Title: Greyfriars Bobby

Writer: Eleanor Atkinson

Publisher: Gramedia Pustaka Utama (2010)

Pages: 277 p

Swapped with Mia

What a simple book. That’s my first thought when I started to read this book. It’s a story about a dog called Bobby, who spent his life in Edinburgh, Scotland, more than a century ago. Bobby was a cute and smart skye terrier, who chose his own master, a poor shepherd named Auld Jock. Even though Bobby’s real owner was a little girl, the farmer’s own daughter, who lived where Auld Jock worked, Bobby fell in love with Auld Jock since he was very little.

Bobby was a faithful dog, he was always there for Auld Jock, through thick and thin, until his master’s very last day. He still tried to be there for Auld Jock even though his master had already left this world. Every night, Bobby stayed on Auld Jock’s grave, his feelings for his master never changed. Although dogs are not allowed inside Greyfriars Cemetery, Bobby tried so hard to persuade Mr. Brown, the guard there, by using his own cute little ways, until they finally became good friends. Bobby also found a family among the people lived near the cemetery, poor kids living in poor flats, orphan boys studying in a school near there, and Mr. Traill, a diner owner who loved Bobby almost like Auld Jock loved him.

Bobby faced many challenges and adventures, but there’s always someone who would help him, since everybody loved this cute little dog who was very faithful to his old master.

Reading an “oldies” (or classic)  like this, we need extra patience, since sometimes there were too many details in every page. The plot was really slow, even though the story itself was very beautiful. But you need a good mood to read this kind of book. All in all, I love how the writer drew the beauty of Scotland through her words, making me wanted to jump right there inside the pages, to the green,breezy Scotland, with cute Bobby running beside me =)

Don't forget to visit Bobby if you come to Edinburgh =)

Picture taken from here

Title: Tales of The Unexpected

Writer: Roald Dahl

Publisher: Penguin Books (2008)

Pages: 282 p

From Bookmooch!

Roald Dahl was a master of storytelling. I fell in love with his children books, even though some of them were too dark for younger audience. So when I heard that Dahl also wrote adult short stories, I couldn’t help myself. I must read them!!

Tale of The Unexpected was consisted of 16 stories with lots of twists and surprising (sometimes even shocking!) endings. The stories had various themes, and I often wondered where did Dahl find his ideas? From everyday tidbits to unusual circumstances, Dahl expertly played with the tension (which was built bit by bit), exploding (and in some cases, hanging) climax, and the feeling that readers had to endure at the end of every story, the feeling of craving for more and more stories to come. Pure genius.

Some stories were quite hilarious, like one of my favorites, a story called Taste, about a man who had a bet with a wine expert. The man challenged the expert to guess the name and origin of the wine he served to his guests. And the ridiculous part was, the bet’s actually his own daughter, handed to the expert in marriage if the man lost the bet. It’s totally crazy, especially because Dahl successfully built the tension, with no clues left for the readers about what came at the end of the story.

Another favorite was Parson’s Pleasure, about a wicked antique dealer who tried to buy a valuable old furniture with cheap price from a farmer, by cheating him completely. This story had an ending that felt so real, so original, yet so unpredictable, leaving the readers’ jaw widely opened =)

With Dahl, you’ll never know how the story would end. The bad guy sometimes wins, making you felt sorry for the heroine. Sometimes he left us undecided with our feeling, whether we should cringe with irony or laugh out loud to his dark sense of humor. In few stories, you had sympathy with the bad guy, and Dahl played along nicely with that, until suddenly he brought the character into his doom. In some stories, Dahl showed his unique talent to create a very gothic plot. A great example was in the story called Landlady, where a young man was lured to stay in a nice guesthouse, with a mysterious and creepy landlady. I still have goosebumps thinking about it!

But the great thing is, what felt too gothic and dark in his children books, fits really well in this book. All in all, this is a true masterpiece, a treasure that makes me craving for more Dahl’s collection of brilliant stories. Luckily, there are so many books of his short stories collection, and you can even download some of them here. Enjoy!

Title: Replay

Writer: Ken Grimwood

Publisher: Ufuk Publishing House (2010)

Pages: 532 p

Bought at: Rumah Buku Bandung (IDR 89,900 disc 30%)

What will you do if you are given a chance to re-live your life? Will you consider yourself a lucky person? Jeff Winston had that luxury, not only once, but several times.

Jeff was an unhappy man, with an unhappy job and an unhappy marriage. He died of a heart attack when he was 43 years old. But he’s very surprised when instead of woke up in heaven or hell, he was actually back in his dorm, as an 18 years old boy, with all his dreams still hanging high and opportunities seems never end.

Jeff didn’t know why he experienced this, but he eventually used his knowledge about the future to build a new life, decided to do things differently this time. He tried so hard to make his life better, succeeding in Wall Street, having a child, working on his marriage. But still, after he’s dead for the second time, he started his whole life all over again.

Jeff met so many people, tried many different things, fell in love with many women, while he also tried to solve the puzzle: what’s the meaning of his life? What did he do to deserve these rare opportunities? And who is his true love?

For me, this book is quite advance, considering its publication year (1988). It has an original feeling of fantasy, without being to pretentious. The story is flowing nicely, with a likable enough characters, some intense parts, and a very movie-ish ending. It reminds me a bit of Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s movie, but of course without the silliness.

And this book has been in my TBR pile for more than a year. Sometimes you never know when you’re going to find treasures inside your bulks, right? =)

Title: Lord of The Flies

Writer: William Golding

Publisher: Perigee Book by Penguin (2006)

Pages: 208 p

Bought at: Barnes & Noble LA (USD 6,95)

In the brink of a world war, a plane full of British schoolboys crashed into a deserted island, leaving them without any adults at sight.  At first, this seemed like a paradise for them – no teachers or parents to tell them what to do, playing all day long with ocean gleaming in the background.

But after a while, things became really sour. There were rumors circling about a mysterious beast in the island, there was a boy who really wanted to be a leader and formed his own tribal group, using cruel ways to reach his goals. And to make it more difficult, no rescue seemed to come their way. Slowly the boys started to behave like wild people. And things were getting really chaotic.

First I thought this book was an ordinary adventure story. But turned out this is a perfect allegory about humanity, natural behavior, and the true enemy of mankind: the devil inside ourselves. Each boy in the story represents something: true leadership and democracy, logic, kindness and sacrificing, power and even cruelty. This is a book with great symbols but still have a marvelous plot and incredible narration. The tension is high and sometimes you forget that this book contains a really heavy message, since the story reminds you a lot with LOST TV series or Treasure Island book.

I really wish I have read this book during my school days. If you want to know more about the symbols in this book, please visit this site. But make sure that you already read the book, otherwise you will find too many spoilers! =)

Hint: Lord of The Flies is a literal English translation of Beelzebub, a demonic figure considered similar with Satan. So don’t expect to find any flies in the book! =D

I haven’t really counted my TBR yet, but I guess the number will be between 50-70 books, so for a start I will begin this challenge with the second level: A Friendly Hug (11-20 books). Maybe I can increase my level along the way? Let’s hope! =)

So for you who has a tall tower of unread books at your home, maybe you would like to join me? They have some prizes too!

Welcome to 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge!!!

We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they’re gifted to us.. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we’ll finally decide to pick them up..

Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you’ve been telling yourself you’ll read next time you’ll get a chance.. This is your chance! And we’ve got PRIZES!!!

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 – Dec 31, 2012.
2. As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that’s been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
8. At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it’s unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It’s open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.
9. If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice – we will be checking
10. December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you’ll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway – 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL.
11. You don’t have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:

1-10 – A Firm Handshake
11-20 – A Friendly Hug
21-30 – A Sweet Kiss
31-40 – Love At First Sight
41-50 – Married With Children

Hosts:
Evie from Bookish – http://www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read – http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/ @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home – http://www.handsandhome.ca/ @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/ @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - http://whatchyareading.net @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - http://missiontoread.com/ @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea -http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.com/ @alouetteuette
Christa from Hooked On Books - http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - http://fansoffiction.blogspot.com/ @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com @mermaidvisions
Wrap-up POST Schedule:

January – Donna (Theme: Let It Snow + Book Cover Challenge)
February – Nicole (Theme: Un-requited Love/Love Gone Wrong + Advice Column Challenge)
March – Rie (Theme: Green or Pinched + Green Cover Challenge)
April -  Bonnie (Theme: Easter + Mini Challenge)
May – Christa (Theme: MayDay – Disaster Books! + Cover Disaster Challenge)
June – Jenna ( Theme: Camping + Sentence Challenge)
July – Rie (Theme: International Day + Cover Comparison Challenge)
August – Angel (Theme: Summer Memories + Send Your Fav Character On Vacation Challenge)
September – Nicole (Theme: Life Changing Books + Mini Challenge)
October – Caitlin (Theme: Thanksgiving Theme + Share-A-Book Challenge)
November – Vicky (Theme: Spooky Halloween + Book Puzzle Challenge)
December – Evie (Theme: Xmas Bliss + Book Bachelor Challenge)

Chaz Santangelo (Jellicoe Road) – meski Jonah Griggs adalah the real catch buat Taylor Markham si tokoh utama di Jellicoe Road, tapi yang memikat hatiku justru Santangelo si pemimpin kelompok Townies. Campuran Italia-Aborigin nya kayaknya keren, dan hatinya yang lembut di balik penampilannya yang dibikin sangar benar-benar membuat luluh. Apalagi kalau ia sudah direpotkan oleh adik-adik perempuannya yang berjumlah 4 orang, hahaha…Oya, Santangelo juga seorang family man, kriteria yang penting banget tuh untuk seorang boyfriend idaman =D

Adam Wilde (If I Stay/Where She Went) - siapa perempuan yang nggak jatuh cinta sama Adam Wilde? Cowok berbakat yang akhirnya menjadi rock star tapi tetap cinta mati sama Mia Hall yang sudah menyakiti hatinya. Ahhh…too good to be true ya! Aku sendiri termenye-menye dengan Adam saat membaca Where She Went yang memang memakai sudut pandangnya. Vulnerable, bitter, desperate, semua emosi itu malah bikin Adam tambah terasa real dibandingkan dengan buku pertama. Sayang, meski sosok Mia ditampilkan di beberapa versi cover If I Stay dan Where She Went, sosok Adam nggak pernah kelihatan. Mungkin supaya pembaca perempuan bisa menggunakan imajinasinya sendiri kali ya? Beberapa blogger luar bahkan membahas habis-habisan siapa yang paling cocok memerankan Adam seandainya buku ini difilmkan. Hmmm..favoritku jatuh pada Kevin Zegers, yang meski ABG banget, tapi kok sesuai ya sama gambaranku tentang si Mr. Wilde? Ada yang punya ide lain?

John Tyree (Dear John) – Nicholas Sparks emang paling jago deh menciptakan tokoh-tokoh cowok super romantis tanpa terlalu menye-menye. Dan si John ini salah satunya lho! Yang membuat wow bukan karena John itu romantis banget, justru sebaliknya, latar belakangnya yang tentara malah bikin dia rada kaku gitu untuk mengungkapkan perasaannya. Tapi karena esensi “to love is knowing when to let go” yang benar-benar pas diterapkan oleh si John inilah makanya sosok ini benar-benar ideal untuk dicintai =) Oya, hubungan dengan ayahnya juga digambarkan dengan manis banget oleh Sparks disini. Bikin tambah yakin kalau si John ini emang layak dijadikan book-boyfriend =D Nah, kalau untuk sosoknya, hmmm…berhubung sudah difilmkan, jadi yang terbayang duluan mau nggak mau ya si Channing Tatum. Tapi entah kenapa, emang pas aja kalau menurutku. Meski beberapa orang yang sudah nonton filmnya malah bilang kalau Channing tidak meyakinkan di film ini. Mungkin emang nggak usah nonton aja kali ya? Hehe

Zach Soderberg (Special Topics in Calamity Physics) - Zach Soderberg tentu nggak semenarik, seglamor, dan semisterius kelompok Bluebloods. Makanya Blue van Meer pun awalnya nggak tertarik sama sekali dengan si Zach. Tapi terbukti, he’s there all along, in good times and bad times, dan Zach ternyata adalah sahabat yang baik. Di titik terendah Blue, Zach menyelipkan note “I’m here if you need to talk”. As simple as that. Tapi terkadang, nggak usah muluk-muluk deh, a perfect guy means he’s a good friend. Yang selalu siap untuk mendengar. Bahkan saat kita merasa tidak ada seorangpun yang ingin mendengar. Dan yang memayungi kita di saat hujan, tanpa kita terkena setetes air pun. (Ok, you need to read the book before I spoiled everything!).

Peeta Mellark (The Hunger Games Trilogy) - oke, ini dia pengecualian yang aku sebut-sebut. Meski bukunya sudah dibaca sebelum 2011, tapi karena buku terakhir triloginya SEHARUSNYA dibaca tahun 2011, dan ternyata diundur terbitnya, aku memutuskan untuk memasukkan Peeta ke dalam daftar ini (Haha! Excuse!). Well, sejak pertama aku membaca Hunger Games, I’m Team Peeta all the way. Sejak dia memberi roti pada Katniss sampai melakukan segala cara untuk melindunginya di arena pertarungan, phewww….Luluh lantak deh pokoknya. Peeta juga yang membuat aku betah membaca Hunger Games dan sabar menunggu kelanjutan terjemahannya sampai sekarang (berhubung aku belum baca Mockingjay, tolooooong jangan ada spoiler disini ya! Hush hush *sapusapuspoiler*). Good newsnya, film Hunger Games yang akan dirilis tahun ini meng-casting pemeran yang cukup tepat kalau menurutku. Tak terkecuali Peeta yang diperankan oleh si cameuh (tau cameuh kan? ituuu…orang yang dagunya maju, hehe) Josh Hutcherson. Mudah-mudahan filmnya nggak kalah seru dengan bukunya, dan Peeta benar-benar seperti Peeta yang kita kenal selama ini. Hmmmm…..

So, that’s my top 5 book-boyfriends. Ada yang setuju kah? =D

Sekarang back to reality dulu ya. Inget anak dan suami, mwahahahahaha!

Judul: The Sherlockian

Penulis: Graham Moore

Penerbit: Twelve, Hachette Book Group (2010)

Halaman:350 p

Beli di: Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan (IDR 168k)

Salah satu moment paling shocking bagi dunia literatur misteri adalah ketika Arthur Conan Doyle memutuskan untuk membuat karakter yang dicintai sejuta umat, Sherlock Holmes, tewas dalam bukunya. Dunia berduka, banyak cacian yang diterima oleh Conan Doyle. Namun, dunia kembali dikejutkan oleh sang penulis saat tiba-tiba, 8 tahun kemudian, ia menghidupkan kembali karakter Holmes dalam buku terbarunya.

Sebenarnya, apa yang terjadi dalam kurun waktu 8 tahun itu, terutama bulan-bulan terakhir sebelum Holmes hidup kembali? Sayangnya hal ini tetap menjadi misteri, karena diary Conan Doyle yang mencakup bulan-bulan sebelum kebangkitan Holmes, hilang tanpa jejak, menyisakan pertanyaan yang tak terjawab bagi seluruh penggemar Holmes, yang lebih dikenal sebagai Sherlockian.

Akhirnya berita mengejutkan muncul saat salah seorang anggota Baker Street Irregulars, kelompok Sherlockian yang paling eksklusif, mengaku menemukan diary tersebut, dan berjanji akan melakukan presentasi khusus tentang isi buku harian yang ingin diketahui banyak orang. Namun, sebelum tanggal yang ditetapkan, tubuhnya diketemukan tak bernyawa. Dunia Sherlockian heboh, masing-masing memiliki teori dan melakukan deduksi ala Sherlock Holmes sambil berlomba-lomba memecahkan misteri ini. Tak terkecuali anggota terbaru Baker Street Irregulars, Harold White, yang bertekad akan menuntaskan kasus tersebut.

Maka dimulailah penyelidikan Harold, menelusuri petunjuk demi petunjuk dan menantang dirinya melakukan deduksi yang tak kalah cemerlang dari Sherlock Holmes. Serunya, Graham Moore meramu cerita misteri ini secara unik, dengan memasukkan kisah yang terjadi pada Conan Doyle seratus tahun sebelumnya. Misteri pun sedikit demi sedikit terkuak, baik di era Conan Doyle maupun penyelidikan Harold, menyisakan penyelesaian akhir yang cantik.

Buku ini sangat-sangat recommended untuk para Sherlockian di luar sana. Intriguing, dengan alur cerita maju mundur yang bikin penasaran, penokohan yang lumayan mengena, terutama untuk karakter Conan Doyle yang dibuat sangat manusiawi, dengan sidekick-nya, Watson-nya, yang kebetulan adalah Bram Stoker, si penulis Drakula yang memang merupakan sahabat Conan Doyle. Dan walaupun tokoh Sherlock Holmes yang terkenal itu tidak muncul secara langsung di buku ini, namun auranya terasa di mana-mana. Inilah yang membuat The Sherlockian berbeda dari kebanyakan kisah-kisah lanjutan Holmes di luar sana.

Meski aku bukan penggemar berat Sherlock Holmes, ternyata aku sangat menikmati buku ini. This is a truly enjoyable read for mystery lovers, whether you are a Sherlockian or not. Dan aku jadi lebih mengenal sosok di balik Sherlock Holmes yang terkenal, betapa Arthur Conan Doyle ternyata membenci Holmes yang telah menghancurkan hidupnya. Menarik banget. Historical fiction yang diramu kisah misteri seperti ini kayaknya jarang beredar deh. Dan sebagai penggemar berat Agatha Christie dengan Hercule Poirot nya, aku berharap akan ada cerita sejenis suatu hari nanti yang melibatkan si detektif berkepala telur dan penciptanya yang luar biasa =)

ps: Covernya lucuuuuuuu =)

Most dazzling epilogue: Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Honorable mention: Jellicoe Road

Most twisting story needed re-read: When You Reach Me

Most overrated slash disappointing anticipation: Madre

Most I want to kill the heroine slash the writer!! : Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother

Most I don’t need more sequel: Mini Shopaholic

Most enjoyable local taste: Dari Datuk ke Sakura Emas

Most great re-read moment: The Westing Game

Most inspiring and goosebump-ing non fiction: The Book, Untuk Indonesia yang Kuat

Most intense reading: Room. Honorable mention: The Ghost

Most can’t take my eyes off the cover: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

My Big 3 of The Year: Special Topics in Calamity Physics, Jellicoe Road, The Historian

My Bookish Moments of 2011:First time speaker in a public book discussion =) , found a gem group of friends #BBI

Now let me go back to my reading. Have a fantastic 2012, and please stick to your resolution! (I know, it’s hard to cut down your book spending, but you have to start anyway, rite? *talkingtomyself*)

Happy new year folks!

Title: Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares

Writer: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Publisher: Ember (2010)

Pages: 260 p

Bought at: Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan (IDR 95k)

Dash spends this Christmas alone in New York. He lied to both of his parents (who already divorced) that he would spend Christmas with the other parent. Dash hates Christmas, all the commercialism and people who get really consumptive. Christmas is overrated, and Dash doesn’t really want to be a part of the festivity.

Until he knows Lily. Lily loves Christmas, all the jolly-holiday spirit, she even has her own caroling group. Sadly, her family will not get together this year. Her parents decided to have a Christmas-Honeymoon-Vacation to Fiji, her grandfather visiting his so-called lover in Florida, and Lily was left behind in New York with his brother Langston, who is too busy taking care of his boyfriend and not really pay attention to his little sister.

To distract Lily from her Christmas-blues, Langston created a “game”, involving a red moleskin notebook with dares and clues written inside, waiting to be found by a boy in Lily’s favorite bookstore, Strand. And a boy named Dash did find it, playing along happily. They take turn writing down clues and dares and leave the moleskin in iconic places in New York. Boy oh boy, what a wonderful holiday indeed =)

This is a light holiday read and I’m glad I read it during my Christmas break. Filled with warm Christmas-y feeling, without being too cheesy. New York City in Christmas has always been my weak spot. I can imagine the crowded Macy’s, people skating in Rockefeller, and the holiday atmosphere in the Big Apple. Arghhhh…I miss New York so much!!!

The dialogues between Dash and Lily are smart and witty, although in some part it seems too heavy for 17 years old kids =D  And it reminds me a lot with Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (also with the same authors), so I think it’s just a matter of time until this charming story turns into a movie =) All in all, a good book to close a great year. (and look at the dazzling cover!!!)

Happy holidays to all of you, and have a great Christmas & New Years!

ps: this book is my #BBI project for December: reading a Christmas book. It’s fun!

pps: just to give you a picture of red moleskin notebook. after reading dash & lily’s adventures, do not be ashamed to feel a bit romantic and grab a red moleskin for yourself =) i do put moleskin notebook in my wish list for 2012 though =D

Judul: Dunsa

Penulis: Vinca Callista

Penerbit: Atria (2011)

Halaman:453 p

Preorder di sini (IDR 63k)

Merphilia Dunsa adalah seorang gadis 17 tahun yang cantik. Ia tinggal berdua dengan bibinya, Bruzila Bertin di Tirai Banir yang sepi. Selama hidupnya, Merphilia yang biasa disapa Phi hanya mengenal bibinya seorang. Sampai di hari ulang tahunnya, masa lalunya yang misterius tiba-tiba terkuak di hadapannya.

Ternyata Phi adalah anak kandung Ratu Veruna alias si Ratu Merah, penyihir jahat yang belasan tahun lalu memorak porandakan seisi Prutopian. Meski sudah dibunuh, ternyata dengan kekuatan sihir, Ratu Veruna kini dibangkitkan kembali oleh seseorang yang misterius, dan menuai teror di dunia Prutopian. Menurut Kitab Kahrama, yang dapat memusnahkan Ratu Merah untuk selamanya adalah Merphilia Dunsa, keturunan langsung si Ratu Merah.

Maka dimulailah kisah petualangan Phi dalam menunaikan tugasnya. Dengan segala cara ia berusaha membantu Naraniscala, kerajaan tempatnya tinggal, untuk melawan Ratu Veruna. Termasuk berkelana hingga ke pulau terpencil bekas daerah kekuasaan sang ratu dahulu berdiri. Bertemu dengan makhluk dan monster yang selama ini hanya dibacanya di buku, sambil berusaha mengetahui siapa otak jahat di balik kekacauan ini. Dunia Merphilia semakin jungkir balik saat ia bertemu dengan Pangeran Skandar, anggota kerajaan Naraniscala yang merebut hatinya.

Untuk sebuah karya fantasi anak bangsa, plus penulisnya pun masih sangat muda (kelahiran 1989! Wow! Membuatku langsung merasa seperti relik jaman kuno, haha), Dunsa merupakan angin segar dalam dunia literatur Indonesia, khususnya di genre fantasi-remaja. Premisnya menarik, dan yang membuatku kagum adalah imajinasinya yang seperti tumpah ruah dengan leluasa menggambarkan dunia Prutopian serta makhluk-makhluk di dalamnya. Dilengkapi dengan peta dan silsilah kerajaan yang dibuat dengan cukup teliti, aku mengacungkan dua jempol untuk Vinca Callista =)

Namun masih ada juga yang bisa dijadikan masukan untuk karya-karya selanjutnya: gaya bertutur yang kadang masih terlalu “polos”, kurang diramu dengan lebih menggelitik; dan jalan cerita yang terkadang masih terburu-buru, mungkin adalalah beberapa di antaranya. Oh ya, sisi romance antara Merphilia dan Pangeran Skandar pun terasa agak kurang sreg buatku (tapi ini bisa jadi nggak objektif karena faktor umurku cukup berpengaruh, hahaha!). Semuanya dirangkai dengan terlalu sempurna, konflik yang sempat muncul juga diselesaikan dengan seadanya saja, kurang menambah bobot penasaran dari pembaca. Mungkin akan bagus kalau karakter utama dieksplor lebih dalam dan dibuat sedikit lebih membumi, tidak flawless seperti Phi dan Skandar yang luar biasa hebat dalam segala hal =)

Bagaimanapun, Dunsa tetap merupakan titik cerah di dunia perbukuan Indonesia. Terlebih, rasanya masih banyak lho yang bisa digali dari dunia Prutopian yang menarik ini. Mungkin sang penulis ingin membuatnya jadi serial? Kalau memang iya, saya mau request: tolong jadikan Pangeran Wavi karakter utamanya ya. Sepertinya untuk ukuran tokoh yang menyenangkan seperti dia, kisah di buku ini sangat tidak berpihak padanya =) I sent my sympathy for him!

ps: jangan lupa baca di bagian belakang buku yaaa, ada namaku di ucapan terima kasihnya, kenang-kenangan karena preorder buku ini *wink* numpang eksis sesekali laaaah! =D