Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Melody & Mars - Mia Arsjad

Judul : Melody & Mars
Penulis : Mia Arsjad
Penerbit : Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Tahun Terbit : 2015
Kategori : Young Adult
Sinopsis : Melody & Mars
Review :
"Kalau kamu bisa maafin kesalahan orang dengan tulus, hidup kamu pasti lebih bahagia." - Ibu

Begitu mulai baca langsung disuguhi dengan cerita tentang sepatu. Mau nggak mau jadi teringat lagu Sepatu-nya Tulus. Dan kisah Mars dan Melody ini mirip dengan lirik lagunya Sepatu.

Kita sadar ingin bersama
Tapi tak bisa apa - apa
Terasa lengkap bila kita berbeda
Terasa sedih bila kita di rak berbeda
Di dekatmu kotak bagai nirwana
Tapi saling sentuh pun kita tak berdaya


Melody hidup berpacu dengan waktu. Segala sesuatunya harus tepat waktu dan sudah diatur. Mel hanya hidup bertiga dengan ibu dan adik laki-lakinya. Ayahnya meninggal enam tahun lalu dan semenjak itu Ibu mereka menjadi tulang punggung keluarga. Mel sangat ingin membantu Ibunya dengan mencari kerja part time. Tapi selalu dilarang ibunya yang ingin dia fokus kuliah dulu. Maka dari itu Mel harus lulus tepat waktu. Itu tekadnya. 

Mel terbiasa hidup di jalur yang lurus. Sekali A ya tetap A. Begitu ketemu dengan Mars yang anaknya super easy going dan terlalu santai menyikapi hidup, Mel dibuat kelabakan olehnya. Banyak kekonyolan yang membuat kisah Melody & Mars lebih berwarna. Seperti misalnya Melody yang menarik paksa Marshall naik ke becak ketika Marshall sedang sibuk-sibuknya melayani permintaan antrian panjang tetangga barunya untuk foto bareng. Yang ada betis abang becaknya makin besar disuru gowes keliling kompleks dan Marshall yang kasian bolak balik kejeduk besi pinggiran di atas becak.

Bicara tentang percintaannya, saya sendiri lebih suka dengan cerita persahabatan Mel, Pipit dan Darla yang kayak kepompong, kepo dan rempong. Nggak ada rahasia diantara sahabat dan walau rempong, sahabat akan selalu ada buat kita disaat kita susah maupun senang. 

Dari cerita Melody & Mars ini, kesimpulan yang saya kutip : 
1. Berani bersuara, dalam hidup ini jika kita tidak berani menyuarakan pendapat kita, siapa lagi yang akan memperjuangkan hak kita? Jika kita selalu pasrah dengan segala kondisi disekitar kita maka kita tidak akan pernah merasa bebas menjadi diri kita seutuhnya. Semua - semua sudah yang atur, makan apa, sekolah dimana, ambil jurusan apa. Ingatlah bahwa yang ngejalanin hidup ini itu kita, bukan mereka. Your destiny lies in your hands. Jadi berani nggak kamu bersuara?

2. Sharing is PENTING. Kalau terjadi sesuatu, apapun itu, ceritalah ke sahabatmu, orangtuamu, atau siapa saja yang kamu percayai. Karena ketika kita sharing, otak kita terbuka oleh beberapa pendapat/kemungkinan yang tidak terpikirkan oleh kita. Jadi ketika hal buruk menimpamu, jangan lah menutup diri, apalagi pasrah menerima keadaan. Ingat point pertama, berani bersuara :)

Mia Arsjad termasuk salah satu penulis yang menulis dengan konsisten (konsisten bagusnya). Jadi ketika buku barunya terbit, saya nggak perlu pusing dan mikir berulang kali untuk beli bukunya atau tidak. Jawabannya sudah pasti wajib beli. Saya sudah menjadi fans sejatinya sejak zaman Miss Cupid, Rona Hidup Rona, dsb. Mia selalu punya senjata ampuh untuk menghibur pembacanya. Dari dulu cerita yang disuguhkan selalu sukses buat perut sakit karena candaannya yang kocak, kena sasaran walau nggak jarang agak garing dan lebay melambai :D

"Sabar. Saat kita dapat masalah, pasti kita terpikir kalau kita ini manusia paling menderita. Tapi itu nggak bener, Mars. Masih banyak yang hidupnya lebih susah dari kita. Waktu lagi sedih kita sering lupa bersyukur karena terlalu sibuk meratapi kesedihan. Daripada mikirin apa yang bikin kita sedih hari ini, mendingan kita cari apa yang bisa bikin kita bahagia hari ini."
Rating : 3.5/5


Sunday, January 24, 2016

Wicked (A Wicked Saga #1) - Jennifer L.Armentrout

Title : Wicked
Series : A Wicked Saga
Author : Jennifer L.Armentrout
Date of Publication : December 8th 2014
Synopsis : Wicked #1
Review : 

"We're both here. That's all that matters, and I can't promise that I'm not going anywhere, but I'm going to try damn hard not to. That is one thing I'm going to tell you to trust."

Ivy is an Order. Each member was marked with a tattoo symbolized that they belonged to the Order. The tattoo itself symbolized freedom, live without fear. Because as a matter of fact, being an Order wasn't an easy task. The job is to send all fae back to the Otherworld by stabbing irons right in the center of their chests. It actually didn't kill them. Separating their heads from their bodies ended them for real. 

Ivy lost her parents and boyfriend three years ago. Since then she lived alone with a brownie - similar to a pixie. She called it Tink, since it cooked so well for Ivy, she let it live with her. She also got a best friend, an Order as well named Val. When they were gathered for meeting, part of her was scared that she won't be able to meet people she cared anymore, including Val. Ivy is a strong girl, her past had forced her to be one. She is practically doing all things all by herself. Killing fae? Easy peasy. Killing an ancient who tried to shot her with a gun? Go run like hell! 

Later, she was teamed up with her new partner, Ren. Well, JLA is known for always creating strong characters. Mostly I like every male lead that JLA created. But Ren hasn't given me 'the spark' yet. I like Ivy's toughness better than his ;___; But he was quite charming, though. What I love from him is that he is very straight-forward about his feeling towards Ivy and all his words provided a very calming influence over her. 

"Sweetness, you can't hold your life back on a bunch of what ifs. Who the hell knows what could happen? Either one of us could walk out of this house and get struck by lightning, or both of us could live until we're ninety. Tomorrow we could die or we could come back here. We don't know."
"But we're both here right now and that's all that matters. The right now."

For I can say this is not the best book of JLA, I know she can do better. I kind of having high expectation for this book but unfortunately it was not 'that good'. The plot twist was predictable, and the love interest was not at its best. But I still enjoyed reading it, kinda hoping this book will have love triangle *grin* #still hoping, though #fingerscrossed.


Rating : 3/5



Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements #3) - Jennifer L Armentrout


Title : Every Last Breath
Author : Jennifer L.Armentrout
Publisher : Harlequin Teen
Date of Publication : July 28th 2015
Synopsis : Every Last Breath
Review :

"Don't apologize," he was quick to say. "Don't ever apologize to me. I don't regret anything that happened between us. Not a moment."

So if the last two books were telling how demons and wardens were old enemies, this time they teamed up against the public enemy no 1, The Lilin. Lilin has killed many souls, including Layla's best friend's, not only killed them, but consumed their souls so it could easily changing its face to any of the souls that he has taken cruelly. Layla couldn't just stand there and do nothing while Lilin won't stop its moves until it could free their mother, Lilith. 

On the process, Zayne almost get killed when he was 'too close' with Layla, and she won't allow it to happen again. She has loved him since she was just a kid. He was everything that she could think about when it comes to a man. But destiny has brought Roth to Layla's life. This time Layla has to choose between the love of her life Zayn or Roth, the Crown Prince of Hell that made her couldn't sleep all night.

"I don't think you understand what it means a demon falls in love, Layla. It doesn't go away. It doesn't fade, even if we want it to. We love until death. That's not just something we say. We love and we love once and it's forever. No matter what. And that's a bit twisted if you think about it, but luckily you feel the same way, so this isn't awkward. You feel me?"
There is no surprise that I'm on Roth's team. The more sarcastic he is, the more love I have for him. It's not just because he has that boyfriend material, but he is someone that will go through Hell to be with Layla, and he has proved it. So both of them are perfect for each other. Let's not mess it up :D

"I'm pissed off because I love you, Layla, and the idea of losing you fucking terrifies me!" "
And I wasn't going to chance losing you! Because I love you, you annoying, self-important and overcontrolling--"

I like pretty much all the characters except for Lilin, of course. Cayman is a very funny guy but loyal to Roth, Stacey is a strong girl and such a best friend to Layla, and Bambi, I'm going to miss Bambi so muchhhh. Later you will find out what Bambi actually is. <3

This is a trilogy finale and I am so sad this book has come to an end. It was very enjoyable and quick reading. And I found myself still awake in the middle of the night reading the book just to kill my curiosity on how the story would end. It thrills me, intrigues me and freaks the hell outta me ;__;
I couldn't say i'm a fan of the cover but who cares? I love this book enough that even bad cover won't matter. I'm quite surprised when I read reviews on Goodreads and many reviewers were disappointed by its story. Pros and cons are inevitable, of course. But JLA is my forever favorite author, and whatever she writes has always turned out very good to me. Je vous aime, Jen!

"It's him. It's always been him."




Sunday, January 17, 2016

Wonder - R.J. Palacio



Title : Wonder
Author : R.J Palacio
Date of Publisher : January 3rd 2013
Publisher : Corgi Childrens
Synopsis : Wonder - R.J Palacio
Review : 
"You can't blend in when you were born to stand out."
August Pullman (Auggie) is a ten year old boy with severe facial abnormalities. He was home-schooled back then but now it is the time when he is finally going to face the world. Auggie is going to school. And it means everyone will see him, most probably will judge him, bully him etc.

We can't choose the way we were born, but we can always choose the way we live. Is it Auggie's fault to be born like that? or is it his parents' fault? I always try to think positively that God gives us a test and a key to solve it at the same time. All we have to do is focus, don't complain all the time and try to get through it. 

"Why do I have to be so ugly, Mommy?" I whispered
"No, baby, you're not..."
"I know I am." pg 60

My heart hurt when I read it. He is just a kid. Kids his age are supposed to enjoy their childhood, hangout with friends, and even have a study group. But everyone choose to avoid him, as if he is invisible at class, and even make bad jokes about him. 

"He's just a kid. The weirdest-looking kid I've ever seen, yes. But just a kid." - 119

Through this book, I realized that people can be so mean sometimes. Our words can be more painful than any weapons. It can be a good thing as well, but only if we know how to use it in a proper way. I really like the quote that saying, before you say something, think, is it true? is it kind? is it necessary?

"There are always going to be jerks in the world, Auggie. But I really believe, and Daddy really believes, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other. Just like Jack was there for you. And Amos. And those other kids." - 279

It takes more than courage to be able accept the reality. It needs passion, unstoppable love, and kindness. Bless Auggie's family and to those who are willing to accept Auggie for whoever and whatever he is. We always have something to be grateful about even at our lowest point. You know, like Auggie. Although he was born with severe facial abnormalities. but he have all things that every kids in the world would wish to have in their families such as love, warmness and kindness. 

"You have to go back to school. Everyone hates school sometimes. I hate school sometimes. I hate my friends sometimes. That's just life, Auggie. You want to be treated normally, right? This is normal! We all have to go to school sometimes despite the fact that we have bad days, okay?" - 115

Auggie had gone through mostly every worst thing that you could think about surgeries. Can all children do and bear that? Nope. First time is always the hardest. But remember that the more you practice, the better you will be. Going to school was so freakin hard to Auggie at the first time. School to him means he's practically facing the world. Maybe it's like that you were put into a zoo where all wild animals were standing in front of you with their sharp teeth wide open. His coming to school didn't go so well. Kids were freaked out. Most of them were terrified with his look, but Jack and Summer stood up for him. He had accepted rejection all the time. But through this situation, he is able to see who is his best friends, and who is fake. 

"I miss seeing you face, Augie. I know you don't always love it, but you have to understand. . .  I love it. I love this face of yours, Auggie, completely and passionately. And it kind of broke my heart that you were always covering it up." 291 - (Auggie's Daddy)

Wonder is a WONDERful book that I've read this year (last year) I just complete writing the review now ;__; Wonder doesn't simply teach you about life. It's more than that. It's about morality, love, friendship, toughness, and passion. There is always two sides of story and I really like how the author wrote each story through every head of the character. I hope more people will read this book and share it to others. 

"But the best way to measure how much you've grown isn't by inches or the number of laps you can now run around the track , or even your grade point average - though those things are important, to be sure. It's what you've done with your time, how you've chosen to spend your days, and whom you touched this year. That, to me, is the greatest measure of success." - 299


Rating : 5/5