Book Review : EXTRAORDINARY MEANS

"Because that's all you can do in this world, no matter how strong the current beats against you, or how heavy your burden, or how tragic your love story. You keep going. "

 

WORTH OF READING, basically it is EXTRAORDINARY.

Roughly idea of the stories starts of a young boy, Lane who suffer from tuberculosis (TB) and got stuck in Latham House, a sanatorium for teens having an incurable tuberculosis. There, he meet the eccentric troublemakers which one of them is Sadie, the girl he'd known in summer camp. 

Sadie, Nick, Marina and Charlie - all four of them have different characteristic, different interest, different in everything. But somehow they got along, together. Then Lane came and joined the group, becoming the group of five - five teenagers that are sick, facing the death but still manage to live their live to the fullest by sticking together and breaking the rules, went to the woods at night time, sneak into the town, steal the internet, get drunk and fall in love.  

 But as the group get sicker each and every day, their world seems to be torn apart one by one. It is sad on how secret could bring such consequences in their group - as one of them are dying. Dying before they could get the cure from their disease. 

If you're reading John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, then it is similar to this one. SIMILAR, not the same. Because not everyone get their second chances in living, some don't. Some made it to hold on until the the cure has arrived to them, and some doesn't. It was a sad ending.

I felt sorry for those kids in this story. ALL of them, not just Lane, Sadie, Nick, Marina or Charlie, but all of them. Some who survive and get back to went home doesn't seems to do well for those who are still waiting for cure too. Because world can be cruel, people can be cruel. They are too afraid that those teens who went back home are contagious and can still bring them harm. Because no one knows when will the tuberculosis be strike again - that was Amit story. How he's depressed for getting all better and be back home but suddenly no one want to be near to him. They were afraid that they will be infected from him. 

So that is what its all about - about an incurable illness, friendship, love, life, second chances and maybe just maybe, miracle.

I quoted the author's note (Robyn Schneider),

Extraordinary Means is a story of second chances, and what it means to have hope that you'll figure out your place in the world, and that you'll be strong enough to get there.

Book Review : THE REVENGE OF SEVEN

Finally able to finished the fifth book of the I am Number Four series, writes by Pittacus Lore (tho he admit that he is from Lorien in the book).

 Short synopsis :

The book starts with Ella open up her eyes in a Mogadorian territory, afetr being captured by Setrakus Ra. Setrakus Ra reveals to be one of her own, a Loric but somehow transforming into a Mog with an experiment. Adam, John, Sam and Malcom goes to Ashwood Estate and takes down the area. After succeeding it, Adam helps to bring over Six, Marina and Nine to their place by hijacking the Mogs ship. The group separates again with Adam, Marina and Six went to the Loric Sanctuary as they assume to gain more Legacies. While Nine, Sam and John tried to stop the invasion in New York. Ell
a tried to escaped with Five the traitor, but failed as Five were thrown out from the ship. Able to get inside the sanctuary, and meet with so-called-God-of-Lorien, the group are able to meet Eight for few moment as Eight are saying goodbye to Marina. In New York, John tries to kill Setrakus Ra as Ella helps to drain Ra's legacies but be stopped by Five. Ella is captured again by Setrakus Ra while John and the other human survivor try to fight with the Mogs. The book ends after the telekinetic blast, and Sam saying, "Holy shit, did I just do that?"

Book Review : JANGAN BACA NOVEL NI.

Meremang tak?

Ha, kat sini nak review sikit buku genre misteri dan seram ni.
 
Tajuk buku : JANGAN BACA NOVEL NI.
Penulis : ISMI FA ISMAIL.
Penerbit : IFI MYSTERY

 

First time jumpa buku ni kat Popular memang menarik perhatian sangat, tengok tajuk lagi yang kemain begitu mencabar diri untuk membaca. Lepas tu baca sinopsis kt belakang, kononnyalah, tapi yang ada hanyalah amaran jangan baca seorang diri. Even bila buka first page buku ni pun penulis bagi warning supaya hati-hati tak berhalusinasi semasa membaca buku ni. Seriously, buku je kot - my mind said so.

So bila baca buku ni, takdelah nak seram sangat - until baca ending. Rasa meremang jugak dibuatnya sebab buku ni macam main dengan minda kau, main dengan otak dan pemikiran kau, main psikologi kau. Kalau kau berada dalam alam dan dunia nyata, memang tak berkesanlah buku ni. Tapi kalau kau boleh rasa buku ni wujud ke tak, ha, masa tu mulalah nak fikir benda pelik - berhalusinasi bak kata penulis.

Macam aku, memang aku hidu bau buku tu, hidu bau dakwat buku tu. Kenapa? Semua ada dalam buku ni. Ada kat ending dia. Seriously, aku sendiri payah nak tido lepas baca ending buku ni. Betul-betul main dengan kewarasan otak kau.

PERINGATAN. Jangan baca novel ni skip-skip, atau terus ke ending. Memang takkan faham. Sebab novel ni ada kronologinya yang tersendiri, ada ceritanya sendiri untuk dileraikan ke alam realiti si hero.

Overall, buku ni best, unik. Sangat disarankan kepada readers yang suka genre seram, dan langsung tak takut. Mungkin cerita ni sedikit cliche di awal penceritaan, tapi ending memang superb. Macam movie Inception. Movie tu based on mimpi dalam mimpi, kalau buku ni pulak adalah berdasarkan cerita dalam cerita. Berkaitan sungguh dengan satu dan yang lain, cuma mungkin dalam bab awal buku hitam tu korang akan rasa tak berkaitan sungguh dengan cerita sebenar.

  

Cerita JANGAN BACA NOVEL NI berkisar tentang Munir, seorang anggota polis yang hanya percayakan black and white stuff sehinggalah dalam perjalanan balik ke kampung, Munir menemui seorang budak yang ditinggalkan neneknya, Adib. Munir membawa Adib pulang kerumahnya, dan membaca buku hitam yang tidak pernah lekang dari Adib. Di situ, pelbagai kejadiaan aneh berlaku kepadanya. Dan paling mengejutkan apabila nama watak-watak di dalam buku hitam tersebut wujud di alam realitinya sendiri - Suraya, Sahar, Azwa bahkan nama dia sendiri, Munir! Adakah Munir hanya berhalusinasi atau memang wujudnya sesuatu yang pelik terhadapnya setelah membaca buku itu?

Well now, tertarik? Bacalah sampai ending. Dan sebenarnya novel ni ada lagi sekuelnya, yang masih aku belum beli or jumpa but i will find it somehow. Lebih kurang dengan JANGAN BACA NOVEL NI, novel sambungan pun turut berkulit hitam semuanya tanpa ada sebarang tulisan mahupun tajuk. Mungkin sebab itu, novel hitam tu dikenali dengan Tiada Tajuk. 

Apapun a great success buat si penulis.

Kbai.