CASSANDRA CLARE’S “CITY OF BONES”: VERY GOOD, BUT SEEMS VERY FAMILIAR …

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!

Cassandra Clare’s “City of Bones” is the first installment in her “Mortal Instruments” series.  It is the story of Clary, a young girl who always thought she was just ordinary … until she starts seeing things that an ordinary human isn’t supposed to see.  It turns out that Clary is actually a Shadow Hunter, a creature that’s half-angel and half-human whose role is to protect humankind from demons and to protect the Mortal Cup. 

The problem is, the Mortal Cup is missing.  Apparently, the Mortal Cup is in the hands of Clary’s mother, who is nowhere to be found.  Clary has no one to turn to in helping her deal with her new identity or her mother’s disappearance.  Her uncle, Luke, has left her on her own, and so Clary has to deal with her problems with the help of Simon, her geeky but sweet and devoted best friend, and her fellow Shadow Hunters, Jace, the wise-cracking but secretly angst-ridden hunk, Isabelle, the beautiful bitch with non-existent cooking skills, and Alec, who just simply hates her guts (it turns out he’s gay and secretly in love with Jace).

As Clary tries to search for her mother, she finds herself falling for Jace.  Which presents a complication, for Simon is actually secretly in love with her.  But there’s an even bigger complication, which I won’t tell you about (if I do, it will only ruin the surprise).

I really enjoyed reading this book.  I think it’s something the young readers will enjoy (even though overall, the book seems predictable at some points).  To me, the best thing about this book is the dialogue.  There are a lot of quotable quotes here that are just so humorous.  For instance, Simon asks Clary what kind of coffee she’d like, and she answers, “Black … like my soul.” 

The characters are well-defined and the plot advances clearly and quickly.  Overall, it is a very entertaining book.  However, there are some elements where I couldn’t help but be reminded of Harry Potter, such as the following:  (1) The use of the word “mundane” (sounds a lot like “muggle”); (2) The use of wands (pretty wizard-like to me); (3) Making one’s self invisible (only in this book, a spell is cast, no Invisible Cloaks around here); (4) The “look” of the Silent Brothers (they reminded me of the Dementors); (5) Luke’s secret identity (a lot like Lupin’s).  Then again, Cassandra Clare was originally a Harry Potter fanfic author, so that’s probably just the Harry Potter influence seeping into her story.

It would be interesting to find out how Cassandra Clare develops her story in the other installments, and see whether this series would be able to stand on its own as an original, or fall flat on its face as a Harry Potter wannabe. 

RATING:  4

JOSS STIRLING’S STEALING PHOENIX: DARK, DEPRESSING, DAMNED GOOD

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!

Joss Stirling’s heroine in her book, “Stealing Phoenix,” isn’t your typical lady in distress.  Think 21^st century Artful Dodger with the ability to freeze time.  She’s a kept thief by an underworld character who goes by the nickname, “The Seer,” probably the most despicable character I have come across in books in quite a while (he’s even scarier than Harry Potter’s Voldemort!).  Instead of using his mind control powers for good, The Seer uses his powers to force savants to steal for his own gain.  How despicable is that?

The Seer gives Phoenix an assignment, and it’s to steal something from a target he picked, a male American student, Yves, who’s currently in London.  Incidentally, Yves also happens to be the brother of Zed Benedict, the hero in Stirling’s first book, “Finding Sky”.

To Phoenix’ surprise, not only Yves thwart her attempt to steal from him, she also finds herself inexplicably drawn to him (then again, who could resist a gorgeous guy with intelligence to boot?).  It turns out that Yves is a savant just like her.  Not only that, he’s actually her soul-finder.  Yves vows to save Phoenix from The Seer, but Phoenix is torn.  She wants a new life, but can she risk putting the life of her soul-finder at risk?

For a young adult/paranormal romance, this is an extremely dark and depressing book.  The Seer is actually a terrifying character, who makes Voldemort appear like a wuss (I’m not kidding).  Even Silence Of The Lamb’s Lectre would appear like a saint next to this dude! 

Just like Sky, the heroine in Stirling’s first book, “Finding Sky,” Phoenix is the victim of an abusive environment.  And yet, as in Stirling’s first book, “Finding Sky,” the darkness and despair that envelops the heroine is replaced by hope when she slowly discovers the goodness in people (in this case, Yves and the rest of the Benedict family). 

If you are into kilig moments, then there’s lots of it in this book for you.  But in my opinion, the book’s strengths lie in its tension-filled action scenes, as well as Phoenix’ emotional journey, from being someone who’s isolated and can’t trust anyone, to someone who is loved and can love and trust in return. 

This book is definitely a page-turner and worth your money. 

RATING:  4 1/2

 

JOSS STIRLING’S FINDING SKY: YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A VAMPIRE TO BE A HOTTIE

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!

With all these books, movies and TV shows featuring vampires as the ideal man (or woman), here comes Joss Stirling’s “Finding Sky,” a novel for young adults that falls under the genre called “paranormal romance.”

What the heck is paranormal romance, you ask?  I asked that question, too.  Well, based on the definition I found on Wikipedia, it’s basically romance combined with elements that are beyond scientific explanation.  Its themes include that of vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, time travel or psychic abilities like telekinesis and telepathy.

In “Finding Sky,” our heroine is a young British lady named Sky Bright, whose cheery name is nothing like her dark, troubled childhood.  Abandoned as a child, Sky found herself unable to speak for years because of her traumatic past, and only the love of her adoptive parents slowly brought her out of her shell.  Now, Sky is a fairly well-adjusted teen trying to lead a new, normal life outside her comfort zone.  Not England, but the good old US of A.

Sky appears to be adjusting quite well, despite her status as the new girl on campus.  But then, she meets Zed, the dark, brooding Bad Boy (or so it seems) on a motorbike.  At first, it seems like Zed wants nothing to do with her (doesn’t this just remind you of Twilight?).  But then, Zed suddenly appears to change his mind.  He begins chasing after her, declaring that they’re destined to be together because Sky is a savant just like him, and also his soul-finder (I won’t tell you what that means, you’ll have to read it for yourself).  From this point onwards, it’s a difficult journey for Sky, for though she’s irresistibly drawn to Zed, everyone appears to be against their relationship, from her newly-found friends, her adoptive parents … and her new enemies (again, you’ll have to find out what I mean).

It’s good to come across a British writer like Stirling, who makes no attempt to fake being an American (unlike EL James, who attempted to do just that in her Fifty Shades trilogy --- an attempt that, quite frankly, just went down in flames). 

Some parts of the book can be quite dark, scary and violent, which just reflects the problems a number of kids have to face nowadays.  But these nasty bits are balanced by the goodness found in many of the characters, namely Sky’s adoptive parents, Sky’s new friends and Zed’s family.  In these highly cynical and worldly times, it was actually a huge relief to come across a book like “Finding Sky” which features positive role models.  When you’re bombarded by real life news of broken families and abusive parents, and campus bullying, you just can’t help but feel bad for the kids of this generation.  It’s good to read a book that gives a young lady like Sky who has gone through so much in life a positive environment.  It makes you slightly more hopeful about the future.  This book delivers one powerful message, that anyone can overcome the most trying of circumstances as long as one has a loving, supportive network consisting of friends and family.

There are many, MANY romantic (but clean) moments between Sky and Zed to satisfy the young romantic ladies’ penchant for kilig out there (how all of these flies past the parents is probably every girl’s fantasy!), as well as a testosterone-driven action scene towards the end of the book, the kind that seems good enough to see on film.  Think million dollar explosives and effects!  Could there be a film version of “Finding Sky” in the near future?

Overall, “Finding Sky” is a long but entertaining and satisfying read that can be enjoyed by teens and grown-ups alike. 

RATING:  4

TAGALOG TRANSLATION OF L.J. SMITH’S THE AWAKENING (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES 1): GOOD TRANSLATION, BAD BOOK

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!

L.J. Smith’s The Awakening is the first installment in her book series called The Vampire Diaries.  Although her book series originally came out in the early 1990’s, it has remained highly popular through the years and has even been the take-off point for the supernatural teen drama series starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. 

The Awakening is told primarily from the point of view of Elena, the campus beauty, whose only problems initially appear to be fending off the attention of all her male admirers and defending her status as the “it” girl from her once-friend-now-frenemy Caroline.  But soon, she faces the biggest problem EVER.  Stefan, the new boy in school with the drop-dead dark, gorgeous looks, appears to be immune to her feminine charms.  It’s the first time she’s been rejected by any man … GASP!  What must she do to reverse that situation?

Elena decides she wants Stefan, so she cooks up a scheme to have him.  She enlists the help of her minions, er, friends, which includes her best friend, Matt, the financially-strapped jock with the heart of gold, to get Stefan to notice her.  Incidentally, Matt is also one of the many, many boys Elena has dumped, even though Elena considers him her first love.

To her horror, Elena’s schemes don’t appear to work on Stefan.  But when strange events begin placing Elena’s life in danger, Stefan shows up to save her.  To her relief, Elena eventually realizes that Stefan actually has the hots for her, too.  He has only been reigning in his feelings for her, because of his angst-ridden past.  However, the happiness is short-lived, for Elena soon finds herself in a dangerous love triangle with Stefan and his evil brother, Damon … who, as it turns out, are both vampires.

Considering the decade in which it was written and published, it is actually surprising (and scary) that the book appears like it was written this decade, instead of the 1990’s.  The girls on campus are so accustomed to the Mean Girl/Queen Bee culture that they could be characters in a (bad) TV reality show about bitchy women.  The book also touches upon the worldlier, darker issues of teen sex and (attempted) date rape.  This book is definitely nothing like the sweet, innocent teen romances of old, like the Sweet Dreams romances of the 1980’s.

If you’re looking for a book that could positively influence the younger reader, then this book might not be it.  With the exception of Matt, the teenagers in this installment are either dimwitted, horny or shallow.  Elena, the main character in the story, is supposedly so beautiful she’s admired by all women and desired by all men; but her narcissism, shallowness and selfishness just make her so difficult to like.  The way she treats the people around her, even her friends, is just so despicable that you end up not caring about her supposedly angst-ridden past (she lost both of her parents at an early age).  What’s worse is her take on love.  She takes one look at Stefan and BAM, she’s in love!  That’s not love, girl, that’s lust!

But if you’re looking for a book with yummy-looking, gorgeous men, then this book might be the one for you.  Stefan has the dark, brooding looks, the designer duds, the fancy car and the angst-ridden background, all the requisites for a fantasy hottie.  His brother Damon might be evil as hell, but based on Smith’s description, is equally gorgeous to make you want him sink his fangs into your neck.  Meanwhile, Matt might not have the money to afford the designer clothes and fancy car, but hey, he’s a jock with a heart of gold.   

Compared to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, The Vampire Diaries appears to be less meandering and innocent.  It’s fast-paced, darker, worldlier.  This probably explains why it has survived the nineties and made it to the present time.  The world inhabited by the characters in The Vampire Diaries is something today’s youth are more used to.  It’s a world that isn’t as safe as it used to be, inhabited by people who are more of a threat or a disappointment than a source of safety and security.

If you’re looking for a literary masterpiece, then this might not be the one for you.  The material is sadly lacking in substance, the characters appear to be shallow and one-dimensional and there’s hardly anyone in this book to latch on to emotionally.  Even the best of translator Vanessa’s translation skills couldn’t save this book from being a huge literary disappointment for me.  In fact, I was so annoyed by this book that I wished I had a stake to put right through the author’s heart!  It was torture to read this book.

But since I am the eternal optimist, I’m willing to give the next installments a try.  Hopefully, Elena would be less irritating and more sympathetic by then, and I would understand the reason behind the vampire brothers’ feud.  I’d like to think that there’s probably a good reason why this book series has survived the test of time.  I’m curious to find out what that reason is.

RATING:  1 ½

THE FILIPINO TRANSLATION OF SUZANNE COLLINS’ “THE HUNGER GAMES”: MORE, MORE, MORE!

I have just finished reading the Filipino Translation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. If I were to describe it in one word, it would be this:  WOW. 

I’m not exactly what you would call a literary expert when it comes to reading/writing in Filipino, but I really loved the Filipino translation of The Hunger Games.  I didn’t care whether it was material I wasn’t used to reading.  I didn’t care that I had to look up some words in the dictionary (like the word “lambak,” which I probably haven’t encountered in ages). 

I have to commend Precious Pages Corporation for coming up with a very good translation of one of my favorite books this year.  I can only imagine how difficult it was for the translator, Janis delos Reyes, to translate such material.  Yet, she managed to come up with a translation that is not only a fairly accurate translation of the material, but also a translation that captures the writing “voice” of Suzanne Collins. 

While this book isn’t exactly light reading fare (at least, for me) --- it IS a challenging book to read --- I loved the way it was translated.  This translation only confirms what I have always believed in my heart, that there’s magic in the written Filipino word. 

The translated prose of Suzanne Collins has a very beautiful, lyrical quality to it.  It’s exactly what I expected, given the excellent quality of the original material. And just like what I experienced when I read the Filipino translation of Twilight, the story became more visually alive and real to me when I read it in Filipino.

Have a Tagalog or Tagalog-English dictionary by your side, if you’re intimidated by heavy Filipino words.  But don’t be afraid to read this book.  And by all means, read more books in Filipino!  I definitely can’t wait to read more books in Filipino.

RATING:  5 

SUZANNE COLLINS’ MOCKINGJAY: DARK, BRUTAL, SAVAGE STATEMENT AGAINST WAR

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!

If I were asked to describe this book in three words, they would be dark, brutal and savage.  This book was actually torture to read, from beginning to end.  But it’s not because it was badly written.  In fact, Suzanne Collins paints such a grim picture of war at its worst that you would actually wonder why war still exists. 

In Mockingjay, the last installment in Suzanne Collins’ trilogy, Katniss has decided to lead the revolution against the evil President Snow.  Gale has turned into a bomb expert, while Peeta has become President Snow’s ultimate weapon against Katniss (you have to find out how this happened.  It’s so telenovela-like, but so riveting!)  At this point in time, they are just shadows of the teenagers they once were.  All of them have somehow turned into pawns of the powers-that-be, or hunters or killers.  Their transformation is actually painful to read about, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Suzanne Collins paints such a terrifying picture of the final showdown, so to speak, that reading about it makes you want to close your eyes and fling the book across the room.  My mind screamed in horror as I read about Katniss’ last, painful moment with her sister Prim.  The book is that horrifying and compelling.

As painful as it was to read this book, it does have a happy ending of sorts (I won’t tell you whether Katniss chose Gale or Peeta in the end, you’ll have to find out for yourself).  But the ending is mostly bitter than sweet, a grim reminder from Suzanne Collins that in war, no one really wins … and it’s the young who lose the most.  Katniss went through so much in this book that I really wanted her to die so she could finally have some peace.  No one deserves a life like hers.

I don’t know about you, but this book scared the crap out of me.  I think it’s because the world Suzanne Collins created in her trilogy is something I can envision happening, if mankind isn’t careful.  Who’s to say the Hunger Games won’t ever happen?  We already live in a world where our resources are fast dwindling and prices of the most basic of commodities are skyrocketing.  Suzanne Collins’ world could be the world we’d be living in.  If that’s not enough to scare you, I don’t know what is.

RATING:  5

SUZANNE COLLINS’ CATCHING FIRE: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE … IN THE MIDST OF DEATH AND CARNAGE

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!

Catching Fire, the second installment in Suzanne Collins’ trilogy, focuses on its heroine Katniss’ life after the recently concluded Hunger Games.  For Katniss and her family, the period following the Hunger Games is a respite of sorts from the material scarcity that has long become their life.  There’s more food on the table and even money to spend.  And yet, Katniss’ victory is neither fulfilling nor permanent.  As hard as she tries to go back to her old life, Katniss comes home a changed woman. The trauma of participating in the Hunger Games brings Katniss nightly terrors.  Her relationship with her best friend (and almost-boyfriend) Gale has been strained, just like her relationship with her former opponent (now pseudo-love partner) Peeta.  But worst of all, this hollow victory of sorts is short-lived, for the evil President Snow soon forces Katniss to participate in another round of the Hunger Games as “punishment” for her “rebellion”.  This time, Katniss is forced to fight former champions of the Hunger Games … AND Peeta.

Unlike the first installment of the trilogy, Catching Fire is less action-packed.  This is not to say that reading this is less heavy on the mind and heart.  The angst is just as overwhelming, for this time, the battle is internal, as Katniss struggles with the creation she has inadvertently created.  Without meaning to, she has turned herself into the Mockingjay, the symbol of the people’s revolution against President Snow’s oppressive regime.

Despite Katniss’ agonizing internal struggles, there’s one bright spot in her life (if not for her, then for the readers, at least), and that’s her blossoming love life.  As I already said, there’s her longtime best friend and blossoming revolutionary Gale, who’s all brawn and simmering anger … and then there’s the now-one-legged Peeta, who, despite his own traumatic experiences, is the model of resilience, inner strength and utter goodness.  As I read the book, I couldn’t help but think, Ay, ang haba-haba ng hair mo, Katniss!

As thoroughly depressing as this book was, it surprisingly scores high in terms of kilig.  One especially moving and intimate scene was when one of the boys (I won’t say who, so as not to spoil your fun) wrapped his arms around Katniss to comfort her following one of her nightmares.  Sigh.

But beyond the kilig moments, the book’s value really lies in its power to make people think about the nature of war and of people.  As I read about Katniss’ agonizing ordeal, I couldn’t help but think of people in real life who became symbols of the revolution in their own countries.  People like Ninoy and Cory Aquino, or Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and Aung San Suu Kyi.  Were they also reluctant symbols of the revolution like Katniss?  Were they as scared for their own lives and that of their respective families?  Did they also have their own PR people dressing them up and teaching them what to say or do to influence their followers?  I also asked myself, if people asked me to lead a revolution, would I run away from the challenge, or risk everything, including my life and that of my loved ones?  What would YOU do?  It’s something you might want to think about, on the occasion of the 40^th anniversary of Martial Law. 

RATING:  5