The Fault in our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

[WARNING: May contain spoilers]

My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations.

I am still attempting to think as the story replays in my head and I wait for my eyes to un-puff themselves. If someone witnessed my outburst a few minutes ago, they would think I was crazy for sobbing and laughing at the same time. I cannot remember ever reading a book that made me react that way. This is not my regular young adult love story. It is also not the usual coping-with-dying or death plot I am used to. It's funny, witty, endearing and heartbreaking. This book made me feel a myriad of things rolled into one.

Sixteen-year-old Hazel and seventeen-year-old Gus, both terminally ill with cancer, fell in love amidst their battle against human consciousness. Their story is neither mushy nor morbid. They met in a Cancer Kid Support Group, shared their interest for a novel by a reclusive author named Peter Van Houten, and planned a trip to Amsterdam. This charming, sarcastic and intelligent couple are surrounded by supportive parents and a surprisingly goofy friend named Isaac. This story narrates how they found forever within their numbered days.

If you want to know why time is a slut, read this book.
If you want to know how some infinities are bigger than other infinities, read this book.
If you want to know how pain demands to be felt, read this book.

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Pandemonium

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

[WARNING: May contain spoilers.]

If you want something, if you take it for your own, you'll always be taking it from someone else.

It's four and a half stars.

This is a rare occurrence but I like the second book better than the first. The beginning part was a bit slow-paced, but after a few chapters, reading Lena's story from different chronological perspectives got me tightly caught between "Then" and "Now". The Resistance builds and becomes more intriguing.

The way this book was written was a tad more direct, with a more violence and death and depression, which goes well with the way Lena slowly sheds her old self and finds a new one hidden deep within her. Then, there's this love triangle. I knew I had to choose again between Team Julian and Team Alex. I don't know why I always go for the guy who needed saving, the guy who would influence a crucial change in the girl's character and the same guy who never left. The ending of this book is interesting enough that I would want to know more what happens next.



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Masks

Is this happening to me?

The Secret World of Arrietty

An animation that is undeniably Miyazaki, "The Secret World of Arrietty" is based on Mary Norton's classic "The Borrowers". This latest film from Studio Ghibli shows wonderful details, colors and a story that will capture those who are young and young-at-heart. =)

Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"I love you. Remember. They cannot take it."

"Delirium" can be taken either as a cautionary tale or a romantic inspiration like Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". That view would (literally) depend on which side of the fence you are in. I think the you-and-me-against-the-world theme will never get old especially when the subject of love is what makes it work. I may sometimes skip or maybe even cringe at the lovey-dovey moments, but they also take me back to the teenage series I used to pore myself into. This dystopian novel reminded me of some Sweet Valley characters, but this time, their story is set in a world similar to Panem (The Hunger Games).

The plot has its plateaus and crescendos. If I were watching a movie instead of reading, the last ten pages of the book would really keep me on the edge of my seat. It works as the first book in the series because it makes the reader crave for more. There are questions left unanswered and characters still covered in mystery.

If you think love is overrated, this may not be the book or series for you. The book may seem to target a specific age bracket, but if you're the type of person who, deep inside, just wants to be rescued from indifference, then amor deliria nervosa is something that is worth knowing and taking a risk for.

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