Book Review : The Death Cure (The Maze Runner #3)

Note: This is my review using my very limited English language. I write it in English merely for practice my writing skill. I'm so sorry for any grammar mistakes that you'll find. I hope my writing not make your eyes and brain bleeding.

 

This is the third installment of The Maze Runner Series. Books that I read just because the hype of the Maze Runner movie was so high and I can't go to the cinema to watch it, because I was stranded in the middle of the jungle my uncle called home for weeks.

The first book was superb, the 2nd book was disappointing i should say, so in the 3rd book i don't want to put my hope high, I just wanted to know what would happen to Thomas, Newt and Minho, I don't care about the other gladers let alone the runners from the maze B.

It is a good thing to read this book with a low expectation. several of My friends told me they're a bit disappointed with this book and said the 3rd book is not as good as the first and the second one. They literally loathed it, i tell you.

But surprisingly I enjoy this book, the adventure is unpredictable and make me curious what happened next. And then emotional/drama parts in the middle make me want to tear my hair and yank the writer neck shouting "why you do this to me, you heartless human being, how could you do that to him!!!".

Even though my reaction not as negative as my friends. I know why they disappointed with this series. I make my own complain list about this book:

1. The plot could have been better and deeper, I liked the story but it don't leave a deep impression to me like the first book. It didn't make me want to re-read this book.
2. I appreciate the writer effort to build the intensity, but sometimes it is not succeeded or enough for me to engage my attention.
3. Writer wasted some good characters, I mean Minho and Newt, everybody rooting for them, we want more Minho sassyness.
4. I want *spoiler*Newt's*spoiler* fate will be fixed in the next book. (i know this is a trilogy but every reader can hope).
5. I'm not satisfied with the ending, I don't know, I just need more baaammm.

But anyway this book is not that bad, I enjoy almost every page of it. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Review Novel: Totto-Chan, The Little Girl at the Window

 

Tidak perlu waktu lama menghabiskan buku ini, karena mulai dari paragraf pertama saya sudah terpikat dengan kepolosan dan rasa ingin tahu yang tinggi.

Gadis cilik 7 tahun yang walau baru kelas satu SD sudah dikeluarkan dari sekolah, karena dianggap tukang buat onar di kelas. Ia sering berdiri di depan jendela dan kemudian memanggil pemusik keliling untuk memainkan musik di samping kelas. Guru nya tidak tahan dan mengeluarkannya dari sekolah.

Ibunya memindahkannya ke SD Tomoe, sekolah yg sangat berbeda dari sekolah lainnya. Gedung sekolahnya saja dari gerbong kereta api. Metode belajarnya apalagi, mereka bisa memilih pelajaran mana yg mereka sukai untuk dipelajari lebih dulu, pokoknya Totto-chan sangat menyukai sekolah barunya.Semua itu berkat pak kepala sekolah yg pintar dan baik hati serta disayangi oleh seluruh murid SD Tomoe.

Cerita ini yang merupakan pengalaman nyata sang penulis berlatar di SD Tomoe Tokyo Jepang pada masa sebelum perang dunia ke II, sebelum Amerika menjatuhkan bom-bom atom di Jepang. Kita mengikuti kehidupan sehari-hari Totto-chan, sebagian besar pengalaman nya di sekolah. Saya di bawa kembali ke masa-masa SD melalui sudut pandang Totto-chan yang polos dan penuh rasa ingin tahu yang kadang-kadang membuatnya mendapat masalah. Saya juga diperkenalkan kepada teman-temannya. Saya terkikik sendiri membayangkan kenakalan mereka. Terpukau dengan ritual makan siangnya. Tegang ketika Totto-chan membantu temannya yang polio memanjat pohon. Terharu ketika mereka bernyanyi memuji kehebatan sekolah mereka sendiri. Sedih ketika Totto-chan merasakan kehilangan sahabat dan anjingnya. Prihatin ketika keluarganya kesulitan saat menghadapi perang. Dan tidak percaya ketika sekolah nya di bom oleh Amerika namun kemudian optimis kembali ketika Pak Kobayashi ternyata sama sekali tidak sedih. Banyak emosi yang muncul dari buku ini.

Karakter yang paling menonjol adalah Mr. Kobayashi sang pendiri sekolah ini. Saya sangat kagum dengan caranya mengajar dan mendidik muridnya yang sangat tidak konvensional, yang saya yakin bahkan pada jaman modern ini masih ada yang mengerutkan dahi jika membaca buku ini. Mr. Kobayashi mendidik muridnya dengan sangat sabar dan kreatif serta menanamkan nilai nilai moral yang sangat berharga di masa depan.

Buku ini sangat cocok untuk para guru dan orang tua. Banyak pelajaran berharga yang bisa dipetik dan metode Mr. Kobayashi mungkin bisa dijadikan contoh untuk mengembangkan kurikulum di Indonesia. Untuk anak-anak, buku ini bisa dijadikan hiburan karena Totto-chan sangat lucu, dan kisahnya bersama teman-teman dan Mr. Kobayashi memiliki pesan moral yg bisa diterapkan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari mereka.

Buku ini membuat saya menambahkan satu lagi ke daftar nama sekolah yg saya harap bisa saya datangi: 1. Hogwarts, 2. SD Muhammadiah Gantong, 3. McKinley High hehehe. Yang terbaik dari buku ini adalah: Mr. Kobayashi dan metode mengajarnya. Yang terburuk: Bom yang jatuh menghancurkan SD Tomoe.
5/5 bintang.

An Epiphany

Oh  dear, you, my friend are about to read my long, deep, thoughtful,  grammatically incorrect, typo-everywhere rants about my unstable  emotional state.

I didn't realize that I can write this long  note, that sadly awfully similar to one of those teenage girls wrote in  their pink glittery diaries. As you can see i wrote this in english  because i'm afraid my friends and relatives will read it and know my  melancholy thoughts and then they will tease me about it (you know my  family,  how heartless they can be).

If just I knew at the first  place I can write long sentences like these  when I have a break down, I  would  recalled all my bad memories every time I open Microsoft Word and  become a rich writer like Miss Stephanie Meyer with her  Glittering-Vampire-What-his-name-again Cullen.

I write this on  my phone so I ignore all grammar rules, and because I'm so deep in my  emotional trance the last thing I care is how comfortable you are when  you read my notes. But anyway,  please read and tell me what you think,  be nice please...

Meet two days ago me, a man who deep in denial that he didn't passed that damn-ugly-awful-sodding- bloody-rotten-fuck!ng ‪#‎cpns‬ test (excuse my language, I still a little bit emotional). As a social  media geek, I went to Facebook and twitter to pour my feeling. Not one  minute after I posted my failure in an "alay" fashioned way Facebook  status, my notifications blown up. Everybody on Facebook tried to  console me. They were pm-ed, texted, mentioned me. People become so  awfully nice to me. They did all motivator's methods and recite all  motivational quotes--that I know they find from a websites-- to cheer me  up as I am a failed person. My family, friends, neighbors, my parents  friends, my sisters friends who I didn't know, gave me "don't give up  speech". Everybody in a second become a counselor, my private counselor  hehehe. Thank you guys. I'm fine now, thanks for the concerns, I  appreciate it.

Gosh, two days ago, how I felt so stupid not to  be the one among of those people who celebrated their achievement. I  felt like this is God punishment for me because I did not pray five  times a day (FYI, I prayed, but not full five times, I'm still trying to  be a devout Muslim). I felt ashamed to walk around my neighborhood. I  wanted to stay in bed forever, because my mother tell a lady next door I  didn't make it. And I'm sure that lady must be tell her neighbor next  to her home, and so on, and then all people who live on my street will  know (but hey, you already tell people on Facebook you failed, you  moron!, people already know!!, but i know, i know, but at least my Facebook  friends didn't give me that look, you know, a pity look like I'm a  little orphaned kids who walk around ask for charity) .

 All the  feelings that I don't know what to call them, lurking around the corners  of my fragile heart and become bigger and bigger every minute. My brain  filled with thoughts about my efforts which not hard enough to make me succeeded. I don't know how to I overcome this failure. I felt like all  negative feeling a failed person could feel poured on me like a rain  storm, and I in fetal position, holding my knees, crying, sobbing, like a  baby on the ground *dramatic sad music on the background*.

 And  people said it was just a test. Yeah, a test I'm dying to pass. A  barrier, that I need to cross to reach my dream, or my parents dream.  Something that my society thought a big accomplishment. what my naive  heart longed for a long time, become a civil servant, with steady  monthly salary, crisp uniform, shiny clean shoes and professional look.

 Why I failed? Why my score so low? Why other people's score higher than  mine? Why? I always passed in test before. I always one of those who  smile at the end, who will passed with a flying color. Test was my  friend. Now, it betrayed me. I  studied so f#cking hard. Uhhh why?  *scream while tossing my "100% Sukses Tes CPNS"  book into the fire*.
 

I spend hours and hours alone, drown in my regret lake, and asking why?, how?, what if? and such.
 
But one hour ago, while drinking a cup of bitter black coffee and  reading  one of my favorite man in the world--Robert Langdon-- run  around Florence, Italy, struggling trying to decipher a code in  Botticelli's painting about all kind of tortures in  hell, I have an  epiphany.

An epiphany. It crossed my mind like lightning,  bright, fast, but silent. Like when everytime Conan found a clue, who is  the villain. I found it. It's what God wanted for me. I'm not a  religious person but I'm thinking about God that moment.
 
I didn't  passed that damn test not because I'm stupid or lazy or not  lucky,  maybe I didn't passed because I'm too good to be a civil servant. Maybe,  I supposed to be an actor, or a model (don't laugh, that is one of my  dream!!!), or a traveler, or a business man, or a scientist, or a  detective, or Mr. Langdon assistant at the future. It's just one little  test. Most of people didn't make it either. My uncle tried six time  since 2009,  a scientist did not found the right answer at the first  experiment, athletes did not get gold medal at their first game, an  actor did not get a leading role at the first audition, a child can not  ride a bicycle at first try. So am I, I can't be who i wanna be at the  first try. So I will do it again with different way, because the first  one is failed. Or find another passion. Or other thing that worth to be  pursued. So yes, I will find my other destiny which better than what I  wanted three months ago. I'll back to my old optimistic me and make my  new way to find something better. I don't know what I want to be or  where I'm gonna be today, but I know i'm on my way there.
 
Yeah, I  have to move on from my failure induced emotional state. I have to  clean my brain from all those negative thoughts. I need to make a plan  and back up plans. And then execute that plan. I get my spirit back  yeaaaaaaahhh!!!! *eye of the tiger song playing in the background*

But, I have to finish this thick book first, because my friends want  to know my opinion about this new Robert Langdon's adventure that I  assure you is brilliant. ‪

I Pooped In The Bush

Salupangkang, February 6th 2015.

 Dear friends,

 Being here at my uncle's little house in the middle of empang and  under the glaring Salupangkang's sun, makes me realize how ungrateful i am with all  facilities and comfort that I have at home. My ordinary life at home  might be a luxury for other people. There's must be somebody would kill  to switch place with me.

A day without clean water and decent toilet can  turn me crazy. An hour without phone reception makes me anxious,  glaring at signal bars. A humid and dirty places makes me sweat like a  pig and then soon itches spreading on my delicate  skin. Cold  temperature would affect my nose and turned it to rivers. And sleep a  night on the floor make my muscles and back ache for the next three  days. Yes, I admit it, I am a big soft whiny baby.

 Visiting my  uncle's place  never occurred in my mind before. It's in a remote area  that you can only  reached by foot or motorcycle if you have a riding  skill level God. We have to crossed vast palm farms, Balinese village,  corn fields, dams, and endless ponds that contained with bandeng fishes.

 As soon as I got here, I asked my uncle where's the toilet. I have to pee. He  take me to the back yard, and with an evil smirk on his face show me the  place they called public toilet, an open air toilet he said, corn fields!, no way!!. No walls, no  holes, just a field. Chose a tree he said. Oh, okay, I know what it  mean. So, i did it and leaked on it hahaha. I wanted to wash my hand, he  pointed to the right, at the corner beneath a big tree there's a well  with yellowish --like tea-- water in it, and its smell (when you put a  bucket of water under your nose, and sniff it) like a ... I don't know  what to call it, it's a mixed of soil, dumpsters and a little bit dead mouse smell in it. I gagged,  groaned NOOO!!. I won't let that water touch my skin even to wash my  hand. My uncle just shrugged and offered the water that supposed to be for our  drink in the kitchen he took from a mosque's well three kilometers from  here, but i refused. I'm not that evil. I'll endured this torture, I  just have to strengthen my stomach and nose in the next three days.

I asked my uncle what should I do when I need to poo?. It's easy he  said, I just need to pick a good spot, where people can't see me. The  best spots are at bushes that surrounded corn field. Just squat, and do  your business.

 What??? Really???. Are you kidding me?? I can't believe my ears. But,  but, but, What if there are people walk by and see my smooth like a  baby's butt?. What if they snapped a picture of me pooped in a corn  field? What if they ask me politely is spot next to mine is free, and if  they can do their business next to me?. What if they tell me I'm on  their favorite spot?. He just smirk and said cover your face with sarung, so no body  will see your face and vice versa.  I told him I can't live a lifestyle  like this. I can't even survive for a day. I still don't understand, in 2015, there are people who thinks toilet is not an essential part of the house.

And suddenly a thought crossed  my mind. Is that why these corn trees look so healthy?. Are our poop  supposed to be fertilizers for this field?. Huekksss... I'll never eat  corn ever again. I wanted to ask him about it but he already back to the  house.

 But hey, I already survive one and a half day here. And I tell  you a secret, I pooed in the bush this morning. I can't help it, early  morning my stomach churned, I want to poo so bad.  I ate two plates of  rice and a big bandeng fish for dinner. So, I gulped and summoned all of  my courage. I rushed through the back door, and look for a best spot in the  bush. And squat. At first twenty seconds I feel dreaded, and look at  surround me wildly, but then I feel calmer and even enjoyed it.  It felt  great and very natural. You should try it too, sometimes. It's good for  you, it can help to improve your self esteem.

And no, I still not eat  that corn yet, but my uncle cook them in the kitchen now.