hormones) will have a better appreciation of this book. 

RATING:  3