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Twelve books in one year, good as finishing at least one
book every month. This has been my goal for the past years. I was able to
surpass my target last year. More than finishing, I was able to write a review
for each. I was looking forward to maintain my record. Unfortunately, I have to
admit defeat. The last quarter of the year is about to start and there’s no way
for me to finish ten more books.
The last book I read and reviewed was Where'd You Go
Bernadette? I started several books and ended setting them aside. All my purchases from Book Depository have
been delivered. I have a pile of books waiting to read. Laziness, sleepiness,
freelance works, a new subject to teach and all the lame excuses, count them
all here and the result is a lousy blog with nothing but my regular Sunday
posts.
Despite my laziness and poor time management skills, I was
able to finish another book after almost 7 months! Award! Hahaha The book that took me months to read was Rainbow Rowell's Attachments.
I discovered Rainbow Rowell from Goodreads. Her best-rated
and reviewed book was Eleanor & Park. I intend to purchase the book but
when I read synopsis of her other works, I became more attracted to
Attachments.
In a nutshell, Attachments relates the story of what happens
when you accidentally discovered that your-crush-also-has-a-crush-on-you. In the world of teenage kids, the story could have already ended at this point. But in the grown up world of Lincoln, Jennifer and Beth, life is always coupled with its own complications.
Lincoln is a geek IT employee whose main task evolves on monitoring the information transmitted within the company email. Jennifer and Beth are colleagues and best friends, who both use the company email, to discuss their personal lives. Lincoln was initially interested and amazed with their friendship. Lincoln eventually became attracted with Beth, which fueled the entire story.
After reading the book for (yes, may I emphasize) 7 months,
here are the few points that appealed on me.
It was overflowing with realistic humor stories and ironies
about life. I can always relate with the issues and problems presented by each
character. Lincoln’s struggle to move away from his overprotective mother,
Jennifer’s personal issues about starting a family and balancing her career and Beth’s best
efforts to salvage her relationship that is obviously leading to nothing.
The story contains the element of character development. All three main characters were able to
transform themselves as better persons. Lincoln being the protagonist is the
character who transitioned the most. He started pathetic and ended redeeming
himself as the better person that appealed the hopeless romantics members of
the female populace.
As for plot development, I was able to unfortunately predict
the ending. The plot was sending me obvious teasers. For those who know me, I
consider predictability as a weakness of literary works. Despite having the
element of expectation, I was however left clueless as to the chain of events
that propelled the ending. Although at some point, I felt that the events leading to the ending was insufficient. The events went a bit fast paced and almost unbelievable for me, like what I often observed in those local drama series. Some reviewers would describe the concluding events of the story as underdeveloped to which I agree.
The best thing I appreciated about the book was the
fact that it was a chick lit, told in the perspective of a male specie. Consider Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and all
those stories designed to capture the female populace. This time however, it was
the most awaited prince charming relating story.
If you want to experience chick lits and beach reads rarely told in the perspective of the counterpart specie, you might want to consider Attachments in your reading list.
If you want to experience chick lits and beach reads rarely told in the perspective of the counterpart specie, you might want to consider Attachments in your reading list.
I love this book review. I love all your book reviews... Even though you haven't read as many books as you wanted to, it's great that you've read as many as you could. I admire that, because I lose motivation quickly when it comes to reading. I hope that the next quarter is great!
ReplyDeleteHi Ate D, I also see it as a sort of a weakness if the ending is somehow a giveaway. Nabasa mo ba yung Kafka on the Shore (H. Murakami) or Snow White and the Seven Samurai (Tom Holt)? They’re the most random things I have read so far pero tuwang-tuwa ako sa mga ganung transition! :)
ReplyDeleteMahilig ako sa books na pinapaiyak ako. So far, parang sa Lolita ata ako pinaka naiyak.
I just started reading this last night. I do hope to finish this in less than 7 months, though. :p If you like an unpredictable ending, then you have to read Eleanor & Park. That ending (almost) left me sleepless for three days. :p
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jerelltabenoja.com/
That sounds like a good light novel I probably need after 2 books from Gillian Flynn. I would look this up in the library. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDelete