A Poised Quill: 5 stars

Showing posts with label 5 stars. Show all posts

Review: Smaller and Smaller Circles

Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Borrowing from the vocabulary of the great Stephen King, unputdownable.

This book provides a more than your raw and gritty crime fiction. This provides a shrewd look into institutions--both in our criminal justice system and in the Roman Catholic Church. It is laced in politics and for the first time in a long while, I didn't mind. In hindsight, I realized that you really couldn't write about Manila without getting political. This book served like a slap in the face of our political system and even the piousness of the Church. It's a juicy and interesting take on Philippine politics set in a whodunit. It's layered and multi-faceted. It gives the readers a glimpse at the affluence of the rich marred with corruption, and a jarring picture of poverty deeply rooted in even more corruption and social diseases.

Human Acts by Han Kang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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If I could rate this higher, I would.

It is set during different eras, and centers around the story of Dong-ho, a boy killed during the Gwangju Uprising in 1980 when Martial Law is still in effect in South Korea. This is rawness that goes straight to your core. Told through six point-of-views, the narrative echoes with pain, trauma, and guilt, effectively silencing my usual skittish thoughts. Dong-ho's soul and presence resonates all throughout the narrative. It is unsettling and riveting at the same time. Each chapter gives you different views of human suffering. Is cruelty and suffering all that makes one human? It bathes you with realization after realization of the weakness and tenacity of a human soul.

Final Girls by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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I AM STUNNED. 😨😨😨

This belongs to my Top Reads of 2017. Every chapter put me on edge. This book made me feel a range of emotions from start to finish. Admittedly, the most common was frustration. The book was frustrating most of the time because of the presence of Sam/Tina. Another source of frustration was Quincy's recklessness. I really done know if that recklessness comes with being a Final Girl, or is it recklessness that comes with being Quincy? Wherever it came from, it became a constant source of irritation for me.

This is one of those books that gives twists one after the other, without being too confusing, and without being too absurd. Just when you thought you had it figured out, it pulls you again to another direction and it will leave you reeling. It's one of those stories that makes you feel complacent one moment knowing you understand it, but then you realize you absolutely know nothing.

It's a horror/mystery and it did a mighty job at scaring and leaving me breathless from the twists. I am looking forward to re-reading this book and reconnecting all the clues to have a better grasp of the story and be amazed all over again with Sager's brilliance.

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Review: American Gods

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 4.8 stars
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It's difficult to put into words what exactly I loved about American Gods. It was a myriad of eccentricities; this is the weirdest book I have read. The book is a plenitude of riddles. There were things I wish I understood immediately, or had connected immediately to what I've previously read. But due to my on-and-off reading (it took me a month (!!!) to finish this book), some details have already gotten lost among the trivial everyday things on my mind. I only really fully understood what was happening towards the end when the twist was revealed. I'm still reeling from all that had happened--I don't think I've fully grasped and related Shadow's dreams with the resolution. On a different note, it makes me want to go on a road-trip across America to visit all the places Shadow visited.

Despite getting lost along the way, however, I never remembered a time when I didn't have fun reading it. American Gods held me fascinated and intrigued. It got me attached to characters (more importantly to quiet Shadow and resilient Laura). It educated me (a bit) about the different gods of different myths and folklore, which I am otherwise previously unfamiliar with. Although you wouldn't be a subject matter expert immediately after reading this, this served as an introduction to African folklore, German folklore, Egyptian myths, and Algonquian folklore. The blend of culture and tradition made this book so exhilarating to read.

I especially loved the Coming to America short stories (?) by Mr. Ibis. I would have loved to read more of it. I wish Gaiman would write an anthology using Mr. Ibis' voice to regale us with the gods' manifestation in America, and read about the (mis)adventures of the people who brought them here.

Gaiman has always been one of my favorite authors. His works are always so compelling, and his writing mesmerizing. American Gods is no exception. The way he weaves his tale is ingenious. His prose is always lyrical no matter how simple the words he used. Each voice he took with each point-of-view is sharp and distinct.

I think I would still enjoy this book even after re-reading it numerous times. It's one of those books that naturally amass its own cult following. It's just so...profound, and has a lot of layers waiting to be discovered at every re-read you do.

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Disclaimer: Excerpts below are from the book. Copyright © 2011 by Neil Gaiman:

Information and knowledge: these are currencies that have never gone out of style.

You know why dead people only go out at night? Because it's easier to pass for real, in the dark.

Fiction allows us to slide into these other heads, these other places, and look out through other eyes. And then in the tale we stop before we die, or we die vicariously and unharmed, and in the world beyond the tale we turn the page or close the book, and we resume our lives.

A life, which is, like any other, unlike any other.

Religions are places to stand and look and act, vantage points from which to view the world.

I think I would rather be a man than a god. We don't need anyone to believe in us. We just keep going anyhow. It's what we do.

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Review: Norse Mythology

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)

Reading this book has been a most magical journey. A tale of gods, warriors, creatures, and giants. Of battles and tales of trickery and gods outplaying each other.

All the tales in the book were as delightful and intriguing as the next, but my favorites are:

* Thor's Journey to the Land of the Giants : Thor, Loki, and Thialfi's journey to Utgard was one of the most fascinating stories in this book, especially Utgardaloki's challenges to his visitors. These challenges, in hindsight, proved their strength.

* Ragnarok: The Final Destiny of the Gods : The only word I can describe this last tale on the book is epic . The narrative was short as far as battles go, but it gave leeway for scholars and storytellers to give it their own unique spin--a chance Gaiman did not waste. At the end of Ragnarok came the rebirth of the world, which filled me with hope, as Mimir's head filled Odin.

The Fireman by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Note: Spoilers ahead in a 'general' sense, but nothing in detail. :)

Joe Hill always surprises me with how distinct his stories are. The plot, in forethought, sounds worn-out (I'm blaming it on the blurb). The Fireman, for example, introduces the readers to an apocalypse. A plethora of books have already been published introducing dystopian societies. But Hill managed to paint this world we're living into something so desolate and sinister. At the core of this book lies an outline of the rough edges of humanity: how our souls seek harmony, and how we thirst for religion. It shows that each human being has his own fire inside: whether it's compassion and empathy, or cruelty and violence. This book doesn't sugarcoat things. It's brutal, graphic, and good people die. At the end of the book, I was pretty much jaded as much as the characters. I was actually surprised I didn't die with the others.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Well…damn. I’ve finished this last Saturday evening, and I’m reeling until now. No wonder this is still considered one of Christie’s best, and remains to be controversial until now. This was truly superb and well-written. Each character was well developed. The flow of the story seems formal (as with Hercule Poirot), but in hindsight, it is a gripping narrative.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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This is one of the most beautifully poignant books I've read EVER. There's a tightening of my chest as I finished it. The entire book is a mystery (on how each character is connected with each other) written in an ode so pure and sincere. The tone all throughout the book is melancholic with hints of death, loneliness, and loss, but that last chapter was the most heartbreaking. Each revelation is accentuated with a punch-in-the-gut sadness. How Leo constantly obsessed and watched on his lost son's life, and his constant reflection of his never-ending love for Alma broke and inspired me at the same time.

But oddly enough, despite the tone of the book--the story is strangely uplifting, leaving you gasping with the immensity of feeling. The writing is beautiful; I always highlight captivating passages I read on books, but with The History of Love, my hand wouldn't stop. It seemed like the entire book shone yellow with the admiration and awe I showered it. Each line on Krauss' novel will leave you breathless--constructed simply but laden with profound insight. After reading this book, I have fallen even more in love with stories and words--on how words create worlds and keep people alive. For me, they all come alive. Leo lives. Alma lives.

P.S. Oh, the injustice! This deserves a higher rating in Goodreads, people!

(To follow: most captivating lines from the book.)

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Review: Neverwhere

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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I cannot say a litany of praises that hasn't been acclaimed to Neil Gaiman already.

I have always wondered what it's like to live in the mind of Neil Gaiman. He writes the most vivid and intricate stories. The magical elements in his stories are always so captivating, and never overwhelming. Paired it with my ultimate city-dream (London), and I am enchanted. Most people consider Neverwhere as one of his best and strongest works, and I completely understand why. It's not a perfect novel, but each character was so compelling, and London Below was just bursting with magic and potential. I would love to read more of it (which, I guess, would happen soon as I believe Gaiman is writing a sequel).

Richard Mayhew was an ordinary man living a mundane life in London. After rescuing an injured girl, an adventure of ultimate test of character began. After all, the best journeys begin with a surprise. The story delivered a well though-out character development for Richard Mayhew. The characters on Gaiman's novel are unique and they stand on their own. His words captivate the reader's imagination to form its own unique world laced with reality. There is no denying that I am in love with Gaiman's works. I see myself revisiting Neverwhere again.

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"So the day became one of waiting, which was, he knew, a sin: moments were to be experienced; waiting was a sin against both the time that was still to come and the moments one was currently disregarding. Still, he was waiting."

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Review: A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on my Goodreads profile here! :)

I had just spent the majority of my weekend reading the most delightful--and at the same time, heartbreaking--story of a lovable curmudgeon. I consider this book one of my best reads this year. It wasn't at the same level as reading Dark Matter, but Ove's story will stay with me for a lifetime.

I didn't find this book "hysterically funny" as Kirkus considered. I'm not sure if it's because I find it extremely difficult to relate to humorous writing, and so I don't usually gravitate towards funny [or humor-genre] books. Though I still did find myself smiling and chuckling at the funniest moments of the book. More than the humor, the book broke my heart in a hundred different ways. It was a love story between Ove and his wife. It shows how even a physically strong man crumbles in grief. It was a story of unlikely friendship between angry Ove and his jovial neighbors. It was a story of fierce loyalty to a man's principles.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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This review is also found on my Goodreads profile here! :)
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WOW. ~~Here I am, staring at my phone's screen wondering what to write because nothing I say will justify the sheer intensity of what I went through with this doggone book.~~ So far, this is my best read for 2016. I have been blown away by the magnitude of the bar for science fiction this book has set.

How to even begin to describe this? The closest I get to it is a "science-fiction-slash-thriller." This book got me questioning my existence; questioning my CHOICES in life. I'm not really sure if the few sentences that follow can be tagged as spoilers, but just to be on the safe side, I'm going to tag them anyway. I can't exactly explain to you the book for fear of getting swallowed by the plethora of confusing quantum physics terms, explanations, and theories, but I will try to put it as simple as my limited knowledge on it can offer. [spoiler] To explain it the way the book explained it, imagine the famous Schrodinger's cat experiment. The observer will only the know result of the experiment once the box is opened--and it can only be one of the two possible outcomes: alive or dead. The quantum law states that until the box is opened, the cat is in superposition. Until the moment the observer opens the box and influences the outcome of the experiment, the cat is in superposition, or to put it simply--it is both alive and dead. But that's a cat. What if there is a box that puts a human being in a superposed quantum state with a drug that changes the way the human being's brain perceives reality; a drug that forces us to loose our quantum coherence and collapses our wave function? It opens a gateway to multiple universes (or multiverse). What if it allows access to a multiverse where everything that can happen happened? [/spoiler]

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review is also found on my Goodreads profile here. :)

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This novel is perfection. Nail-biting in every sense of the word. I have a confession, I read it on my Kobo and upon checking if my copy was complete, I went to the last page trying to check the existence of the Acknowledgement page. (It would suck really hard if upon tapping towards the last page on the e-book, I would find out my copy is truncated). And so I saw a name. :( And I automatically assumed that the name is the mystery in this novel. I was right! So if you are new to this novel, DO NOT in under any circumstances flip to the last page! I assure you though, it did not diminish the effect of this story on me.