Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Never Fade

by Alexandra Bracken
second book of The Darkest Minds series
published on October 15th 2013 by Disney Hyperion Books
YA/Dystopia/Science Fiction/Romance/Adventure
507 pages
I'm bad about spoilers. This is a warning.

***

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

“The call you Medusa. One wrong look and your brain turns to stone.”

I was glad I didn't have to wait for Never Fade because the ending of The Darkest Minds was just SO MINDBLOWING I can't I just.... can't. Never Fade welcomed us a few months after what happened in those last pages of The Darkest Minds: Ruby was in the center of a mission, with a totally new pack. There was a bit descriptions about what's been going on, introduction to some new characters.... And all. I love these new characters! Zu was absent in this second book, but her two replacements aren't bad at all. Jude and Vida were definitely important to the story—Jude is practically a kid, and his bright personality warmed my heart, a total opposite of Vida who's loud and snarky but also smart at the same time. These two grew up on me eventually, and I found myself loving them as much as I loved Chubs and Zu. (PS: I TOTALLY SHIP VIDA AND CHUBS. THEY'RE TOTALLY SHIPPABLE)

Alexandra Bracken doesn't wait to instantly deliver us the action. She doesn't hold back at all. Since the beginning we're being plunged right into all the suspenseful confrontations. Ruby's main goal in Never Fade, however, is to find Liam and bring back the flashdrive that even the guy himself doesn't know he has in his jacket. The moment after they find him, though, is so heartbreaking I cannot help but to cry reading about it. YES, Ruby is finally reunited back with Liam. NO, he isn't in a good shape. *silent tears running down ma face*

Ruby continues to be awesome in Never Fade—to me this girl is so unselfish, she's willing to protect those she loves whatever the consequence is, and that's exactly why sometimes she could make the worst decision. It was palpable how big the guilt she feel about Liam. She doesn't regret it if it means to protect him, but after finding the guy she loves in such an awful condition, well, how can she be so sure about her decision anymore, right? Their heated conversation in the gas station, oh my god, TOO MANY FEEEEEEEELS. I love how Alexandra explains that heart and brain are two totally different things through this scene; Liam's brain doesn't recognize Ruby, the girl is practically a stranger to him, but Liam's heart cannot lie about it. The heart does recognizes her. I cried a little and then I cried some more. It was good that Liam confronts Ruy about her stupid decision—I mean, if I were him, I would also be shouting things at this girl, like 'You do not have the right to do anything like that because, it's MY mind, yo!'

"I feel like I’m losing my damn mind, like your face has been carved into my heart, and I don’t remember when, and I don’t understand why, but the scar is there, and I can’t get it to heal. It won’t go. I can’t make it fade. And you won’t even look at me!"

The whole thing about IAAN, Clancy and Cole, I'm still wondering where it's headed. I do loathe Clancy with my every being, cause honestly even after we got a glimpse of his life in The Darkest Minds I cannot feel even a little bit of simpathy toward this guy. Cole, well, he doesn't really play much in Never Fade, and I was kinda worried that he's going to be... a rival for Liam, you know, regarding Ruby, but so far he hasn't done any harm. 

So in conclusion, yay! One more series where the sequel doesn't disappoint at all! Alexandra Bracken is good at making such quotable lines from the dialogs of her characters (that's what I love the most about this series, actually), she's good with her plot, Never Fade proves to be as entertaining as The Darkest Minds. Over five hundred pages goes by without me noticing how long it is. If you haven't started reading this one, well, you at least need to give it a shot, because it's a GOOD series. The last book of the trilogy is set to be out this fall, can't wait for it! :)

Need more to convince you that this series is worthy of your time? Read reviews by Mimi Valentine and Melanie from YA Midnight Reads

Have you read The Darkest Minds and Never Fade? What do you think of them? If you have any books to recommend that is similar with this one, do not hesitate to tell me!

Have fun and read some more,

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite Me

by Tahereh Mafi
published on February 4th, 2014 by HarperCollins
Young Adult/Dystopia/Romance
Last book of Shatter Me  series
416 pages
I'M WARNER-ING YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNER-ED.

***

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.

First of all, how much Juliette's character has changed SHOCKED me. It's a big surprise, really. She went from this super insecure girl who always view herself as unworthy, a danger to everyone else because of her power, constantly keeping people away (I really dislike her old character, to be honest, with all those crossed words, weeping, self-hating, remember? And if it wasn't for the beautiful prose or the BOYS, I might have neglected this series long time ago), to this new girl who has realized how precious and powerful her ability is. This new Juliette Ferrars is BRAVE, she doesn't hesitate anymore to do what she thinks right, and most importantly, she's very determined. Now she knows what she wants, and she'll kick anyone who dares to stand in her way. There's no stopping her. YAY.

"I don't know how to be sad when all I feel is an unrelenting determination to do something.

I am no longer afraid of fear, and I will not let it rule me.

Fear will learn to fear me."

Secondly, Kenji! Really, this guy's one of the best things in Ignite Me. He's the true light of the story! To read all of his moments and conversations with Juliette really warmed my heart. He's utterly awesome for being SUPERfunny, genuine, and very supportive toward his bestfriends. It isn't easy being stuck in the middle of all the dramas and angsty times, but Kenji strictly knows where he should stand. No bullshit here. I would be ecstatic to have a guy bestfriend like him! A message to Tahereh Mafi: Please tell us where we can order and have this human being delivered to us instantly. Also, this guy deserves his own story. Pls, thx and kbye.

“I am going to MURDER YOU—”

“No,” he says, pointing at me as he shifts backward again. “Bad Juliette. You don’t like to kill people, remember? You’re against that, remember? You like to talk about feelings and rainbows—”

“Can you, like, see invisible people, too?"

"No," Warner says to him, eyes focused in front of him. "I can feel your presence. Hers, most of all."

"Really?" Kenji says. "That's some weird shit. What do I feel like? Peanut butter?"

“Are you out of your goddamn mind? You think we can take on two hundred soldiers? I know I am an extremely attractive man, J, but I am not Bruce Lee.”

“Who’s Bruce Lee?”

“Who’s Bruce Lee?” Kenji asks, horrified. “Oh my God. We can’t even be friends anymore.”

“Why? Was he a friend of yours?”

“You know what,” he says, “Just stop. Just—I can’t even talk to you right now.”

There aren't so many things happening in Ignite Me, though. Most of the time it's persuasing, planning, discussing, strategizing, practicing their powers, and all. Their goal is to bring down The Reetablishment, and to kill Anderson, of course. But even with all of these 'preparations', I feel like the dystopian aspect isn't the focus of the story, anymore. From all the build up, we expected that there's gonna be an epic battle, or a tough fight, at least. In reality, it seems like the resolution happened too easily, too rushed, with not so much resistence from the other party. Minimum explaining on Anderson's part is also kind of a problem. I mean, I won't mind to know a little backstory, actually. About what makes him such a horrible person, the reason that he is the way he is, and all that, but there's none of that. Actually, I can say that this applies to almost all characters, even our Juliette herself. Have you ever asked, like, what about her family? How could they abandoned Juliette just like that? Where did all these powers came from? How did it start? Lots of questions don't get answered. And there are SO MUCH thread left hanging on the edge. This is quite disappointing, but wellllll, I do not mind very much because it means most of the focus is centered around....

The romance.
NYAAAAAAAH, the romance.
I'm trying so hard to restrain myself right now because
CHAPTER    FIFTY   FREAKING   FIVE, PEOPLE. Holy moly. Remember this. FIFTY FREAKING FIVE!

You have to understand that I'm not a person who can easily change #team, if you know what I mean, but then Tahereh Mafi successfully did it *kicks self* While one boy cannot stop being annoying (and kinda clear somehow that Tahereh is TRYING to make us dislike this one person... Just my two cents), the other boy continues being utterly awesome and totally desirable. Oh, and while we're at this, I want to say that I'm also kinda surprised by the amount of STEAMINESS in Ignite Me. NGGGGGH. It's hot. Mmmmm, too hot, even. Is this still categorized as a young adult book? I asked myself. Ha. Beware of the fifty-ish chapters, that's what I'm saying! There are LOTS of sexytimes that will make you squirm in your seat and make your face goes red from all the blushes. It's hard, but try to control your face when you read Ignite Me in public.

Lastly, which makes the whole series from Tahereh Mafi most awesome is the amount of FEELS it will expose you to. I cry, I feel mad, I'm embarassed, I LAUGHED, I giggle uncontrollably, I blush, I'm angry, I want to fight, I want to hug Juliette, I want to lie on the rooftop with Kenji and talk to him all night, I want to tease James, I long for Warner, I.... Ugh, I just can't. ALL the emotional levels! Ignite Me is a quite satisfying series-ender, and though not without some imperfections, Tahereh Mafi has managed to give us a good closure (Though I won't mind if there's ever gonna be another book from this world) which makes me a very happy reader! :)

A treat for you all, behold the beautiful proses, Tahereh Mafi's style:

“Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures.

No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh.”

“This isn't about Adam or Warner," I tell him, "This is about me and what I want. This is about me finally understanding where I want to be in ten years. Because I'm going to be alive, Kenji. I will be alive in ten years, and I'm going to be happy. I'm going to be strong. And I don't need anyone to tell me that anymore. 

I am enough, and I always will be.”

“He and I would end up like water going nowhere. Water that never moves-- It's fine for a little while. You can drink from it and it'll sustain you. But if it sits too long it goes bad. It grows stale. It becomes toxic. 

I need waves. I need waterfalls. I want rushing currents.”

“Hey--jazz hands!" Kenji barks. "Get your ass back over here." He makes it a point to look as irritated as possible. "Back to work. And this time, focus. You're not an ape. Don't just throw your shit everywhere.”


Read what other readers think about Ignite Me: Kai from Amaterasu Reads | Mimi Valentine on Goodreads

Have you read Ignite Me? Have you read SHATTER ME, even? (Because, if you haven't, really, what kind of planet do you live in?!) WHAT DO YOU THINK? Any book similar to this one that you think I have to read next? Do not hesitate to share with me! And as always,
have fun and read some more ❤

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

The Darkest Minds

by Alexandra Bracken

published on December 18th 2012 by Disney Hyperion

Young Adult/Dystopia/Science Fiction/Romance

part of The Darkest Minds series (book #1)

488 pages

***

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

“The Darkest Minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.”

Here's what really happened.
Me, at the opening pages of The Darkest Minds:

Me, at the last pages of The Darkest Minds:

Basically, I was a mess. I read the synopsis before I read the book but at those opening pages, I felt like nothing make sense. I couldn't remember the colors or what they meant; Green what? Blue what? Red what? All I know was this 'desease' that made little kids being put into horrible 'rehabilitation' camps where they're forced to do *things*. Ruby managed to escape from her camp (called Thurmond) by the help of someone that I cannot even remember the name.

Skip to dozen pages later, Ruby was on the run, with 3 people she met (can't remember how they met, really) on the way. They travelled with a Black Betty, and their goal was to reach the East River to seek help from a figure named Slip Kid. From this point on, I started to understand the basics of it. Weird, really. Like reading a book written by two different authors. The first half was confusing, words jumbled out without a clear picture, I was having a hard time to comprehend it all. But after you go through 100-150 pages of it, the fun finally came. The slow pace may be unbearable for some, but all in all, The Darkest Minds was quite a strong series-starter. It has action, suspense, good humor, romance, friendship, kids with special powers...

The kids in The Darkest Minds were treated badly for things that out of their control. These children didn't understand where their ability came out of, or how to handle the thing, but they're being punished when they accidentally used it. The guilt of unintentionally causing harms to other people and the pain from being separated with their family also sucked, big time. The situation was horrible.

On the way, things definitely weren't easier. They struggled to escape from the authorities that kept chasing them, and at the same time they started to form a strong bond, trying to help each other and survive. We got to know more about Ruby and her companions. Liam, their brave telekinetic leader. Chubs, the brilliant mean boy. Zu, the silent electricity manipulator. Ruby herself was an Orange, which meant she could control people's minds, but she kept this fact hidden to keep other people from herself. Things that happened to them, eventually, brought them closer.

By this point, I was getting attached. Their friendship didn't start easily, with the basic of things like trust and honesty missing, but it was lovely to read the whole dynamics. These 4 teens really invigorate each other eventhough they have their own story, their own weaknesses and strength. Not to mention the relationship between Ruby and Liam which started to bloom. It was no insta-love, really, so plus point for it. They were truly adorable together. Their romance is not even the most important part of the book, but it was what got me hooked for realz. I LOVE LIAM! He's such a good leader, always trying to be optimistic and to do the right things. He had this *ability* to say the most awesome or the most swoon worthy things ever.

"Let's carpe the hell out of this diem."

“Ruby, give me one reason why we can’t be together, and I’ll give you a hundred why we can. We can go anywhere you want. I’m not your parents. I’m not going to abandon you or send you away, not ever.”

“Cause, frankly, the way I see it, you and me? Inevitable.”

(Believe me, there are more than those three)

The thing that BLEW ME AWAY and officialy sealed my 4 stars for this book, however, was the ending. My, oh, my. Someone really ought to tell me about the ending, really. It was OUT of my mind. I mean, HOW DARE YOU, MRS BRACKEN? I was horribly shocked, gutted, and saddened by Ruby's action, but then I remembered that it's only the first book. I need to read Never Fade, like, omg, RIGHT NOW.

Need more to convince you? Read these reviews of The Darkest Minds by: Serena Smiles | Kristy from Book Nerd

Have you read this series yet? What do you think of it? Got any recommendation that is similar to this one? Share it with me! I'll always love to read your thoughts and opinions.

Don't forget to have fun and read some more! ;)

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant

written by Veronica Roth
published on October 22nd 2013 by Katherine-Tegen Books
Young Adult/Dystopia
329 pages
read in English (not translated yet)
other books by the author Divergent, Insurgent
***

One choice will define you.


What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

"Am I done yet?"

You know one word that would be most-fitting if I have to describe the series in one word? It's liferuiner.

Let's talk about my experience reading Allegiant first. I have to admit that I've forgotten most of what happened in the last book (that's to say, Insurgent didn't actually leave much impression on me), so there were a lot of catch-ups happened. I kept asking myself every once in a while What? What happened? When? How? Before I continued on the next part. And the constant flood of information didn't help! Seriously, throughout the book I was like Wait wait wait! and had to go back one or two pages so I could process the informations properly. Please understand that English isn't my native language and yes, it took me awhile to really understand all the gene thing. This is actually my main complain about he book, because all two books before talked about factions, factions, factions, factionless, and now suddenly it's all about genes. All the factions happened and created because of genes. Gene this, gene that....

The next complain was, the characterizations. Our two main characters have a very special place in my heart and I love them dearly, but duh God, Allegiant made me want to slap them. Tobias, mostly. There was this kind of love/hate feeling for him. He changed so much in Allegiant, to be someone who's weak and indecisive. It seemed as if he couldn't keep his mind on one thing, and he became so stupid about his decisions! It was very contrast to the Tobias we've got to known from Divergent and Insurgent, when he was portrayed as  strong, intuitive, tough, a Dauntless legend, even! He's somewhat untouchable. But now that I have read The Transfer and Free Four, it's hard not to sympathize with this boy. So yeah, I was annoyed a lot by his actions, but really, it was all just the insecure part of him, the broken part that was caused by the neglect of his parents which made him so lost and wanting to feel secure. This dark side slowly catched up with Tobias and eat him from the inside. All I want was to hug him tightly and kick him afterward.

"I guess I always knew there was something wrong with me, but I thought it was because of my father, or my mother, and the pain they bequeathed to me like a family heirloom, handed down from generation to generation."

While for Tris... No, no. Let's not talk about Tris for a while. Let's put a hold on this matter until the end of my review. Now let's talk about... The plot. Yeah, the plot.

Allegiant was very fast-paced. Big things instantly happened or done right after a character tought or talked about it, with no break at all. It was so full of tension, and for me, it's a good thing, up until the moment where I had to stop reading it, because I didn't want the book to end sooner. I want the experience to last, yo! Veronica Roth was consistent about the pace. Allegiant was full of BANG! BANG! BANG! moments all the way that would make you constantly feeling surprised. While it can be exhausting for the readers, I do think this one point is good to keep us interested.

Another good thing about the Divergent series, is the romance. Of course. Because unlike any other series where authors have a thing for the other boy or love triangle, Veronica Roth kept her words on not adding a second option for our Beatrice. This fact somehow made me feel secured about their relationship, because I don't have to worry about choosing a team! (Yea) This is also the part where Tris became the real heroine. It seemed like our girl can do no wrong in Allegiant. There were lots of moments when Tris & Four's relationship was tested, mostly caused by Tobias' stupid actions and annoying demeanors, but Tris, being the kickawesome girl that she was, was able to forgive him and decided to move past all that! Even for this one fatal moment when it seemed like Tobias' fault was unforgivable. Tris just kept reminding him that he's whole, worth-loving, he's strong and someone who's good enough for her... What a girl. At a certain way, I think Veronica Roth had made Tris too perfect in Allegiant. Not only she's strong, brave and tough as usual, but she's also generous, capable of forgiving AND most importantly, so selfless.

“I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me.”

Wait. Selfless Tris. That bring us to the ending.

Oh god, the ending.

[WARNING: THIS PART OF THE REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILER ABOUT THE ENDING! Highlight the lines to read it.]

I cannot, until this day, decide on what to feel about the ending— happy (or in peace, at least) or extremely upset about it. Mostly I just want too look out for Tobias :(

Somehow I feel like I know this kind of ending would happen from the moment the author announced that the last book will be told in both POVs of Tris and Tobias because why else would we need dual point of views, right? But I was kinda hoping that my gut was to be proved wrong. I mean, how could Veronica Roth be so cruel on him?! Of all the people in his life (from an abusive father, passive mother) Tris was the only good thing about it AND THEN THE AUTHOR TOOK HER AWAY? CRUEL. I had so many emotions going on while reading the last pages of Allegiant. Shocked came first. Blank moment second because my brain, of course, denied to process the words. After that, rage toward the author for taking away one of my favorite heroines. Then this sorrow and despair I also felt alongside Tobias, especially at the part where he broke down beside Tris' lifeless body AND THE PART WHERE HE WANTED TO DRINK THE SERUM! OH GOD WHAT A JOKE. Also, the part where he had those flashback moments of Tris jumping into the net first and "I suppose a fire that burns that bright is not meant to last," UGGGGGH. Tons of tears were shed that night, and a heart was wrenched in the worst possible way. 

But to think again, and after reading Veronica's reason for pulling a very controversial move like that (if you haven't read the post, please read it), the act of sacrificing herself for his brother was, undoubtedly and absolutely, so very Tris. It's one thing that of course Tris Prior would do, don't you think so? It shows how much of a Dauntless AND Abnegation she was. Total act of bravery and selfless-ness, a reader said. I have to agree with this point. It's one thing that would make Tris one of the most unforgettable, most powerful and one of the best heroine in the history of YA dystopian worlds, because at the end, she could finally prove that she had become someone she wanted the most to be—not a Divergent, not a Dauntless, not an Abnegation, but the real Tris Prior. 

“I don't belong to Abnegation, or Dauntless, or even the Divergent. I don't belong to the Bureau or the experiment or the fringe. I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me—they, and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could.” 

(Does my words somehow sounds like I was okay about the whole thing? Because, let me assure you, I was totally NOT OKAY with it, even until now. I couldn't even stand to hear or read anything, anything related to Allegiant for some days after I finished the book. I was bitter about it. I had another moment of worst-book hangover-ever and boy, it was bad. I decided to distance myself for a while before writing this review because I don't want to write a negative one filled with exclamation marks and capitalized words that would come out as harsh. But yeah. Tris' death was not okay for me. The same way it was not okay with Dumbledore's death, Finnick's death, and any other beloved fictional characters' death that happened in books—only this one was worse because Tris is our MAIN CHARACTER. Ugh.)

To sum up, reading Allegiant was a powerful experience for me. Up until the end, Veronica Roth was totally consistent about the message she wanted to tell: Be brave. The book was page-turning, filled with tension and suspense, and the romance was so good, but the ending left me completely at loss about what to feel about the whole book. As a series, does Divergent is worth to read? YES, definitely. First book was a BANG, second book happened to have this second-book syndrome where it fell as so-so, and the third, even though not perfectly, at least managed to finish the series with a mark on every readers' heart. Thank you, Veronica Roth, for introducing me to the Divergent world, where I get to know such admirable characters like Tris, Tobias, Natalie Prior, Christina (what a good friend that girl is), and for reminding us the power of being brave, selfless, clever, honest... The power to choose.

“I love you," I say.

"I love you, too." He says. "I'll see you soon.”

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.