Title: Five Feet Apart

Author: Rachael Lippincott

Number of pages: 288 pages

Date of published: November 2018

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Book

Listened on Libby

In fact, I've known about this book for years. If I'm not mistaken, I've added it to my Goodreads to-read list. Years passed, and I never got around to reading it. Until a few days ago, when I discovered this book on Libby. To be honest, I got it as an audiobook. So, while doing my chores, I listened to this book.

The Story

When the blurb stated that this book is similar to "The Fault in Our Stars," I became aware of it. The two main characters are both sick and battling for their lives. Worse, Will and Stella both had cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited life-threatening disorder which impacts the lungs and digestive system.

Stella and Will were hospitalized the majority of the time due to their condition. They couldn't live their lives normally as a young teenager. They had to put up with a boring white wall and the medicine smell all the time. 

Stella happened to run into Will in the hospital one day. They initially despised each other. They both dislike the other person's attitude. They finally get along after Will started getting to know Stella through her journey video and Stella realized another side of Will. They then become closer as lovers. The problem is that they should keep their five feet apart if they don't want to endanger each other's lives. 

Yeah. That is the unfortunate situation for a CF patient; they cannot touch each other because it can instantly damage their lung. But well, Stella and Will have given their all to life, as CF-ers and as lovers, despite their limitations.

The Opinion

What I like best about this book is how easy it is to understand the plot. Furthermore, because I listened to it as an audiobook, I had no trouble understanding the story. So, yay for me! I hope my listening skills have improved.

Rachael Lippincott, like John Green, then chose to make this story as real as possible. There were no miracles that occurred there. Despite the fact that the ending of this story was not as sad as the ending of the Hazel-Augustus' story.

I thought I would despise Stella at first. I mean, she was just too stubborn at times. But the more I listened to the story, the more I liked this girl. She is a lively person and can encourage Will to keep fighting as a CF-ers.

Then I was also impressed by Will's ability to make Stella being better. He genuinely cared about her, despite his inability to approach her. Another aspect of him that moved me was when he decided to persuade Stella to have the surgery. He also chose the best option he could find to makes Stella's life longer.

Conclusion

After all, I like the story. Since the author made this book as real as possible, I understand why most of the time the setting is only on the hospital. Going out from hospital for CF-ers was most likely difficult. The small reckelesness of it could make the patient die.

Another things that I noticed in this book is about how to deal with the grief. For Stella, losing Anna and Poe broke her so much. But, with Will, Stella realized that she should keep going to try to live. 

So, 4 out of 5 stars for this amazing story. 

Sincerely,

Ra

Judul: Second Chance Summer (Kesempatan Kedua)
Penuli: Morgan matson
Penerjemah: Cindy Kristanto
Tebal buku: 456 halaman
Tahun terbit: 8 May 2012 (pertama terbit)
Baca di Gramedi Digital

Karena memiliki kakak-adik yang hebat, Taylor Edwards tidak pernah merasa dirinya luar biasa. Orang mengenalnya cuma karena ia selalu kabur saat menghadapi masalah berat. Lalu ayahnya mendapat kabar sangat buruk, sehingga keluarga mereka memutuskan untuk berlibur bersama di rumah musim panas.

Taylor terakhir ke tempat itu ketika berusia dua belas tahun, dan sama sekali tidak berniat kembali ke sana. Di rumah dekat danau tersebut, ia harus menghadapi orang-orang yang dikiranya sudah ia lupakan, misalnya Lucy, mantan teman baiknya, dan Henry Crosby, pacar pertama, yang sekarang ternyata jadi jauh lebih imut. Maka tiba-tiba Taylor dikepung berbagai kenangan yang ingin dilupakannya—namun kali ini ia tak bisa kabur.

Seiring hari-hari di pantai dan malam-malam memandangi bintang, Taylor lalu sadar bahwa ia mendapat kesempatan kedua—bersama para sahabat, keluarga, bahkan mungkin cinta.

Namun ia tahu bahwa begitu musim panas berlalu, tak mungkin ia bisa mendapatkan kembali apa yang hilang.

 

***

Well, sebenarnya Second Chance Summer ini merupakan rekomendasi dari Mbak Lila untuk 12 Reading Challenge tahun ini. Jujur, aku belum pernah membaca karya Morgan Matson sebelumnya. Jadi, aku tidak memiliki ekspektasi apa-apa saat membacanya. Sayangnya, aku butuh waktu cukup lama untuk membaca buku ini. Mungkin satu bulan lebih? Entahlah. Ada beberapa hal yang membuatku bosan saat awal-awal membacanya.

The Story

Bagi Taylor, liburan musim panas kali ini akan berbeda dari liburan musim panas sebelum-sebelumnya. Tepat waktu ia berulang tahun, sebuah fakta tak terduga disampaikan oleh kedua orang tuanya. Dad mengidap kanker dan divonis hanya punya waktu empat bulan sebelum semuanya berakhir. Baik Taylor, Warren (sang kakak), dan Gelsey (sang adik), fakta itu bukanlah sesuatu hal yang mudah mereka terima. Bagaimana mungkin Dad yang terlihat baik-baik saja, tiba-tiba saja mengidap penyakit yang begitu mematikan?

Dulu, liburan musim panas jadi salah satu liburan yang Taylor nantikan. Setidaknya, ia bisa bertemu dengan Lucy, kawan baiknya yang selalu menemaninya saat tinggal di rumah danau itu. Lalu, ada juga Henry Crosby, cowok yang menjadi pacar pertamanya saat berusia dua belas tahun. Sayangnya, suatu kejadian membuat hubungan Taylor dengan Lucy maupun Henry menjadi tak baik-baik saja. Bahkan, bisa dibilang sangat buruk. Well, Taylor adalah karakter yang begitu mudah lari dari suatu hal sulit yang seharusnya ia hadapi. Tak peduli bahwa keputusannya tersebut malah menyakiti orang-orang yang sebetulnya menyayangi dirinya. 

Kali ini, mau tak mau Taylor harus berdamai dengan apa yang terjadi saat liburan musim panas lima tahun lalu. Ia harus menghadapi kenyataan bahwa umur Dad tak lama lagi, dan tentu saja soal hubungannya dengan Lucy dan juga Henry.

The Thought

Jadi, sebagai novel young adult, enggak ada yang salah, kok, dengan novel ini. In a way, mungkin kita bisa sedikit relate dengan Taylor yang selalu memilih jalan mudah saat menghadapi masalah, yakni kabur. Ia selalu tak siap menghadapi masalah yang ia rasa tak sanggup ia hadapi. Meskipun sebetulnya, ia sama sekali belum mencoba untuk mengambil risiko yang ada. 

Meskipun kita bisa sedikit relate dengan karakteristik Taylor itu, harus kuakui, aku cukup sebal karena ternyata, kepengucatan Taylor ini terkadang sangat tidak masuk akal. Ia memilih untuk menghindar daripada jujur pada diri sendiri. Ia juga malah menyusahkan orang lain karena sikapnya itu. Rasanya ingin aku lempar kepalanya karena itu.

Yang membuat novel ini menarik, kita memang diajak untuk menyelami kisah Taylor lebih dalam. Kita dibuat penasaran dengan apa yang sebenarnya terjadi pada liburan musim panas masa lalu. Apa yang membuat Lucy bersikap begitu dingin pada Taylor? Mengapa interaksi antara Henry dan Talor begitu awkward? dan seterusnya. 

Pada akhirnya, meskipun di awal sudah jelas tujuan dari liburan musim panas Keluarga Edwards ini, kita seolah dibuat lupa oleh tujuan awal itu. Yaa, di sini kita lebih diajak memahami bagaimana Taylor akhirnya belajar menghadapi masalah dan mencoba untuk menyelesaikan hal-hal yang belum selesai lima tahun lalu. Bukannya aku merasa itu jelek, ya. Tapi saat membacanya, aku seperti baru tersadar, "Oh, iya! Bagaimana dengan kabar Dad di tengah Taylor sedang menjalin kembali hubungannya dengan Lucy dan Henry?"

Lalu, apakah aku kaget dengan akhir cerita ini? Jujur, tidak. Aku sudah punya feeling kalau tidak akan ada sudden miracle yang terjadi untuk Dad. Untungnya, penceritaan saat momen itu terjadi, digambarkan cukup realistis oleh Morgan Matson. Meskipun aku tidak sampai menangis saat membacanya, tapi aku cukup bisa merasakan kehilangan dari diri Taylor.

Yang aku suka dari buku ini adalah, bagaiman Taylor mengingatkan kita, bahkan dalam lingkup sekecil keluarga, terkadang kita tidaklah mengenal satu sama lain. Momen-momen saat Taylor dan ayahnya pergi sarapan lalu dilanjutkan dengan melempar pertanyaan ke masing-masing, menjadi menarik untuk disimak. Dari situ, meskipun dalam waktu yang begitu sempit, Taylor mencoba untuk mempelajari hal tentang Dad sebanyak-banyaknya.

Meskipun pada akhirnya ada perkembangan dari karakter Taylor, aku tetap saja sebal dengannya. Kenapa, sih, Henry mau saja balikan sama Taylor? Dengan segala hal yang menyebalkan di diri Taylor, menurutku Henry deserves someone better. 

Conclusion

Awalnya aku skeptis sih, memang, dengan ceritanya. Tapi ternyata, setelah kubaca pelan-pelan, banyak hal yang bisa dipelajari dari kisah Taylor dan keluarganya. Aku malah jadi penasaran dengan karya lainnya dari Morgan Matson. So, next time?

3.5 bintang untuk sampul yang menarik.

Sincerely, 
Ra

Title: Pandora: Beneath the Paradise
Director: Choi Younghoon
Screenwriter: Hyun Jimin
Number of episodes: 16 episodes
Cast: Lee Jiah, Lee Sangyoon, Jang Heejing, Park Kiwoong, Bong Taekyu, Han Sooyeon

In order to protect her beloved family, Hong Tae Ra must become the First Lady of Korea. Hong Tae Ra has a perfect life with her beloved husband Pyo Jae Hyun and their lovely daughter, except for one thing. Hong Tae Ra has no recollection of her past. One day, she regains her memory and faces her harrowing past. Her perfect life is now broken and she finds herself in an uncontrollable situation. Hong Tae Ra struggles to take revenge on those responsible for her past. Pyo Jae Hyun is married to Hong Tae Ra. He is an extremely smart developer, who developed new technology in the neural smart patch field. He runs his company with gentle leadership skills and a sensible personality. He is admired by those around him. People in the political world begin to talk about him as the next presidential candidate.

***

So, it's been a while for me to watch an ongoing series. One day, I stumbled into Pandora: Beneath the Paradise. After Crash Course Scandal, I saw that Pandora would fill the time slot. Therefore, I decided to watch it as an ongoing series. I remember how enjoyable to watch Business Proposal in that way. I think it will be not that pressuring when I watch it as an ongoing series. 

The Story

Hong Taera (Lee Jiah) is living a happy life. She got a very perfect husband, Pyo Jaehyun (Lee Sangyoon) who supports her all the time, and a beautiful daughter who she love. Then, she also has a kind big sister, Hong Yura (Han Sooyen) who always helps her.

Sadly, her perfect life has shattered when she started regaining her lost memory. In some of the fragments, Taera remembers her past life as No. 50, a hired assassin that has been trained at Hanwol Mental Hospital. As No 5, Taera is a well-known and skilled killer. She is the best of the best in Hanwol at that time. 

After that, more memories start pouring in when some accidents happen to Taera. When finally she regain all of her memories, she realized that she was entangled with the late President Ko's murder. Yes, President Ko is the father of Taera's close friend Ko Haesoo (Jang Heejin). This fact of course terrified Taera the most. How could she explain everything to Haesoo? 

The Opinion

To be honest, this revenge tragedy drama is full of plot twists. From the very start, there are so many unexpected things that happened. Starting from Taera's fake identity, Jaehyun's plan to become the South Korean president, the entangled fate between Jaehyun, Taera, and also Kumjo Group, Kyojin's accident that lead up to Hatch's smart patch research, and others.

Well, from the beginning, I know that Jaheyun is really sus. I think I have suspected him as the mastermind for everything that happened in Taera's life. But, I didn't expect that this arrogant and psycho human being has fallen for real to Taera. At least, those sides of him make Jaehyun being more human. 

What I didn't really like is how Haesoo's rush attitude and decision made everything worst. I mean, I know that she is brokenhearted by the fact about Taera and her father's death, but as a journalist, she should be diving more into what happened. Why she isn't questioning how a teenager like Taera becomes the assassin? Is that really her intention or there is someone behind that incident? Who hire the assasin and what's the reason? So, I am a little bit disappointed with Haesoo's character here.

Then, among other characters, I even fall for Jang Dojin (Park Kiwoong). Of course, at first, I didn't see him as a potential character that could be lovable, but then, his determination to help Haesoo and uncover the truth amazed me. He is willing to sacrifice everything for other people's sake, in this case, Haesoo.

Ahh, I also should mention Cha Pilseung (Kwon Hyunbin), Taera's little brother. I really love his character the most. I was so relieved that he finally can rekindle with his sister, even though is just for a short period of time.

To be honest, Pandora is a really complex story. Jaehyun's ambition to be a president is really scary. He is that person who utilizes all of his connections to get everything he wants. It scared me when Jaehyun also has a skill to mess with people's mind through a chip. 

Conclusion

Sigh. I know that the ending is confusing. How I wish they will just end it at that cliff scene. Why they should be at that Swiss' scene?

For me, this drama somewhat makes us curious about the story. It's a quite fast-paced drama, therefore you will find a lot of unexpected things in every episode. Is this drama became my favorite? Not really. I think this is an okay drama. Some parts make me bored and the characters are not that lovable. 

Then, the later part of this story make me roll my eyes, especially when Jaehyun who always outsmarts everyone, didn't even realize that Taera didn't lose her memory at all. Then, I did wonder why is it so easy for Taera to give that sleeping pill to Jaehyun? Why Jaehyun didn't suspect anything after that long sleep? 

Last, is the ending. I wonder why they have to choose that ending. Sigh.

So, it's 6.8 from me. 

Sincerely,
Ra

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

***

Well, after one week, I haven't finished my current reading read. Lol. That's okay. I can fill this blog with whatever I want and now it's time for Top Ten Tuesday again. Yay!

Today's topic is interesting to me. It's about a book that I recommend to others the most. So, here we go.

1. Sapiens: A Graphic History #1 The Bird of Humankind - Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen, Daniel Casanave

The reason is so simple. For me who got a lot of difficulty reading a non-fiction book, this graphic novel is the best. It explained Harari's book in a simpler way and we still can get the full knowledge of it. I love how David and Daniel extract the information into a graphic. I love how they make Harari's explanation into a comic strip that feels connected to each part. It's more enjoyable and easy to digest. 

So, I really recommend this book to anyone who wants to read Harari's though in a more enjoyable way.

2. Kieta Hatsukoi (My Faded First Love) - Wataru Hinekure, Aruko

So, this manga series is one of my favourite BL manga of all time--or, should I say the most favourite one? 

Kieta Hatsukoi told the story about Aoki who got misunderstanding with Ida. At first, Aoki has a huge crush on Hashimoto. One day, in the middle of the exam, he borrowed an eraser from Hashimoto. To his surprise, he sees a written name in that eraser and it's Ida--a guy who seat in front of him. To make it more confusing, Ida sees Aoki hold that eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him.

I love this story because every character is so wholesome. They always become supportive of each other. I think this is the most idealistic BL world ever I read. Anyway, I really love how Aoki and Ida become sweeter at the end of the story.

3. Lebih Senyap dari Bisikan (Quieter than a Whisper) - Andina Dwifatma

Who said that marriage is easy? When you married, then all of the decisions that you have to take are not only about you, but you have to pay attention to the needs of your partner, child--if any, and other families member. Marriage is not only about a vow to each other and then getting a happily ever after life. Living as a woman in a patriarchal family could make everything become worst. 

Remember Kim Ji Young Born in 1982? Yes, this is the Indonesian version of it. It told the story of Amara, who struggle with her marriage. Losing a lot of things, including herself. For me, this book is a reminder for everyone that marriage is not only about sunshine and rainbow, moreover, if you live as a woman in this patriarchal society who only look at your achievement based on your marriage life. What a sigh.

4. Almond - Sohn Won Pyung

When your amygdala is not fully developed, you won't feel any emotion such as fear, anger, sadness, or happiness. Almond told the story about Younjae who has Alexitimia, the condition where his amygdala is so tiny. 

From this book, you can contemplate more about what is normal in society. Who decided whether something is normal or not. So, how to be normal if the normal state in society has been decided by some people?

This book is also interesting because it became one of the inspirations for Agust D's song, Amygdala. Please watch his music video for Amygdala. It's amazing how Yoongi tries to capture all of his traumas in this song. 

5. Yakusoku no Neverland (The Promised Neverland) - Kaiu Shirai

So, have you ever read a children's manga but it was so dark? Here is The Promised Neverland. The story of this manga is so dark. This manga told the story of how children should always obey the adult. Since children sometimes never got a chance to voice out their own opinion, they only can accept what the adult says. 

Thankfully, the trio's main character can break those stereotypes and try their best to free themselves from the adult's willpower.

6. Mawar Merah (Red Roses) - Luna Torashyngu

As a teen-lit lover, I always recommend Mawar Merah to everyone who wants to read an unusual Indonesian young adult novel. Luna Torashyngu has succeeded to give an incredible story through Mawar Merah. I love how he manages to give a very complex story about a teenage assassin like Elsa. I always love this trilogy so much.

7. Laut Bercerita (The Sea Speaks His Name) - Leila S. Chudori

This is one of my go-to recommendation books for anyone who wants to read a 'serious' theme. Leila S. Chudori is well known for his historical fiction work. This book is also one of them. It told the story of the missing 98's activists in Indonesia. I remember how sad and depressing the story is, but it is so valuable to be read for every young people to understand the black history that never is told by the government.

8. Girls in the Dark - Akiyoshi Rikako

One of my favourite horror writers ever. Akiyoshi Rikako is a very talented Japanese writer. She always made a horror story that sometimes has a lot of plot twists. Girls in the Dark is one of her very first books. In my opinion, the story is always mindblowing. I love how she tried to play with our minds when reading it.

9. Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Well, I don't know. As a retelling story, I haven't read any book that makes me love it as Cinder has. I love how Meyer executes the story. I remember I tried to finish the tetralogy in one go. It just shows how I really love the story.

10. Animal Farm - George Orwell

This is a famous political allegory written by Orwell. It's always been one of my favourite books to recommend. Well, to understand more about a structural world of view, this book is a must-read book.

Yeay, that's all for today's recommendation. What about you, guys? Which book you have read? Or do you have another book to recommend to me? 

Sincerely,
Ra

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

***

Well, since most of my read-book are in digital format, I think I will try to choose the book with unique methods by myself. What will I gonna do?

First, I open my Goodreads account and go to All-Bookshelf. Then, I will generate a random number from 1-49 to decide the pages that I will go to--I have 49 pages for my All-Bookshelf page on Goodreads. After that, I will generate a random number again between 1-20 to select the books from the pages. 

So, here is the result for today's list.

1. Sad Cypress - Agatha Christie

Page 14 Number 19

If I remember correctly, I bought this book in a sale section at Gramedia bookstore. Sadly, I couldn't remember much about the story. Hmm, maybe I should really try to reread Christie's work from the very start again.

2. Evergreen - Prisca Primasari

Page 16 Number 16

Actually, Prisca Primasari is one of my favourite Indonesian writers. She can write beautifully and manage to give a meaningful story. Evergreen, if I remember correctly, is one of her first works. Ahh, imho, Prisca always tries to choose a specific setting for her story. In Evergreen, Prisca chooses Japan as the setting. Therefore, I can learn more about a lot of Japan's elements here.

Then, even though in Evergreen Prisca didn't emphasize the romantic story between the two main characters, it still gives me a sad feeling when reading the story between Fumio and Toshi.

3. Rave Master Vol. 25

Page 37 Number 10

Lol. How could I remember this specific volume? Well, tbh, I rarely read a complete manga aside from Detective Conan that is still ongoing. But back then when I was in high school, I succeed to complete this Hiro Mashima's work. To be honest, I love Rave more than Fairytale. Should I try to reread it again?

4. Lullabies - Lang Leav

Page 12 Number 1

Yeah, there was a time when I diligently read poetry books like Lang Leav and Lala Bohang's work. Here is one of my favourite quotes from this book.

Angel  

It happens like this. One day you meet someone and for some inexplicable reason, you feel more connected to this stranger than anyone else--closer to them than your closest family. Perhaps because this person carries an angel within them--one sent to you for some higher purpose, to teach you an important lesson or to keep you safe during a perilous time. What you must do is trust them--even if they come hand in hand with pain or suffering--the reason for their presence will become clear in due time.

 

5. The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie
Page 40 Number 2

Oh my. I just realized that I had made the review on my book but not on my Goodreads account. Well, in order to read all of Christie's work chronologically, of course, I should read The Mysterious Affair at Styles first. 

For me, yes, I failed to recognise the real culprit in this case. I really need to organize my reading schedule so I can read Christie's work again.

6. Anak Band (Band Boy) - Stephanie Zen
Page 35 Number 9

As a Teenlit lover, it won't be completed if I don't read Stephanie Zen's work. If I remember correctly, Anak Band is her initial work. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember the story at all. Well, I think I will prefer her later work such as Dylan, I Love You and Dear, Dylan!

7. Perahu Kertas (Paper Boat) - Dee
Page 30 Number 14

If I take a look at my short review on Goodreads, I said that this book is a sweet romance book. Then, maybe everyone could agree that this is the lightest book from Dee--well, if you compare it to other works such as Supernova of course. Perhaps, I read it when the hype from the movie is still so strong back then.

8. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Page 41 Number 16

The long-time wishlist that I haven't read yet. Yeah, of course, I have a plan to one by one read a book on my to-read shelf. I just need time to do it. I am intrigued by the mystery-thriller-is element of this novel.

9. Separuh Bintang (Half of the Star) - Evline Kartika
Page 33 Number 8

Ahh, this book is very important to me. Without this book, I don't think I could find the will to read books as a hobby. I know that Teenlit has a very predictable plot. But, for this book, I just love the story so much.

10. Polar Bear Postman - Seigo Kijima
Page 13 Number 8

If I am not mistaken, I received this book as an ARC provided by Netgalley. Well, I always love to read children's books. Just like this book.

Yeay, that's all for today. What a random list for today but I am happy with it. So, see you next time~

Sincerely,
Ra