Book Review – Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

After she managed to escape from Portland to the Wilds, now she must survive.

In Delirium, Lena Haloway tried to escape from Portland, a delirium-free city. Lena fled out the city with Alex, her boyfriend, but unfortunately Alex was unable to escape. He was being shot behind the fence by the Regulators. Lena ran and ran into the Wilds.

Lena ran without any certain destination. When she nearly die, a warrior-girl saved her. Her name is Raven. She’s like the head of an Invalid group, a group of people who still believe in love and still uncured.

Pandemonium tells 2 phase of Lena’s life. The ‘now’ and ‘future’.

On ‘before’ chapters, it was told that Lena tried to blend with the Invalid society. Raven and Tack helped her to blend while she also took some duties as a part of the society. She took water from the river, did some washing, and else while she tried to forget Alex by convincing herself that he hadn’t die. One day, when the Invalids were going to migrate, Lena found out that the Regulators were going to burn the Wilds. She and the Invalids ran so fast to their migration destination, forgetting the things they had prepared. On the way, some people died. When they nearly arrive, they were blocked by an Invalid organization who tried to kill them..

On ‘future’ chapters, it was told that Lena tried to blend with the society in New York. She was there with Raven and Tack. Lena changed her name, Lena Morgan Jones. She also changed her identity. Lena changed a lot from the past Lena. She became stronger. In NYC, Lena disguised to be a member of an organization who supported delirium-free city. The organization was ruled by Thomas Fineman who had a perfect son named Julian Fineman. One day, there was a campaign about those ‘delirium-free’ thingy. Lena, who was tasked to spy on Julian by Raven, got captured by another Invalid organization who were bad guys. Julian and Lena were kept in a small room together. There, they shared their personal experience and they fell in love. Later, Lena knew that Julian actually didn’t hate love, he’s just afraid to loose his father’s love. Lena and Julian managed to escape even they must faced many obstacles. Unfortunately, when they spent a night together, the Regulators found them. Julian was sentenced to death. Well, happily, Lena managed to save him. They both promised to love each other. But suddenly.. Alex came.

I love this book! But to be honest, I don’t love it how the way I love Delirium. I mean, yeah, Lauren Oliver is awesome like always. But, this story seems so fast. I know, Pandemonium is about living on the run, but it’s really fast. I don’t really have the information to know Raven or Tack or else better.

Beside that, I hate Julian. I mean, he’s a boy. Why should he be like a retarded person? I definitely choose Alex if I can choose. He doesn’t know anything and he’s weak and he’s weird.. but thanks God, Alex came. Julian is nothing compared to Lena.

And about Lena, I really love the way she changed within 6 months. She changed a lot. She’s stronger than the past Lena. She’s also smarter. I think from this story I can take a lesson that someone or ‘missing’ can change a person to be a better one. I mean, Lena lost Alex and she rethought about her life and her love story with Alex and then she changed because she wanted to respect her new life to respect Alex who fight for her freedom.

Even I don’t really like this book THAT much, I’m still waiting for the next one. REQUIEM!

The book before this one in this trilogy : Delirium
The next book in this trilogy : Requiem

Title : Pandemonium
Writer : Lauren Oliver
Publisher : Harper

Book Review – The Fault in Our Stars

Overall : OMG, I just can’t- :’(

This is a story of a girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster who had a thyroid cancer. She can survived for a pretty long time because she used a drug named Phalanxifor (a fictional drug). She’s a girl who liked to stay at home, away from the society. But her mom pushed her to go to a support group. At first, she thought that it was very boring to be there. She made friends with Isaac but it still made her more to love home.

One day, there’s someone new in the support group. He’s handsome, pretty smart, and an amputee. His name is Augustus Walters. He directly fell in love with Hazel. Hazel was kinda surprised with his cordiality, but she liked him. They became close friends. Hazel suggested Augustus to read her favourite book An Imperial Affliction by Peter van Houten. Both Hazel and Augustus got very disappointed for An Imperial Affliction’s cliff-hanging ending. Augustus emailed Peter van Houten’s personal assistant Lidewij Vliegenthart for asking the real ending of the story (since Peter van Houten never replied fan mails). Via Lidewij Vliegenthart’s email, Peter van Houten said if Augustus and Hazel want to know the ending, they must come to Amsterdam.

There’s an organization named “The Genie” (a fictionalization of Make-A-Wish Foundation). Hazel had used her wish, but Augustus hadn’t. Augustus wanted to fly Hazel and him to Amsterdam to meet Peter van Houten. Hazel was overjoyed for Augustus’ proposal, but she began herself pulling away from Augustus. She didn’t want to make people sad if she suddenly die. Even though, she was actually very in love with Augustus.

One day, Hazel collapsed because of bad oxygenation. Augustus was there and he rarely left. Augustus convinced her that he cared to her more than he worried about loosing her. Hazel love him even more. After Hazel recovered for a while, she finally went to Amsterdam with Augustus and her mom.

At their first night in Amsterdam, Hazel and Augustus had a date. They were treated by Peter van Houten with a marvellous dinner. The next day, they went to Peter van Houten’s house. They thought that van Houten was a noble man, but their expectations of van Houten were too high. He’s a pathetic drunker who hates teenager. In the emails he looked fine because it was Lidewij Vliegenthart who mostly replied it. Hazel and Augustus left van Houten’s house and went to Anne Frank’s house. They kissed and had a thunderous applauds from the visitors. At night, Augustus told Hazel that he actually had a massive amount of cancer in his body.

Back to Indiana, Augustus had some treatments but he didn’t meant to survive. Eight days before he died, he asked the support group members to conduct him a pre-memorial. At Augustus’ funeral, Hazel met van Houten. He revealed that he had a daughter who died because of cancer and that made him to be a pathetic drunker. Hazel encouraged van Houten to write again and be free from his sadness.

A few weeks after Augustus’ death, Hazel went very miserable. Once, she went to Isaac’s place. Isaac said that the last few days before Augustus died, Augustus wrote something about Hazel. She was curious and she searched every place where Augustus might keep that note. She found nothing. And then she had a thinking that maybe that note was sent to van Houten. Once again, she emailed Lidewij Vliegenthart and asked for her help to find that note. She managed to found it for Hazel. The letter is almost all about Hazel. It’s about how he admired Hazel and loved her. He hoped that Hazel never regret for what she chose (including falling in love with him, etc.). And at the very end of that story there are Hazel, saying.. she never regret her choices.

This story is so so so heartbreaking! If I met John Green, I think I want to say ” Why did you write this novel!?”. I just can’t-. The first half of the novel, I’m like ” OMG Augustus! Be my BF!” or ” OMG! Hazel and Augustus are too cute!”. But, at the last half of the novel, I’m like ” Why does cancer should exist?” or ” Why does there must be unlucky people?” or ” Why should he died!?”.

This book is all about dying, giving up, and dreaming. And OMG, here I say that I cried hardly when I read this novel. Not because I’m a crybaby, but it shows me many things beyond my ordinary life. It tells me many things to think. It makes me to think that I should be thankful for what I have all this time that Hazel and Augustus don’t have : a perfect yet imperfect life and physics, time to chase my dream, etc. It also makes me to think that I shouldn’t waste my life for unimportant things. It makes me think that actually I’m not yet a good person.

I recommended this novel for EVERYONE who rarely be thankful for what we already have. I mean, this is a new type of a perfect chicken soup! I’m in love with this novel!

Overall : highly recommended, motivating, OMG I understand now!

Title : The Fault in Our Stars
Writer : John Green
Publisher : Dutton Books

My New Twitter Account!

Hello there
Finally I have a Twitter account! Go follow and contact me : @CutAlima
Thank you

“A Writing Hand” by Dandhy Bramantya

Hey!
Remember Dandhy who drew me Fallen and Torment’s book cover? He’s up with a new fabulous drawing!
Since he’s in love with a girl, he represented his love by drawing this. The name which ‘the hand’ wrote is the girl’s name

Here are the pics!

 Those are amazing, aren’t they? I don’t know how he does it but I think he’s gifted.
Appreciate, like, and share Dandhy’s drawing by sharing this post to everyone, Readers!
Thanks for coming!

Dandhy Bramantya Putra
Check his Facebook and follow his Twitter : @dandhybramantya

p.s. sorry for those bad quality pictures, my camera is sooo lame

Book Review – Keeping Secrets by Alyson Noel

Overall : Absolutely-incredibly-amazing!
This is an encouraging book which consists of two amazing stories : Saving Zoe and Faking 19.

Faking 19
This is a story about a girl who in her 17 get lost named Alex. She has a best friend named M. They are the top, the elites, or the trend-setter.  Alex and M are fond of shopping in Los Angeles. Even though, Alex’s life went miserable when their parents divorced.

Alex is a dreamer. Once, she dreamed of having a boyfriend like Richard Branson -the owner of Virgin Company. That dream leads her to some unwanted life dramas. Alex who used to get straight A’s and those college stuff, went out of the track. She and M went very crazy of hot-bad-boys and high class things. They strolled down to LA and found themselves snooping into a party. They expected to meet famous stars or singers who they can date with and their wish granted. Well, not really famous -yet-, Alex found a boy named Connor. Somehow she went very addicted to him. She who was 16, faked her age to 19 so that Connor will look at her as a girl, not as a kid. She hanged out with Connor and ditched school. Alex, Connor, M, and M’s boyfriend went to pubs, get drunk, and did anything which would make them happy.

One day, Alex coincidentally said to Connor that she must go to school. This opened Connor’s eye of Alex’s age : she’s just a kid. They broke up and Alex’s life went very miserable. Plus, she had a bad relationship with M because M tricked, bribed, and obloquy her. And plus, again, her father didn’t care at all to her.

Alex cried and cried for her life. She regret everything and started giving up. But, her teacher and her mother taught her to get up from her screwed life. ” Because at seventeen your mistakes are not permanent. There’s no reason you can’t turn your life around,”, that’s what her mother said. Her teacher supported her to be a good girl again by offering her to write a story and submit it to a national writing contest since she coincidentally recognized as a good writer in her school.

As a turning back point, Alex sent her story to the national writing contest without anyone knew. She won the contest and got a marvellous scholarship! She tried to avoid M as long as possible since she was a bad influence for her. She got her spirit back. She also did homeworks which a few weeks ago she wouldn’t even think about it. Her friendship with M broke forever, but her future was back.

Saving Zoe
This is a story of a perfect family which turned imperfect since the death of the first child, Zoe. A year had passed but the grief of Zoe’s death was never gone from Echo’s house.

Echo is Zoe’s little sister. They were sisters with two different interests. Zoe was interested in fashion and stuff but Echo was interested in academic stuffs. Even though, their sisterly life went great. Since one day, Zoe was missing. Then a few weeks later, Zoe was reported that she had been murdered. Echo’s parents went overprotective and paranoid. All of the members of the family seemed okay but they actually didn’t.

One day, Marc, Zoe’s boyfriend, met up with Echo and gave her Zoe’s diary. Zoe was a lively girl who seemed to love living in the now, but she had a critical thinking so Zoe’s diary was like a survival guide of being a teenager. Echo read it and she got to know her more and how to act in her normal life. Zoe’s diary also leaded Echo to Zoe’s darkest secrets which can reveal some crimes in that area. For Echo, Zoe’s diary was a substitute of her sister.

***

Those stories are so amazing! It helps me to figure out how is it to have a screwed life and get rid of that. A phrase in the book summary is absolutely true : But as they’re about to learn, it’s not our secrets that matter the most -but those who still love us once they learn the truth.

Both of them are not a story full of love thingy but they’re a story about being true and honest wherever you are. Once you’ve finished reading this book, you’ll think twice when you’re up to something.

Overall : highly recommended, motivating, and amazing!

Title : Keeping Secrets
Writer : Alyson Noel
Publisher : St. Martin’s Press

Being Sensitive and Survive

I care because no one cares.
I help because I know how it feel to be helpless.
I cheer because I know how it feel to be alone.
I support because I know how it feel to be unsupported.
I stay because I know how it feel to be left.
I’ll do whatever it takes until I’m starting to regret the things I did.

Adalah.. “Waktu”

Adalah masalah bagaimana kita menghadapi waktu..

Hargailah tiap detik yang kaujalani dengan siapapun apapaun bagaimanapun.. terlebih dengan mereka yang kau cintai..
Karena bagaimanapun juga, waktu takkan menyerah dalam merenggut semua yang kau miliki.

Book and Movie Review – The Host by Stephenie Meyer

THE HOST! A must-read for amazing-thick-novel lovers!

This story is about the struggle of a young woman named Melanie Stryder. Once in a time, the Earth is occupied by the Souls. They took every human body and got into them, which unfortunately, Melanie’s body too. Fortunately, the Soul inside Melanie was a good one, named Wanderer (a.k.a. Wanda).

Before Wanda took over her body, Melanie was surviving as one of the last human race with Jared Howe -his boyfriend (kind of)- and Jamie Stryder. When Wanda stayed at her body, Melanie refused to lose. She chose to exist in her body, living together with Wanda. Melanie’s memory of Jared and Jamie brought Wanda to some marvellous experience.

Together in one body, Melanie and Wanda went to Melanie’s uncle’s -Uncle Jeb- safe house where the refuges stayed. There, they were untrusted. No one trusted them except Uncle Jeb and Jamie. But, when Wanda revealed the truth that Melanie still stayed with her, inside her, most of the humans left started to trust her.

The Host movie poster!

Choose to love, choose to believe, choose to fight. Wanda chose to love humans, including Ian O’Shea -someone who also chose to love a Soul. But it’s kinda confusing for her, since Melanie loves Jared so Wanda accidentally love Jared as well.

Until one day, Jamie got sick because of some infections. At the same time, Doc -the doctor there- accidentally killed some Souls when he tried to take out the Souls from human bodies. Wanda was shocked for a while, but later, she taught Doc and the other humans about how to took a Soul from it’s human body.

Wanda suddenly realize that sooner or later she must get out from Melanie’s body for Melanie. She asked Doc to take her out and let her die instead of sending her to other planets. But everyone refused.

At last.. Wanda is taken out from Melanie’s body. And she is transferred to the other human body, to start her 10th life.

The story is so amazing and heartbreaking. When the amount of people alive can be count by fingers, the power of love is tested. I love the way Stephenie Meyer describes ‘alone’ and ‘suffer’ in this book. And I love how she showed how ‘love’ is supposed to be. This book also explains a lot about ‘sacrifice’. The sacrifice of Melanie for Jared and Jamie.. the sacrifice of Wanda for Melanie.

And for the movie, it’s really good and amazing! Even though, there are some parts that comes different from the book. Like, the amount of lives which Wanda had (it should be 9 then 10, but at the movie she said 4, if I’m not wrong), and else. But otherwise, it still comes great -just like what I’ve said!

I used to thought that Saoirse Ronan can’t be a perfect Melanie, but I found out that I’m wrong. The casts and the locations are really perfect! Max Irons and Jake Abel.. OMG! THE HOST, I LOVE IT VERY MUCH! :*

Sorry for my fangirling. Hehehe.

For your information, it is said that Stephenie Meyer is working on the second book! Yes, THIS BOOK IS A TRILOGY! For the title and release date, I haven’t found it out yet.

Overall : highly recommended, amazing, unpredictable, stunning, OMG I can’t describe it anymore! <3

Title : The Host
Writer : Stephenie Meyer

Eyes – The Windows of Souls

EYES – THE WINDOWS OF SOULS

Above are the eyes of my classmates. The 10 of us are the members of The Riven Rock Movie Project (our English task movie). I took those pictures at Griyo Sabin, a guesthouse in Sleman, Yogyakarta.

p.s. I took all the pictures except mine (of course!).
p.s.s. Taken using Cindy Wieke’s Canon 550D

Immature-Mature-Teen Age