Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Great storytelling! The author was funny and fantastic with words. I'm sure his background as a filmmaker helped him a lot in writing this highly-entertaining debut novel. This, considering that he was writing about a not-so-novel theme (I'm sure you've seen or heard about those blockbuster summer movies and their equally blockbuster sequels).

Riggs' writing was able to evoke a myriad of feelings from me. There were scary, spine-chilling moments, laugh-out-loud moments, even weepy moments (those grandpa scenes and that THIS IS WHY photo on page 227 broke my heart and tear ducts). Truly a book that can be read in one sitting.

However, the story of Jacob and the rest of Miss Peregrine's peculiar children ends for me. I think Riggs has tackled everything exciting there is to tackle with this book. I'm really not so sure about a sequel. Let's see, I suppose.



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Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"Before that party, I'd thought about giving up so many times. I don't know, maybe some people are just preconditioned to think about it more than others. Because every time something bad happened, I thought about it."—Hannah Baker, protagonist

I initially thought of giving Thirteen Reasons Why four stars. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. And I was affected by it (the word I described myself after closing the book was SPENT).

I just didn't know how affected I was until that train ride home yesterday.

I was sitting there, reading the book's Interview with the Author page while waiting for my stop. Suddenly, a picture of one of my closest friends appeared in my mind. My friend was speaking to my counselor on the phone, assuring her that she would talk to me, "guard" me, help me. This happened just a few years back, during one of the darkest moments of my life. That best friend did not question my feelings and actions, and did not judge me as weak or melodramatic. As she was discussing "plans of action" with my counselor, she had no idea that she was saving me at that very moment. Because she tried, I felt that I had to try. For me, for her, for the people I love and who love me.

And suddenly I realized how important this book is.

To the adults (and teenagers) who would judge Hannah as a weak, melodramatic teenager with the annoying penchant of making mountains out of molehills, please remember how you were as an adolescent. Before you acquired the ability of "focusing on the manageable" (read: maturing as an adult), don't forget that as a teenager, the whole world seemed to revolve around you and your issues. And while there are many who turn out fine and dandy as adults, there are still a significant number of youngsters who just could not cope. High school rumors, as tackled in Thirteen Reasons Why, may seem like a non-issue to you now, but for most teenagers, their reputations mean the universe to them. Nothing is shallow when you are at that age.

To the author, here's to you: *slow clap*. Kudos to the way you wrote the book. Aside from the book's ingenious format, the way you opened Hannah Baker's heart and soul in Thirteen Reasons Why is so commendable. Truth is, I sometimes felt disconnected with Hannah while I was reading the book (thus initially thinking of giving it four stars) because I felt her issues were so inconsequential. But that was the whole point, wasn't it? Because we, as adults, tend to brush aside adolescent problems, so we fail to save them from themselves.

I tell you, whatever you feel about the book while reading it, it is the aftermath that hits you. No, not hits. BLUDGEONS.



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HK: Almost, But Not Quite

Go Away Rain! Please?

• Climate: Hot, almost humid
• No. of Days: 4
• Travelling with companions: No _ Yes X;  a) If yes, how many? 13 (ominous, right?)   b) Family or friends? Family
• Mood while travelling: wary BUT hopeful
• Stress level: Off the charts (pls. refer to question 3.b.)
• Learnings: See bullet points below.
• Health: Recurring gastric disturbances (emergency room two days prior to flight)

Now you know that you can't ask me what I think about "authentic" Hong Kong cuisine, or if I have any cute photos of me me me in earmuffs, in a fur coat, in knee-high boots, or if I was with somebody "special" (a la Angel Locsin/Phil Younghusband in Hong Kong, 2011) during my birthday week (yes, we left for HK a day after my birthday). Because that would put me in a really bad mood. 


On with the story.

***


Hong Kong was next on my Asia travel checklist. Having been to Singapore last year, I looked forward to the Hong Kong "vibe" — as one of my closest friends (now living in SG) described the city-state's (this term is so pol. sci., by the way) je ne sais quoi.  Singapore is perfect, but bordering on "sterile." True. But (the deeper) truth is, I really appreciated the Singapore paradigm when I was there. Manila can (strive to) be like that. And much as I was looking forward to Hong Kong's vibe, vibe I can find in Manila. Interesting, warty, smelly, fun, exasperating, maddening Manila. But as one world-weary, lipstick-smeared, once-beautiful-now-what streetwalker differs from the next, I was interested to get to know Hong Kong up close and all that. 


I guess I should have introduced myself to her in November–February, when I could walk around the city without blinding my eyes with sweat (okay, exaggerating, but this did happen to me in Disneyland and Ocean Park).    


But I really didn't have a choice in this matter, did I? My aunt, who was to spend for the whole trip, decided that we tour Hong Kong from June 6 to 9, 2012. Beggars, as the saying goes, have no right to be choosers. 


***


I am very fortunate to have a magnanimous (generous is too puny a term) aunt. An aunt who wouldn't blink twice in splurging for 11 adults and three kids. So when my Mama asked me if I could take a few days off from work to go to Hong Kong with them, I enthusiastically said sure! I also wanted to spend some time with her. And I still felt guilty for not having attended my uncle's (husband of magnanimous aunt) funeral last April because of an asthma attack. 


***


The trip was off to a bad start without us even trying. Just a few weeks prior to a trip, my mother and her sister (not the trip sponsor) engaged in a very shameful gladiatorial activity in the province (I am not exaggerating). They were scheduled to meet at the barangay to either settle the problem or elevate it to the courts just a week after the trip. I don't know why they decided to go to Hong Kong anyway (with that ocean of enmity between them), but they did. I assume it was because all-expense-paid trips don't come knocking on your door every day. 

***


Enough of the "context." Here's the Experience. In bullet points.

• It is best to travel to Hong Kong during the cool months. I'm of course speaking for many Filipinos who think that they would rather stay in the Philippines rather than spend money travelling to a country with an identical (hot hot hot) climate to theirs. Amusement parks (Disneyland, Ocean Park) are no fun when you wipe streaming sweat off your face every few minutes. Maybe Hong Kong has some charm during the hot months, but I was too busy looking for inexpensive bottled water to combat my impending dehydration to notice. Which brings me to my next point:
• Hong Kong IS expensive. We had to pay an average of HK$70 for each meal. Maybe we just ate at the wrong restaurants, but my stomach was then too delicate to explore the adventurous option of sampling hole-in-the-wall or street fares (mea maxima culpa). But food aside, I felt that my pockets had holes while we were going around the city. Expensive, I tell you. And the tiangge-style Mongkok (where you could supposedly buy cheap stuff)? Divisoria is waaaaaaaay better. 
• The locals? I had this impression that they are still mad at us for that hostage incident two years ago. The vendors, the cab drivers, the waiters and waitresses, even our tour guide (who made a lot of money from us tourists, particularly my sponsor-aunt) were annoyingly churlish (adj. marked by a lack of civility or graciousness). After four days in Hong Kong, I longed to see my countrymen's helpful, accommodating manner again (I could do with the insincerity of a few Filipinos—at least you could see some effort to be polite!). Don't expect smiles from these seemingly tourist-weary natives, you'll be in for a major disappointment (Disclaimer: I'm only speaking for those HK residents I encountered. I am pretty sure there are still many of those who would give their country a good name). 
• Please don't ask me about my Disneyland/Ocean Park experiences. If you've been to other amusement parks in other parts of the world (or even in your home country i.e. Enchanted Kingdom), then you know the answer to your question. Oh, just one thing: our own Manila Ocean Park has a better variety of sea life than theirs. And please, our dolphin show in Subic will mop theirs to oblivion (in Filipino: Ilalampaso ng Subic dolphin show yung HK Ocean Park Sea Dreams). With all due respect to the HK dolphins (I love all of you, regardless of nationality, color or species).
• Please do not take the city tour package (?). They will bring you to places that will take too much of your time (and make you spend for things you don't really need). And I've told you about the tour guides (The best tour guides are still Filipinos, in terms of attentiveness, thoughtfulness and politeness. I speak without bias). Explore Hong Kong on your own. 
• There WERE great (and unforgettable) things about Hong Kong: the beautiful view of the city from Victoria Peak, the tram ride, Disney Hollywood Hotel, the double-decker buses, the ultra-fast train ride, the underground tunnels (how on earth were they made?!), children in their "Sailor Moon" school uniforms, and of course,  the indescribable city "vibe."

Hong Kong is worth going back to, with all its possibilities. I just hope I get to see the day when it finally lives up to its potential. Crossing my fingers that I'll get a better "second" first impression next time.

Review: SPQR X: A Point of Law

SPQR X: A Point of Law by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is one of J.M. Roberts' best. A perfect blend of history, mystery and comedy — five days after reading it and I am still grinning at the book's most comic scenes.

A Point of Law is a lesson on Roman courts: how Ancient Romans dealt with legal issues such as complaints, juries, arrests, investigations and, well, the law in general. As usual, J.M. Roberts made his characters so endearing to the reader that even "killjoy" Marcus Porcius Cato seemed so lovable. Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger and the gang make you feel like they are your old friends, and whenever I put down another book (especially this one!) in this series, I feel really sad. If that's not amazing (as in deserving of five stars), I don't know what is. For me, a great book (regardless of its place in whatever critic or bestseller list) leaves you laughing/crying/heartbroken/mad/ecstatic for days after you've finished reading the last page.

SPQR X: A Point of Law is a WORTHY book in MY book :)





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Review: SPQR IX: The Princess and the Pirates

SPQR IX: The Princess and the Pirates by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



With The Princess and the Pirates, the reader hits the ground running: the protagonist's archenemy is dead, one of his best friends exiled, his family's power fading. But these issues weren't really tackled in this book; instead they served as a backdrop to Decius' adventures in Cyprus.

Somehow, I could not reconcile the image of Decius as a pirate-hunter with Decius the politician or even Decius the soldier. But I guess well-born Romans were really trained to be all-around "servants" of the Senate and the People. Cleopatra in this book did not really dazzle, and I think the eventual development of her character (in this book) did not do the very interesting intro justice. Still liked the book though, and it's better than the last one for me.



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Review: SPQR VIII: The River God's Vengeance

SPQR VIII: The River God's Vengeance by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Not as enthusiastic with SPQR VIII as I was with the previous installments in this series (e.g. Nobody Loves a Centurion). Maybe because I did not care too much for the topic/theme explored (Roman politics is too much like Philippine politics—nothing new about the extent of Roman corruption for me). However, I still liked it, and there were still a lot of shining moments for Decius. Plus, I wouldn't recommend skipping even one book in this series.

Again, the Kindle version of this book leaves MUCH to be desired. Too many typos, and most of them were "repeats" (e.g. flood, which was repeatedly mentioned in this book, spelled ?ood; floor was ?oor). Improvements, please.



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Review: Pearl in the Sand: A Novel

Pearl in the Sand: A Novel by Tessa Afshar

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Unlike some Christian Fiction books I've read, Pearl in the Sand does not go preachy on the reader. Maybe because it is set in the Old Testament, it focuses more on other aspects of Israelite culture and life — especially the nomadic, post-Egypt/pre-Canaan part of their history.

I learned a lot from the book: how God was portrayed in the Old Testament (conditional and sacrifice/ritual-requiring) vs. how He is portrayed in the New Testament (loving, unconditional); how prostitutes were classified (temple prostitutes vs the zonahs or the "garden-variety" prostitutes) in the olden times; and how the Israelites were actually fierce warriors, as opposed to their general reputation as obedient, God-fearing desert nomads.

This book is primarily a love story between Canaanite zonah Rahab and Israelite warrior leader Salmone. However, Pearl in the Sand is also a special book for "the broken" — abused kids, etc. ("He believes the past remains the past. It becomes God's domain. He also said, 'Our job is to rescue the present from its rotting carcass.' — p.124).

For Christians, this book has special meaning as written in the author's foreword: "Rahab's destiny is revealed in one third of a verse in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. These simple words reveal Rahab's amazing destiny: Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab (Matthew 1:5)."

The author further pointed out that Jesus Himself counted Rahab, a Canaanite harlot, as one of his ancestors. Amazing indeed.



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