A Poised Quill

Review: Confessions

Confessions by Kanae Minato
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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[WARNING: Contains strong language]

Let me just come right out and say it: holy...shit. That was so good! It was pretty horrific, but it was beyond good. The few people (hi Mom! hi boyfriend! hahaha) who follow my reviews know that I love reading gore and crime, so it might not come as surprise that I loved Confessions. The book does not lack troubled characters. In fact, all characters are troubled and each backstory justified it. They did not seem ridiculous at all. Some novels tend to overplay just to make the characters seem interesting, but Confessions had no problem with that. Or maybe I'm being biased. After all, I have been forever in awe with how Japanese writers excel at storytelling, especially when it involves mysteries and really fucked-up characters.

Minato wrote it in a prose so blunt and no-holds-barred. The story was made rich by how it was narrated. Each individual narrating it delivered his and her own unique dark and twisted voice. Despite the narrative revolving mostly around one scene with switching perspectives, the retelling by each character never became dull. The story took a lot of turns--it was quite a whirlwind to follow. And that ending, I looked up from the last page with a "Well...fuck!"

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Review: The Thing About Jellyfish

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
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I think this is what young adult novels should be like--real, but uplifting. The Thing About Jellyfish effectively unmasked the voice of the youth--timid but strong, reluctant but full of wonder. Suzy's strength is in how she fully embraced what she is and what she's not. She, despite all her strength, went through her own way of grieving and dealing with the guilt. What I love about this book is how it did not portray the mean girls as the hopelessly evil mean girls. I know I should not discount the possibility, bullies vary. But the story focused on how Suzy learned to forgive Franny and herself. Honestly, I never really cared enough for Franny. I'm sorry, but if you're a bully who, not only DOES NOT stand up for her best friend, but eventually bullies her, too, then you won't really get any sympathy from me. But Suzy...my dear, sweet Suzy. I want to hug that kid. I can listen to her ramble on about pee and Irukandji all day long and I would love that sweet, fragile, kid.

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.8 stars
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What I love about Sleeping Giants:

1) The premise is so interesting. It was fast-paced and it was filled with exciting twists. It has a lot of potential to be a full-blown sci-fi series that will reel in any robot-loving nerd next door. I can't exactly go into detail without revealing spoilers, but believe me when I say, I did not find anything predictable at all with Sleeping Giants.

2) It wasn't a lot of info dump as I expected. I've read sci-fis that presented a shitload of info within the narrative guaranteed to fry your brain, and this isn't one of them. The science was explained enough for the reader to understand.

Memory Man by David Baldacci
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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I wasn't really planning on reading Memory Man any time soon. Yes, it was on my to-read list but, way down. I started reading this out of boredom during a four-hour flight and it was the only unread book that had a synopsis that's remotely interesting on my Kobo that time.

The book was...okay. It doesn't fall short of the gruesome and graphic details expected of murder scenes, massacres, and thrillers, but this "mystery" was a mess. The explicitness delivered a believable scene creeping me out when I'm alone and brimming with anxiety, but beyond that, I found the book too laid out.

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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