World After by Susan Ee

World After

by Susan Ee

published on November 21st 2013 by Hodder & Stoughton

Young Adult/Post-Apocalypse/Urban Fantasy/Romance

part of Penryn and the End of Days series (book #2)

314 pages

***

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

“It is painful to see that people prefer a bad guy who looks like an angel to a good guy who looks like a demon.”

I read the first book of this series, Angelfall, last year, but didn't review it because I couldn't get absorbed enough in the story. I felt like the hype was too much and was disapponted when I didn't get it. But here I am, two days after finishing the second installment and still can't stop thinking about the book! Now I know. I think once you get past the gore and all (It took a while to get used to, because, well, there's cannibalism, low demon creatures in the form of little kids that could yank out your flesh with its sharp razor teeth, scorpion demons with long tail that sting and suck your body liquid until it dried... Things like that), once you're ready to read the *disturbing* parts of it, you'll start to enjoy the story better. I did.

Penryn continued to be her awesome kick-ass self in the second book. All along her motivation didn't waver a bit — To make sure her mom and Paige safe. World After is still filled with a lot of fighting scenes with SO much badassery. Seriously. Usually when an author write about a scene where the female main character was part of a fight, lots of sugarcoating ensued. The words were refined to soften the whole thing. But Susan Ee didn't do that! The fights were real. Penryn knew where to go, how to stand, what to do, which body part to kick to defeat her opponent in the best way. You'll want to stop a while or take a breath when she fights, for it's like watching an actual fight in front of your eyes.

My favorite fighting scene? The one in the ocean. SO MUCH WIN.

And the dark humor in Susan Ee's writing is definitely not like any other. It's the best thing, actually. From Penryn naming Raffe's (powerful, respected, strong archangel) sword with such a ridiculous name like POOKY BEAR, or where she dressed herself with a leopard jacket, tie, and color-mismatched socks. It's really strange that even with all the gore, horror, dark, sickening, super-creepy parts of the book, you still got a good laugh from it. Every aspects are so well-put. I'm in love.

“Pooky Bear."

He’s silent for so long I’m beginning to think he didn’t hear me when he finally says, “Pooky. Bear.” 

“It was just a little joke. I didn’t know.” 

“I’ve mentioned that names have power, right? Do you realize that when she fights battles, she’s going to have to announce herself to the opposing sword? She’ll be forced to say something ridiculous like, ‘I am Pooky Bear, from an ancient line of archangel swords.’ Or, ‘Bow down to me, Pooky Bear, who has only two other equals in all the worlds.’ ” He shakes his head. “How is she going to get any respect?”

Bad news: There wasn't much Raffe this time. Not as much as in the first book, at least. Thanks to POOKY BEAR, though, we all could get a glimpse to his memories of some events that happened in book one. Apparently Pooky was like a recording tape of her owner. And once Raffe and Penryn reunited (yes, don't you worry), umf, things got A LOT BETTER. THE SHIP SAILING HARD, people. The amount of obnoxious giggles that came out of me everytime they *flew* together, oh, you wouldn't believe.

I love their relationship even more in World After! They were strong as two individuals, but AMAZING when together. Now that it's clear for Raffe not to let Penryn be hurt (or dead) again, this pair's bond is better and stronger. And though I hope Raffe will still get his (original, beautiful snow white angel) wings back, it's good to see him started embracing and already knew how to handle the demon wings better.

It's rare to like the second book more than the first, and I hope the next books will continue to stay on this path. It's one of two series which features angels (or nephilim, or seraphim, well, similar creatures like that) that I actually like. The other one is Daughter of Smoke and Bone series (Akiva! Weee). Up to this date, Penryn & the End of Days is planned to have 5 books. Another awesome thing about this hugely praised series? It started out as a self-published eBook before Holder & Stoughton bought it! :)

“She wasn’t made to be alone.” 

“I guess none of us are.” 

Our eyes meet and an electric tingle runs through me. 

“She missed you,” I say in a whisper. 

“Did she?” His voice is a soft caress. His gaze into my eyes is so intense that I swear he sees straight into my soul. 

“Yes.” Warmth flushes my cheeks. I… “She thought about you all the time.” 

The candlelight flickers a soft glow along his jawline, along his lips. “I hated losing her.” His voice is a low growl. “I hadn’t realized just how attached I’d gotten.” He reaches and moves a strand of wet hair out of my face. “How dangerously addictive she could be.”

Hop on the boat! What other people said about World After: Jaime Arkin from Fic Fare | Jen from The Starry Eyed Revue

PS: Rumour has it that Angelfall is going to be made into a movie!!!!

Have you heard about the series before? Have you read this book? What do you think of it? Do you have any recommendation with similar themes like this one? Read anything good lately? Tell me!

Have fun and read some more! :)

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies (Goodreads)

Judul: Warm Bodies
Penulis: Isaac Marion
Penerjemah: Meda Satrio
Penerbit: Ufuk Publishing
Tebal: 376 halaman
Harga: Rp 50.000

***

“R” adalah zombi. Dia tidak punya ingatan, tidak punya identitas, dan tidak punya denyut nadi. Tetapi, dia punya mimpi. Dia tidak suka membunuh manusia. Dia agak berbeda dengan teman-temannya “Kaum Mati”. Sewaktu menjelajahi reruntuhan peradaban untuk mencari makan, R bertemu seorang gadis bernama Julie. Gadis itu merupakan kebalikan dari segala yang R tahu. Julie, yang hangat dan ceria serta sangat hidup, membuat sesuatu dalam diri R mulai berubah. R sadar dia tidak ingin memakan Julie, meski gadis itu tampak lezat. Dia ingin melindungi Julie, tak peduli apa pun akibatnya. Pilihan ini seperti percik api di rumput, melanggar aturan dan menyangkal logika, tetapi R tidak puas lagi dengan kehidupan dalam kematian. Dia ingin bernapas lagi, ingin hidup, dan Julie ingin membantunya. Bisakah kasih dari dua dunia yang berbeda ini berpadu?

***

"I am dead, but it's not so bad."

Tadinya Warm Bodies ini mau dibiarin nganggur dulu di shelves untuk sementara, tapi setelah liat movie trailernya (yang jadi peran utamanya Nicholas Hoult, saudara-saudara!) saya langsung buru-buru baca. *wink-wink*

Jadi, ini pertama kalinya saya baca buku tentang zombi. Setelah vampir, shapeshifter, seraphim/nemphilim yang semuanya masih bisa 'ditanggung', baca Warm Bodies sempat bikin kaget. Apalagi sewaktu pertama kali baca deskripsi fisik zombi R (pucat seperti mayat-mayat kebanyakan, bibir yang hitam membusuk, lingkaran gelap di bawah mata), dan kebiasaan makannya. Buku ini diceritakan dari POV pertama R sebagai zombi. Makanan utama zombi adalah manusia, dan kalau sekedar kalimat 'mengoyak tangan' atau 'mengunyah kaki' ataupun potongan tubuh lain sih saya masih tahan, tapi begitu bagian 'menelan otak', yeiks, saya buru-buru tutup bukunya sementara.

"Eating is not a pleasant business. I chew off a man’s arm, and I hate it. I hate his screams because I don’t like pain, I don’t like hurting people, but it’s the world now. This is what we do. Of course if I don’t eat all of him, if I spare his brain, he’ll rise up and follow me back to the airport, and that might make me feel better. I’ll introduce him to everyone, and maybe we’ll stand around and groan for a while. It’s hard to say what friends are any more, but that might be close."

Tapi setelah dinikmati ternyata ceritanya menarik. Kenalkan, R. Zombi dingin busuk menyeramkan namun berhati hangat yang hobinya naik-turun eskalator dan dengerin lagu-lagu Frank Sinatra. R berbeda dengan Kaum Mati kebanyakan, dia masih punya rasa guilty dan nggak enak setiap kali habis makan manusia. Dia juga masih suka bertanya-tanya tentang siapa dia dulunya sebelum jadi zombi dan membayangkan gimana ya rasanya hidup jadi manusia kembali. (Di dunia zombi R, manusia yang digigit oleh zombi tapi tidak dimakan sampai habis akan ikut berubah jadi zombi. Jadi dulu R juga manusia biasa sebelum men-zombi. Sayangnya, setiap zombi nggak bisa ingat sama sekali tentang kehidupan lamanya sebagai manusia.)

Cerita R ketemu Julie bermula dari sebuah penyerangan zombi (R dan teman-temannya) ke sebuah apartemen. Disana R memangsa Perry, yang akhirnya mati termakan setelah berusaha melindungi Julie, pacarnya. R menyimpan bagian otak Perry (save the best for the last?) dan ia membawa Julie ke kediaman para zombi, sebuah bandara yang sudah tidak beroperasi di bagian luar kota.

Semenjak itu, perangai R juga berubah. Sejujurnya dia juga pengen makan Julie sih, tapi ketertarikan R akan cewek itu menahannya. R jadi lebih sering ngobrol, dan mulai lebih menunjukkan tanda-tanda kemanusiaan (dengerin musik, tidur, nyetir mobil, dan lain sebagainya). Saya rasa sebagian besar ketertarikan R juga di

pengaruhi oleh otak Perry yang ia makan deh, karena setiap kilasan peristiwa dalam kehidupan Perry (termasuk segala ingatan tentang hubungannya dengan Julie) jadi bisa dilihat dan dirasakan oleh R.

Yang saya paling suka adalah gimana cinta bisa membuat R kembali jadi manusiawi. Warm Bodies juga diisi oleh faktor-faktor x yang bisa bikin buku jadi menarik. Tokoh Julie dihadirkan dengan karakter yang menarik, lumayan tangguh, mandiri, intinya nggak menye sama cinta. Kisah cinta mereka nggak instan deh. Karakter antagonis muncul dalam wujud Grigio, ayah Julie yang keras dan bertekad untuk membunuh semua zombi yang ia temui. Nggak ketinggalan juga Nora, karakter sahabat baik si tokoh utama yang fun & sassy.

I suck in air and attempt to sing. "You're... sensational..." I croak, struggling for a trace of Frank's melody.
There's a pause and then something shifts in Julie's demeanor. I realise she's laughing.
"Oh wow," she giggles. "That was beautiful, R, really. You and Zombie Sinatra should record Duets, Volume 2."
I cough. "Didn't get... warm-up."

Sayangnya, saya rasa nggak semua orang bisa baca buku ini, karena bagian-bagian makan-memakan R itu cukup deskriptif dan cukup bikin eneg juga. But if you can manage to read and survive those parts, you'll find that this unique story is kinda sweet and heart-warming. Kepribadian R yang lumayan lucu, agak sarkas dan jalan pikirannya yang menarik jadi poin lebih. Kekurangan lainnya adalah Isaac Marion kurang mengeksplor atau menjelaskan lebih lanjut tentang latar waktu dan back-stories yang bisa mendukung isi cerita dan membantu pembaca memahami situasi saat itu. Jadi, cerita Warm Bodies ini terjadinya kapan? Di masa depan? Apa yang terjadi pada manusia di saat itu, apakah sebagian besar dari mereka telah berubah jadi zombi dan sebagian lain mati dimakan zombi? Bagaimana awalnya zombi ada dan mulai menjadi musuh besar manusia? Dan hal-hal lain yang serupa.

Movie Adaptation

Surprise, surprise! Ternyata Warm Bodies ini filmnya udah dibuat dan bakal tayang Februari tahun depan. Tapi yang bikin saya paling excited is the fact that Nicholas Hoult is R! And he plays the part really well (yah, kalau dilihat dari trailernya sih). And the trailer turns out to be kinda adorable and really funny! Mungkin pihak pembuat filmnya lebih pingin menonjolkan sisi humornya daripada horornya, and I'm glad about it.

Warm Bodies (2013)

Directed by Jonathan Levine

Casts: Nicholas Hoult (R), Teresa Palmer (Julie), Dave Franco (Perry), John Malkovich (Grigio), Analeigh Tipton (Nora), and Rob Coddry (M)

  "We will cry and bleed and lust and love, and we will cure death. We will be the cure. Because we want it."

 

- Tirta.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Blood Red Road (Seri Dustlands #1)

Judul: Blood Red Road
Penulis: Moira Young
Penerjemah: Lulu Fitri Rahman
Penerbit: Mizan Fantasy
Harga: Rp 64.000


***









Mereka menjulukinya Malaikat Kematian. Setiap kemunculannya membuat semua petarung lain bergidik ngeri, sementara penonton justru menyambut penuh gempita. Saba, sang Malaikat Kematian, tak pernah memedulikan apa pun dalam bertarung. Dia hanya berusaha tetap hidup. Demi menyelamatkan Lugh, kembarannya. Demi mencari sebuah penjelasan.

Saba harus keluar dari tempat itu. Di tengah ketatnya penjagaan terhadap para petarung, nyaris tak ada celah terlihat. Saba tahu, dia hanya harus menunggu lebih sabar. Namun, apa artinya kesabaran di tengah desakan waktu yang kian menghimpit? Malam pertengahan musim panas sebentar lagi tiba. Terlambat sedikit saja, Lugh akan tewas demi memenuhi ambisi seorang penguasa gila.

Saba tidak sendiri. Ada Jack. Pemuda itu telah mencuri perhatiannya dengan janji akan menemani perjalanan mencari Lugh. Namun, akankah Saba percaya sepenuhnya ketika Jack pun memiliki alasan tersembunyi?

***

Aku sudah berkelana ke seluruh dunia
Dan, mengecup begitu banyak wanita
Tetapi, hanya bibir semanis anggurmu yang terbayang
Oh, Annie yang keras hati, kau begitu kejam, Sayang

Oh, the joy of reading a really good book when no one seems to notice it yet. Reading Blood Red Road is like finding a diamond in a mud. Serius. Allow me to be a bit emotional on this review, tapi buku ini BAGUS SEKALI.